BUILD's comments

Hi Rachel, Unfortunately we can't recommend specific products. I can, though, push this across our social media and see if anyone has any suggestions for you. Regards, The BUILD Team

It's a fixed light- for more information see here: http://yoy-idea.jp/works/peel/

If the original plan was technically correct then we don’t see why the builder doesn’t fix the issue which you say was caused by them not cutting- in the cooktop in the required position in the first place. We’re not sure why you have been asked to sign a variation as a variation is normally to change a plan but we gather you just want what was on the original plan. If the building surveyor is doing their job correctly, they should not allow an occupancy certificate – so it needs to be fixed. Exercise your right with your contract and design plan. Regards, The BUILD Team

Hi Amber, Demi Brown, from the Australian Home Heating Association (www.homeheat.com.au), has this advice: "Installation of a wood heater should be undertaken by a person qualified to do so. Installation instructions are provided with the wood heater when purchased but if this is a second hand unit, I would check if the unit been tested to the Australian Standard and if it complies with the requirements of emissions and efficiency. There are specific safety clearances provided when the unit is tested and these must be adhered to when installing any wood heater. My recommendation is to go back to the retailer you purchased your unit from and ask if they are able to install it or refer you to an installer who can safely install this in your home. Second hand units, particularly those that may be older than 10 years, could be unsafe and should not be installed."

Hi Jennifer, You'll need a sink that's big enough to fit your largest pot or baking pan. For more information, have a look at this article: http://www.build.com.au/how-choose-sinks-and-taps It always pays to choose quality for kitchenware, after all you want this kitchen to last for years to come. Cheers, The BUILD team

Thanks Glassworks - article has been updated to reflect this.

Very clever - like how the power cable's hidden in the corner too.

Technically you're not wrong - but that paragraph's specifically talking about 'energy efficiency' and you're talking about 'thermodynamic efficiency'. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Efficient_energy_use http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_efficiency They might be 'thermodynamically efficient' at converting electrical energy to heat, but they're very 'energy inefficient' when compared with alternatives like air source heat pumps, which have coefficients of performance that allow them to produce four times as much heat using the same amount of electrical energy. Electric fan heaters are definitely an 'inefficient' way to heat a house!

Wow. Stunning in theory - hard to imagine living in a house like this though... Maybe with privacy glass? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuLNAGpCVtU

Not 100% sure what you're referring to when you say a 'red filter bulb' - if you mean a regular incandescent bulb that's coloured/filtered red, then the answer's probably no. Heat lamps are designed with a special filament that optimises the way they give off energy (i.e. one made of quartz rather than tungsten). A regular tungsten bulb with a red filter is likely to be designed to give off energy as visible light more than infrared. If you want a lamp that works as a heat lamp - and specifically as a far infrared heat lamp - as far as we can tell you really need to get one that's designed for that...

Well spotted - thanks Geoff. We've just checked with the Australian Institute of Waterproofing, and they've confirmed that it's only Queensland and NSW where the work has to be done by someone with a licence. Updated this article to reflect that, sorry for the confusion!

Hi Kevin - this article was written with the assistance of a professional kitchen designer, pretty sure the details about what's common / standard are based on his advice. Please let us know if you think these figures / statements are wrong and we'll look into it!

Your best bet is to get in touch with the Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) on that one Robert - someone there is bound to have more info for you. Here's their website: http://www.arctick.org/