Buildspeak #3 looks at how water from outside a house gets in and how inside water gets out to cause major problems for home owners and renovators. In his trademark casual and humorous style, John Hollenkamp breaks 'The Thing With Water' down to three categories - general weatherproofing, internal water leaks, and the issues caused by balconies and other places prone to bringing outside water in.
He highlights the number one area in Australian houses for problems with leaks and discusses the far-ranging damage water can cause, from health wrecking molds to house wrecking termites.
Buildspeak is not a 'how to' guide, but more of a guided tour of home building and the 'wonderful' world of building defects shared by a professional who has spent over 30 years in the industry.
Whether you're buying a first home, you're a homeowner keen to renovate, or someone who simply wants to improve their knowledge about home building - even a trade apprentice who has aspirations beyond their trade - Buildspeak is for you.
Useful and practical, it helps navigate the maze of information not otherwise readily available in an organised form.
When you are bamboozled by a 'know-it-all', or have difficulty understanding what a builder or tradie is trying to tell you, having a better understanding of basic building elements and practices will allow you to ask more of the right questions to make better decisions.