Preventing House Gaps and Cracks in Extreme Australian Climate
Australia is a land of weather extremes. Recent news reports are talking about the fact Australia is experiencing one of the worst heat waves the country has seen in the last century with 45.5oC temperatures being recorded.
This is hard on people, but it’s also hard on the environment. Australia has a national identity that incorporates extreme droughts and periods of flooding rains that test the soul. But it’s not just the soul being tested, because extreme temperatures, drought and monsoon-like rains can create a lot of soil and house construction problems too.
Stability and Endurance
When you build a house, you expect it to be stable and enduring. You don’t want it shifting which can lead to gaps and cracks around windows, doors, and even where walls meet walls or where walls meet the roof. The house needs to remain steady and not shift along with the ground on which it stands.
In a tough climate with extremes like those found in Australia, it’s important a house be built in a way that prevents the likelihood of shifting when soil and weather conditions are variable. In drought conditions, soil loses its resiliency and becomes hard which leads to ground cracks.
On top of that, long periods of high temperature can be hard on housing materials causing wood to contract and roofing material to take a real beating in the heat. Of course when the downpour comes, the dry material can expand and soak up moisture like a sponge.
All of this soil cracking and material expansion and contraction can leave gaps and cracks in the house itself unless the house is built in a way which anticipates the extreme weather. Houses can shift and settle which also creates gaps in places like around windows and doors. In extreme cases of shifting, cracks can appear in walls around doorframes.
True and Square
When purchasing a kit home, you should think “true and square”. Homes like those sold by OzKit Home are built according to the true and square principle which greatly reduces the chances gaps and cracks will appear due to weather conditions.
To build a house true and square requires attention to construction details beginning with the positioning of the piers to the application of the cladding.
- Piers are positioned to insure flooring can be applied true and square
- Bearers are carefully kept true and square during installation
- Concrete is shaped in a dorm around piers so water cannot collect around the piers and cause stability problems
- Joists are fixed top and bottom
- Glue is applied to joists so flooring is held true and square while being screwed
- Framed walls are kept true and square by adjusting bracing throughout installation
- A special tie-down system on the wall frames adds extra stability
- Windows are expertly set with levels and sealed so no leakage occurs
- Cladding is a complete system which minimizes the possibility of gaps forming
Predicting More Extremes
The prediction is that the number of Australian days which record temperatures over 35oC will increase by the year 2020. The cyclones are expected to more intense while there will be more days of heavy rainfall. There will be more droughts too.
On the driest inhabited continent found around the world, preventing house gaps and cracks is important. A well-built kit home which includes construction features intended to keep the house straight and true is a house that has been specifically designed to deal with the harsh Australian climate.