Materials

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Whether you are building a single house, duplex or multi unit development, there is one essential building material that we always include. This item is not mandatory or compulsory in most cases, however Property Bloom has three good reasons why we include it. 
We are talking about sarking beneath a tiled roof. Sarking is a pliable membrane that sits under roof tiles, usually silver in colour. 
I've been watching as a new house is being built in my street.  As the roof was going on, I noticed they had not used sarking. The house is being built by one of the parents at my son's school who I know. So when I saw them next, I casually mentioned to them that I'd seen the roof had now been finished but there was no sarking. They said they had ummed and ahhed about it and decided not to spend the extra money on something no one is going to see. Big mistake I thought, but I didn't say that as it was too late for them to change their mind. Their bedrooms are all upstairs and the house faces west.  I know how hot it will get up there but that's not the only reason they should have considered it. 
So here's my reasons why we include sarking on our all Property Bloom developments:
1. Waterproofing. This is my number one reason. If you get a cracked roof tile, which is easy enough to occur in a big storm particularly if there are trees close by, sarking will assist in keeping out the moisture. Leaking roofs are your worst enemy. Once water seeps through the plasterboard, it can get expensive to repair and can also cause electrical damage. 
2. Insulation. This is a pretty good reason, particularly in a long, hot summer. We are seeing our temperatures rising and if you're sleeping just a few meters from your roof void, then chances are you are going to be hot or spend a lot of money on cooling this area. Sarking improves the thermal performance by up to 97%* and helps to provide a more energy efficient and comfortable home.
*CSR Bradford
3. Dust. Sarking helps keep dust out of your roof void. If you have access into the roof void for storage or maybe thinking of creating an attic room, then minimising dust is a good thing. Also, if you have down lights or sky lights in your ceiling and no sarking, you may find dust can filter down into the living area through any tiny gaps created by ceiling fittings.  
On a typical Property Bloom duplex project, our builder charges about $1,800-$2,000 more for sarking and to me this is a small price to pay to ensure you have the highest of quality roof protection for your property. The last thing we want is for our clients to experience complaints from tenants down the track that their roof is leaking. 
Sarking is compulsory in bushfire rated areas and provides compliance to BAL bush fire ember attack requirements. 
So don't scrimp on your roof, it'll be a good investment plus provide peace of mind. 
Jo Chivers is chief executive officer of property development project managers <a href="https://www.propertybloom.com.au/about" target="_blank">Property Bloom</a>.
 
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One important building material to include in your construction: Jo Chivers

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Would you live in a house made of fungus? It’s not just a rhetorical question: fungi are the key to a new low-carbon, fire-resistant and termite-deterring building material.
This type of material, known as a mycelium composite, uses the Trametes versicolor fungus to combine agricultural and industrial waste to create lightweight but strong bricks. It’s cheaper than synthetic plastics or engineered wood, and reduces the amount of waste that goes to landfill.
What a fun guy
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/222698/original/file-20180612-182738-1ih1ie4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
Fungal brick prototypes made from rice hulls and glass fines waste. Tien Huynh, Author provided
Working with our colleagues, we used fungus to bind rice hulls (the thin covering that protects rice grains) and glass fines (discarded, small or contaminated glass). We then baked the mixture to produce a new, natural building material.
Making these fungal bricks is a low-energy and zero-carbon process. Their structure means they can be moulded into many shapes. They are therefore suited to a variety of uses, particularly in the packaging and construction industries.
A staple crop for more than half the world’s population, rice has an annual global consumption of more than 480 million metric tonnes and 20% of this is comprised of rice hulls. In Australia alone, we generate about 600,000 tonnes of glass waste a year. Usually these rice hulls and glass fines are incinerated or sent to landfill. So our new material offers a cost-effective way to reduce waste.
<h2>Fire fighter</h2>
Fungal bricks make ideal fire-resistant insulation or panelling. The material is more thermally stable than synthetic construction materials such as polystyrene and particleboard, which are derived from petroleum or natural gas.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/222694/original/file-20180612-182738-2kd2vm.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
Rice hulls, glass fines and the mixture of rice, glass and fungus, before baking. Wikipedia/Tien Huynh, Author provided
This means that fungal bricks burn more slowly and with less heat, and release less smoke and carbon dioxide than their synthetic counterparts. Their widespread use in construction would therefore improve fire safety.
Thousands of fires occur every year and the main causes of fatalities are smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning. By reducing smoke release, fungal bricks could allow more time for escape or rescue in the event of a fire, thus potentially saving lives.
Bug battler
Termites are a big issue: more than half of Australia is highly susceptible to termite infestations. These cost homeowners more than A$1.5 billion a year.
Our construction material could provide a solution for combating infestations, as the silica content of rice and glass would make buildings less appetising to termites.
The use of these fire-and-termite-resistant materials could simultaneously revolutionise the building industry and improve waste recycling.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/222699/original/file-20180612-182733-qjotvb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
 Figure 3. Termite infestation zones in Australia. termitesonline.com.au, Author provided
This is an exciting time to get creative about our waste. With China no longer buying Australia’s recycling – and new rules reducing plastic use in Australian supermarkets – we have the chance to move in line with communities in Japan, Sweden and Scotland that have near-zero waste.
Fungal bricks could be just one example of the creative thinking that will help us get there.
Tien Huynh, Senior Lecturer in the School of Sciences, RMIT University
Mitchell Jones, PhD Student, RMIT University
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/scientists-create-new-building-material-out-of-fungus-rice-and-glass-98153" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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