ignoranceisbliss

Over bought Bluebell White WW25261L for my house repainting. 2 x 5 litres. Unopened. Original at about $60 per 5 litre. Willing to sell at $40 per 5 litre. Collection in the East at eunos or kembangan mrt.

Renovation guide for landed home owners Govt's new guidelines urge owners to spare a thought for neighbours The Straits Times - August 24, 2012 By: Jennani Durai Rebuilding has become more common in older landed estates. -- ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG GO AHEAD and renovate or rebuild your home, but do not be a neighbour from **** in the process. Owners of landed property now have a clearly defined checklist identifying the dos and don'ts during renovation or building. A set of guidelines released by the Government yesterday urges landed home owners to think about their neighbours when carrying out building works. The guide covers subjects that are becoming increasingly relevant as greater numbers of house- proud Singaporeans either tear down and rebuild houses or make additions to them. Aside from minimising noise and dust problems, home owners should consider details such as the materials used to build the facade of a house, the guide says. Even the placement of condensers of air-conditioning units matters in maintaining neighbourly relations, it says. A circular containing these guidelines was sent out by the Urban Redevelopment Authority and the Building and Construction Authority yesterday to the various associations for home owners, architects, engineers, contractors and builders. A footnote in the circular said that the guide was intended to be "advisory" in nature, and that both authorities "are not obliged to intervene in the event that any party chooses not to adhere to the guide". Dr Ho Nyok Yong, president of the Singapore Contractors Association, said that tearing down and rebuilding houses has become more common in older landed housing estates. "Many who buy houses now want to do alterations so that the houses look newer," he said. Mr Lim Peng Hong, who owns engineering firm PH Consulting, explained that many people want to maximise their land. "Land is expensive now, so if you buy a two-storey house and you are able to construct a three-storey house on that land, the tendency will be to tear down the original house to increase living space," he said. Mr Lim is the former president of the Association of Consulting Engineers Singapore. Dr Ho said the circular was timely as previous guidelines had governed renovation in Housing Board flats but not private houses. He added that the guidelines would raise overall awareness among home owners and contractors alike. "If there is going to be hacking into walls or a lot of time spent on renovation, it's responsible to inform your neighbours, as they may need time to prepare," he said. He pointed out that contractors could also make use of specialist equipment to reduce noise. For example, the guide suggests using smaller, quieter micro-piles rather than noisy reinforced concrete piling systems that could also potentially cause damage to surrounding properties. Mr Theodore Chan, president of the Singapore Institute of Architects, advises landed property owners to consult an architect as the first step in their renovation to minimise the inconvenience caused to their neighbours. Ms Lee Bee Wah, an MP for Nee Soon GRC, said she periodically gets complaints from residents in landed estates about their neighbours' renovation works, but that it is not an increasing trend. "Mostly, they complain about the noise and dust created," she said. "I've also received complaints from residents that construction workers climb on their roofs without their consent to carry out works on the neighbouring house." Checklist from URA and BCA Inform your neighbours of your plans and how long you expect construction to take. If they have any concerns, resolve them. Get your neighbour's written consent if you require access to his property during the construction. Remind your builder to minimise noise, to not work at night and to ensure debris does not fall onto your neighbour's property. Remind your engineer to check if asbestos is present in your building. Inform your neighbours if it is, so they can stay away while it is being removed. Get your engineer and builder to select micro piles or jack-in piles. These generate less noise. If excavating to build a basement or a pool, get your builder to avoid excessive ground movements. Ask your engineer to check that any additional load from adding a pool does not affect the stability of your neighbour's boundary walls. Avoid using highly reflective materials on your roof or facade. They may cause glare and discomfort to your neighbours. Locate your air-conditioner condensers in the attic or roof, or at least 2m from the boundary shared with your neighbour, as they generate a lot of heat and noise.

I figured it will be good to engage one myself when my neighbour is rebuilding. Should there be disputes, we have a report to back us up if necessary. - Any recommendation for a good building surveyor? - Any idea what is the market rate for pre-condition / pre-construction report for a terrace? - Is there any home insurance that covers defects arising from neighbour's rebuilding works?

Did you manage to stop the mossies problem after the builders stopped work? How is the current progress?

Thank you all for your sharing on the subject. They have been very useful and provide me with a greater understanding.

My inter terrace was purchased 1 year + ago and things are new. My new direct neighbour will soon be rebuilding. I have a toddler and a baby and am very worried about the dust and noise that the rebuilding works are going to create. Also, am worried that the projects may last a year or 2. I do not have a helper and my life is busy enough... I will not be able to handle the mess that is to come. All I know is the builder will get someone to take pictures of my home to confirm the pre-construction and post-construction state i.e. their construction has not affected my home. Other than this, may I know what are reasonable requests that direct affected neighbours can make? 1. Weekends construction. We work so its fair if rebuilding are done during weekdays 9am-6pm. In condos and hdbs, no weekends works are allowed. But I have seen landed rebuilding works carried out on weekends including Sat and Sun. That will make our place unlivable at all. Can I request that works be carried out only on weekdays? Is this lawful? 2. Scaffolding / protection sheets. Some rebuilders put up flimsy scaffolding and broken protection sheets and end up sprays of cements etc got thrown over to the neighbours. How could such disputes be resolved? 3. Paint - my new coat of white paint is still new. I can imagine it to be not so nice after the construction work. Is it reasonable to ask for a coat from the rebuilder or at least on a shared coast basis? I know a lot really depends on whether my new neighbour is a nice or a not so nice rebuilder. Worst case scenario, he could disregard our presence and ignore us totally causing us much disaster. If that's the case, we will have to fall back to the law. May I know what are lawful rights and what aren't?

My neighbour's mango tree flowers have left blotchy brown stains on my carpark tiles. Have used chlorine but to no avail. Any idea what detergent works and where to get those industrial cleaning agents for stubborn stains?

The panel battery has to be replaced every 3 years and usually the security company will charge $30 for transport and $30 to replace the battery. A check on ebay website reveals a price in the region of US$10 for the battery. Any idea where to buy this battery in Singapore?

The feedback that I received is, it is pointless to draw air to a dead space (above the ceiling board) unless that area is ventilated to the outside.

Thanks Eden, it seems like a lot of work... Wished the walls are thicker. The problem is, how do we get our neighbours to make noise when the contractors are here?!

Mine cost 6500 a year ago. Ici weather bond + interior wash and wear range

I would recommend kelvin lim from Pestogo. Friendly and professional. 9669 1079

I bought a terrace built in the 60s with A and A done recently by previous owner. I could hear my neighbour yawns, loud music and squeaking doors on one side of the wall. I suspect soundproofing was not done properly when the unit was extended further out to make the room bigger. If I can hear them, I am sure they cal hear me too. I can't possible redo the wall. Am considering soundproofing that side of the wall. Any idea on how to, cost and recommendation of companies who perform such works?

No spark. It uses electricity and the plug fuse is not burnt. Probably will have to call for servicing.

Brand is smeg. One fine day, the electrical ignitor refused to spark when I turned the gas. The gas is still available and I can still use the stoves if I ignite with a match stick. Have tested the electrical plug. It's not burnt. Any similar encounter? If not, any uncle to recommend?

Share share a bit. - you know those dust sweepers that you can nail or screw on at the bottom of your doors? That will block wind and dust from entering through that tiny gap. Make sure you fit till the gap is gone. - we have installed mossies net around the house. It keeps mossies away and also dusts away. - as for the leaves blown through the gates into your house, can consider fitting clear plastics boards to keep the leaves out of the house. Please share if you have new ideas. I don't have green fingers so plants are out.

Can anyone recommend a reliable fan installer to adjust all my wobbly fans? As usual, I bought the fans myself and got my contractor to install. He kept saying there's no perfect fan and all fans will wobble. But I'm reluctant to go back to the retail seller to ask them to resolve the wobbling. If any of you know of some honest fan "uncle" who freelance fan installation, please pm me. Thanks.

Did you try the old fashion way of sticking cockroach baits like combat on every corner of the house? Seems to work for me but nonetheless there's always this occassional 1 or 2. I've given up on baygon since it kind of mess up the whole house chasing that cockroach. We usually just roll up the newspaper and whack.

Trying to get a good package. Ad hoc services do vary widely. Would appreciate it if you could help list down other alarm monitoring services providers that you know of. - ADT - Certis Cisco - Chubb - Ademco Thanks

Hi folks, Need your help. Other than the mentioned names, can anyone provide Singapore players who provide Monitoring services? Thanks.

Managed to find a small company that charged about $90 to inspect. Another bigger company quoted $150. The partner came down twice.... first to check, 2nd to confirm and managed to kill the termites. Because only a small area is infected, he is doing so at no charge. Will be getting from them routine service check... still waiting for quotation but his helpfulness is affirmation.

Thanks powder blue...

Chubb most responsive. Sales called back within the day and is knowledgeable. Cisco sales no show 2 appointments. Very disappointed. Wonder whether the alarm department works this way? ADT - called hotline for 3 days consecutively but nobody answered. Put on hold for the longest time and email sent on Tuesday did not receiv any reply. Keen to sign up Chubb for the simple reason that I couldn't get the other 2 providers to response. For alarms users out there, may I know which provider do you use for monitoring services and whether the service is good. Would appreciate any feedback. Thanks.

Would prefer sole proprietor since it's their business with lower overheads. Cheaper and more responsible. Would appreciate some recommendation.

Hi Dolphiny, thanks for the tip.. I just bought $200 worth of stickers.... soon will have to spend time pasting on it. Currently, they are having promotion. Get a free sticker for every $100 spent.