Cladding the Queenslander House

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Cladding the Queensland house or ‘Queenslander’ with vinyl cladding speaks eloquently of our distinctive lifestyle and is one of the most sensible alternatives to the regular high maintenance of the exterior of our houses whilst also maintaining it’s distinctive character and architectural design.

Queensland has more than one type of housing but a traditional past of building with timber has been dominant. This distinctive tradition originated with rough timber huts of early settlement and developed into the multi-gabled bungalows of the 1930s. Buildings continued until, and were adapted after, the Second World War, leading to more contemporary timber houses.

The most typical early twentieth century Queensland house is characterised by:
• timber construction with corrugated-iron roof;
• highset on timber stumps;
• single-skin cladding for partitions and sometimes external walls;
• verandahs front and/or back, and sometimes the sides;
• decorative features to screen the sun or ventilate the interior.

Some of the negatives for the Queenslander were the high maintenance and poor insulation of the external walls as they were only single skinned and required regular painting. One of the most cost effective ways of rectifying these negatives is to have insulated vinyl cladding install directly over the existing exterior walls. This will leave you with an almost maintenance free exterior that never needs to be painted and also makes the house warmer in winter and helps with cooling costs in the summer.

Vinyl cladding, despite its relatively low price, is an extremely durable product. The colour of vinyl house cladding will last much longer than a cladding option that is painted. The cladding won’t dent like aluminium cladding, and unlike wood cladding, vinyl cladding is resistant to moisture, mould and insects so it won’t rot or deteriorate like wood can over time. In fact, vinyl cladding is one of the most durable options of any type of exterior cladding on the market. Our vinyl wall cladding can withstand extremes in weather including temperature changes and relatively high wind speeds. In fact, our cladding can even withstand cyclonic force winds. The manufacturer of our cladding is so confident in the product they offer an extensive lifetime warranty to back up their claims of how durable the product is.

Keep the character of your Queensland home, reduce maintenance and add insulation.

We offer free quotes for new and old buildings, why not call us today on 1800 684 717 or check out these web sites: Cladding Townsville – Cladding Bundaberg – Cladding Ipswich .

Can I really save fuel with a Truck Wheel Alignment?

Most heavy vehicle owners in the transport industry are asking themselves – How can I save money on my running costs? How can I save on fuel consumption? Will a truck wheel alignment help?

Research & studies conducted around the world show that around 80 percent of medium to heavy vehicles are incorrectly aligned, or have a mis-alignment. If your truck, trailer or bus has incorrectly aligned wheels & axles, you have what we call increased rolling resistance when travelling on the road. This means the engine is working harder than required to push the truck along the road, and the end result is an increase in fuel consumption. Given that fuel can account for up to 50% of the operating costs of a truck or fleet, smart operators must explore all avenues to reduce fuel consumption.
Generally speaking, correcting even slight alignment issues have been shown to result in a saving of 3 – 10 percent on fuel.

3% doesn’t sound too significant does it? Lets take a closer look – One truck runs Brisbane to Sydney (return) 3 times a week (6,000 kms). That’s 312,000 kms a year. Fuel consumption average is 1.85 litres/km. That’s 577,200 litres, current local prices are around $1.49 per litre. Fuel cost for the year – $860,028.00. If you reduced fuel consumption by 3%, you would save $25,800.84!!
Your scenario may be different, but you can see that small changes can make a big difference to the bottom line of your business. There are other areas where you can save on running costs, which will be covered in another article.

If you own one truck or one hundred, and you are not having a regular truck wheel alignment performed as part of your maintenance schedule, you really need to contact your local truck wheel alignment specialist for a chat.

Truckologist is a mobile truck wheel alignment business based in Brisbane, Australia.

Metal Fabrication – History and Use in Mining Industry

Metal fabrication began in the earliest civilizations when the metals gold, mercury, silver, tin, iron, lead, and copper were discovered. These metals were worked by early artisans into decorative pieces, religious iconography, and jewelry. Items of a practical nature were forged from metal including coinage, tools, and weapons. Using heat and tools, metalworkers began to make functional objects and the industry developed through the years advancing and gaining value from society.

As an industrialised society, the world cannot live without metal; it is essential to almost every industry from mining and heavy industry to agriculture and medical equipment.

Specialist engineers and manufacturers fabricate metal and metal alloys, which are made from a combination of different metals for a staggering number of uses. The pivotal role of metal has been responsible for significant advances in technology, construction, transport, and agri-science. Metal has strength; it is very low maintenance and will last a lifetime and more. Specialist metal fabrication companies are made up of a group of skilled people who all have a role in the process of turning metal into supports for a building, heavy duty mining equipment or boilers and tanks to name a few.

Metal fabrication is a series of processes used to manufacture an object from metal. The specialised equipment involved includes laser cutting machinery, turret punches, machine centers, rollers, welding machinery, water jets, and metal shears. The metals most commonly used for fabrication are aluminium, stainless steel, and carbon steel, which is in the form of sheets, tubing and bars. Most metal objects start life as sheet metal in varying thicknesses depending on the application. Thicker sheets are known as metal plate.

The process starts with the design and then the fabrication begins with the metal sheet being sheared, laser cut or punched into shapes. Once the required basic shape is achieved, the object goes next to the press brake machine to form any bends a process known as forming. Dies are used in the press brake to make the correct accurate shape according to the design plans. The product may be finished at this stage or will be just one component in a series that requires moving on to the next process, which is welding.

Welding is a skilled practice and the artistry of the welder is to take the component parts shaped and formed previously and weld all the pieces together to make the final product in accordance with the design. This final assembly is critical and it is up to the welder to use the welding technique necessary for the job in hand.

Metal fabrication is essential to heavy industry such as mining. The manufacturing of support equipment, skids, conveyor belts, tanks, crushers, drill rigs and hydraulic lifting equipment through to pipe work are all the result of the metal fabrication process. In the mining industry there are very often special requests for one off pieces of equipment that are needed in a hurry and the metal fabrication business that can design and manufacture the product to implementation on site is the company that has the advantage. Metal fabricators may also be called upon to repair equipment or weld a broken object. Mining relies upon rugged, tough machinery often needing custom manufacturing or enhancements making metal fabricators an essential support service to the industry.

Reputable metal fabricators have the ability to design high quality, complex products with precision and manufacture them to full compliance with the specification, which is essential to mining companies who need to be operational at all times. Other metal fabrications for the mining industry include chutes, bins, screen stands, safety guards, stairs, catwalks, platforms and wear plates.

Metal is an essential material for mankind and industry and has the ability to be recycled over and over again which makes it a valuable resource for the global environment. The long working life of all metal fabrications due to its durability means once your product is manufactured, you will not have to worry about it, as it is highly unlikely it will need your attention again.

The mining industry is reliant upon the equipment and the expertise of metal fabricators not only for mine construction but also for ongoing support and maintenance in such rugged environments. For metal fabrication Mackay or metal repairs Mackay, contact 3D Engineering Mackay today.

How to Soundproof Windows

Acoustic double glazing requires the addition of a secondary glazing layer offset from an existing window, preferably by 100mm. Soundblock offer two solutions to double glaze windows for noise and thermal insulation – Magnetic Acrylic Double Glazing and Acoustic Aluminium Double Glazing. Article body:

What is Window Double Glazing?
Double glazing needs the addition of a secondary glazing layer offset from an existing window optimally by 100mm. Retrofit our acoustic double glazing to your windows or specify our solutions on new projects. Double glazed windows remove noise transfer by up to 70% and reduce heating costs by 35%.

Double Glazing System – Magnetic Acrylic Windows
Magnetic Window Soundproofing System functions very simply by adding a PVC sub frame on the inside of your window. This double glazing system greatly increases noise removal. The acrylic window is sealed in place, creating an air space with the existing window, thereby producing an insulating barrier.

Double Glazing System – Acoustic Aluminium Windows
This double glazing system reduces the transfer of noise from outside to inside. These sound proof windows can be specially manufactured to meet specific size requirements. The Soundblock Aluminium Window System is an add on glazing system, creating a double glazed unit to greatly reduce noise transmission through existing windows by up to 70%. In Addition it provides extra security and safety to the property.

How to Soundproof Windows
To successfully soundproof your windows you need to have a sufficient gap between your primary window and the edge of your internal window reveal. Ideally this gap is 100mm. This will allow an acoustic secondary window, either our Soundblock Acrylic Magnetic or Soundblock Aluminium windows, to be installed to effectively provide an overall sound reduction of 40-43db.

Noise reduction and soundproofing solutions
Founded in 1999, Soundblock Solutions is a respected privately-owned Australian provider of soundproofing products and solutions. We can help to create a quieter, more comfortable environment in any surroundings, whether it’s in the home, office, marine, industrial, hotels or restaurants.

Representing leading Australian manufacturers of acoustic products, Soundblock offers a complete range of double glazing and window sound insulation and noise control products for commercial and domestic use. We will determine your exact noise problems and supply and install the most effective product or combination of products for your specific situation. Talk to us for expert advice and a comprehensive, cost-effective solution for all of your soundproofing, double glazing, noise control and acoustic requirements.

Soundblock are the experts in noise reduction and have found using window double glazing systems, that noise can be reduced by up to 70% or 41dB. Soundblock offer two solutions to double glaze windows for noise and thermal insulation.

Can I really save fuel with a Truck Wheel Alignment?

Most heavy vehicle owners in the transport industry are asking themselves – How can I save money on my running costs? How can I save on fuel consumption? Will a truck wheel alignment help?

Research & studies conducted around the world show that around 80 percent of medium to heavy vehicles are incorrectly aligned, or have a mis-alignment. If your truck, trailer or bus has incorrectly aligned wheels & axles, you have what we call increased rolling resistance when travelling on the road. This means the engine is working harder than required to push the truck along the road, and the end result is an increase in fuel consumption. Given that fuel can account for up to 50% of the operating costs of a truck or fleet, smart operators must explore all avenues to reduce fuel consumption.
Generally speaking, correcting even slight alignment issues have been shown to result in a saving of 3 – 10 percent on fuel.

3% doesn’t sound too significant does it? Lets take a closer look – One truck runs Brisbane to Sydney (return) 3 times a week (6,000 kms). That’s 312,000 kms a year. Fuel consumption average is 1.85 litres/km. That’s 577,200 litres, current local prices are around $1.49 per litre. Fuel cost for the year – $860,028.00. If you reduced fuel consumption by 3%, you would save $25,800.84!!
Your scenario may be different, but you can see that small changes can make a big difference to the bottom line of your business. There are other areas where you can save on running costs, which will be covered in another article.

If you own one truck or one hundred, and you are not having a regular truck wheel alignment performed as part of your maintenance schedule, you really need to contact your local truck wheel alignment specialist for a chat.

Truckologist is a mobile truck wheel alignment business based in Brisbane, Australia.