The Specification

Like all good things, the mini-series focusing on product certification must come to an end. In this episode Laurence and Joe discuss their takeways from the first five episodes of this series, and compare their notes on the product certifications featured. Together with Episode 37 this episode neatly wraps up the mini-series in building product certification - we hope it has been as interesting f...

Almost 7 out of 10 Australian consumers recognise the WELS label, seen on taps, showers, flow controllers, toilets, urinals, dishwashers and washing machines. One glance and consumers can quickly tell how water efficient that product is.     Starting off as a water management program, WELS is now an Australian Government mandatory regulatory scheme. This protects water as a resource and also promo...

A familiar mark for many, the FSC tick represents the  well known  and highly trusted Forest Stewardship Council. Created in 1993, the FSC is an international forest certification scheme established to nurture responsible forestry so both forests, and the communities they support can thrive.     In this episode of the Specification Joe and Laurence are joined by Melanie Robertson (CEO, FSC Aus/NZ)...

Dr Andrew Wheeler, the Executive Director at ARCS (Australasian Certification Authority for Reinforcing and Structural Steels), joins Joe and Laurence on The Specification to explore  the topic of steel certification for structural steel products.      Being such a crucial building element of any construction project, Andrew touches on the  importance of third-party certification in steel products...

How much do you know about the aluminium products being installed in your project?     Aluminium plays an important role in many modern buildings, providing a strong and lightweight solution for window and door frames, ceiling grids, and other fixtures. While many of us take this material for granted, there's a long supply chain (and interesting recycling story) behind piece that turns up on site....

Forest and wood products can be found in every aspect of our lives, from the tissues on your desk to the packaging of your groceries, and of course in various forms throughout the built environment. As we leverage the sustainability benefits of wood fibre in the transition to a more environmentally friendly future it is going to be become more and more important that the growth and harvesting of t...

The Living Future Institute of Australia is the Australian manager for the well-known Declare Label and Living Building Challenge, amongst other initiatives. While each of these programs stands alone in its benefits and utility for the industry, in this episode we were thrilled to be joined by Laura Hamilton O'Hara (LFIA CEO) who explains how the initiatives complement each other.     Join Joe, La...

Sensitive Choice is a program run by the National Asthma Council Australia that helps people with allergies, asthma, and other sensitivities by identifying less irritating products, often featuring reduced allergens, fragrance and chemical content.  This is an important consideration when designing the buildings in which people spend the majority of their time.     Joe and Laurence were excited to...

It's week two of the mini-series on product certifications and the guys are back with another great episode, this time featuring Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA).     Join in as Joe and Laurence welcome Michelle Thomas, CEO of GECA. GECA promotes and manages the GECA Ecolabel Product Certification, and also offers a range of other services which support product suppliers on their journey...

It's finally here!     Season Two of The Specification starts today, and what better way to get down to work than with a mini-series on product certifications.      Over the next 8 episodes Joe and Laurence will be joined by special guests from major product certifications to discuss what their certifications do, and why designers and builders should be considering them when specifying products an...

In this final episode of 2022 Joe and Laurence revisit some of the best tips and lessons learnt from Season One. Tune in to this episode as the guys count down the top 5 tips from the season.     While these tips are important for anyone involved in the specification of building products, there's a long list of equally valuable pointers from a broad range of brands throughout the season. Listen to...

As 2022 comes to a close, Joe and Laurence revisit some of the best tips and lessons learnt from Season One. Tune in to this episode as the guys start to count down their list of the top ten tips from the season.     The Specification is brought to you by Northwest Media, an Australian digital agency specialising in creation and delivery of custom web apps.   Find out more at www.nwmedia.au   For...

Building envelope design is one area to receive special attention in the recent updates to Australia's National Construction Code (NCC). The updates have brought in some significant consequences for those delivering poor designs, so what do designers need to know?     This week we're thrilled to be joined by Jesse Clarke, Innovation and R&D Manager at Pro Clima. While Laurence was unavailable for...

We've got a particularly interesting one for you this week.     Based in Newcastle, Weathertex have been producing their unique cladding and lining products for over 50 years. Utilising a highly specialised and sustainable process, they use a local resource of timber to create highly durable timber products suitable for either internal or external use.     In this episode of The Specification Joe...

The building envelope plays an important role in the comfort of building inhabitants, and is a significant contributor to both healthy indoor environments and building durability as a whole.     In this episode Joe and Laurence welcome guests Health Based Building and McCormacks Australia, who respectively manufacture and supply Magnum Board to the Australian market.     With vapour permeability a...

Whether indoors or outdoors, there's so much to know when it comes to protecting timber finishes. While it is often ok for designers to leave timber in indoor settings uncoated, timber used externally is often exposed to the weather and ground moisture, rendering treatment and/or coating necessary for a durable and aesthetic outcome.     So how do we know what products to specify and where?  How a...

Design for acoustics and acoustic separation comes down to two main areas – airborne noise, and impact noise.      While airborne noise and its best management strategies were expertly explained by Rob Jones from Autex way back in Episode No. 9, until now there has been relatively little discussion of impact noise, and how we can design it out of projects.     With this in mind, Laurence and Joe w...

More or less a default flooring covering in cooler climates around the country (and the world), carpet has long been a great way to keep your feet warm and rooms cosy during the winter months.   As the way we design and build has evolved so has the carpet product offering. Do you need tiles, planks, or rolls? Cut, twist, or loop? Wool, synthetic or a mix? The combinations are seemingly endless!  ...

Specified for decades to display unique and exotic timber finishes for an affordable price, timber veneers are now commonplace throughout our built environment. While initially utilised to create exquisite joinery and panelling, recent decades have seen the use case for veneers also grow into the engineered flooring world.     There's a lot to know about veneers if you want to use them properly. W...

Although not the most  aesthetically  exciting product, timber connectors literally hold a timber structure together. Despite being an established product range in daily construction work, Adam Dawson from Pryda highlights just how deceptively complex these 'simple' connectors can be.      As the Technical Manager, Adam applies his engineering experience and shares his knowledge and tips for anyon...

A symbol of luxury and class around the world, natural stone has long been the star feature of kitchens, bathrooms, and special spaces. Every slab of this beautiful material is truly unique, bearing the colours and markings of the earth from which it is sourced.      To learn more about stone and what designers need to know when specifying it, Joe and Laurence caught up with Leonora Tregambe, Dire...

As building owners around Australia deal with the replacement of combustible façade elements we're seeing a variety of non-combustible façade systems taking their place.     In this episode Joe and Laurence catch up with Rob Gray at Fairview Architectural, supplier of a variety of cladding products including the well known (and often specified) Vitradual and Vitracore.     In a conversation spanni...

Glazing is one of the key building elements for arguably all projects in the commercial construction space. Although one of the last elements to be installed, it completes the building envelope, insulating the inside from the elements.      Edward Zhao (General Manager of ASG International) joins Joe and Laurence in this episode to discuss the intricacies of designing and building with glass. This...

Alongside timber, bricks are perhaps one of human civilisation's oldest and most versatile building products. While still used to provide the most basic of human needs in many societies, major projects throughout the last decade have demonstrated the incredible breadth of shapes and aesthetics made possible by this humble product.     In this episode Laurence and Joe are joined by Brett Ward (Gene...

Paint is one of the few staple finishes on almost every specification. Used liberally throughout practically every residential and commercial project, we often take paint for granted. However, there's a complex school of paint formulation behind every tin. The process of developing these delicately balanced combinations of ingredients was once considered an art, but with the help of Bruce Gascoign...