Blog

Simple Green

2021-09-14T17:54:09+12:00September 14th, 2021|General|

You may have heard me recently discuss some products from Simple Green. I like to know about the products I use, so here is what I found out. The challenge Simple Green was founded in 1975 by a Californian father and son trying to create a food-safe cleaner for removing tannic acid from coffee vending [...]

Black Snake drainage coil

2021-08-24T15:34:58+12:00August 24th, 2021|Building, General|

If you are at home, looking at your garden or drive way, thinking…”gosh with all this rain I need to sort out that boggy area”, Black Snake drainage coil is the solution for you. Black Snake drainage coil is a sub-soil drainage solution that allows water to filter into the pipe via the slots punched [...]

Triboard TGV – Premium Wall Lining

2021-06-17T14:30:13+12:00June 17th, 2021|Building, General|

When scenic Lake Ohau Quarters needed wall lining options, they searched for a product that was not only appealing to the eye, but one that would blend in with the stunning alpine backdrop. Triboard TGV was the premium solution with its unique tones and natural patterns. The warm tones of Triboard’s TGV finish in the [...]

Rockcote Refresh

2021-03-04T12:57:37+13:00March 4th, 2021|General, Painting|

Render has been a popular finish for literally decades in NZ, and we found clever examples of render in the old villa we renovated in 2020. The original fireplace had a decorative render around the fireplace opening, with a piped grout line that was then painted over. Once we got underway with the restoration of [...]

Harvesting Water

2021-02-05T14:49:22+13:00February 5th, 2021|General|

Like many Kiwi’s, we bought a “do-up” many years ago.  Along with a number of “character” features like holes in the roof, walls on a lean and a bathroom in the hallway there was the fact that the downpipes discharged directly into the combined stormwater and sewer system.  Well, some of them did, the rest [...]

Storage and cleaning tips for brushes and rollers

2020-05-06T15:15:43+12:00May 6th, 2020|Painting|

Bryce McDermott from Resene Paints, has kindly provided some additional tips on storage and cleaning of brushes and rollers: BRUSHES Brushes should be cleaned after each use. If I am using water based paint I have two brushes. I use one and when I see a build-up of paint on it I put it in [...]

With risk of infection, cleanliness is key

2020-03-24T15:49:34+13:00March 24th, 2020|General|

These are very interesting times right now. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) is now a pandemic and there is increasing fear and concern, with stockpiling occurring as we start our lockdown 4-week period and isolate within our homes. We are now being encouraged to practice ‘social distancing’. This is to avoid close contact – avoid shaking hands [...]

5 Easy reasons to like Easy Access

2020-03-02T15:28:40+13:00March 2nd, 2020|General|

Last year this Resident Builder forged a new working relationship with Easy Access Co.  Most Tradies would know Easy Access for their range of ladders, scaffolds and  edge protection, widely available from trade stores throughout New Zealand.   Since working with the Easy Access over the past few months, I have discovered that there is more [...]

Scaffold Towers

2019-06-14T14:50:33+12:00June 14th, 2019|Building, General|

The reality of life on a building site is that much of what we need to do, we need to do at a height that is out of reach. Nogging out a midfloor, fixing down trusses and working in stairwells are the types of jobs that have us searching for a safe and stable platform [...]