Staff Spotlight: Nirasha Rampersad

Nirasha Rampersad- doc

To view more Articles, please visit our Leads 2 Business Blog.
If you are interested in becoming one of our subscribers, please visit Leads 2 Business.
To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit Leads 2 Business Wiki.

About Nirasha Rampersad

I started working for Leads to Business June 2017 as Support Assistance in L2Q.

A Day in the Life of the Directory Department

The Directory Department is most definitely the centre point of the company and is crucial for a systematic workflow

Working in the Directory Department consists of the following:

1. Adding new companies and updating existing companies
2. Confirming companies and all the relevant contact details
3. Updating subscription forms
4. Assisting clients and staff with directory queries
5. Registration of various vendors
6. Assisting clients with failed searches
7. Monthly directory audits
8. Checking if there are any unnecessary duplication
9. Monitoring failed emails
10. Opt-out queries due to Privacy Policy Act

The information on our Directory needs to be accurate at all times. With the new Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI Act), information is much more challenging to obtain which makes information on our platform much more valuable.

To register on the Leads 2 Business Directory for FREE and gain exposure for your business contact the Directory Department Team today on  Directory@L2B.co.za with the below info ⬇️

Full Contacts Name:
Contacts Designation:

Full Company Name:
FULL Company Description (Give details of your Trades/Scope of works & detail the services/products): 

Reg No:
VAT No:
Branch Name:
E-mail Address:
Website Address:
Postal Address:
Code:
Physical Address:
Code:
Telephone:
Fax:
Cell:
BBBEE Level:
BBBEE Class – Exempt Micro Enterprises (EME), Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), Qualifying Small Enterprises (QSE), or Generic Enterprises (GEN):
CIDB Ratings & Class:
CIDB PE (Y/N):
CSD No:
Capacity (Material &/or Labour):
Serviceable Regions (Africa & RSA):

Please Select from the Available Trades:

Aerial Survey & Mapping Fencing – Wire Fencing & Products Pipes & Fittings – HDPe
Access Control & Security Systems Fencing & Gates – Electrical Pipes & Fittings – Steel
Access Flooring Fibreglass Pipes & Fittings – uPVC & mPVC
Acoustic & Noise Control Fire Equipment & Services Pipes & Fittings Other
Agricultural Machinery Fireplaces Plasterwork & Screeding
Agricultural Services Fireproof Doors & Safes Plastic & Foam
Air-conditioning & Ventilation Fleet Management & Maintenance Plastic Sheeting & Liners
Alterations & Maintenance Formwork Plumbing & Sanitary
Anti-Corrosion & Acid Protection Fuels & Lubricants Power & Energy
Awnings, Blinds, Canopies & Sun Control Gabions, Geosynthetics & Subsoil Materials Prefabricated concrete flooring/roofing
Bolts, Fasteners & Cast in Items Glazing & Mirrors systems
Boreholes & Dewatering Granite & Marble Prefabricated Portal & Pipe Culverts
Builders Merchants & Hardware Guardrails & Barriers Pre-Stressing/Post Tensioning
Building Contractors Heavy Plant Pumps
Building Management Systems (BMS) Hygiene Products & Services Raft Foundation
Building Signage, Hoarding & Advertising Industrial Catering Appliances Railway Contractors
Building Small Works Instrumentation Rainwater Goods
Carpentry Joinery & Cabinet Making Instruments Refrigeration
Carpets, Floor Liners & Synthetic Surfaces Insulation Retaining Walls & Systems
Cathodic Protection Ironmongery Rock Breaking/Blasting
Ceilings, Partitions, Bulkheads & Drywalling Jointing Road Markings
Cement Kerbing – Extruded & Cast In situ Road Signs
Channelling Cast Insitu Kerbing & Ancillaries – Precast Roofing & Trusses
Chemicals and Gases Kitchen Cupboards & Vanities Safety & Protective Clothing
Civil Contracting Laboratory Sandblast & Gunite
Cleaning & Catering Landscaping, Grassing & Horticulture Scaffolding
Computer Hardware, Software & Leakage & Service Detection Shelving & Shopfitting – Aluminium
Networking Lifting Equipment Shelving & Shopfitting – Other
Concrete & Asphalt Cutting Lighting Shorthaul Transport & Lowbeds
Concrete Sub-contractors Lightning Protection Shower & Shower Doors
Concrete Supply & Placing Lime Skylights
Construction Chemicalss Long haul Transport & Logistics Small Plant & Tools
Crushed Stone, Gravel & Sand Manholes – Precast Concrete Stainless Steel Fabrication
Crushing & Screening Manholes – Premanufactured Other Steel Fabrication, Engineering & Manufacture
Dam Liners Materials Steel Handrails etc & Cast in Items
Dayworks Rates Marine Construction services Steel Manufacture
Demolition Masonry Blockwork Steel Reinforcing & Dowel Bars
Domestic Kitchen Appliances Masonry Brickwork Street & Highmast lighting
Door & Window Frame Pressed Metal Masonry Stonework Structural Steelwork Erection
Door & Window Frames Aluminium Materials Handling & Surfacing Asphalt Surfacing & Milling
Door & Window Frames uPVC Dock Levelling Surfacing Bitumen or Prime Supply &
Door & Window Frames Wooden Mats & Matwell frames Distribution
Doors Roller Shutter Mechanical Spares & Repairs Surfacing Chipping Sealing or Slurry
Drain & Pipe Cleaning Medical Equipment Surfacing Road Crack Sealing &
Dynamic Compaction Metalwork Patching
Earthworks & Excavations Mining, Mining Supplies Swimming Pools
Electrical Installation & Processing Synthetic Sport Surfaces & Tracks
Electrical Materials Mobile Office & Toilets Telecommunications
Electrical Reticulation Mouldings Tiling
Elevators Escalators & Lifts Office Automation Timber Supplies
Engineering, Boilermaking & Manufacture Office Furniture & Seating Underfloor Heating
Epoxy Flooring & Coatings Ornamental Precast Concrete or Cladding Valve Chambers
Erosion Protection & Pitching Painting Valves & Meters
Expansion Joint, Bridge Bearings & Concrete Paper Hanging Wall Lining
Repair Paving Walling
External or Site Works Pest Control & Poisoning Waste Disposal
External Plumbing Piling – Jacking, Drilling, Grouting & Water Purification
Fencing – Gates, Doors & Automation Anchoring Water Tanks & Reservoirs
Fencing – Palisade Piling – Slope Stabilisation & Geotechnical Waterproofing, Membranes & Sealing
Fencing – Precast Walling & Concrete Piling & Underpinning Weighbridge & Scales
Palisade Pipes & Fittings – Cast Iron, Gratings & Covers Wooden & Laminate Flooring

 


To view more Articles, please visit our Leads 2 Business Blog.
If you are interested in becoming one of our subscribers, please visit Leads 2 Business.
To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit Leads 2 Business Wiki.

About Nirasha Rampersad

I started working for Leads to Business June 2017 as Support Assistance in L2Q.

How the Unrest benefited the Construction Industry

posted in: General 0

Buildings damaged in the unrest in Kwa-Zulu Natal and Gauteng

The unrest began on July 8 2021, Jacob Zuma Protests, A series of protests regarding the arrest of ex-president Jacob Zuma resulted in mass looting of retail shops, burning buildings, shutting down the transport industry in two of the bigger provinces Kwa-Zulu Natal and Gauteng.

South Africa has been dubbed “the protest capital of the world” with one of the highest rates of public protests. Roads damaged by the burning of trucks while some toll plazas were also damaged, South Africa’s construction industry may receive a short term boost from the rebuilding of damaged and destroyed infrastructure, buildings and structures in unrest and looting but the longer-term outlook for the sector is more uncertain. Protecting, burning, destroying schools, roads, retails, government buildings, transports, costing the country billions of rands.

The newly built Brookside Mall was not spared after it was burnt down during the unrest in KwaZulu-Natal. Plans are underway to rebuild.

Professionals Team, Project Notes, Bidders, Awards, Main Contractors and Sub Contractors are all available on Leads 2 Business.

Recovery and Reconstruction

“However, all eyes will now be on the government’s Recovery and Reconstruction Plan, which has been rather slow right out of the starting blocks.”

President Cyril Ramaphosa has unveiled plans to assist businesses caught up in the recent unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, and those SMMEs that have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic that has ravaged the country’s economy.

The president said that South Africa is one of the few countries in the world to have a state-owned insurance company, SASRIA, which provides cover against incidents of public violence, strikes, riots and unrest.

SASRIA has committed to expediting the payment of all valid claims, and is working together with private insurers, Ramaphosa said, adding that some businesses that were victims of this violence may not have been insured.

Nearly R4bn recovery fund was set up to help businesses after looting

Trade, industry and competition minister said the trade department, working with the small business department, had identified eight urgent focus areas for business and economic recovery: restoring supply lines; making immediate repairs to shops (such as replacing broken windows)

So they could reopen in weeks; accelerating construction and structural repairs where larger builds were needed, some of which would take months to complete.

Below is a list of businesses and buildings damaged by the unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng

  1. Chris Hani Crossing
  2. Daveyton Shopping Centre
  3. Diepkloof Square
  4. Dobsonville Mall
  5. Evagold Shopping Centre
  6. Evaton Mall
  7. Jabulani Mall
  8. Irene Village
  9. Khan Corner
  10. Letsoho Mall
  11. Mams Mall
  12. Maverick Corner
  13. Ndofaya Mall
  14. Normandie Court
  15. Palm Springs Shopping Centre
  16. Pan African Mall
  17. Protea Garden Mall
  18. Queens Court
  19. Sam Ntuli Mall
  20. Sizwe Shopping Centre
  21. Sontonga Mall
  22. South Gate Mall
  23. Tembi Mall
  24. Yarona Shopping Centre
  25. 30 Afroprop Buildings
  26. 30 Makro & Game buildings
  27. 32 Schools in KZN
  28. 320 West Street
  29. 33 Standard Bank branches 220 of its ATMS
  30. 88 Field Street
  31. Afrox
  32. BIDFOOD
  33. Biyela Shopping Centre
  34. Bridge City Shopping Centre
  35. Brookside Mall
  36. Cato Ridge Distribution Centre
  37. China Mall
  38. China City
  39. City Life Building
  40. Cornubia Ridge Logistic Park – Warehouse 1
  41. Davenport Square
  42. Defy Warehouse
  43. Delta Towers
  44. Dunlop Centre
  45. Edendale Crossing Centre
  46. Edendale Mall
  47. Eshowe Mall – The Atrium
  48. Galleria Mall
  49. Game PMB
  50. Glenwood Village
  51. Hammarsdale Junction
  52. Hyundai Dealership
  53. Isipingo Market
  54. Isipingo Junction
  55. Isithebe Industrial park
  56. Kingspark Manufacturers factory
  57. Kwamashu Shopping Centre
  58. Kyalami Industrial Park
  59. Laager Centre Spar
  60. Ladysmith crematorium
  61. LG Warehouse
  62. Liberty Towers
  63. Machibisa Spar
  64. Makro
  65. Mandeni Mall
  66. Massmart
  67. Mega City Mall
  68. Mkuze Shopping Centre
  69. Montclair Mall
  70. North Coast Industrial Park
  71. Pine Parkade
  72. Pinetown Central
  73. Pinecrest Mall
  74. Pine Walk Centre
  75. Queensmead Mall
  76. Redlyn Business Park
  77. Ridge Mall
  78. RTT Warehouse
  79. SANBS
  80. Sanlam Centre
  81. Scottsville Mall
  82. Seaquence Logistics
  83. Southway Mall
  84. Springfield Value Mart
  85. Superspar
  86. Theku Plaza
  87. The Ridge Shopping Centre Shallcross
  88. The Workshop
  89. The Boulevard Business Park
  90. Treasury House
  91. Umgeni Business Park
  92. Umkomaas Central
  93. Umlazi Mega City
  94. Umzinto Priso
  95. Ushekela Industrial Park
  96. Value Logistics
  97. Vector Logistics Cold room
  98. Warehouse – Reservoir Hills
  99. Warehouse in Brickfield
  100. Wartburg Central
  101. Watercrest Mall
  102. Waterfall Storage Facility – Stor-Age
  103. Westmead Cash & Carry
  104. Westwood Mall
  105. West Street

To view more Articles, please visit our Leads 2 Business Blog.
If you are interested in becoming one of our subscribers, please visit Leads 2 Business.
To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit Leads 2 Business Wiki.

About Nirasha Rampersad

I started working for Leads to Business June 2017 as Support Assistance in L2Q.

Affordable Housing in Africa – what’s being done?

 

It is hard to argue that housing is not a fundamental human need. Decent, affordable housing should be a basic right for everybody in the world. The reason is simple: without stable shelter, everything else falls apart. Across the world, people are being asked to stay at home and practice social distancing, to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. This first strategy against the global epidemic brings the home or Housing into sharp focus.

Africa is all about low-cost affordable housing. Housing is an often contentious and aggressively debated topic as it carries the weight of a huge number of socio-economic factors. While there have been local and global investors who are investing in most affordable housing projects, we will be looking at how Government bodies facilitate in meeting the requirements through various schemes and policy initiatives that are favourable to the low-income groups.

Do we have affordable housing in Africa?

Nigeria: One of the notable interventions has been the creation of Family Homes Funds which is a partnership between the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority. The Fund has the commitment to facilitate and supply 500 000 houses for low-income earners by 2023. The gap between supply and the huge housing demand in Nigeria is exacerbated by market variables such as accessibility of land, infrastructure and building materials. The UNOPS and its partners have signed an agreement with Nigeria to build houses in Ekiti State. The affordable homes will feature renewable energy and disease preventative technology including solar panel roofs, waste-to-energy technology and mosquito-repelling coatings. The initiative is expected to create thousands of local jobs and spur economic growth to a host of local industries.

Ghana: The development of 6,500 homes has begun in Amasaman, near Accra, in the first part of an ambitious project by the government of Ghana, UNOPS and Sustainable Housing Solutions (SHS) Holdings, to build 200,000 affordable and sustainable homes. The project will support the local economy and help reduce the country’s current housing deficit of two million units. Local employees will carry out all production and construction, creating several thousand new jobs. SHS has established a local factory to make building materials needed for the homes, which will be constructed with energy-efficient materials, including solar panels. Ghana has proposed an annual delivery of 85 000 homes over the next decade. The government is also working towards facilitating creative finance schemes that improve overall affordability and access to modern communities for all working-class citizens.

Kenya: Low-cost housing Kenya project will be funded by Kenyan investors who will be supported by the government. The government has also put in place mechanisms to collect cash from its population and invest it into the project. The Ngara housing project comes with a different set of housing units. One bedroom houses are covering 30 square meters all the way to three-bedroom houses covering 80 square meters, these costs are very low compared to what developers are charging at the moment. It is proof enough that the low-cost housing projects in Kenya are indeed low and targeted for the different types of Kenyan earners.

South Africa: The government, however, addresses the affordability challenge by focusing on the supply side, providing houses to low-income households as part of a comprehensive subsidized programmed in which government is the delivery agent. Minimum 45 m² floor area, two bedrooms, renewable source, wind, solar, rainwater collection with filters, prevent pollution for a family earning less than R3,500 per month can qualify for a subsidy of up to R160,000. Another option that the government plans to employ and considers to be a potential factor is microfinance, which rolls out loans at an affordable repay rate. The South African government has allocated R2 billion to upgrading slums to improve access to water and sanitation facilities. This could have a significant impact not only on the current pandemic, but on health, overall.

Ethiopia: Addis Ababa’s housing sector has been a long-standing challenge. For over a century the rapidly growing Ethiopian capital has been unable to provide adequate and sufficient housing, particularly for its low-income citizens. Ethiopia’s financial sector has been State-controlled, limiting foreign investment. Affordability is a major issue in the housing market in Ethiopia. The problem of the generally low income of urban residents is exacerbated by costly construction material and unreasonably high land prices. Most of the inner cities in most urban centres are houses owned by the government and rented to residents at a comparatively low fee. The government has committed to reducing the housing shortage and has recently showed interest in enhancing the role of the private sector in supplying houses.

Uganda: Uganda’s housing situation is characterized by inadequate homes in terms of quality and quantity in both rural and urban areas. The housing deficit currently stands at 2.4 million housing units. The government has sponsored housing development projects in urban areas such as Kampala, where there is a tremendous need to provide new housing units to keep up with the rising population. Credit is a real challenge for low-income families in Uganda’s cash-based society.

Rwanda: The Government of Rwanda, through the Ministry of Infrastructure, has developed the Urbanization and Rural Settlement Sector Strategic Plan, 2018-2024. The Strategic Plan focuses on integrated human settlement planning and coordinated development of the City of Kigali and secondary towns, creation of livable, well serviced, connected, compact, green and productive urban and rural settlements with cultural identity access to social and affordable housing, and informal settlements upgrading.

Sources:
Wikimedia
Economist
IFC
All Africa
SA Affordable Housing


To view more Articles, please visit our Leads 2 Business Blog.
If you are interested in becoming one of our subscribers, please visit Leads 2 Business.
To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit Leads 2 Business Wiki.

 

About Nirasha Rampersad

I started working for Leads to Business June 2017 as Support Assistance in L2Q.

Building Relationships: One Construction Project at a Time

 

More importantly, is that everyone can build strong relationships no matter what industry you’re in or what your title may be. It’s important to build the right relationships with the right people. Strong relationships between general contractors and subcontractors are important for a successful project. These relationships don’t mature overnight, and it takes time and effort from both parties to build a level of trust that evolves into a strong working partnership.

Main contractors
When a client hires a contractor to build or renovate a property, the company is legally responsible for completing all of the required work. Main contractors are thinkers. They work with you through the entire project, from the idea phase to the finished product. By contrast, subcontractors come and go. They specialize in certain areas of the construction process, like large equipment operation, concrete formulation, plumbing, electricity and carpentry. They enter a project to do a particular task and leave when that task is finished.

Subcontractors
If you’re bidding to a general contractor for the first time this is your opportunity to make a strong first impression.
Communicate! Keep in contact with the site supervisor and project manager with updates on your progress and advise them immediately of any issues or potential delays that might impact other subcontractors on the job or the overall project timeline.
Choose the right team for the job. Make sure your workers act and perform their duties safely and professionally. Be organized. Practice good housekeeping and clean up after every workday, picking up tools and equipment and disposing of any construction waste as you go.
Show up to the job site every day with the tools, equipment, materials, and workers you need to get the day’s work done. Subcontractors may be tempted to take on a job that is outside the scope of their capabilities allowing the subcontractors a window of time at either end of the project will ensure all their work will be finished within the project time frame. Preparing for delays will prevent the project from running overtime and therefore going over budget. Following these suggestions will lower the chances for disappointment and maintain a positive relationship between you and your subcontractor. Partnerships between contractors and subcontractors are vital for any business. In fact, this relationship is beneficial to both parties involved.
A subcontractor agreement usually exists between a contractor and a subcontractor. It outlines information similar to the conditions detailed in a contractor agreement. In most instances, the contractor will be responsible for compensating the subcontractor and the subcontractor is required to complete certain tasks for the contractor. Both a contractor and subcontractor work together to complete specified duties for a company or an individual.

Vendor/Suppliers
Main contractors and subcontractors often tend to ignore one thing: supplier relationship management. Effective supplier relationship management increases profitability and drives efficiencies for businesses.
Leads 2 Business has a service called Leads 2 Quotes and Open Quotes. (www.L2B.co.za) Vendor/Suppliers receives RFQ from main /sub-contractors as a preferred vendor via email, submit your RFQ’s (request for quotes) online. Easy access to vendor/suppliers within the area of work. You will be able to view which contractors prefer your business and interact directly with you regarding your service and product offerings.
This is a professional platform to enable anyone to build a solid relationship between Contractors and Suppliers.
As much as company culture is important to your business, it should also manifest in your supplier. Values such as speed, quality, excellence, innovation, and reliability are existent in trustworthy companies and you want to be sure that the same can be said about your own suppliers

Available Cash
You have payments due to subs, employees, vendors, materials suppliers, and equipment renters but you don’t get paid until the project is complete. If you want to have a solid relationship with your subbies, treat them how you would want to be treated, and pay them on time, every time
Nothing will ever run a 100% smoothly in construction at any given time. When there is a bump in the road, fingers start pointing. If you have a positive attitude and are working with subcontractors you trust; it will be easy to establish a good working relationship
Good business relationship management can lead to loyalty, which is important in terms of finding suppliers and subcontractors that can be trusted. This applies to tender bids as well as project delivery. Professionalism should be demonstrated at all times, as well as open and honest communication, efficiency and consideration when dealing with their needs and requirements

There are plenty of tools and online resources out there to help keep you and your business organized

Whether you are a “leader” or a follower, you can build a community of friends, colleagues, associates, allies, partners, and buddies around you. Together, there is no telling what you can do. Building Relationships: One Construction Project at a Time

Sources:
ProjectSmart
GenieBelt


If you are interested in becoming one of our subscribers, please visit Leads 2 Business.
To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit Leads 2 Business Wiki.
To view more Articles, please visit our Leads 2 Business Blog.

About Nirasha Rampersad

I started working for Leads to Business June 2017 as Support Assistance in L2Q.

Solar & kinetic roads

posted in: General 0

Solar & kinetic roads

Energy is the basic need for the development of the modern world, however when we think of the future most of us have started to think negatively about the planet and what humankind is doing to our home.
There are still some believers out there who believe that they can make a difference to the world and they are doing everything possible to change it.

 

Solar Roadways was founded in 2006 by Scott and Julie Brusaw, when they first introduced roads with integrated solar panelsin 2006. They claim that their technology could be a game changer in the attempt to make our planet more sustainable.

They have created the first prototype “solar panel roads” – this will replace all conventional tar roads.

This will not only create jobs in every country it is brought into, but it will also increase road safety with its built-in LED system that can inform drivers of any accidents that may be ahead or any other obstructions in the road.

South Africa can really benefit from something like this with its current energy shortages and problematic power plants. Imagine the roads you are driving on bringing electricity to the country, this would drop the rising electricity prices and provide safe roads for all to travel on.  With the introduction of this into our country there would also be an increase in jobs in this new sector, new skills to be learnt and the solar panels only have to be replaced when faulty.

 

So what are these “SMART’’ road panels and what makes them so special.  Well, if my research is anything to go by, then these revolutionary little solar panels could promise to pack quite the eco-punch.

The solar roadway is a road; a series of solar panels, structurally engineered to be driven upon.
Solar Roadway panels are made of tempered (safety) glass.
Glass was chosen for its hardness, strength, durability, and transmittance.
Solar Roadway glass is textured to create proper traction for vehicles and pedestrians.
Each unit is made of top and bottom glass panels, with the other components such as solar cells and LED lights enclosed in between.

 

The objective of the solar roadways is to be able to tap and store as much energy as possible to be used in business & domestic consumption. It is a revolutionary way of finding solutions to the petroleum-based asphalt roads, and the use of fossil fuels to generate electricity
One advantage of this project is that it is will enable the world to cut down on greenhouse emissions by half.
One major difference one will notice when comparing Solar Roadways glass panels to traditional tar roads is aesthetics. The hexagonal panels are quite a work of art and will dramatically beautify roads, highways etc. Unlike tar roads,
Solar Roadway panels are impervious to potholes. The repair of potholes is expense, and an unnecessary inconvenience to motorists, (with the panels) you can merely remove one and fix it (No more potholes to deal with)

In China, one of the world’s first solar highways is taking shape.

LEDs are used to paint the road lines, lighting the road at night would be achievable.

In France, a 1 kilometer-long strip of road is made entirely out of solar panels. This trial solar panels is to be tested for 2 years to see how much electricity its can generate.

In the Netherlands the newest bike paths doubles as a solar energy generator that helps power surrounding neighborhoods.

One major drawback of this project is its start-up and maintenance costs
South African governments are not moving fast enough to progress the uptake of solar energy, let alone solar road energy.

 

Could the solar panel superhighway be the power station of the future?

 

Sources:
Solar Roadways
Wikipedia
Ecopreneurist
Slate
Nootrix

To view more articles, please visit the Leads 2 Business Blog.
If you are interested in becoming one of our subscribers, please visit Leads 2 Business.
To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit the Leads 2 Business Wiki.

 

About Nirasha Rampersad

I started working for Leads to Business June 2017 as Support Assistance in L2Q.

L2B Blog: Renovation or Demolition?

posted in: General 4

The defining line between renovation or demolition:

Here is a question that is posed to me at least once a month – “Do I renovate my existing home or do I demolish it and start from scratch with a new build?”
There are plenty of reasons to consider demolition. You may be looking to free up land, or perhaps you’re working on a major building refurbishment and need to change the layout.
There is a fine line when you are renovating where you need to know if you’re going to start wasting money fixing a house that is not worth fixing.
If your home is structurally sound, the outer shell of the home has been properly maintained (the roof, the siding/brick and the foundation) and it was properly done at the time of the construction then there is probably no need to demolish it.

Two ways you could demolish a building structure:

1. Explosive Demolition
2. Non-Explosive Demolition

  • Sledge hammer
  • Excavators and Bulldozers
  • Wrecking Balls
  • High Reach Excavators

 

Things You Should Know About Demolition

1. Demolition – So how do you demolish a building or home? Before you take down all or part of a building, you will have to apply to the Building Department for a demolition permit. The process is much the same as for a building permit, but some special situations may affect your application. In a demolition control area, for example, you will not be able to demolish a residential property until you have received a demolition permit issued by the municipal council.

 

I say the best way to demolish a building is also known as strip-out, this process is very popular right now. As recycling and salvaging of material are very attractive to builders during these days, allowing them to re-use material or recycle it. Selective interior/exterior demolition or recycling of wood, brick, metals and concrete are all recycled for future use in new structures blending the old with the new. This demolition process is not limited to removal of interior equipment, walls, floor, ceilings and exterior components. The main purpose of this method is to recover the maximum amount of primarily reusable and secondary recyclable material in a safe and cost-effective procedure. Although it is a labour intensive process and can be very difficult to achieve in a timely and economical manner for light framed buildings. Demolition may very well be the most exciting and speedy phase of construction. For a complete demolition, a home can come down and be entirely removed from the site in a day or two.

 

Question: I want to demolish my house and there are items like flooring and windows that may be reusable. Who do I call?

Answer: Find a demolition company that actively recycles the whole building. Most demolition companies crush materials with large machinery and cart it away. If you have good quality reusable materials like timber flooring, heritage bricks or period architectural features it’s worth looking for alternatives. Have a look at http://www.enviroserv.co.za/industries/construction

  • Woody and plant materials
  • Concrete
  • Gravel, aggregate, stone, and rock
  • Masonry and rubble
  • Metals (ferrous and non-ferrous)
  • Wood
  • Plastic
  • Glass
  • Doors and windows
  • Asphaltic roofing, Plumbing fixtures

2. Renovation – What is Renovation (also called remodelling)? It is the process of improving a broken, damaged or outdated structure. Renovations are typically either commercial or residential. Both remodelling and renovating mean to make improvements on an existing building or home. However, they refer to two slightly different types of construction. Renovation means “restore to a good state of repair”… Remodel means “to change the structure or form of something”.

 

If most of the changes that you want to do are inside the house and are more cosmetic, then you should rather think about renovating. Tearing down interior walls and moving plumbing and heating lines is not that big of a job and can be done on a moderate budget. With new dust stopping protection and floor protection, a lot of the work can be down without causing damage to the rest of the house that isn’t being altered. Plus this allows you to leave your furniture and other possessions in the house while it’s being worked on.

If you want to add square footage, adding an addition or several additions can easily be done, as long as you have adequate space on your property. Additions are an easy way to make your house more enjoyable and add value. It allows you to do something completely different than the rest of the house which would allow you to leave more of the original features in the existing house. This would allow you to bring a modern touch at a lesser cost than trying to reshape the whole existing interior.

 

3. Renovation or Demolition?

One of the big advantages of renovating rather than demolishing and building from scratch is that in some cases you can do it in stages – and still have a roof over your head for most of that time. Don’t forget to consider where you’ll live when you’re building or renovating, and how much that may indirectly add to the cost over the duration of your build.

If you’re demolishing or renovating, you may be able to recover at least some of your costs through salvage and recycling too

 

4. Steps to Planning a Renovation

A. Choose a design professional. To create a plan and detailed scope of work, most homeowners hire either an architect or interior designer, sometimes both. Many designers work on projects that don’t involve major structural work or additions and also offer assistance with material and colour selections. Architects may take on a wide range of work, or work only on floor plans and permits and leave the details of the electrical plan, baths and kitchen to another designer.

B. Interview contractors. Contractors are frequently brought into the process once a final design has been selected. Usually, there is at least a general idea of how the home will look from the outside, a dimensioned floor plan and some preliminary material selections. With this much information, it’s possible to provide preliminary estimates of cost.

C. Get your permits. Depending on the scope of your project and where it’s located, permitting can take a day, months or even years.

 

Sources:

https://www.homebuilding.co.uk/renovation-your-step-by-step-planner/
https://mg.co.za/article/2014-06-12-to-refurbish-or-not-to-refurbish
https://www.justlanded.com/english/South-Africa/South-Africa-Guide/Property/Renovation-Restoration 

http://www.build.com.au/should-i-renovate-or-demolish
https://theconstructor.org/structures/demolition-methods-process-buildings-structures/13941/

Bulldozer demolition image

About Nirasha Rampersad

I started working for Leads to Business June 2017 as Support Assistance in L2Q.