Porter Davis homes

Trevorm · Jul 20, 2011 8:41 pm

cattycatcat

Hi all.

We have our eye on the Drysdale 30 (it was a places home until a couple of weeks ago) we have gone as far as getting a quote to build but I need some advice from all you Porter Davis experts

I have two questions:

1. Roof tiles Vs colourbond. What's the average price difference and why is colourbond considered better?

2. Cooling. Refrigerated Vs evaporative, is evaporative effective or should I pay the extra $12999 and have refrigerated?

Thanks in advance for helping out a building noob

I have some experience with roofing and I can advise Colorbond is not better than roof tiles, it is just marketed better. Roof tiles are more thernmally efficient cheaper and will last longer. Bluescope gives a 20 year guarantee if you wash your roof every six months. With roof tiles you get a 50 year guarantee.

Chorlton · Jul 20, 2011 9:07 pm

puppyso

Chorlton

EVAPORATIVE COOLING

Hello Everyone,

For all those who included Evap Cooling with their build, may I ask:

1. With regard to the unit which mounts onto the roof, how long in length was the white overflow pipe & where did the pipe drain to? For example, was the pipe relatively short (approx 1m in length) and drained onto the roof tiles, or did the pipe run down the roof and drain into the gutter?

2. What date (Month & Year) was your home completed?

Many Thanks in advance,

Chorlton

Hi Chorlton,
We are near lock up stage and our evap cooling has is the very short white overflow pipe(with 3 holes) that drains onto the roof tiles.

How was yours done?

cheers
pup

Ours has the overflow pipe running down the entire roof and ending in the gutter. Against the black roof the white overflow pipe looks pretty average !!!! My other concern is that the pipe could be damaged during high winds.

I've questioned this with my CSA who has spoken to PD Heating & Cooling and the response I've received is that it has to be installed in this manner so as to... (and I quote)... "prevent leaks in the roof space" :th:

Firstly, if a shortened perforated pipe was used the water would drain onto the roof tiles, which would be no different to when it rains anyway. Secondly, there have been PD builts nearby as well as homes still under construction (such as yours) which use the shortened perforated pipe.

Out of interest, can I ask members on here again (who have Evap Cooling) what did your overflow pipe look like?

Thanks,

Chorlton

cattycatcat · Jul 20, 2011 9:38 pm

Thanks so much to everyone for all your advice and tips. It's great to be able to talk to people who have gone before me and can speak from experience

I think with regards to the running costs with refrigerated cooling as long as I have zones in my house I'll be able to keep the cost down. Besides I grew up in a house with no aircon and have always wished that we had it. Now that I'm about to build my own home I get to do it my way

Still not sure on the roof though.. Anyone got any ideas? How did you decide? Colourbond Vs tiles, do you have an opinion?

Rups · Jul 20, 2011 10:22 pm

With the roof, it depends on what you like.

To most people the roof is not important so they leave it standard.

To me (Leanne) the roof is important (I notice roofs) and I like flat tiles so I convinced Rups for us to upgrade.

Team PD · Jul 21, 2011 12:02 pm

mel_mox

My build update with PD ATM is going great. We are nearlybat lock up.
Getting excited now. Can't wait for the house to be plastered so we can see how it really looks.
Had electrical done last wk was very happy that it was 99% to plan.
Am quite surprised at how smoothly it's going especially reading so many posts on issues. Hopefully our build continues to be an exciting journey. Lol
And lucky me has a gr8 SS that constantly communicates & is onto any issues.

Hi Mel_Mox,

Thanks for the update, I’m glad to know your build is going well. I look forward to your next update, plus some pictures I hope, of the inside once the plastering has been completed. ::lol::

Cheers, Ebony

Lunchtime · Jul 22, 2011 10:44 am

Has anyone upgraded to the gainsbrough trilocks? We have two in our house and the handles do not appear solid at all. Apparently its how they come out of the box as the handles sit on a spring. It was logged as a fault at our 3mth inspection, but the guy is saying its normal for these locks. Is everyone else's the same as this?

geoff7 · Jul 23, 2011 5:59 pm

Has anyone had any experience with wonky windows?
We keep waiting for them to be straightened.. but it doesnt look good..
Is there a stage where they get fixed?
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This worries me as it is bowed about 4mm and double glaze.. very expensive x 2!!
Touches on the ends but not middle..
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bobbie · Jul 23, 2011 8:07 pm

geoff7,

by 'wonky', do you mean the window's concaving up, or out?
better get in touch with your SS now just in case its harder to rectify later.

geoff7 · Jul 24, 2011 11:10 pm

The windows are bent.. some bow down and some up.
For example, the one with the spirit level has air under both ends of the level.
The timber framed ones touch the steel at ends but drop about 4mm in the middle.

We thought that they would staighten them but now they have been double galzed am not so sure.. ours is Atrium and this is the main feature of the house!!

eli-kay123 · Jul 25, 2011 10:59 am

Things are starting to happen..... drove past our block on Sunday and they have put two taps in the front. Not a major issue but hubby wasn't impressed on the location of the taps, right smack bang where he planned to put the extended driveway....lol.

It would have been nice if PD would give a few options on where people would like their taps placed.
PD Team/Ebony: Maybe this is something you can forward onto PD management to ask future customers where they would like their taps to sit. eg, left, centre or right of the block. If we had the option, we would have said on the right side of the block.

tstr1a · Jul 25, 2011 11:06 am

eli-kay123

Things are starting to happen..... drove past our block on Sunday and they have put two taps in the front. Not a major issue but hubby wasn't impressed on the location of the taps, right smack bang where he planned to put the extended driveway....lol.

It would have been nice if PD would give a few options on where people would like their taps placed.
PD Team/Ebony: Maybe this is something you can forward onto PD management to ask future customers where they would like their taps to sit. eg, left, centre or right of the block. If we had the option, we would have said on the right side of the block.

Hey eli-kay123,

The water company installs the taps and gives the builder/client no options. If you want to change the location the water company will charge you around $700. Ridiculous I know!

tstr1a · Jul 25, 2011 11:08 am

Hello all,

Really excited to tell you that construction started last week and we should have a slab be the end of the week (pending the weather). It’s fun visualising all our plans coming to life.

Team PD · Jul 25, 2011 11:51 am

eli-kay123

Things are starting to happen..... drove past our block on Sunday and they have put two taps in the front. Not a major issue but hubby wasn't impressed on the location of the taps, right smack bang where he planned to put the extended driveway....lol.

It would have been nice if PD would give a few options on where people would like their taps placed.
PD Team/Ebony: Maybe this is something you can forward onto PD management to ask future customers where they would like their taps to sit. eg, left, centre or right of the block. If we had the option, we would have said on the right side of the block.

Hi eli-kay123,
Tstr1a is correct, unfortunately we don’t have a say where the taps are placed, you can have them moved, however the placement of them would still be limited due to where the pipes are located in your block. Cheers, Ebony

malrose · Jul 25, 2011 1:28 pm

hi I have chosen to have refrigerated cooling in my Drysdale and you are upgraded to 3 phase power so it runs 3 times slower so the cost of running the air con should not be that great of a differance. I just dont like the idea of having my windows open at night if I want the aircon on.

eli-kay123 · Jul 25, 2011 4:07 pm

tstr1a

eli-kay123

Things are starting to happen..... drove past our block on Sunday and they have put two taps in the front. Not a major issue but hubby wasn't impressed on the location of the taps, right smack bang where he planned to put the extended driveway....lol.

It would have been nice if PD would give a few options on where people would like their taps placed.
PD Team/Ebony: Maybe this is something you can forward onto PD management to ask future customers where they would like their taps to sit. eg, left, centre or right of the block. If we had the option, we would have said on the right side of the block.

Hey eli-kay123,

The water company installs the taps and gives the builder/client no options. If you want to change the location the water company will charge you around $700. Ridiculous I know!

Hi tstr1a,

That'll be right. They like to steal your money. We just got a bill from the water company for the block charging $80. $20 for the water service etc. and $60 going to the Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance. What the F*$!. Isn't this why we pay taxes.

eli-kay123 · Jul 25, 2011 4:12 pm

Team PD

eli-kay123

Things are starting to happen..... drove past our block on Sunday and they have put two taps in the front. Not a major issue but hubby wasn't impressed on the location of the taps, right smack bang where he planned to put the extended driveway....lol.

It would have been nice if PD would give a few options on where people would like their taps placed.
PD Team/Ebony: Maybe this is something you can forward onto PD management to ask future customers where they would like their taps to sit. eg, left, centre or right of the block. If we had the option, we would have said on the right side of the block.

Hi eli-kay123,
Tstr1a is correct, unfortunately we don’t have a say where the taps are placed, you can have them moved, however the placement of them would still be limited due to where the pipes are located in your block. Cheers, Ebony

Thanks Ebony, We didn't think of questioning about placement of the taps until we saw our block yesterday and thought no we don't want them there. I guess there is nothing we can do about it and we certainly don't want to spend the money to change it. Not a big issue we can work around it.

eli-kay123 · Jul 25, 2011 4:16 pm

tstr1a

Hello all,

Really excited to tell you that construction started last week and we should have a slab be the end of the week (pending the weather). It’s fun visualising all our plans coming to life.

Whoo Hoo

, that's fantastic tstr1a. I hope we are right behind you in the build process. All I can say is we have two taps installed (recycled and normal water) on our site. I don't know when the slab stage will start for us. When do you think you will be in.

tstr1a · Jul 25, 2011 4:52 pm

eli-kay123

tstr1a

Hello all,

Really excited to tell you that construction started last week and we should have a slab be the end of the week (pending the weather). It’s fun visualising all our plans coming to life.

Whoo Hoo

, that's fantastic tstr1a. I hope we are right behind you in the build process. All I can say is we have two taps installed (recycled and normal water) on our site. I don't know when the slab stage will start for us. When do you think you will be in.

Wishing you all the best with your site start as well. Our contract states 280 days which is 22nd of April 2012. But I’m guessing these days construction is a bit light and things may move quickly. I’m not really fussed about how long it takes; I just want a good neat job done.

Victoria_g06 · Jul 25, 2011 5:22 pm

3 MONTH INSPECTION REPAIRS

Hi All,

Please be aware that PD are inflexible with the repairs for you home after your 3 month maintenance inspection. I have been told that I have to allow 6 hours for a repairman to access the house between 9-5pm.
My partner gets home at 3pm yet PD wont allow repairs to be completed over a few days, so now I or my partner have to use our annual leave to get the items that PD didn't fix before handover fixed.

Not happy.

humble · Jul 25, 2011 5:56 pm

eli-kay123

Things are starting to happen..... drove past our block on Sunday and they have put two taps in the front. Not a major issue but hubby wasn't impressed on the location of the taps, right smack bang where he planned to put the extended driveway....lol.

It would have been nice if PD would give a few options on where people would like their taps placed.
PD Team/Ebony: Maybe this is something you can forward onto PD management to ask future customers where they would like their taps to sit. eg, left, centre or right of the block. If we had the option, we would have said on the right side of the block.

I have nothing yet.. bank delays for the most part