If you’re building a new home or completing major renovations to your existing home, it’s important for you to understand the R value for insulation. This legal requirement ensures that your home meets the minimum energy efficiency standards, by keeping as much heat as possible inside during winter, and expelling as much heat as possible during summer. Insulation can have a big impact on this, which is why the R value system was created in the first place.

When it comes to designing your own home, there are hundreds of decisions to make. Among the most important is what type of roof to install. Not only does your roof play an important structural role, it also contributes to your home’s aesthetic. But with so many different roof designs to choose from, it can be hard to know where to start.

Most of us probably don’t give our roofs much thought, but they’re an absolutely essential part of our homes, workplaces, leisure time… you name it! They provide shelter, protect our homes and belongings, and can even offer unique aesthetics.

If you’ve just had a new roof installed, or are having some work done to your existing roof, it’s helpful to have a basic understanding of the terminology being used by roofing contractors. Fascias are a good example of this, because they’re a front-facing section of your roof that is crucial for keeping moisture and animals out.

Rats are one of the most successful commensal species in history, adapting to our human environments with terrific speed and skill. Our infrastructure, buildings, and supplies have given them everything they need to flourish, so if you’ve detected a subtle scurrying sound coming from your roof, there’s a good chance your home has become theirs.

When it comes to building or renovating your home, many people focus on the internal factors rather than external ones like the roof. After all, you don’t necessarily notice this part of your home on a daily basis, right? However, roofing does matter — a lot! It protects you, your family and your belongings from rain, wind, dust, lightning, thunder and whatever else Mother Nature decides to unleash in terms of weather.

Even in the middle of the biggest cities in Australia, you are likely to find a possum. Ringtail or Brushtail possums are among the most adaptable and versatile of our marsupials and live much of their lives over our heads — many in suburban gardens. At night they emerge to search for food — through treetops, over rooftops and along fences and powerlines to avoid being hit by a car or attacked by a dog.

Your roof is one of the most important aspects of your home’s exterior. A roof in good condition will protect your home’s inhabitants from the elements, enhance the appeal and value of your home, and increase the efficiency of your air conditioner.

Asbestos was a popular, versatile construction material commonly used for roof insulation. But after discovering that it causes serious health problems if inhaled, it was banned across the planet, and a number of restrictions were put in place against its removal. 

Skylights have a long history, starting with the Ancient Romans who used “open” skylights in their buildings. This was followed by the development of “closed” skylights in France during the late 17th century. The Industrial Revolution saw advances in glass production manufacturing, and mass production since the mid-20th century has enabled the use of “modern” skylights in various contexts.