My Space Liftout - 19 May 2023

It’s the perfect time to plan your summer pool

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Winter - the perfect time to plan your pool

When the weather turns hot, it’s not unusual to crave your own swimming pool. It’s a common mistake – but one that Papamoa resident Renee Hanley avoided by booking her swimming pool project well in advance.

“We had wanted a pool for a few years and got three quotes. e project was put on hold when we had another baby,” says Renee. “When we went back, prices had gone up but by that time, we knew people who’d put in pools – so we’d seen what we liked.”

She locked in Truestyle Pools and Landscaping BOP. “We liked Logan and had friends who’d used Truestyle and they recommended him,” says Renee. “By the time we met for a consult, I knew the colour, style and even the pavers. We were ready to go. It wasn’t hard at all.”

Winter install best

Owner Logan McLaughlin says Renee’s timing was perfect. “Each project takes between four and six weeks so the best time to install a pool is over winter. People who ring up when the weather starts to get hot tend to miss out on their dream of having a pool to enjoy for summer.”

Renee started talking to Truestyle around December 2021, with the intention of having the project completed during winter. With the deposit paid in January, they were given a start time of between July and August.

“ ey started in August and it was completely

nished by Labour weekend, so it was perfect. It wasn’t a great summer, as it turns out, but luckily we’d included a heat pump, so the pool had lots of use,” says Renee. “We’ve got three kids and to be honest, the weather really doesn’t keep them out of the pool. It was used right through the April school holidays!”

Specific design nailed

Renee wanted a speci c design for her family’s pool. “We wanted a shell that is a little unusual in that it doesn’t have a shelf running around the inside of the pool. We wanted maximum swimming space and Logan’s company did the design we liked.”

One major advantage is that Truestyle Pools and Landscaping is a ‘one-stop shop’. “If needed, we can help with ideas and design,” says Logan. “ en we go in, dig the hole, install the pool, then organise and carry out the landscaping around it.”

Logan says the biggest challenge in Renee’s project were the angles of her property. “Renee was certain of what she wanted, so we made sure the rectangular 8m by 4m pool would t by spraying lines on the ground. It’s nished o with white pavers, a deck extension and glass fencing,” says Logan. “We’re thrilled with the result. Renee’s pool is big for the space, but it looks just right.”

“Any problems that did arise were pretty small,” says Renee. “Logan would give me a call or because I often work from home, the guys would just ask: ‘Hey, how would you like to do this...’. I think overall it went really smoothly.”

Fabricated locally

Because the pool is fabricated locally, there’s less chance of it su ering damage in transit. “ e pool shells are made to order at Impact Fibreglass in Greerton,” says Logan. “We lift them straight o the mould onto a trailer and install it at your house. Within a couple of days, it’s full of water and ready to use.”

Truestyle uses a range of gelcoat colours that are smooth to touch, durable, fade-resistant and have a beautifully re ective nish. “We knew exactly the white that we wanted and Logan was stoked that we went with a colour they hadn’t used before,” says Renee.

“It’s white shimmer, which looks a gorgeous baby blue colour in the sun,” says Logan. “We’re really pleased with it and it gives us another example of what we can do for other people. We have eight di erent colours to choose from.”

Logan invites clients still unsure about their

pool designs to visit their nished projects. “We have pictures on our website, but we also have ve very di erent pools within a ve-minute drive in Papamoa,” says Logan. “ ey’re a variety of colours and shapes, so it gives a good idea of what we can do and helps with the decision process.”

Thrilled!

Renee is thrilled with the result and says Truestyle has been great to work with.

“My sister used another company where there were a lot of di erent people to deal with and things went wrong all over the show. Logan owns the company and is on the jobs as well, so he’s always easy to get hold of,” says Renee. “If you come up with an idea and he can see it won’t work, he can tell you straight away.

“He’s easygoing and he knows what he’s talking about and his team are a really nice bunch of guys. I would de nitely recommend Truestyle.”

Rental units given new lease of life

A major revamp of Brian Eskrick’s rental property was causing him endless headaches until he brought in Juno Projects to take on the work.

One local company had been unwilling to commit to the cost, while another walked o mid-job.

“It’s been quite a complex job to transform the ats that were built in the 1970s,” says Brian. “I’ve owned them since the 1980s and have always

rented them out. ey’re attached and needed to be modernised and extended beyond the existing footprint.”

For Juno Projects directors Adam Temple and Chris Hutchings, the project itself wasn’t di cult –the only problems were the ones from the previous construction company that had left behind exposed timber, half- nished demolition and a mis-measured roo ine to correct.

Partially gutted

“ e Dickson Rd ats had already been partially gutted when we arrived, so our only option was to continue on,” says Adam. “We nished demolishing the garage to make it into bedrooms for the rst unit and needed to extend the other side to add space to the second unit.

Adam and Chris are very pleased with how the Dickson Rd project has turned out.

“ e back of the house is now long-run iron

cladding and to make the front look nice, it has a new brick façade,” says Adam. “We were also able to tidy up the roo ine for Brian, so it now looks great.”

e renovated ats are also separated by a regulation re wall to bring them up to code, new insulation, new internal framing in the garage to create the new bedrooms, and new skylights to maximise natural light.

Great insulation

“Half the walls of the Dickson Rd ats were concrete block, which is great for insulation. In addition we added internal framing with further insulation to bring it up to code,” says Adam. “ e layout was actually okay, so it saved a lot of money to use the existing bones of the units rather than start from scratch.”

Adam says on the scale of jobs they do, Brian’s job was around mid-size. “It took around four months with the last painting just being completed,” says Adam. “When we leave, you can live in the house. We run through a defects list with the client so that it’s perfect for you to move in and enjoy.”

Brian is thrilled with the result. “ ey’ve done a wonderful job,” says Brian. “I really couldn’t recommend them highly enough.”

Brian had been recommended Juno Projects by the company installing the new kitchen in his own home next-door – which came as no surprise to Adam. “Chris and I know a lot of people in the industry and those great working relationships can be crucial,” says Adam. “We’ve worked for some large construction companies and have a reputation as being guys who know what we’re doing. We get a lot of phone calls from people we’ve met along the way and vice versa.”

The entire process

ey ensure the project runs smoothly from start to nish. “If you come to us and tell us what you’d like to achieve, we have architects you can work with to help you achieve the design or the dream you

have. We also have sub-contractors we like to work with, who we know do an amazing job too.”

Juno Projects can take you through the entire renovation process; from the initial consultation, to gaining consent – even down to picking paint and exterior colours before building begins.

“We specialise in renovations, leaky homes and new home builds,” says Adam. “We also do smaller projects like fencing, decking or driveways. You name it, we do it all. We also complete labour-only packages for larger construction companies.”

When you approach Juno Projects for a consultation, they’ll work with you to meet your budget and achieve the outcome of your project. It was that dedication to the details and ability to smoothly trouble-shoot along the way that impressed Brian.

“Chris and Adam’s experience has really shone through and made the project possible,” says Brian. Adam says: “Chris and I have both been building since we were 16 years old”. “Chris spent around 15 years doing tricky work building skateparks, schools and churches and then we met at a construction company where we were project managers for $6-10 million high-rise buildings. It was just over two years ago that we decided to launch our own company.”

More projects

It was around the time the second Covid wave hit and they ignored those who warned them not to start their own company. ey were right. Business has been booming and Adam believes their combined vast experience is where their con dence comes from. “We’re used to dealing with large projects that have a lot going on and need to be planned in advance. We’ve built great relations with people in the industry. We love what we do and we’re excited to be in a great position to take on more projects.”

Debbie Griffiths

Get your home winter-ready today!

We’ve had our first cold snap this week, signalling winter is on its way – but is your home ready for the lower temperatures?

After so much warm and tropical weather in Aotearoa this year, it’s been easy to overlook if your home’s heating methods and insulation need attention. So is your home ready for winter?

Are your heating systems up to scratch?

Does the heat pump need a service or repair-work? One of our heat pumps is quite old and doesn’t seem to do the job as well any more – so I’m going to get some professional advice on how much it will cost to upgrade – or whether it just needs a good service.

Heating

If you rely on a re to heat your home – what state is the replace in? Does it need repair-work or a chimney sweep?

Most insurance policies these days advise homeowners to have chimneys swept regularly to avoid any build-up that may cause loss or damage as a result of poor maintenance.

And have you got rewood stocked up? is summer was abysmal for drying rewood with so much sticky, wet, tropical weather – so buying wood from a supplier may result in better product going into this winter, as many dry wood under cover for more than a year before selling it.

Windows

Have you noticed windows or doors are letting in draughts? I felt a few cool ows this week that need tending to in my home.

Are your window seals intact? Replace damaged rubber seals around aluminium joinery.

Or, if there’s rotten timber near windows it could cause more damage than just cool draughts. And tighten loose hinges, catches and latches. Or maybe you’re ready to look at double glazing? It’s a big investment but can reduce heat loss through glass by 70 per cent.

If you can’t a ord this, there are inexpensive kits to stick insulation lm to wooden window frames. ese act as insulation – just like double glazing – but only last one season.

Insulation

What about insulation? If you have access under your house, get an insulation professional to check what you’ve got. ey often do it for free. If your under oor is more than half a metre o the ground, you can insulate. is will reduce draughts through oorboards and reduce heat loss.

For ceiling insulation, and wall insulation it’s also best to get in a professional, as building consents or safety precautions need to be taken with electrical wiring in place.

Another thing I need to sort out is curtains – I need new ones for the lounge to lock in heat and keep out draughts.

Installing thermal curtains or blinds can create a good seal over windows to stop cold air getting in. e most e ective curtains to purchase, according to the Gen Less website, are double-layered with a thick lining; that touch the oor; have pelmets above them; are wider than the window frame; and t tightly against wall and windows frames.

A healthy home check

According to the Gen Less website, which is run by NZ’s Energy E cient and Conservation Authority, warm, dry homes are healthier to live in and more energye cient. “[So] Doing what you can to tackle dampness and improve your home’s heat retention will help you save power (and money).”

Did you know you can assess your home to nd out where you can make improvements? Gen Less says you can do a healthy home check yourself online, or a certi ed advisor can visit and assess your home, and tailor an improvement plan. Many o er their services free of charge. e home check will cover: whether your home has adequate ventilation and insulation/heat retention; how e cient your heating, hot water and lighting systems are; and whether your rental property meets NZ’s healthy home standards.

To do a home check on your place, visit: https://home t.org.nz/

To nd more tips, see: https://genless. govt.nz/for-everyone/at-home Merle Cave

Fresh thinking

It’s even easier being green with Resene’s growing range of plant-based paints.

e world of eco, plant-based paints is fastgrowing – but it can be tricky to navigate the jargon. Low-VOC, no added VOC, hybrid waterborne alkyds, plant-based, bio-based, renewable, organic and natural paints are just a few of the technical terms thrown around to describe eco paints. Plant-based paints are an exciting growth area, but it’s easy to get confused about the new eco technologies available and hard to know what to believe. Resene thinks choosing environmentallypreferable paints, primers, sealers and wood stains should be simple. at’s why Resene has Environmental Choice approval for the waterborne paints homeowners most commonly use – so you can be con dent they have been checked by New Zealand’s o cial ecolabel, which independently veri es each Resene product that has approval.

The first

Resene has been committed to producing environmentally preferable paint products since just after we started, launching the rst waterborne paints in the 1950s, removing lead from paint proactively, joining the Environmental Choice programme in 1996 and continuing to o er the widest range of Environmental Choice NZ approved paints today. Renewable plant-based paints are the next breakthrough in eco paints.

Resene has had many paints free of animal products, such as beeswax or tallow, for years, including crowd favourites Resene Lumbersider,

Resene SpaceCote Flat, Resene Enamacryl and Resene Lustacryl to name a few. But the new plantbased range, using hybrid waterborne alkyds, is the latest advancement.

e focus on hybrid waterborne alkyd formulas aims to reduce fossil hydrocarbons – a chemical name for oil – in paint. For a number of years Resene technicians have been researching and developing renewable paints that reduce the need for carbon sourced from fossil hydrocarbons, which can contribute to atmospheric carbon dioxide and the greenhouse e ect. Instead, hybrid waterborne alkyds obtain carbon from organic sources, which can be recycled into the atmosphere and plant growth without increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide.

The latest range

Hybrid waterborne alkyds are paints made with plant oils (alkyd polymers), such as linseed and castor oil, combined with other polymers, to give 60-95 per cent renewable content. Resene’s new range of plant-based hybrid waterborne alkyds includes Environmental Choice approved Resene Room Velvet low sheen for interior walls, Resene Waterborne Lusta-Glo semi-gloss for trims and Resene Woodsman Decking Oil Stain for decking –with two more ranges to be launched this year.

e purpose of paint is to protect surfaces, and in doing so extend the longevity of homes and other projects. Doing this well is the best environmental impact products can have. Always choose a product that is designed for your project to get the best performance out of the product and least maintenance. It’s better to paint once with a quality product, than repaint many times with a low quality one.