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Around 35% of homes in New Zealand have masonry veneer cladding (clay brick, concrete brick and concrete block). It has proven weathertightness, is solid, hardwearing and low maintenance. 

Packed with numerous photos and figures, this guide provides good-practice solutions for masonry veneer design and construction along with wall ties, structural frame, foundations and cavity requirements.

This guide is an essential resource for any architect, designer, mason, builder and related trade, building consent authority, tertiary tutor, student and apprentice.

Membrane roofing systems come in a wide variety of types, each with their own substrate and installation requirements. Achieving a durable membrane roofing system depends on using the correct approach to the design of the substrate supporting the membrane and the membrane roofing itself. Using the correct membrane roofing system for the substrate, the slope, the use the roof will be put to and the aesthetic requirements of the building owner are also key requirements.

Written specifically for the New Zealand building industry, this guide covers the issues that need to be considered when selecting, designing, detailing and installing membrane roofing systems. Following the procedures outlined should significantly reduce the risk of problems occurring with membrane roofing.

This is an essential reference tool for all those involved in the selection, design or installation of a membrane roofing system. 

This seminar provides designers and installers with a practical understanding of how to ensure non-structural systems in buildings are seismically resilient.

Please note that access to this recorded seminar will expire 1 month after purchase.

Buildings are complicated. As part of the design process, the building designer must balance a range of potentially conflicting considerations such as:

• client (owner/developer) attitudes to costs and maintenance 
• material and finish costs
• material and finish performance
• equipment cost and performance
• environmental conditions, both internal and external
• maintenance requirements and associated costs for the materials/components selected
• complexity of design and detailing
• aesthetics
• access
• the expected refurbishment cycles for the building
• building use and potential changes in use during its life
• potential changes in available technology
• safety.

Design and construction quality can also have a significant impact on the life expectancy of a building's materials and components as well as on the maintenance and renewal requirements.

The aim of this book is to outline maintenance issues that should be considered as part of the design process so that completed buildings are able to be effectively and economically maintained.

An estimated 1 million houses in New Zealand have timber-framed windows, and nearly all of these are single glazed. Although timber-framed windows have a thermal performance approximately 25% better than single-glazed aluminium, all single-glazed windows are the major source of heat loss. A number of the retrofit options for improving the thermal performance of timber windows achieve results that are comparable to full window replacement. Replacement will be necessary where existing timber windows are in poor condition.

As well as energy savings, other benefits include extending the life of existing windows, avoiding production of new materials, reducing waste, lowering the carbon footprint and preserving the character of a home.

This Good Repair Guide looks at the various options and the advantages and disadvantages of each when considering whether to thermally upgrade existing timber windows or replace them.

The thermal performance requirements of building elements given in this book are from the 4th edition Building Code acceptable solution H1/AS1 and verification method H1/VM1. Note that 5th editions of H1/AS1 and H1/VM1 replaced the 4th edition on 3 November 2022.

This guide gives an overview of the issues to be considered when selecting, designing, detailing and installing profiled metal wall cladding systems. It identifies where and why problems are likely to occur and what care is needed to avoid potential problems. It emphasises the fact that the profiled metal sheets are just one part of the wall cladding system required to manage air and water penetration. 

To satisfy New Zealand Building Code and owners' expectations for performance in all conditions, profiled metal claddings require the correct design and installation of the whole cladding system comprising cladding (profile and orientation), cavities, cladding underlays, air barriers, all associated fasteners and flashings

The intended audience for this guide includes architects, designers, cladding and building trades, building consent authorities, tertiary tutors and apprentices.

Timber cladding materials and skills needed for building and installation of traditional claddings have changed over the years. The conditions for building new timber-clad buildings have also changed over the years. Sites that would have earlier been avoided are now being built on, and buildings are also larger and more complex.

Other factors, such as weathertightness issues, have become more relevant. Designers have to consider carefully how they will achieve weathertight cladding solutions when traditional materials are being employed to satisfy homeowners' demands for complex buildings on more exposed sites.

This guide gives a comprehensive overview of the issues to be addressed by designers and installers of timber weatherboard and plywood sheet claddings.

Driveways and paths require maintenance and may need to be repaired from time to time. The frequency and type of repair depends on the surface finish. Paths and driveways can become overgrown, and tree roots growing underneath are likely to cause cracking and unevenness of the surface.

This Good Repair Guide identifies some of the common problems with driveways and paths and describes repair options. If damage is extensive, however, the best option may be removal and a full replacement of the driveway or path, which is outside the scope of this guide.

External timber steps and handrails are exposed to all weather conditions, including regular wetting and drying and high levels of UV light. Regular wetting and drying causes swelling and shrinkage of the timber, while changes in ambient temperature results in continual thermal expansion and contraction. The constant movement of the timber causes warping and cupping, joints to open up, nails to pop and fixings to become loose. In addition, timber that remains wet for extended periods of time becomes slippery, and rotting may occur.

This Good Repair Guide identifies some of the common problems and repair options for external timber steps and handrails. When damage to external steps is extensive, the best option is often full replacement. 

This seminar provides an insight into how BRANZ research priorities are determined as well completed research, research for coming year, National Science Challenges and overseas research.

Please note that access to this recorded seminar will expire 1 month after purchase.

Regular wetting and drying of timber decking results in timber swelling and shrinking. In combination with exposure to UV light and temperature changes, this can result in timber deterioration.

Timber slat decks are usually fully exposed to the weather. To deal with water dispersal, these decks have 3-6 mm gaps between the timber boards. Although villas and bungalows may have a roofed veranda or porch, the timber decking is still exposed to the weather. The decking in these houses is typically tongue and groove (T&G) boards, and they are laid with a fall to the exterior of the building to shed water.

This Good Repair Guide describes some of the common problems that can occur and how timber decking can be repaired and maintained.

A bouncy or springy floor or a floor that is noticeably uneven is often the first indication that there may be a problem with the subfloor framing.

Subfloor timbers include joists, bearers, wall plates, jack studs, braces and stringers. They are structural components of a building, and any damaged or understrength subfloor timbers must be repaired or replaced regardless of the cause.

This Good Repair Guide looks at the causes of common problems with subfloor timber and outlines the repair options.

Tongue and groove (T&G) timber floors laid over joists are a typical feature of older New Zealand homes. From the earliest houses until 1970s, all houses had timber floorboards.

Moisture changes in the timber can cause floorboards to expand and contract, and timber flooring is also susceptible to minor damage such as scuffs and scratches.

This Good Repair Guide describes the types of repairs that can be made where damage to floorboards is minor or localised. It does not cover major repairs or where the floor may need to be replaced as a result of subfloor or foundation failure.

Single-skin masonry construction has a small but significant share of the New Zealand construction industry. It is seen as a robust construction system where the structural and weathertightness functions of a wall are carried out by a single construction element.

The guide covers performance requirements, design and detailing requirements, material selection, good construction practices, weathertightness and maintenance. It is well illustrated with photographs and three-dimensional drawings to explain the requirements of single-skin masonry from initial design requirements through to the weatherproof coating options.

This guide is an essential reference for designers and specifiers, masons, building contractors, building officials, and tutors and students of construction-related disciplines.

Aluminium windows have been available in New Zealand since the late 1950s but were not frequently installed in houses until the early 1970s. Today, almost all window joinery is aluminium framed. Although considered to be maintenance free, all aluminium joinery requires cleaning, and in some circumstances, other care may be required, such as lubrication of hardware. Unless it has been well maintained, early aluminium joinery may now require replacement or removal and refurbishment. 

This guide covers the replacement of aluminium windows that are installed into walls with:

• direct-fixed weatherboard and flat sheet claddings
• brick veneer

The thermal performance requirements of building elements given in this book are from the 4th edition Building Code acceptable solution H1/AS1 and verification method H1/VM1. Note that 5th editions of H1/AS1 and H1/VM1 replaced the 4th edition on 3 November 2022.

Roof gutters are an important component of the building envelope, designed to control the disposal of rainwater from the roof. The most important functions of gutters are to help protect against:

• excessive or concentrated wetting of external wall surfaces
• water getting inside the building roof space or wall framing
• increased wetness of soils around the building and subsequent increased moisture loads on basement waterproofing 
• undermining of areas around the building where there is controlled spillage onto the ground.

Leaking or overflowing gutters may cause problems with dampness in subfloor areas or basements or elevated moisture levels in cladding and within wall framing.

This Good Repair Guide covers the repair or replacement of fully accessible metal and plastic external gutters around the outside perimeter of the building that are fixed to a fascia board or rafter ends. It does not cover gutters that are concealed behind a proprietary metal fascia or internal or within-roof gutters. 

As well as causing damage to building materials, internal mould growth in homes is unhealthy for many building occupants. While some moulds are harmless, others can cause health problems such as allergies, asthma and hay fever in some people, and a few moulds can cause more serious illness.

This Good Repair Guide outlines strategies for removing internal mould, controlling moisture and raising temperatures in order to minimise its reccurrence. It looks at what mould is, the problems and health consequences, cleaning methods for mould and improving ventilation. 

Profiled metal roofs may need replacing for a variety of reasons, including cladding failure due to corrosion, leaks due to poor initial design or installation, damage caused by wind or falling trees, the need to match an older roof to a newer addition or imply a desire to change the appearance of the roof.

This Good Repair Guide covers:

• why a roof may need replacing
• the steps to take when removing an existing profiled metal roof and replacing it with new longrun profiled metal roof cladding.

It does not cover the replacement of the profiled metal roof cladding with another roofing type.

All houses need a constant supply of fresh outdoor air to replenish indoor oxygen levels and replace stale, moisture-laden air that is generated by household activities.

Poor indoor air quality comes from a range of sources, including:

• high indoor moisture levels from unvented kitchen or bathroom steam, unvented gas heaters or clothes dryers
• pollutants and discharges from solid-fuel burners, open fires, gas heaters and cookers, and occupant activity such as smoking inside
• volatile organic compounds (VOCs) given off by new building materials, paint and carpets
• outdoor sources of pollution such as vehicle emissions or fireplace emissions.

In most New Zealand homes, opening windows will be sufficient to meet most air quality requirements, so long as this is used in conjunction with localised externally vented air extraction systems such as kitchen rangehoods and bathroom extractor fans to remove moisture and pollutants. Where the occupants are not able or choose not to open windows regularly, there is likely to be a need for other means of ventilation.

This Good Repair Guide outlines strategies for maintenance tradespeople to improve the ventilation of spaces within a domestic building.

Texture-coated claddings - typically stucco, EIFS (exterior insulation and finishing system) or texture-coated flush-stopped fibre-cement - rely on good detailing and installation, a cavity, a coating to seal the surface against moisture penetration and regular maintenance of that coating to ensure the surface remains weatherproof. Other claddings with similar finishes include plastered masonry veneer, lightweight aerated concrete and polystyrene block walls.

Repainting over the texture is required as recommended by the coating manufacturer. Recoating to keep the substrate well protected may be necessary even if the appearance of the coating is still acceptable.

This Good Repair Guide explains what textured-coated cladding systems are and looks at rules and regulations, health and safety, tools, recoating and maintenance of repainted textured finishes.