Steps in a slab and the steel that has to follow them
Where a slab changes level, the reinforcement has to carry past the step.
Guides 
All guides
When a beam connection is not the one the engineer drew
Steel beams and columns in Gables frames are only as good as how they are joined.
The 25mm gap between cables and hot water pipes
Services crowded together inside a wall are the most common lock-up item we record in Gables.
Balcony tiles laid on dabs instead of a full bed
A balcony sits over a room, so how its tiles are laid matters more than it looks.
Render over a control joint is a crack booked in advance
Movement joints only work if they are left open and sealed.
The 125mm window rule on a two storey home
Upstairs windows that open too far are a safety item, not a finish item.
Investigating a driveway: depth, joints and what lies beneath
How a defect investigation works, shown through one driveway that failed early.
Step cracking at a window corner in new brickwork
A stair pattern crack in a new wall is worth understanding before it is patched.
Two years or six: which NSW warranty applies to a defect
The Home Building Act sets two clocks, and the difference matters.
Buying a house in Gables that is only a few years old
Near new homes still carry their builders' defects, and some of their warranties.
Cracks measured in millimetres, not adjectives
How a pre-purchase report grades cracking so you can judge it.
Showers, ensuites and the water you cannot see on inspection day
What a visual inspection can and cannot tell you about wet areas.
The meter box label that records your termite protection
A durable notice tells every future inspector what is protecting the house.
150mm between the cladding and the garden
Ground built up against a house hides termite entry and invites moisture.
Living near bushland: what raises termite risk around a Gables home
Termites are active across Sydney, and conditions around the house decide how exposed it is.