The 6 Secrets of a Great Building

Izzie | 12/03/19

Inexperienced engineers. Poor working standards. It’s easy to get even just the basics of a building wrong if you don’t do your research. With weather conditions becoming ever-more extreme, it’s vital that those looking to build do it right, with suppliers they can trust.

Below, we share our top 6 secrets of building a structure that will stand the test of time:

The Building Design

When KiwiSpan first began, we were involved with the first cold-formed buildings imported into NZ. We then went on to head an Australian franchise group, where we quickly noticed a number of Australian companies who were only interested in sales, with no attention to quality, durability and structural integrity.

We also noticed a number of discrepancies, for example, their cyclonic engineering calculations were less than NZ’s very high calculations. Fundamentally, the MPA (compression strength of high tensile steel) did not match the engineering calculations.

Under engineered buildings fail under pressure. When this failure occurs the structural members buckle and collapse. A great building starts with great design.

The Product Manufacturer

The manufacturing process of any product will determine the quality in supply. If you want to go super-cheap, the reality is the quality of your build is going to suffer.

Proven suppliers take a range of variables into consideration, enabling them to accurately access and establish durability and performance of their product. This allows them to meet their requirements for warranty and durability statements. Manufacturers such as NZ Steel (NZ’s largest manufacturer) are readily available to back their product and statement of claim.

The Quality and Value

Working with a company with experience can save you thousands of dollars, so look to the well-established. For us, it’s our view that if you have:

An NZ designed building
Locally supplied product with transferable warranties
A nationwide company behind you with years of experience
A good rapport with the company you are working with

Then you’ll experience a quality product with quality service.

The Customer Rating

Testimonials matter. If you know the company you choose has good customer satisfaction and retention, you can move forward with confidence, backed by credibility.

All it takes is one simple question: Can I please review your current customer satisfaction file? From this, you can expect to see current authentic testimonials. If you are still in doubt of their authenticity, ask for contact details and pick up the phone.

The Building Life Expectancy

This is generally determined by three demographics:

Usage: You may experience durability issues around doorways, and low clad areas, most of which can be replaced over time or protected further, such as the installation of door bollards, electric door openers or concrete panels.
Location: Buildings located within sea spray locations will deteriorate faster than inland areas. There are cladding options available that are more suited to harsher environments (coloursteel maxx).
Type of building: By this, we mean the products of which the building is manufactured from. Consider the thickness of cladding, UV protection and the roof as key factors.

The Backup Service

A good building company will be focused on the future of your building. Look at building warranty and the materials they commonly use. Are they future-proof? Are their previous builds sturdy in structure?

At KiwiSpan, we mostly use high tensile galvanised steel and cladding is typically ModnColour according to customer’s requirements.

Want a Free Obligation Service?

We are a nationwide group with vast experience in the industry. To help you build the best you possibly can, we would like to offer you a free advice session before purchasing.

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