New Bites

Fairview Tight-Lipped on New Engineering Technology for Windows and Doors

One of New Zealand’s largest aluminium joinery manufacturers is set to introduce a new suite of products that will “fundamentally change the way windows and doors are specified for residential homes.”

Fairview Group R&D Manager, Dave Burggraaf confirmed that the company’s Special Project design team was about to release the new range later this year.

“It’s been a long time in the works, but specifiers and builders will instantly appreciate that the results are significant.”

Dave Burggraaf says the new system offers a more uniform solution to ensure that the design integrity of window and door joinery throughout a house is consistent, without requiring multiple suites to be used alongside each other.

“Our design and engineering team have made over 100 subtle engineering changes to our current offering, and one major one.

“There will be a visible difference, which will impact everyone from the homeowner, specifiers to the builder”

Fairview General Manager Mark Fisher says the company has been investing heavily in research and

new technology in recent times to ensure the company continues its role at the forefront of the industry in New Zealand.

“We’ve basically reviewed everything we’ve been doing for the last 50 years, looked overseas to see what other innovative technology has emerged, and we’ve incorporated the best of it with our own ideas.”

Fairview plans to release the new residential later this year, with new commercial building offerings to follow. Mark Fisher was coy about giving any further information due to commercial sensitivities.

“The New Zealand building industry is crying out for new ideas about how we can build smarter and more efficiently and that’s the space we want to be active in.”

NEW PRODUCT

Airbow® Concrete

The AIRBOW® System is a range of untethered concrete, framing and finishing guns (launching later this year) powered by compressed air, built around a single source of ultra-high-pressure air, the Airbow® Compressor. Developed in NZ, The Airbow® System is made possible by patented Hammerforce® technology, which allows the tools to effectively transform a tiny amount of compressed air into plenty of power to drive the nail home. This is a clean and safe alternative to battery, powder and gas technology. Apart from nails there are no consumables with Airbow®. The compressor, delivering untethered air power, is built for the construction site, is robust and can quick charge any Airbow® Tool in just seconds.

This really is a new generation of air powered tools. The latest tool in the range (launching in October) is Airbow® Concrete, delivering nail driving power into all concrete and steel, safely. The gun is untethered and perfectly weighted to minimize recoil, reducing the risk of injury and associated downtime. Giving only the power you need to drive long drive pins home, every time you fire it. No explosives, no electronics, no cords, no batteries. Just pure, compressed air. You need to see this to believe it.

NEW PRODUCT

Hide-A-Hose™ (Retracting Hose) for your Central Vacuum System

We were thinking… if the cleaner is hidden, why can’t the hose be hidden too?

The Hide-A-Hose™ retractable hose system solves the problem of carrying and storing a central vacuum hose. Simply pull out the amount of hose you need and begin vacuuming. When finished, the suction retracts the hose back into the wall for you.

It is easy to store – simply detach the cleaning wand from the hose, and the suction from the central vacuum power unit retracts the hose into the wall.

Hose lengths are available in 9, 12, 15, and 18 metre lengths. Each inlet can cover up to 213m².

Can be installed in new and existing homes.

For more information visit www.beam.co.nz or phone 0800 10 25 26

NEWS

Applications Open for Site Safe Scholarships

Site Safe is supporting New Zealand’s up-and-coming health and safety leaders in the construction sector with its 2019 range of scholarships.

Applications for the Site Safe Scholarships are open now and close on 30 August.

Successful applicants receive complimentary training on Site Safe courses which can then be used towards a tertiary qualification, such as the new NZ Certificate in Workplace Health and Safety Practice (Level 3).

Each scholarship recipient will be teamed up with a skilled Site Safe staff member who will act as a mentor for the training and the assignment work.

There are five categories for entry:

• Under 25 years of age (any ethnicity)

• Open category (any age or ethnicity)

• Maori of any age

• Pasifika of any age

• Woman working in construction (any age or ethnicity)

The other criteria for entry which allows people to be nominated by their employer are:

• Applicants are New Zealand citizens or New Zealand permanent residents.

• Are over the age of 18.

• Are Maori or Pasifika descent (if applying under the Maori or Pasifika category).

• Are under 25 years of age (if applying under the under 25 years of age category).

• Are women working in construction (if applying under the Women in Construction category).

It is fine to enter more than one category if applicants qualify for more than one.

For more information and the application form, please go to: www.sitesafe.org.nz/training/ scholarships/

NEW PRODUCT

NEW Gecko Gauge™ from James Hardie accelerates the installation of Linea™ Weatherboard

The Gecko Gauge is an innovative tool that helps increase installation efficiency for Linea™ Weatherboard. This easy to use tool gauges and supports the weatherboard for a one person install.

• Secure lever locks the tool to the underside of the uppermost weatherboard

• Adjustable head supports the next board to be installed

• Designed for 16mm Linea Weatherboard – 135, 150, and 180mm

• Robust aluminium design for long term durability

• Available through all good merchants

Visit James Hardie NZ on YouTube to see the Gecko Gauge in action!

NEW PRODUCT

Airbow® Compressor

The Airbow® Compressor is the next generation high pressure air compressor with its own built in accumulator tank. You can now charge an Airbow tool in seconds – around 10 to 15 seconds to be exact. The number of nails a tool can fire in a day is not limited by tool refill time as there is also no down time in between refills.

The accumulator tank is also detachable to improve mobility.

This is a tool designed with construction sites in mind, with a strong tubular metal frame

that is completely enclosed to minimise the opportunity of damage. The robust wheels and retractable handle allow the user to easily move it around. It’s easy to use – just plug and play, and because it uses a special EP grease lubrication system, there is no need for oil changes.

And it’s quiet. Just like your Airbow tool, you’ll hardly even know it’s running.

Plus it’s better for the environment – say goodbye to expensive butane fuel cells, lithium ion

batteries and powder charges. Just plug your Airbow tool into the Airbow compressor and you have fuel in seconds, and it’s just good, clean air!

Available exclusively at PlaceMakers.

NEWS

Removing Barriers – Over 120 Building Standards Funded for Free Download

More than 120 building standards used for Building Code compliance have been funded for free download thanks to a successful collaboration between MBIE (Ministry of Business Innovation and Business) and Standards New Zealand. This is great news for the industry and the public.

As a regulator of the building system, MBIE wants to reduce barriers that prevent people from ‘doing the right thing’ within the New Zealand building system. As part of this work, MBIE is funding over 120 standards used for Building Code compliance, which are now free to download from the Standards

New Zealand website https://www. standards.govt.nz/sponsoredstandards/building-standards/

Standards New Zealand manages the process for developing standards and providing access to them. This initiative fits strongly with Standards NZ’s strategy of working with regulators and industry to get more standards prefunded, as well as enabling better access to standards that make a difference to the wellbeing of New Zealanders. This, in turn, helps grow New Zealand for all.

This latest funding initiative is a follow-up to a highly successful

pilot between MBIE and Standards New Zealand in December 2017, when MBIE sponsored a handful of important building standards for free download. These standards have since been downloaded over 15,000 times.

MBIE expects the success of the pilot will now snowball as these more than 120 standards become free to download, making it easier for people to ‘build it right’ and comply with the Building Code. These building standards directly help demonstrate compliance with the New Zealand Building Code to ensure our buildings and homes are safe and well-constructed.

NEWS

NZCB Welcome New National Partner Red Stage Timber

Builders want a superior grade of structural timber that reduces rework, cuts wastage and provides an exceptional finished job for their customers. Red Stag Timber understand the needs of builders and over the past 16 years have established the largest and most technically advanced structural sawmill in the southern hemisphere to provide high quality structural and landscaping timber to precisely meet these exacting requirements.

Red Stag Timber products are available through leading builders merchant chains.