Cladding the Queenslander House

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Cladding the Queensland house or ‘Queenslander’ with vinyl cladding speaks eloquently of our distinctive lifestyle and is one of the most sensible alternatives to the regular high maintenance of the exterior of our houses whilst also maintaining it’s distinctive character and architectural design.

Queensland has more than one type of housing but a traditional past of building with timber has been dominant. This distinctive tradition originated with rough timber huts of early settlement and developed into the multi-gabled bungalows of the 1930s. Buildings continued until, and were adapted after, the Second World War, leading to more contemporary timber houses.

The most typical early twentieth century Queensland house is characterised by:
• timber construction with corrugated-iron roof;
• highset on timber stumps;
• single-skin cladding for partitions and sometimes external walls;
• verandahs front and/or back, and sometimes the sides;
• decorative features to screen the sun or ventilate the interior.

Some of the negatives for the Queenslander were the high maintenance and poor insulation of the external walls as they were only single skinned and required regular painting. One of the most cost effective ways of rectifying these negatives is to have insulated vinyl cladding install directly over the existing exterior walls. This will leave you with an almost maintenance free exterior that never needs to be painted and also makes the house warmer in winter and helps with cooling costs in the summer.

Vinyl cladding, despite its relatively low price, is an extremely durable product. The colour of vinyl house cladding will last much longer than a cladding option that is painted. The cladding won’t dent like aluminium cladding, and unlike wood cladding, vinyl cladding is resistant to moisture, mould and insects so it won’t rot or deteriorate like wood can over time. In fact, vinyl cladding is one of the most durable options of any type of exterior cladding on the market. Our vinyl wall cladding can withstand extremes in weather including temperature changes and relatively high wind speeds. In fact, our cladding can even withstand cyclonic force winds. The manufacturer of our cladding is so confident in the product they offer an extensive lifetime warranty to back up their claims of how durable the product is.

Keep the character of your Queensland home, reduce maintenance and add insulation.

We offer free quotes for new and old buildings, why not call us today on 1800 684 717 or check out these web sites: Cladding Townsville – Cladding Bundaberg – Cladding Ipswich .

Energy Bill Busting Tips

Are you dreading your next power bill? Starting to worry about how the increases in electricity costs are going to drain your household budget. Well you’re not on your own, so here is what you can do to reduce your anxiety and your bills.

Most of the time simple and easy common sense measures can cut hundreds of dollars off your bills just by following these steps.

Top Ten Ways to Reduce Your Bills FOR FREE

1. Most people do not realise how much electricity a simple light bulb could be adding to the cost of their electricity bills. Turning off lights when you exit a room will make a big difference.

2. Try to avoid using the clothes dryer, if the weather is bad purchase a clothes rank that you can use inside.

3. If going on holidays, turn off your electric hot water system at the meter board to avoid the system constantly heating up water when it’s not being used.

4. If you have a peak smart enabled air conditioner you can connect your air-conditioning unit to Tariff 33 – which provides a guaranteed 18 hours of electricity at tariff 33 rates. You may not be able to turn on the system on during peak times, but this could be a good compromise to still enjoy your heating/cooling system without costing the earth. Energex are currently offering $250 reward for split system (peak smart enabled) and $500 reward for ducted systems (peak smart enabled). To see whether your air conditioner is eligible go to the Energex website.

5. An old inefficient pool pump could be costing you up to $640 annually to run on tariff 11. By connect your pool pump to Tariff 33 (if possible) could save you hundreds off your bill. Energex are currently offering a $250 reward for connecting your pool pump to Tariff 33.

6. Turn off additional refrigerators. Have a good think about how much you really use the other fridge. If it’s only for the occasional party switch it off in-between time or if it is to store extra food think whether you really need to stock pile this much as you could be paying a fortune for “just in case you need it”.

7. When running your air conditioner set the temperature to 23 degrees in Summer, as every degree below this will cost you 10% more in running costs (eg. Running at 20 degrees will cost you 30% more than running it at 23 degrees) Or to save more open windows for ventilation rather than turning on the air conditioner in summer time.

8. Use cold water to wash your clothes. With the many washing detergents available today that are made for cold water washing it makes sense to use these rather using your electricity to heat up the water.

9. Once the weather starts to cool down, remember to close any windows that have been left open, use a throw blanket to snuggle up and keep warm whilst watching TV and get out the ugg boots. . If you do turn on the heater, keep the heat in the room you’re in by closing the door.

10. Using low flow showerheads in your shower usually consume less energy and provide the same amount of comfort.

All these free suggestions will reduce your energy usage and your power bills but they do take self discipline and children are often the worst offenders in leaving everything turned on. So if you don’t want to comprise on life style you can still reduce your bills by purchasing energy saving products such as a solar hot water system, solar power system, led lighting, skylights and monitoring systems. If you’d like to find out more visit www.anyenergy.com.au

The benefits of a steel rainwater tank

Queenslandwide steel rainwater tanks are an increasingly common sight across the Australian suburban landscape, and for good reason. We live in a hot, dry country where every drop counts, and many homeowners are eager to protect the earth’s precious resources and save money at the same time. While earlier models tended to be bulky and unattractive, the latest domestic water tanks are specially designed to fit into awkward spaces and complement modern architecture. Steel is proving to be the correct choice, not only for its stylish looks, but for its durability.

Space is a premium on urban blocks with smaller land sizes. Because of this Queenslandwide’s extensive range of custom-size slimline water tanks are increasingly popular in urban areas of Australia, where space is a real problem. These slimline water tanks have evolved so oval tanks, rectangular tanks and other configurations meet the needs of customers who don’t have the space to fit the traditional round water tanks on their blocks.

The benefits of a steel rainwater tank for your home are considerable and will offer you plenty of return on your investment, and you don’t need to live in a rain forest area or a high rain density area to have one.

Australia is now embracing the water tank phenomenon and at Queenslandwide Tanks, we are here to help you with all you need to know when it comes to rainwater harvesting. When you invest in a Aquaplate water tank, you will be able to collect most of the rain that falls on your roof if you have it connected to your gutters and downpipes. For example, if 10mm of rain falls onto about 100m2 of your roof, you will collect about 1000 Litres of rainwater into your water tank. Just imagine, after 4 days of light rain you could easily harvest around 4000 litres of rainwater.

The benefit of rainwater tanks are endless and of course ensures that your home becomes environmentally friendly. You can reduce the amount of water used from the main supply therefore reducing your drain on this precious resource. By reducing the demand on mains water to your home, you will reduce your water bills, and by connecting the rainwater tank to a rainwater pump you will be able to water your gardens, wash your cars and fill your swimming pool whenever you want at no cost.

The other benefits of installing a Slimline rain water tank in your home are the government rebates now available to residents across Australia. And did you know that rainwater is actually less salty than dam supplies therefore it is much healthier for your gardens and appliances like your washing machine as they will actually be better of using rain water. The other benefit of owning rain water tanks means that you will never have to worry about water restrictions around the home for washing your car and watering your garden.

Imagine how easy it would be to wash your car with rainwater whenever you like, and imagine how beautiful your lawn and plants are going to look when you start using rainwater for your garden.

It’s best to use the water in the tank on a regular basis so there is always storage capacity available in the water tank when it rains. By connecting your water tank to a washing machine or toilet, you will get good use of the tanks supply and will allow rainfall to re-fill the rain water tank more often. By using the water tank this way you will maximize the amount of rainwater you will harvest and the money you will save.

If you are looking for Steel Tanks Brisbane, Slimline Tanks Brisbane or Water Tanks Brisbane

The Typical Queenslander Style Home

When you think of a typical Queenslander, apart from the massive stilts and open-plan design, one of the most recognisable qualities is the corrugated iron roof.

Since the 1840s when Australia was first developing, corrugated iron has been considered one of the best materials to use for roofing. Because of it’s lightweight, sturdy properties, it is the ideal material to use in terms of easy transportation and construction as well as protection.

Although it is a relatively strong, fire proof and weather-resistant material, if exposed to water (particularly salt) rusting is inevitable. This is why it is extremely important to coat the steel in a layer of paint in order for it to remain protected.

Even today this roofing remains to be one of the most popular choices in materials for a range of reasons. Its flexibility, strength and thin sizing allows for quick repairs, relatively cheap installation and durability with little maintenance.

Apart from the practical side of things, there is also the aesthetics. The typically 3 inch curves rolling into one another create a very symmetrical feel, breaking up the angles of the rest of the house and creating a harmonious contrast.

Since iron is quite a durable material itself, compared to wood it is very easy to prepare for installation. Instead of needing to purchase an expensive sealant, a few layers of paint will generally be enough to prevent any damage.

One aspect of corrugated iron that can pose a genuine issue is the fact that the wavelengths of most sounds are echoed loudly into the tube of the corrugated iron. This means that any noise close to or coming into contact with the roof is going to release a high pitched “ping”. This can be a genuine issue for Queenslanders as falling tree branches and wildlife are a part of our every day lives.

On the other hand, the echo can be the perfect culprit to amplify raindrops into a soothing lullaby and because of the shape of the typically 3 inch tubing and smoothness of the iron, the water runs straight down and off the roof, making cleaning very manageable. Also because it is a very thin material it allows the house to stay cool in the warm summers, making it the ideal choice for a house in Queensland. For roof restoration Brisbane, contact Retro Roof Restoration.

The iron sheets themselves are relatively cheap and can be purchased with a coat of Colorbond or made galvanised to order. They range from around 5 to 45 dollars per sheet depending on the size of the sheet and what coating you have selected.

Compared with other common roofing materials such as clay, slate, concrete, wood, Spanish and asphalt, corrugated iron is often said to be one of the most durable and certainly one of the most cost-effective.

So whether it’s the classic sound of rain on the tin roof, or the practical desires of someone looking for a sturdy home, or anyone who doesn’t want to waste their precious pennies, it is no surprise that corrugated iron is one of the most popular choices in Queensland.

Moodle Learning Management System Overview

moodle-lmsMoodle is the world’s most popular learning management system. Moodle is flexible and scaleable software designed to help educators create interactive and collaborative online learning experiences. Moodle originated in Australia around a decade ago and has since been internationalised in more than 200 countries and 100 languages. The official community site has more than a million registered users.

There are many ways in which Moodle can be capably used. These include
workplace assessment, the delivery of online courses, continuing professional development, staff compliance and induction training. Being open source software, there is a large amount of community support toward the development of third-party plugins to extend Moodle’s core functionality.

Moodle is free without licensing costs, however, it does take some level of technical expertise to install, configure and secure the software on a web server. Once deployed, it can be easily managed by a qualified system administrator.

Moodle’s key administrative functions include the ability to control authentication, change site appearance, manage accounts, perform bulk user actions, assign roles and permissions, automate course backups and generate various reports. Moodle enables integration with external systems, e-commerce plugins and SCORM compliance. Moodle is proactive in terms of data security and information privacy of its users, hence, patches are released on a regular basis and there are global settings that can be configured by the system administrator.

Course creators can add online activities and resources intended for their learners. Moodle’s standard activities include assignment, forum, chat, messaging, blog, wiki and quiz. The learning sequence may be totally non-linear or controlled so learners engage with online course objects in a predetermined fashion. User activity and course completion tracking are monitored, moreover, assessment grades and feedback can be reported in real-time via the internet.

Moodle enables online content to be shared in various ways. Course participants can quickly upload existing files from their device, disk, or network. Using Moodle repositories, it is possible to import content and media from Cloud-based services such as Google Docs, YouTube, Flickr, Boxnet and Dropbox. On the same token, content can be export from Moodle to third-party services.

Assess, track and report on your learners via the web. Get started now and learn more today about Moodle Sydney, Moodle Brisbane and Moodle Melbourne providers.