Blog Post – Building repair service Gold Coast

Steps to building your own home

An independent over view of the Steps to building your own home

Blog Post - 10/26/2013

Terracotta Tile Restoration Gold Coast – Tweed Coast

Terracotta tiles are very common in our region. Through out the 80’s and 90’s terracotta floor and roof tiles were very popular, however in many instances most of them are a pour es tile . Which means that they absorb moisture and can stain quite easily. It’s quite common to see terracotta tiles that have acquired rust, dirt and calcium stains which are the white salty looking stains you see not just on terracotta but also brick work and concrete.

To clean terracotta

You must be careful what type of cleaners you use. Some cleaners have a tendency to discolor the tile, others may react with the sealer that is used to waterproof the tile. As a rule of thumb use as little chemical as possible.

Repairing terracotta tiles

Can also be tricky. When tiles start to de laminate or go as they say “drummy”. You need to be extremely careful when pulling up the loose tiles that you don’t loosen all of the other tiles, otherwise you may find yourself ‘re tiling your whole house or balcony again. Which is not what we want.

Sealing Terracotta tiles

Is another tricky job. Believe it or not if you don’t use the correct sealer your tiles have the potential to explode due to trapped moisture. For sealing terracotta tiles outside you need to use what they call a penetrating sealer or soloxane sealer. Solaxane sealers are solvent based sealers that have the ability to any trapped moisture out of the tile once sealed. They are quite easy to apply, always be generous on the first 2 coats, let the sealer soak right in and apply the second coat before the first coat dries, then come back 24 hours later and apply a third for the best results.

There are many brands of these sealers on the market and it really pays to shop around.

If you are not confident about doing it your self you can contact me any time for a free consultation and quote.

Hope you found this useful !

Blog Post - 08/17/2013

Building Services Kingscliff and Tweed Coast

Building Services Kingscliff and Tweed Coast

Solace Building Services is a local Kingscliff business who services the Gold Coast and Tweed Coast region. Whether your home is in need of a full renovation, bathroom upgrade, minor or major repairs. Our specialty is finding the correct solution for your needs. With our experience we are able to assist all types of property owners in finding the right solution relating to their needs and budgets.

Our services include

Free advice
Home remodeling
Energy efficiency
Bathroom repairs and sealing
Carpentry
Plastering
Rendering
Concrete repair
Water and termite damage
Water proofing
Painting

The team at Solace Building Services is a small group of professional trades people that are fully qualified and have been working in the industry for years.

We guarantee honesty, quality and value for money !

Blog Post - 08/04/2013

Building maintenance and repairs for Apartments and body corps

Gold Coast / Tweed Coast Building maintenance and repairs for Apartments and body corps

Total refurbishments
Balcony Repairs
Bathroom sealing and renovations
Water proofing issues
Concrete cancer
Rendering, Texture and white set
Painting
All carpentry

We are an owner operated business that is custom tailored for the needs of body corporate and high rise apartments on the Gold Coast. Our trade back grounds consist of Solid plastering, architectural coatings, carpentry, plastering etc . We deal with issues such as Render and concrete repairs, leaks, concrete cancer, water damage, plaster repairs, tile repairs and the list goes on. We have the social skills and the technical knowledge to be able to deliver the most challenging of jobs on time and on budget with as little disturbance to residents as possible.

Before you call one of the larger companies on the Gold Coast try giving us a call.

Why ?

Most big maintenance companies sub contract the majority of their work out to contractors like me. These large building maintenance contractors are making a lot of money by standing around and watching everyone work. Whilst they sit there waiting for the dollars to roll in.

For a better idea of what we do see our full services here

http://solacebuildingservices.com.au/building-maintenance/

Blog Post - 06/12/2013

bathroom renovation cost’s Gold Coast / Northern Rivers

Bathroom renovations are usually quite expensive compared to other rooms of the house. A cheap bathroom renovation usually starts from around $7000 for something quite basic. For $7000 you can expect a nice tidy tiled bathroom with basic tiles, a nice basic vanity maybe a cupboard and linen cabinet, a tiled shower with glass shower screen.

Cost factors :

Demolition

Altering positions of pipes

flooring replacement / leveling

waterproofing (especially in an apartment above another)

Tiling ceramic / porcelin

Fittings taps, lights, ventilation, heating, spa, bath tub

Paint.

Blog Post - 06/08/2013

cost to renovate on the Gold Coast

How much does it cost to renovate on the Gold Coast

If you are thinking of renovating on the Gold Coast or buying a house to renovate on the Gold Coast here are some Figures that I use to help me quote that could be useful for you. Over the years I have come into contact with so many people who buy property to renovate,who lose money because they don’t do their home work. They speculate about the cost of trades with out having a realistic pricing structure.

Plans from $1000 draftsman Architects are more expensive
Council fees if extending the roof line from $1000+
Carpenters $50ph
Bricky $2 p brick laid, $5 p block laid $50ph
Plumbers $70ph
Electricians $70ph ( As a rule of thumb lights and swithes start from around $125 installed depending on difficulty)
Rendering $30m2 brick, $35m2 Blueboard, $40pm2 foam
Bathrooms From $7000 – ?
Kitchens From $5000
Plastering From $20m2
Painting Internal From $5m2 per coat $6m2 Per coat (DIY internal and exterior paint start from around $120 per 15lt drum which covers aprox 100m2 after walls are primed)
Tiling From $35 m2 for laying + cost of tile (
Carpet $35 m2
Timber and bamboo flooring From $50m2
Insulation from $8m2 supply and installed
Tile roof re spray From $1500 Depending on the size
Re gutter From $2500 on a small 3 bed home
New roof from $10000 on a small 3 bed home
Asbestos removal From $600 per skip plus labour
skip bins from $400
Remote garage doors from $2000
skylights $1000 each
Air conditioning units from $1000. Plus gas from $235 per kg ( there are 2 types of gas when buying a unit make sure you get a unit that uses the cheap gas the expensive gas is double.
Concreting driveways from $65 pm2 depending on finish. House slabs more expensive depending on thickness, excavation and technicality
landscaping from $1000 depending on what you want( turf is usually around $15m2 laid)

These prices are just ball park figures to give you some idea of what the going rates are for each trade on the Gold Coast and Northern rivers.Before you make any decisions always get quotes from contractors.