Page 6 - SBP Perth Blog
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- February 17, 2022
Statewide Building Products have our own in house estimator and we can now provide our clients full take-offs, schedules, and shop detail drawings for all your reinforcing, suspended slabs, culverts, pad footings, etc. We also offer detailed drawings and itemised quotes for structural steel, including columns, t-bars, shelf lintels, and the like.
If you are looking for that one stop shop for your next project, please get in touch with one of the team and we'll be sure to assist you in making your next project a pleasure rather than a headache.
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- December 14, 2018
Reinforced concrete is created by pouring concrete over steel bars (rebar) or welded steel mesh. While concrete is extremely strong in compression, it has low tensile strength, meaning it cannot handle stretching or bending forces well on its own. By combining steel reinforcement with concrete, engineers and builders create slabs, beams, and other structural elements that are both strong and durable.
Steel and concrete expand and contract at similar rates, which makes the combination particularly effective. The embedded steel reinforces the concrete, allowing it to withstand loads and stresses that plain concrete alone could not handle. This is why reinforced concrete is a cornerstone of modern construction.
When was it first used?
The use of steel to strengthen concrete has been around for more than a century. Francois Coignet is credited with using iron-reinforced concrete to construct a house in Paris in 1853. Some historical accounts suggest that variations of this technique may have
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- March 07, 2018
The longevity of your vinyl plank flooring will depend on the how well you prepare your sub-floor. Uneven sub-floor will cause your newly installed vinyl planks to wear prematurely or separate, wasting valuable time and adding extra costs to your budget.
Take the time to make certain that your sub-flooring is flawless. Putting in the extra time will allow you to enjoy better results for years to come.
Here are a couple of ways to ensure the longevity of your vinyl floors.
Concrete Sub-floor
Firstly you will need to test the surface’s moisture level. This can be done by taping a square piece of vinyl with duct tape to your subfloor, ensure that the edges are sealed. Leave it for a couple of days and then remove the duct tape. Should the tape release with great ease, your floor is likely too damp for vinyl plank flooring.
Moisture in your sub-floor can be caused by a number of sources. Your floor may not have an effective moisture barrier, causing moisture to rise from ground sources. Other
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- February 28, 2018
Have you ever ordered too much sand for your building of DIY project?
After the work has been completed, the sand heap often just sits there on the lawn or driveway, taking up valuable space and becoming an eyesore. In this article, we take a look at a few practical ways you can gain value from excess sand and reclaim your lawn instead of paying to have it removed.
Start a vegetable garden
If you ordered too much brickie sand then a vegetable garden is the ideal way to repurpose it.
Mixing brickie sand with compost creates a well-draining growing medium that works especially well for root vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, and beetroot. The compost adds essential nutrients, while the sand improves drainage and prevents the soil from becoming compacted or waterlogged.
Because brickie sand is not overly dense, plant roots can easily move between the particles to access water and nutrients, encouraging healthy growth. You can use wooden crates, raised garden beds, or even
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- February 25, 2018
Sand is everywhere around us and when it comes to a building or landscaping project it becomes clear that you cannot just use any type of sand.
At Statewide Building Products we supply and deliver 3 types of sands to the Perth, Perth Metro and Western Australia regions. In this article we dive into the sand box to see what sand works best for your project.
Brickies Sand
Brickies Sand contains a clay component that makes it and ideal building component to use for laying bricks and block work.
Due to the presence of clay particles it doesn’t soak up and hold a lot of water and mixes well with cement. Using a ratio of 6 parts bricks sand to 1-part cement binds it together into a more manageable mortar to use. Add some gravel to the mix and you have concrete.
The rule of thumb is that if your requirement is for the end product of your labour to be a hard-set result, then brickies sand is the type you want in the mix.
Fill Sand
Fill Sand is fine type of sand that is ideal for projects in areas
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- February 08, 2018
In October of 2016, 9 News Perth ran a segment about the boom of dodgy builders in the Western Australia region. This raised concerns with consumers who were in the begining stages of planning to renovate the homes, or planning to build a new house.
On Facebook it gave rise to local community groups like Shonky Builders WA, where consumers discuss and report issues they have with work done.
Websites such as PropertyChat.com.au also became a hub for consumers who discuss and vett builders and the tradesmen prior to doing business with them. Among the discussion threads the general concensus are that it is not neccesarely the builders who are to blame, but the quality of work being produced by the tradesmen being sub-contracted by the builders.
To avoid having to deal with sub-standard work is to do proper market research before commiting to working with a builder or tradesmen. The ideal combination is a team where the builder is woking with a dedicated team of tradesmen and have
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- January 31, 2018
Plasterboard is now one of the most common wall and partition systems used in new homes, renovations, and commercial fit-outs across Perth and Western Australia. It is fast to install, cost-effective, and delivers a clean, modern finish.
Most trades in Perth know the key details that make plasterboard perform well long term, but DIY renovators often have the same questions before they start. Below are five of the most common ones, with practical guidance to help you plan your project properly.
Can I paint straight onto plasterboard?
Yes, but you should not apply top coats straight onto bare plasterboard without proper preparation.
What to know:
- New plasterboard has a paper face and jointing compound at the set joints. These surfaces absorb paint differently and can “flash” through the finish if not sealed.
- Use a plasterboard sealer or primer first, then apply your chosen top coats.
- If you have freshly stopped joints, make sure they are fully dry and sanded smooth before priming.
Tip:
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- October 17, 2017
Reduce the real cost, not just the invoice price
At Statewide Building Products, we focus on reducing total project cost by working closely with you and your trade contractor to improve accuracy, reduce waste, and keep your schedule moving.
How we help
- Cut-to-length supply: We cut and supply only the lengths you need, reducing offcuts and minimising material wastage.
- Simple metro delivery pricing: We offer a fixed $45 delivery fee for orders under 2 tonne in the Perth Metro Area.
By preparing and cutting structural steel at our site before delivery, you reduce waste and lower the risk of delays on-site.
Avoid costly delays and rework
Few things disrupt a build more than steel arriving on site and finding out it is not to spec. While many trades can cut or adjust steel on-site, it usually means pulling labour off planned tasks, slowing progress, and adding cost. Small fixes add up across a project and can impact both budget and timeframes.
Better planning leads to smoother builds
When
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- October 05, 2017
Lintels are used to bear the load of building material above door and window openings. In Australian trade the choice has always been picking between steel, timber beams (LVL’s) and concrete lintels for construction.
At Statewide Building Products we specialize in providing steel lintels as part of our structural steel range as it offers the following advantages.
- Steel lintels offers better load bearing capabilities in some cases
- Steel lintels are lighter than concrete to transport and manage on the building site
- Steel lintels offers great tensile strength
- Steel lintels are designed to not be seen
- Galvanized steel lintels are ideal in coastal areas as they are known to last up to 70 years before showing signs of corrosion due to environmental elements (when exposed)
In modern construction, steel lintels are used when using brick or wood as building material. Irrelevant of the building product used, you always need to consider the following when ordering lintels.
- Is the wall internal or
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- September 27, 2017
Anyone who is in the planning stages of any building project knows that the most important part of managing the project, is managing the cost of the project.
At Statewide Building Products, we provide building cost estimations based on the building plans provided to us and assist our customers in making sure they get the best possible quotation based on their requirements.
Building plans provided allow us to determine the type of products and quantity to quote on for your project’s reinforcing, Roof beams, Lintels ,T-Bars, Columns, Doorframes and plasterboard requirements, to name but a few of the areas we cover.
When it comes to items such as steel lintels and universal beams we are able to keep cost lower as we can cut and supply to length. This removes the cost of buying in bulk and sitting with an unused leftover material once the build has been completed.
How to make use of our Estimation Service
By providing your building plans, we can determine the types and quantities of materials
