EARTHWORKS WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?

THE HOMESTEADTHE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

COMMUNITY ROUND UP!

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IVE our community

YOUR GUIDE TO BUILDING IN REGIONAL WA

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

our community

Welcome to the ‘Spring’ edition of Our Community Magazine.

The more people I meet and introduce to TR Homes, the more I am asked whether we build new homes in the Perth metro area. Well, apart from Independent Living Units - or as they are commonly known “Granny Flats” - no we don’t.

We are a rural and remote builder, catering for Australians in our regional areas and we go where many other builders simply will not. From Kununurra in the North, out to Kalgoorlie in the East, to Esperance in the South East – that’s where you will find a TR home!Lately, we have been pleased to see many visitors to TR Homes coming from the various farm districts across the Wheatbelt, Great Southern and South West regions.The early rains have seen an increase in positivity and we look forward to a great season, crop wise.

As a little reminder for you all - don’t forget the Dowerin Field Day is nearly upon us! As always, TR Homes will be there to support the event which will be held on the 27th and 28th August. Come and visit the TR Homes team at our stand in the Lifestyle Pavilion.On a final note, I am excited to announce TR Homes has now opened branches in the Northern Territory with offices in Darwin and Alice Springs. With the economy buzzing in the NT, TR Homes has received very positive feedback on our specially designed Territory Range. If you have family or friends in the NT that are seeking an alternative home builder, direct them to our new Territory Range at www.trhomes.com.au/nt

Dale Putland TR Homes General Manager

Your guide to building in regional W.A.

YOUR GUIDE TO BUILDING IN REGIONAL WASA

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TR 03/02/2014TR Homes, 105 Kelvin Road, Maddington, WA 6109 P 9493 2998 F 9493 1127 W trhomes.com.au

SK00HOMESTEAD

COPYRIGHT plans and specifications are and shall always remain the sole property of TR Homes and must not be given, lent, resold, hired out, copied, or otherwise disposed of without the written permission of that company

TR HOMES 80058

4,800 14,400 4,800

24,000

4,200

4,200

8,400

4,200

4,200

BROCHURE PLAN1:100

BATHTILED

LDRYTILED FAMILY

5.5 X 4.0BED 24.0 X 3.0

BED 14.0 X 3.8

KITCHEN4.0 X 2.7

DINING4.0 X 3.7

WC

LINEN

LIVING4.9 X 4.0

BED 34.0 X 2.9

BED 44.0 X 3.0

WIR

VERANDAH (OPTIONAL)

ENSTILED

TILED

VERANDAH (OPTIONAL)

ROBE

ROBE

ROBE

AREA CALCULATIONS.. HOUSE

Area161.28161.28 m²

Perimeter( 64.800m)

x4 x2

Total 161sqm

Overall House Dimensions 24m long x 8.4m wide

THE HOMESTEADSpecifications at a glance

Also includes: n Open plan Kitchen / Dining / Family n Separate Living area n Tiled mudroom

Step into the best of both worlds in the Homestead, a sprawling four-

bedroom home featuring spacious living areas, abundant storage and

a handy mudroom for effortless living all year round. Love watching the

world go by? Choose the added charm of the optional verandah.

dream it. live it. love it.

the homestead

our community

So what on earthworks is this all about? At first glance the site preparation for your new home may seem like quite a simple step in the building process, but getting this stage correct is a crucial step to ensuring that your new home remains secure, stable and safe.

Before your new TR home is delivered

A good foundation for your home begins with having a soil report carried out by an engineer that specialises in Geotechnical Reporting. The engineer will retrieve soil samples from in and around the area of where the house is intended to be and they then send the soil samples to a laboratory for testing. The lab will then determine the soil classification (A, S, M, M-D, H, H-D, E and on the odd occasion P class) in accordance with the Australian standard AS2870. The different soil classes relate to the difference in the movement of the soil.

Typically soil with higher clay content will result in a higher soil classification as clay will absorb water in the wetter months but when it dries out it will shrink (think of the surface of a salt lake – the top layer has shrunk as it has dried leaving a brittle, cracked surface). It is this expansion and contraction of the soil that needs to be measured so that we know what measures need to be taken to combat the movement.

Once the results are in, the engineer will then provide us with a site classification report advising of the classification for that particular property, and what is required to ensure the home has the required foundations.

In most cases the site is classed as an ‘A’ or ‘S’ site. This means the home requires our standard 160mm high x 600mm

diameter concrete disc footings (also known as concrete plinths, mushroom footings, concrete rings or doughnuts). Higher soil classifications will require strip footings as well, to an extent specified by the engineer.

The TR Homes Drafting team then use the report and the engineer’s requirements to complete the working drawings so that the structural engineer can sign and approve the plans, ensuring that the strip footings, if required, are adequate. Below is an example Region A (non-cyclonic area) – M class site with 300mm deep strip footings.

So what on earthworks is this all about?

YOUR GUIDE TO BUILDING IN REGIONAL WA

The next important step to a good foundation is the preparation of your home site which is carried out by an earth worker. TR Homes will always recommend that you include the earthworks as part of your contract so that we can control the works to ensure that this is completed to the correct standards. We will send a reputable earth worker a copy of the plans, the soil classification provided by the engineer, relevant pages from the structural engineering, and our own Scope of Works and request a detailed quote.

Once we receive the quote from the earth worker, we will then carefully check through and ensure that they have allowed for all of the relevant requirements. When we are satisfied that all of our requirements have been met, your supervisor will issue the works to the earth worker and give them a particular date on which we would like him to start. The supervisor will consider many factors before deciding the best time to start the earthworks including but not limited to: location, the time of year, expected rainfall, site conditions and soil conditions. After all, we don’t want all of the hard work and effort to be washed away by seasonal rainfall or blown away by the wind!

If required, the next critical step to ensuring that your foundations are ideal is strip footings. Again, TR Homes will always recommend that you include these as part of your contract so that we can control the works to ensure that this is completed to the correct standards. We send a copy of the plans to a reputable concrete worker along with the soil classification, relevant pages from the structural engineering, and our own Scope of Works and request a detailed quote.

Once we have received the quote and we are happy that all of the relevant requirements have been met the supervisor will again issue the works to the contractor with a start date.

Upon completion of these pre-house earthworks and any required strip footings, the supervisor or a TR Homes representative, will check the finished product to confirm that the works have been carried out according to our requirements and that the site is ready for the house delivery.

After your new TR home is delivered

Once the house has been delivered and the plumbers have finished their required connection underneath the home, the supervisor will coordinate the earth worker to return to complete ‘Backfill’ earthworks. Although it may appear that the backfill is one of those things that can be completed at a later date, it is actually very important that this be completed soon after the delivery of the house. This avoids any water washing the soil away from underneath the disc footings or the strip footings. If this were to happen, the structural integrity of the footings may be compromised.

More ways to ensure your home foundations are kept in the best condition

There are many other factors that can assist in ensuring that your foundations are kept in the best possible condition, including but not limited to: redirecting stormwater away from the base of your home, only having plant species that require light watering and do not have invasive root systems around the base of your house, monitoring existing trees to prevent their roots from interfering with the footings, and ensure that any future excavation around the footing locations is done under the guidance of an engineer.

So what on earthworks is this all about

A final note from TR

If our clients choose to complete any portion of their own site works we will always recommend that this be carried out through a reputable, professional earth worker (and concrete worker if applicable), and that both the client and the contractor liaise with our TR Homes Construction Department prior to undertaking any works to ensure the foundations are stable for the lifetime of the home.

our community

Great to be with you again in this, the 5th edition, of “Our Magazine”. Time has flown by since my last “Chatter” so much so that one month is blending in to the next. I can’t believe we are over half way through the year and will soon be back at the Dowerin Field Day towards the end of August!

Hoping to see plenty of smiling faces at the Dowerin Field Day, assuming the crops continue to grow strongly with the consistent rain being received by the majority of farmers I talk to in my travels. For those of you not receiving as much as you would like, my fingers are crossed and I’ll do my best to bring it with me from Perth as I venture out to places far and wide from the Mid West Region down.

Talking about my travels, I will be including the Gascoyne and Pilbara regions between now and the end of the year with visits planned to places like Denham, Carnarvon, Exmouth, Onslow, Karratha, Port Hedland and Newman. These visits will allow me to establish new partnerships across a wider spectrum of the state.

Speaking of expanding the partnership network, I am pleased to advise that the following towns have come on board as part of the Community Network Program (CNP): Bridgetown, Cunderdin, Esperance, Geraldton, Gingin, Kalgoorlie, Kojonup, Lancelin, Moora with plenty more to come!

When we started the CNP, in consultation with our local partner, we would allocate $500 to a community based organisation to assist them with their day to day operations. In the case of our Northam partner and the BMX Club, the funds were directed to one of the club’s members (Dale Gavlick) who tragically broke his neck (which resulted in him becoming a quadriplegic) whilst competing at a Northam meet. I had the opportunity to meet Dale and members of his family when he was able to return to the family home and was blown away by his positive attitude and that of his family. I have been updated on his progress and am pleased to say he is improving all the time (thanks to his attitude and determination) as a result of the intensive physiotherapy program he is undertaking. He has now transitioned from an electric to a manual wheelchair. I’m also pleased to advise that Dale is now talking to me about the possibility of putting a new TR home on to some land he is looking to purchase close to home.

I love good news stories and look forward to sharing many more with you.

Take care and be sure to wave to me when I pass you on the road somewhere out in the bush.

STEVE MASON Community Network Manager

P.S. Don’t forget to “Like” our Facebook page: trhomeswa

STEVE MASON

Community Network Manager

Steve’s Chatter

YOUR GUIDE TO BUILDING IN REGIONAL WA

Corrigin’s caffeine hit!Congratulations to our Corrigin Partners, the Corrigin

Community Resource Centre, for their referral. Here they

are receiving their brand new Nespresso Coffee machine as

part of the Community Network Program Rewards Scheme!

Camp Kulin goes Gaga!TR Homes continues its involvement and support of Camp

Kulin, proudly sponsoring a new playground. The Camp built

a play area called the ‘Gaga Pit’ which hosts a unique ball

game (‘gaga ball’ which originated in the US) that is proving

a huge hit with the kids and local community alike! The

object of the game is to hit, or slap, the ball (not throw it) into

another player’s leg. It must hit at the knee or below to get

someone out. We hear there are some great competitions

happening in ‘The Pit’!

Image courtesy of Tanya Dupagne, the Camp Kulin Manager.

TR supports footy fever in DallyCongratulations to our Dallwalinu partner, the Dalwallinu

Community Resource Centre, who have chosen to use their

TR Homes referral of $500 to support the Dalwallinu Football

and Hockey Club and the District High School P & C.

Kelly’s Ride to Conquer CancerTR’s Steve Mason along with our Narrogin Partner, Ballards

of Narrogin, recently presented a cheque for $250 to Kelly

Kensett-Smith with the referral sponsorship they received

from TR Homes.

Kelly is taking part in the “Ride to Conquer Cancer” in

October to raise money to combat this deadly disease after

she lost a dear friend to cancer last year.

TR Homes, in conjunction with Ballards of Narrogin, is

proud to support such a worthy cause and we wish Kelly all

the best with her ride.

The photo shows Kelly with her son Nate receiving the

cheque from TR’s Steve Mason, and Leigh and Sara

Ballard.

STEVE MASON

Community Network Manager

Community news round-up

If you would like to find out more about our Community Network Program, please contact Steve Mason our Community Network Manager on 08 9493 2998, or email info@trhomes.com.au

head office 105 Kelvin Road, Maddington, WA 6109 Phone (08) 9493 2998 Fax (08) 9493 1127 Email info@trhomes.com.au trhomes.com.au

Photographs & illustrations used in this advert have been used for illustration purposes only and may depict fixtures, finishes and features not supplier by the builder. All furniture, furnishings, wallpaper and landscaping are not included. For full details on home pricing and terms and conditions, please visit www.trhomes.com.au/disclaimer or speak to a TR Homes Sales Consultant. T&R Homes WA Pty Ltd acting under Murray River North Pty Ltd Builders Registration number 8476.

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YOUR GUIDE TO BUILDING IN REGIONAL WA

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

TR Homes exclusively use Australian made TRUECORE® steel, comprised of zinc, aluminium and magnesium, for the manufacturing of its frames and trusses in all of its houses, ensuring a high quality product every time.

1. Steel is termite proof

More than 1 in 5 homes are damaged by termites. Steel,

however, is termite-proof and that’s why TR Homes chooses

TRUECORE® steel. It’s another reason why

TR Homes offer a 10 year structural warranty compared with

the mandatory 6 year warranty.

2. Steel is environmentally friendly

The light weight of steel house framing, combined with its

design versatility and flexibility, means a TR Home can be built

offsite at one of our facilities in WA with very minimal site impact.

Steel is a renewable resource and one of the most recycled

materials in the world. It is 100% recyclable.

3. Steel is non-corrosive

The TRUECORE® steel that TR Home frames are made from

has a protective zinc/aluminium alloy coating which prevents

them from rusting. Our frames are backed by the strength of a

50 year warranty from BlueScope.

4. Steel is safe and secure

The TR Homes’ unique engineered framing system attaches

every component together and is then attached to the

concrete floor slab.

This has excellent wind-loading qualities, ensuring our

homes are built with strength giving you peace of mind in

severe weather conditions.

All steel framed TR Homes are earthed, making them

completely safe in the event of a lightning strike or faulty

wiring.

5. Steel is straight and true

Unlike timber framed and brick constructed homes, steel

framing will not shrink, twist or warp. TR Homes’ Framecad

system ensures precision accuracy with

all angles.

6. Steel is non-combustible

A TRUECORE® steel frame will not ignite, burn or contribute

to heat, smoke or deadly gases. Steel retains its integrity up to

400-500 degrees Celsius whereas timber frames will ignite at

280 degrees Celsius.

So when you come to the decision of what type of

home is best for your family, consider the benefits

and peace of mind that steel brings.

The Advantages of Steel