Browse Forums Paving & Concreting 1 Mar 25, 2011 8:24 pm Hi There, We have a house with a concrete slab which is 100mm thick and the external slab for entertaining (outdoor) is the same height as the internal slab. We are in the process of getting the house pass a final certificate but the certifier gave us a huge shock today and told us the following: 'The external Slab must be a minimum of 25mm lower then the internal slab of your house, you could do this by removing the external slab so you achieve your 100mm visual barrier which would also achieve part of your termite barrier. Alternatively you would need to lift the floor level of the house internally and re construct your external and internal walls. You could address termite protection during this process also'. Both options are HUGE jobs and at a big cost. Can anyone suggest any other alternatives? The concrete slab is under our house and used for carparking/storage only - not habitable in any way. Does this make a difference? I have tried to ask our certifier but she is very vague and does not seem willing to help. Thank you for your time Re: HELP!!!! Please 2Mar 25, 2011 9:07 pm There are reasons for having a step as is mentioned in the communications you had with the certifier ... and to discount these out of hand or for another reason without making special and specific changes to allow a flat transition through the doorway and around the house you risk several issues raising their heads. It is to your benefit/insurance if these regulations are followed. -1c (1 brick height below slab height/86 mm as a minimum) to allow visual inspection for termites and other insects wanting to infiltrate your home, and if flooding were to occur you may have an issue with insurance should the βregβ not be followed.( you make some admissions in the fine print) when you sign up to a contract to insure your home, it is expected your home will conform to standards and is probably the main reason the βregsβ have come into play, apart from the fact that your home will be better off if you follow( tradies follow) the standard. You are between a rock and a hard place... I know I have not been helpful in resolving your issues, but perhaps you have a better understanding for the regs. Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Re: HELP!!!! Please 3Mar 25, 2011 9:10 pm You could always top the SOG by adding 86 mm of concrete I forgot that bit but it will affect door heights and other fixtures if there are any. Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Re: HELP!!!! Please 4Mar 26, 2011 5:12 pm onc_artisan, thanks for your advice We just had some builders come out and they suggested that we dig the concrete out between the internal and external slab and place a drainage system in it so you can still see the slab. I am bringing that to the certifier on Monday and see if she will accept that. Would be a much easier job than what she has mentioned! The builder raised an interesting point though, he said he has a concrete driveway straight to his internal slab and that was not an issue when he got his house certified, so how does that work? Same thing as ours. Also we drive our cars straight from the ground onto the internal slab. If we have to have a minimum of 100mm around the slab, how do we get our cars over that 100mm height? Thaks for reading and any advice you may give Re: HELP!!!! Please 5Mar 28, 2011 8:11 am Is this in a brand new house? If so wouldn't this be the builders problem to fix? They'd have to make sure it meets code. Thankyou so much π I've decided on White on white for doors and trims, White on white 50% on ceiling and Mt buller for walls. Fingers crossed it will look OK π 2 7158 i had the my concreters concrete right up to the fence. I have pits all along my path, so the water tends to drain away from the house and into the pits. There's only one… 7 12773 All 3 items listed are defects and are of concern. Please seek qualified independent inspector and/or legal advice for your state. 1 8219 |