Using the right tool for the job is just as important as having the right materials, which work together to create a masterpiece that will be admired for years to come.
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The right tool for the job
Using the right tool for the job is just as important as having the right materials, which work together to create a masterpiece that will be admired for years to come.
By Ntsako Khosa
The exhibition showcases innovative products for homebuilders. Image: Sterling Custom Homes
No project can get off the ground without proper construction machinery, equipment and tools. When it comes to the affordable building sector, the requirements are no different despite budgets that are possibly more constrained than most.
WHAT THE LAW SAYS
The South African government has set out regulations that apply to the designers, manufacturers, installers, sellers, users, employers and suppliers who design, manufacture, install, sell, generate or use electrical machinery. By law, protective personal equipment( PPE) is required on site. An employer should provide PPE free of charge and maintain its protective equipment in good condition. PPE can prevent incidents when used by employees engaged in working on or close to live electrical machinery or dead electrical machinery which may become live.
ON THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET
The largest construction trade event, the International Builders Show hosted by Popular Mechanics, showcased the most innovative products for home builders. The show was attended by 80 000 builders, re-modellers, developers, designers and their trade partners to seminars, presentations and five hectares of exhibits from more than 1 500 exhibitors at Orlando ' s Orange County Convention Centre in the US.
WHAT IS AVAILABLE?
Products that were found on display were innovative, affordable and relevant to different markets in the construction industry. These are some of the products that the affordable housing sector can benefit from.
The Winbag is a unique tool that makes hanging windows and levelling doors a breeze. It ' s an inflatable shim that can fill gaps from 3 to 5cm. It ' s rated at about 100kg and can be fine-tuned to make windows level and can also help install doors without scratching the surface. With this tool, you no longer need to fiddle with a bunch of wood shims— just give it a few pumps and you ' re in business. Remodelling is a messy affair, which is why dust barriers are commonly used to demarcate rooms that are being renovated from those that you are living in.
The Winbag makes hanging windows and levelling doors easier. Image: YouTube
16
MAY- JUNE 2017
AFFORDABLE
SA HOUSING