How to Supervise your Tiller/Tilling Contractor

Tilling is part of tilling finishes that you will have to be very careful of. A good tilling work will bring out the beauty of your floor out and gives a pleasant look to the eyes of your visitor. So it can mess you up both financially and aesthetical wise if wrongly done.

Tiles are very costly if well handled by an expert it canbe used to cover up errors on a floor done by your masons/bricklayers.

Clean up the floor you want to tile, this is important to remove dirts that will affect the bonding strength of the mortar you are going to use.

Tillers tiles floor in very gentle slope that are not noticeable towards an edge, though not easily noticed by users, this slope helps the water on tiles to drain easily out to the drainage points on your site.

Use the edge of a trowel to form a grove on the floor where you will lay the tiles. Let the mortar (cement sand ) cover the badly treated areas of floor before applying tiles.

Make sure your tiller use the spacer, spacers are small plastic materials that are used for even spacing of the tiles you want to lay, they are usually 3/16th’s of an inch thick and will help ensure consistency in the width of the joints.

After laying your tile down and use tile spacers to keep them perfectly even distant from each other do not walk on them, leave those spacers overnight and next day rmove the spacers. Then the even space created will now be filled up with a mixture of white cement and water.

In circular motions, wipe the grout off the tile, after 2 days clean up the entire floor space.

Bank of Industry Building :How To Demolish A High Rise Building

There are a lot of ways to demolish a building, but when it involves a high profile building of many floors the safety of people around is very important. For a low building, ordinary sledge hammer can do the work when you employ enough labourers.
But for buildings like BOI then more technical expertise must be applied to avoid loss of lives and more properties around the area. The building in question is a peculiar one because it is surrounded all over by buildings, hence uncontrolled demolition will result in a disaster and great loss of valuable properties because the building if not well analyzed and demolished correctly may affect more valuable properties.
Excavators and wrecking balls can do the work for a fairly high building of 4-5 floors. But for an high rise you need an explosive. Explosive demolition is the preffered method for safety and efficiency , the general term is imploding of building.
To explode a building, you need to remove the support structure of the building, that is ,the structural element carrying the building will have to be the target of the explosive, when you remove the supporting element at one point the section of the building above that point will fall down on the part of the building below it and when the upper section is heavy enough , it will collide with the lower part with sufficient force to cause damage to the lower ones and just like that the crumbles goes straight down.

Blasters approach each project a little differently, but the basic idea is to think of the building as a collection of separate towers. The blasters set the explosives so that each "tower" falls toward the center of the building, in roughly the same way that they would set the explosives to topple a single structure to the side. When the explosives are detonated in the right order, the toppling towers crash against each other, and all of the rubble collects at the center of the building.

This option which I believed was used for BOI is to detonate the columns at the center of the building before the other columns so that the sides of the building falls inward. Going by the news the explosion was to be a series but one was enough to bring the entire building down, there must have been some reasons for this-

(1) When the engineers checked the plan probably the design was done in such a way that the core element of the building was at the center so they only need to strike the columns at the center for others to fall thereb causing everything to crash down.

(2) Another method could be that the engineers could have systematically weaken the center by demolishing selectively some of the columns in the building, before the major demolition. In all for sure the center of the building was weaken before it could have crashed against itself –this is common sense.

Though the building was also controlled by the cables they position around it this is secondary, the main job was done by the explosive which was planted in the building.

Blasters positions the explosives at different structural points of the building, but their decisions and methods they are using chiefly depends on where the building should fall to. Therefore it is important that the engineers carrying out such jobs requires the architectural and structural plans of the building.
There are some buildings that are required to fall sideways, but the BOI had to crumble on itself to save other properties around it even the church very close to the building was not affected after demolition.

Preliminary Measures before Blasting.
Blasting of major buildings usually involves the input of the authorities, message is sent round for people to evacuate the area for safety reasons.
Next is to begin to clear the building of debris, then demolition crews will move in and systematically weaken the building by removing the non load bearing walls -ordinary walls that are not meant to carry the building are taken out to further weaken the building and by using sledge hammer on the supporting columns (pillars) before the final blast.(though this is dangerous)
When demolishing a column, the hardest is usually the steel column, this requires more specialized explosive materials (RDX) to blast.

In Conclusion, blasters determine how much explosive material to use based largely on their own experience and the information provided by the architects and engineers who originally built the building. But most of the time, they won't rely on this data alone. To make sure they don't overload or under-load the support structure, the blasters perform a test blast on a few of the columns, which they wrap in a shield for safety. They tries out varying degrees of explosive material, and based on the effectiveness of each explosion, they determine the minimum explosive charge needed to demolish the columns. By using only the necessary amount of explosive material, the blasters minimize flying debris, reducing the likelihood of damaging nearby structures.

How to Renovate or Remodel Your House

Last week sunday I went to a church in ‘Surulere’ Lagos state with a colleague. The project is an uncompleted church building work, though we were asked to come and give advice on the finishes of the house, but our encounter opened our eyes also to errors the parishioners hitherto took for granted.
Hence what we specified in some parts of the project is more of renovation then.

To renovate your building you need to do a self assessment of yourself, list out the problems and your expectations also consider your purse too.

Firstly go for a professional to take a closer look at what you are planning to do before going ahead. He will draw out plan according to your budget and give you the best options available. In our case, when we got to the church after going round and listening to the clients, we proffered solutions to some problem areas. Furthermore we discovered that the building is about 7meters from high tension cable.
Hence we have to advise them against erecting more structure on the ground. The town planning regulations requires a minimum of 45meters setback from the church therefore the plan could not be approved though they have finished building the project, so the only thing is to advise them to limit their spending, town planning issue is a big one presently in lagos, the house could be demolished anytime.

Moving on, the architect will be most favourable to come out with the design and plan based on your budget. After you have both agreed on his recommendations, then the next thing is to look for what you can do yourself at least to save time and cost. Packing, cleaning and clearing sites of debris can be done by you. Looking for a good subcontractor that you must have worked with before could be done by you or leave it for your consultant.

Just as I said in our own case government permit for the church is not attainable, we couldn’t just think of drawing the attention of the authorities, but for you, get the government permit to continue if not, what you will be doing will be illegal especially when it involves large scale remodeling of your building.

What you must look out for

Number one thing to consider is the structural implications on the building. Consider the foundation, is it strong enough and okay to sustain the building because of activities that will be going on the building is likely to be subjected to serious vibrating forces- somebody is hammering, another is dropping cement on suspended floor and other activities are taking place. If the foundation is not satisfactory what can be done to reinforce or strengthen it all this you need to know.

Check other structural elements like columns (pillars) and beams are they in good shapes? From the new design are some of them going to be knocked off, the roof frame is it made of steel or wood? Why and how will your renovation/remodeling work affects it.

The windows are they in good shape? Do they allow water into the house are you thinking of replacing them?

Now check the carpentry works especially in roof, some of them may have been affected by rain water drops from leakages of roof and the roof itself, is the materials used for it okay? If not then you may be thinking of replacing them.

Look at the walls there may be cracks all over and probably a large percentage of plaster may have been falling off what you need to do in such case is to pull down the weak portion or the quadrant around it before you replaster, you may have to apply wire mesh (small tiny wire nets) before the plaster to be able to hold it firm .

Something that we also noticed lest I forget, in the church we went to, we noticed that the fence grill (fence iron) was almost directly under the high tension cable, we had to advise them to remove those iron and replace with ordinary block because they are bound to conduct electricity from those high tension cables, infact one of the church members told us that atimes when people around tries to work on their television antennae, they always experience electric shock. So you see why these laws are actually for our good.

The floor is another area you need to take adequate attention of, do you have some portion of the building uneven or there are some areas that retains water until it dries out, then this is the time for you to take assessments of all.

The services is as well very important, how is the water from your wash hand basin running? Where is it being chanelled to, check all pipes and replace any bad plumbing materials.
The wiring of the house is also very important, any socket in bad shape? What of the entire wiring are those wires naked and exposed to human beings?
The ceiling you are using is it due for replacement? If yes are you thinking of getting one that has good insulating strength? Many of these questions and more you need to ask yourself however you will have to tackle each task based on priorities and what you have in your pocket.

How to Determine Your Consultants Rates

A subscriber recently asked me to quote for a project and he made mention to me that he will go for the cheapest so my resolve to write on this topic.
Yes it is good to go for a really cheap job but there are disadvantages of doing that which I may write about another time. In otherwords the cheapest moneywise may not really be the cheapest valuewise.
Most often your projects are the reflections of what you paid for, below are why you may have variations in fees from your consultants-architects,lawyers,QS,Structural Engr e.t.c
These are what will determine the fees

(1) Experience-
The Experienced consultants work hard to stay ahead of the curve learning new trends and skills that benefit customers. Some have spent more years in the job than others, hence you may get a better job from them to the less experienced though not in all cases, expect to pay more to such people.

(2)Location of Consultants-
Running businesses in the area your consultant is presently will affects how he will charge you. If the office is in a high brow area don’t expect less from him, he needs to pay for the rents which usually costs more, and the thinking of the average Nigerian is that if your business is in such area you must be successful and experienced, again which may not be always true.

(3)Location of Project-
Where your project will be sited will determine the fees the consultant will charge. Imagine you want to build a 4-bedroom bungalow, but you bought the land somewhere in Ikoyi close to N100million naira, now for somebody somewhere I can afford to do the design for that person for N20,000-N30,000 , but for someone that bought the land for that price count me out I won’t agree to take anything less than N200,000 for the same work, same energy and same product, so also have this in mind.

(4)Influence or Name of Consultant-
You’ll agree with me that how well known a consultant is can also determine how he will charge you as the client.
For instance Festus Keyamo,Gani Fawehinmi e.t.c may not really be the brightest brains in the legal profession but for the mere fact that they are well knowned, you will be surprised if they ask for a low fee for your job and that also reflects in every profession.

(5)Closeness or Relationship with Clients-
The relationships between you and the consultant will determine what he is likely to take, he may even do the job for you free, if he is your brother or a close friend he won’t charge the same with an outsider.

(6)Level of Education-
If he has recently gained new certifications, or additional professional credentials that help clients, that knowledge has value. There are professionals with high qualifications with all manner of certifications, expect to pay more to such people.

(7)Office Settings-
How plush the office is will determine the fees also, if you are ushered into a reception that worths millions of naira and is very clean and organized then don’t expect anything less from the consultant, your money has got to maintain that plush office, ready to pay more. Other consultants are operating from home so they may charge you less.

(8)Consultants numbers of Employees-
Have you entered an office and the C.E.O is introducing you to everybody in the establishment? He is only showing you around to let you have a fill of how big the company is. So after showing you around and you discovered that there are a lot of employees working for the man, then expect to pay more to maintain the staff.

(9)Consultants’ Controlling body-
The association of each profession atimes regulate how their members charges customers/clients to help protect themselves from been underpriced. From ordinary barbers in the street to big time consultants, the story is the same.

(10)Government Policies and Regulations-
If the government of the day gives zero tolerance to quacks then expect the fee of the few professionals available to be very high.
If government gives regulations that makes the job difficult for your consultants they will also pass the stress to you in terms of money you will have to pay.

(11)Additional Overhead Cost of Running Business or Infrastructural Problems-
If your consultant is running the business on generator, then don’t expect to get a very cheap service from him. How easy is it to get your job done without spending so much on NEPA/PHCN?

(12)National Crises
When there is a shortage of supply in fuel or there is a general strike, then fees will also be affected.

(13)Natural Crises
Natural disasters, unexpected change of weather even the mood of your consultant may affect the price.

(14)Area of Specialization
Different niches are springing up everyday, the more specialized a business becomes the higher the rates consultants are going to charge for projects.

(15)Local Market Rates
Don’t expect consultants in the big cities to charge the same amount with people in the villages, the accepted rates from states to states will always be different.

(16)Numbers of competitors
The more the competitors around , the lower the rates will be in that locality.

(17)Clients Refferalbility
A consultant can reduce the cost of service for you by sizing your referral power.
I won’t mind doing a private job for free for a serving governor because I know I can gain more contracts from him, if I play my card well, so the same with people of connections but not too rich.

(18)Nature of Project.
The bigger the project the higher the fees.
The more luxury you have on the project the more likely your consultants think you have money to throw away so the more you have to pay.

(19)Pedigree of Client.
The position of clients in the society, how rich the client is, how educated and so on.

(20)Club or Association with Client.
If you are in a club that has an architect for instance as a member, then the probability of reducing the cost of service is much feasible. A church member is also going to afford you a cheap service.

(21)Source of Contact.
By that I mean how you met your consultants. Lets grade them by [high], [low] and [average]
This ranges from
Close association from childhood, [low]
Refferal through a friend, [average]
Referral by past work of the consultant saw by the client somewhere [high],
Through Consultants Controlling bodies directory [high],
Through Online forum [low]
Forumite are very inquisitive and always looking for the cheapest services and information they can get, hence this can also determine the decision of the consultant to reduce the fees on knowing that you are from an online forum.
Through Online search engine to consultants website [high],
Someone that searches directly through search engine shows he probably doesn’t have anybody to use, he is very hot and ready to go.
Through Conference offline [average]
Religious houses [low]
Clubs[average]
Family members of Consultants [high],
Clients family members [low]

In general cost of running a business will always determine the fees to be charged.

Palms Garden Estate offers new options at Mowe

A Lagos-based real estate development company, Messrs Propertymart Limited, has initiated a campaign for a residential scheme at Mowe-Ibafo axis in Ogun State.

The new estate, which it calls Palms Garden Estate, will be developed in terms of infrastructure to offer subscribers the Gold and Silver class options.

A statement by the firm on Friday said already site clearance had commenced on the estate, which would feature the sale of serviced plots along with dwelling units.

The project is coming about four months after unveiling the multi-facet Crystal Park Estate in the same area.

The firm explained that a beneficiary would fall into either the Gold or Silver option, depending on the intentions.

The Business Development Manager, Mr. Muyiwa Oshinowo, said the aim was to enhance speedy development of the estate “by creating an avenue for separating intending residents from investors/land speculators.”

He added that the developers would in future build homes such as bungalows and duplexes in the estate.

He said that a breakdown of the cost of construction at every stage was being prepared, and that the company would build for land buyers in line with the stage of affordability.

According to the Head of Marketing, Mr. Adesope Adeyinka, Palms Garden Estate would uniquely feature a lot of greenery areas with abundant palm trees.

He said, “Our estates are unique in terms of generated concepts; while Crystal Park entails a three-in-one estate concept, Palms Garden is anchored on a lot of soft landscaping via trees, shrubs and grasses.

“Streets will be adorned with palm trees and each and every beneficiary to the estate is obliged to plant at least a tree in the front of his plot.”

Besides bulk payment by people who could afford to do so, there would also be a mortgage financing option for aspiring beneficiaries, Adeyinka said.

He said, “We are currently discussing with GT Bank over the possibility of providing mortgage facilities to our land and home buyers. This function may eventually be passed into GT Homes Limited, the primary mortgage subsidiary firm of GT Bank.READ MORE

How to Clear a Clogged Toilet

Recently my wc got blocked by an element and I was faced with the reality of how ignorance at times could deal with you when you least expected.
My niece wanted to make use of the toilet and she wasn’t satisfied with the state of the wc so she decided to use a brush to clean it up unfortunately the head of the brush fell inside and she didn’t tell anybody about it.
The wc pipe was blocked.
When you have a blocked wc, don’t try to flush it out by thinking more pressure will cause whatever block it to leave, it won’t and you may get more frustrated knowing that you are practically wasting your time.
Solutions
1) You can use a very crude method, at least it worked for me, get a glove that can extend to your elbow because you will need the length under the water, insert your hands into it and remove it.
2) What if you can’t get a glove? Use a cellophane neatly wrap around your arms and insert into the toilet bowl, you can easily remove whatever is inside.
Usually, whatever is blocking the toilet drain is not very far away. If this doesn’t dislodge the clog, you can try to hook the blockage and pull it free. A wire can sometimes do the job.
3) You can also use a plumber tool call auger, it has a snakelike end that can easily coiled into the bottom of the toilet bowl.
Just insert the auger into the toilet trap and turn the handle until it feels tight. This means that the snake has twisted its way to the end of the blockage.

When you pull in the auger, you should be able to remove whatever is clogging the toilet. If you aren’t successful, try it several more times. In some cases, you may have to resort to pushing a regular plumbers’ snake through the blockage.
But if the blockage is from the pipes or is external then you may have to dismantle the pipes from the walls outside, but if the pipes are buried into the walls then go to the inspection chamber-a small concrete chamber where all the water from the toilet goes to outside before finally channeled to soak away.
From this end a mere shake of the pipe may even do the work, or dirts may have deposited in the inspection chambers, if that is the case you only need to remove the dirts and the toilet will be clear.