5 Common Myths about Block Internal Walls busted!

There are so many myths about block internal walls in Darwin that unsuspecting buyers seem to believe they are the best option without knowing the truth.   We just want to make sure when you are investing your hard-earned cash into your future that you have all of the information before making a decision that is right for you!

Myth 1 – Block work Internal walls make your home stronger!

Blocks used to build internal walls are only held together by the mortar between them (shear walls excluded) so there is absolutely no structural element to them, they are not filled with concrete and are not tied together, making them very susceptible to movement, in fact more than any other internal wall construction method.  Below is a very good example of how movement cracks appear in blockwork homes.  Once this happens, which it does often, the repair costs are huge!

Yes… it is a lot harder to put your foot through a blockwork wall but… if you hit a gyprock wall hard enough to break through it, then it is very likely that you would have moved your blockwork wall and you too will start to see cracks like these below.

The image below is from a 6yr old home in Durack in the Northern Territory where the owner contacted us for help after their ceiling fell down due to the movement of their block walls and metal roof trusses, their original builder was nowhere to be found to cover the repair costs which were in the thousands and not covered by insurance!

Myth 2 – Block work Internal walls are harder to damage!

The concrete render on block work is easily damaged in fact much easier than plasterboard.  The challenge with block rendered walls is that when you try to repair a small patch you are left with unsightly marks on the wall with different textures that don’t match the rest of the wall so… repairing a small patch without it being unsightly means re-rendering the entire wall which is expensive!

Gyprock internal walls may crack or become damaged too, but they are easily fixed by any handyman and do not require any specials tools or skills.  With plasterboard if you are not happy with the finish of a patch once the first coat of paint is applied then you can sand it down until you are satisfied.   Unfortunately,  this is not the case with concrete…once it sets it’s set regardless of if you are happy!  The image below shows how the different textures make block render impossible to repair easily.

Myth 3 – No need to worry about Termites

Another myth is that if you have block work internal walls you don’t need to worry about termites but…this is definitely not the case.  Termites love to eat everything from your wiring to the plasterboard in your ceiling to the kitchen cupboards so at no point in time can you afford to become complacent with your termite management plan regardless of what your home is constructed from.  Our standard finish is guaranteed for 50yrs against termites if you keep your annual termite inspections up to date.

Myth 4 – Block work Internal walls keep the home cooler!

This one always fasinates me…I thought it was pretty common knowledge that concrete retains heat you only have to walk barefooted on a cool night along a concrete path to feel the temperature difference the same theory applies to your home.  Once your blockwork home heats up in the wet season it’s near impossible to cool it down without a very large electricity bill from running the air conditioners at peak performance to cope.  With gyprock walls once the ambient temperature drops so does the temperature of the walls and your home meaning lower cooling costs which is a bonus!

More information can be found here under the heading Hot Humid (tropical) climates.

Myth 5 –  Blockwork is a superior finish!

A lot of people believe that blockwork is a superior finish and anything else is a cheap option, this makes us laugh, as again it’s a myth spread by uneducated builders…blockwork is the cheap and nasty option for internal walls that has no future benefits to help the homeowner reduce maintenance or energy costs at all.  At Abode New Homes we know the most superior product on the market is a Gyprock Timber internal frame system,  our frames are treated LVL timber(Laminated Veneer Lumber aka reconstituted timber)  that means it’s guaranteed not to move, warp or attract termites and it’s a lot stronger and more stable than blockwork or steel frames.  When I say steel frames most builders use a very flexible light weight product that is flimsy (shear walls excluded), also in our climate steel is extremely susceptible to expansion and contraction in the heat – again resulting in the unsightly cracking and movement in your home.   Our timber is covered by a 50 warranty against mould, mildew and termites.  We have been using this product since our inception over 15years ago and have not had any recalls from clients, in fact we have seen other builders start to follow and adapt to this product and method as well.   By using timber, it allows us to provide a finish inside the home on completion that is second to none, with timber door jambs and architraves, beautiful bulkheads and not to mention our trades love working on our sites due to it’s ease of use and superior finish.  The other thing to mention if you are concerned for the environment timber is the world’s most environmentally friendly building product, it’s natural, reusable, recyclable and sustainable, by choosing timber products you are helping the environment.  Of course, if we have a client that has their heart set on blockwork even after doing all of their research then we will happily accommodate their needs.

Over 500 happy home owners have trusted us with their investment and we are only too happy to help you too!  Feel free to give us a call on 08 8932 9999.