Browse Forums Building Standards; Getting It Right! 1 Mar 01, 2016 9:20 pm Dear forum members, I am a total newcomer and unfortunately has no previous experience in home building. So please do excuse me if my query is a stupid one. We have recently bought our first home and we were planning to do some minor additions to the house. The garage attached to house is around 90 sq m and the plan is to divide into a home theatre and a rumpus room. Also there is an alfreco area adjacent to the kitchen, which we would like to bring inside the house as a butler's pantry. Spoke to draftsman/building surveyor - a problem they identified was that in the original plan of house, in the section that deals with the flooring, there is no mention of vapour membrane being put in. So I need to put in a vapour membrane and put another concrete layer over it - was advised to get 100 mm concrete. My queries I would like to minimise my expense, as much as possible. So what's the best and also the cheapest option for me? Should I go for 100mm concreting? Or say 50mm concreting? Is it cheaper if I do so. But whatever I do has to be approved under AU building standards. Is there something called a screed? Is that legally allowed in my case? If I don't have any other option other than 100mm concreting, what is the average cost per sq m that I should expect to pay for this. Secondly the thickness of the existing concreted floor of the garage should be fine for putting another layer of concrete -it should hold it fine-I presume. But what about the alfresco area which has 75mm concrete slab? Will that hold this new 100mm concrete? Thirdly when they put concrete over existing slab over the new vapour membrane, do they need to make holes on the already existing concrete slab. Or do they just pour the concrete over the membrane. Thanks for all of the replies in advance and please do reply. Re: Help re moisture membrane 2Mar 02, 2016 1:32 pm I wonder why you even bought this house if you want to convert so much external non-habitable space to internal habitable? For what you are doing maybe you should sell and get the house large enough to suit your needs? Just something to consider as it sounds your plans may have a significant cost attached to them? these look like missing batts. Go up and take a look. But yeah moisure meter is a completely different tool 4 9456 Hi there, long-time lurker but first time posting. I've bought a house 2 and a bit years ago and last year we had some major water damage on a converted pergola area… 0 7931 |