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Brick or cladding – which building material is better? It really depends on the architecture and location of your home and weighing up the pros and cons of each. Brick pros: robust, fire resistant, easy to clean, abundant, can use recycled Brick cons: may not provide sufficient insulation on their own, limited colour options, mortar will suffer wear & tear Cladding pros: loads of choice in types of materials, new variations frequently introduced, quicker and therefore less expensive construction costs, multitude of colours, usually low maintenance or can be painted Cladding cons: may need to replace if repair not possible, may not be fire resistant depending on material

Australian houses have been distinguished for much of this century by being the largest in the world. Interestingly, though, this mantle has now shifted elsewhere. The average size of a new-build free-standing home in Australia peaked in 2009 at 247m2 and has now shrunk to 231m2. The United States now has the biggest houses in the world – at 249m2. An explanation for the shrinking Australian dream could be many; a fall in the number of people living in homes, growing diversity of family units - including an increase in couples with no children,and one-parent families. Pictured is our renovation project at Dover Heights, Sydney.

Waterproofing a bathroom involves installing a waterproof barrier around the walls and floor in your bathroom to protect the structure of the house from moisture which, if not done properly, can ultimately lead to the structural rot and disastrous consequences.    There are waterproofing regulations in place as set out by the Building Code of Australia and Australian Standards (AS 3740-1994). In short, they require that: In the shower, the whole floor must be waterproof and the shower walls should be waterproofed up to 1800mm. The walls need to be waterproofed up to 150mm. If the bathroom floor is made of or contains wood or if the bathroom is on the second story or higher, the whole floor must be waterproofed. - Over the step down to the floor should be waterproofed to 100mm. 

As they say, the greatest ideas are often the simplest. With one of the biggest average home sizes in the world, and bucket loads of sun, it makes sense to turn Australia's roofs into giant solar generating machines. An Australian company, the award winning Tractile has spent the past eight years refining an ingenious solution - solar roofing tiles. These tiles turn sunlight into the energy needed to power a house. Best of all, they come in a variety of styles to integrate seamlessly with your roof, whether smooth or textured to look like asphalt or slate. While still pricier than traditional solar panels retrofitted on a roof, solar roof tiles are predicted to become cheaper as production increases. And because they blend into your roof, they’re a lot more attractive. According to choice.com.au, the complete installed cost for 4kW of Tractile Eclipse solar PV tiles on a 300m2 roof with compatible Tractile tiles in SE Queensland (including the solar-warmed water and heat exchange tank and inverter) is $55,000 after rebates. Something to think about when building your new home!

Incineration toilets are designed to turn your biological waste to completely bacteria-free ashes. They are safe and simple to use and require no water, plumbing or a major reno to install!

There’s much to love about timber floors. Beautiful, easy to clean, healthy, durable - but with so many different styles and species on offer, it can be difficult to choose just which one is right for you.   The main species used on indoor floors in Australian homes is Spotted Gum, Tasmanian Oak, Blackbutt, Ironbark and Beech.    AUSTRALIAN TIMBER TYPES  Spotted Gum - Varying visually, with colours from sandy to chocolate brown to dark red brown, Spotted Gum is one of Australia’s premium hardwoods. It has a striking appearance with a wavy grain that is highly valued by architects and home designers and is naturally durable.  T  asmanian Oak - Found in striking colours from pale cream to pink and reddish brown, Tasmanian oak is a combination of three Eucalypt species commonly found in Tasmania. It produces an extremely straight, delicate and even grain, due to the process of quarter sawing the logs.   Blackbutt - Very commonly used in Australian flooring, the hardy Blackbutt timber ranges in colour from cream to pale brown. It usually has a straight grain with growth rings often noticeable.   Ironbark - Ironbark timber has a coarse texture and rich colours ranging from grey to red which gives a refined, classical air. Typically it has a moderately coarse texture and is extremely hardy.   Australian Beech - A combination of highland timbers, the colours range from pale brown and golden hues to a beautiful light cream with pink tinges. It is hardy and versatile with grain patterns varying greatly.   FLOORING PRODUCT TYPES Solid timber - made from hardwood planks, fixed to the subfloor and is usually sanded and coated on site.   Engineered timber - consists of a layer of real timber veneer laid over supporting board, commonly plywood.   Laminate flooring - is made from multiple layers of pressed wood topped with a photo image of timber that is then covered with a layer of clear, tough melamine plastic. 

Granny flats are a far cry from the converted fibro shed they once used to be. One of the benefits of building a granny flat is simply the smaller size means you can afford all the luxurious finishes. Granny flats are popular for housing senior family members, a home base for grey nomads, home offices and newly married couples. In 2019, families are wanting their parents and grandparents (and sometimes grown up children!) close to home and with rising property prices, it’s much more financially viable to live on the same property. Granny flats are the perfect solution: they keep families feeling reassured while giving the elderly a sense of independence. Since 2009, the NSW Government has made it a lot easier to get development approved with new planning policies. The provisions allow property owners to build granny flats bigger and better than before, without the lengthy council approval process required in other states. There are many reasons why you could choose to build a granny flat as an investment option on your property: Luxury guesthouse Brilliant home studio House the in-laws, grandparents or parents 
Rental income Increase the total value of your property Photos shown are of Cronulla granny flat project we are building for Site Design Studios. We actually built the existing home on the block back in 2015. 
Stay tuned for photo updates.

Tips on keeping your home cool naturally.

Heritage is what we inherit, but more specifically what we retain of this inheritance.  The cultural significance of a home or building is based on its aesthetic, historic, scientific, social or spiritual value for past, present or future generations.   Understanding what is meant by value in a heritage sense is fundamental since ‘Value has always been the reason behind heritage conservation. It is self-evident that no society makes an effort to conserve what it does not value.’   Moxon Bros thrive on challenging, intricate projects with a special interest in architecture and heritage homes. Contact us now about the renovation of your heritage home in Sydney.