Renovating or building a home is an exciting, yet often overwhelming experience, whether you're a first-timer or seasoned professional.
With plenty of complicated decision-making ahead of you, it is crucial you enter into the project educated and informed. Research has shown that while homeowners take time assessing options for aesthetic finishes, such as taps and door handles, few take into the consideration their home's foundations, walls and insulation, leaving it up to their builder.
Whilst trusting their opinion is important, the team at Gyprock say that recognising and understanding why this decision has been made is a must for any homeowner, with trade professionals often wanting clients to hone in on the product choice for walls and insulation. Here are three things your builders want you to do when starting a project.
HOMEWORK
Before even laying out your perimeters, you need to ensure you have undergone a solid amount of product research, and have wealth of background planning under your belt. With your vision in mind, it's important to find a builder who is on the same page as you. This includes quality control and processes. Do your homework on the people who'll be working with you and pulling your vision together. It's OK to ask a few builders to quote on the job. A good builder will expect this from any client, so be sure to find out everything you can on their style of work.
Along with your trade professionals, it's also important to research the products required to build your home. Your protective sanctuary and for peace of mind, it is vital you understand the forces your home is able to withstand, its level of durability, superiority of finishes and strength of the foundations.
CHOOSE DURABILITY
With Australians staying in their homes for longer, it's important to ensure you are building not only for today, but to last in the future, growing with your family. Good quality walls are made to be durable, but in high-traffic areas the susceptibility to knocks and bumps is higher, requiring a stronger product to withstand the bumps of everyday living. Selecting the right plasterboard for these areas will offer an improved level of protection, adding value to the longevity of your property by ensuring it is built strong and to last.
PLAN AHEAD
Once the build begins, it becomes more difficult to change your mind and nearly impossible to slow down. Therefore, it's worth planning ahead and ensuring you know the purpose for each room. Consider such aspects as noise, durability, temperature and whether it will require waterproofing etc. Such factors are imperative when selecting products such as plasterboard and insulation to ensure you effectively support your needs in your home. Planning ahead will also effectively enable you to determine the type of insulation you require.
For example, if you are considering incorporating a media room into your home, people should be able to be immersed in the experience or able to escape the noise. Gyprock Soundchek plasterboard is ideal for management of acoustics in high-noise areas. An acoustic rated, high-density plasterboard, the product can be used across both walls and ceilings, helping to reduce noise transfer by at least 50 to 70 per cent.
For areas such as kitchens or bathrooms that generate higher levels of moisture, it's important to carefully consider your chosen building material to avoid long term costs in fixing. Gyprock Aquachek is specifically designed for use as a wall and ceiling lining in wet areas. It's also perfect for outdoor kitchens, as the trend of amplifying space throughout the home grows.