Building Regulations Section 1: Part A to Part H As there are a total 23 Parts to the SANS 10400 Building Regulations we have divided them into three sections to improve the ease of navigation. The order in which the different Parts of the regulations are displayed follows the same order as the regulations themselves…
Living in a House With High Ceilings Personally, I enjoy living in a house with high ceilings. They add a sense of spaciousness, at the same time allowing a greater amount of air to circulate around the room. Although of course, this means nothing unless there is adequate thermal insulation between the roof and the…
A Review Based on Personal Experience Having just finished totally updating the ever-popular title, The Complete Book of Owner Building in South Africa I am left wondering whether owner building is a good idea or not. We’ve completed the exercise three times, and not once made any money, or in fact, even got our money…
1. The NHBRC gives protection against shoddy workmanship The NHBRC was established in terms of the Housing Consumers Protection Measures Act, 1998 to regulate the building industry and protect home buyers against shoddy workmanship. Motivation at the time was largely charged by fly-by-night-builders who were conning people all over the country. There was undoubtedly a…
All buildings must have a strong, serviceable, stable and durable design-Part B Why do you suppose we need structural design professionals to be involved in every aspect of building processes? I’ve thought about this often, since we’ve done a load of DIY projects that involve building, and we have seldom had professionals help us. But…
Every Room Must be Fit for Purpose-Part C The National Building Regulations (NBR) are not prescriptive when it comes to the dimensions or size of rooms and buildings. However it is vital that the size of any room or space is fit for the purpose for which it was intended. In the case of a…
Design, Planning and Supervision of All Construction Work Must Follow a Legal Process Requirements for each section of SANS 10400, the Code of Practice for The application of the National Building Regulations (NBR) is presented with the relevant extract from the building regulations (which is law), and is then followed by a general commentary explaining…
National Building Regulations Part W – Fire Installation Part W of the SANS 10400 Building Regulations is intended to keep people and property safe in the event of a fire. These have to be inspected and approved by the local authority and permission needs to be granted before any water fire fighting system is connected…
Chimneys, Flues, Hearths and Fireplaces Used for Space Heating-Part V Anyone searching through the National Building Regulations for information about chimneys and flues, hearths and fireplaces, might go straight to the part that deals with Fire Protection. The next step would probably to look through the part that deals with Walls – after all chimneys…
Building Regulations Part-U Refuse Disposal Part-U of the SANS 10400 Refuse disposal states that ‘Any building, excluding a dwelling house’ that has refuse generated in that building will provide ‘adequate’ storage areas for rubbish containers. Over and above this the planning and building must provide access from the street so that the containers can be…
What SANS 10400: Part T – Fire Protection Says What the Act Says Essentially the legislation is concerned quite simply with the need for all buildings to be designed, constructed and equipped so that in the event of fire: The requirements of the Act will be deemed to have been satisfied if the design, construction and…
Non-Water-Borne Waste Disposal-Part Q The SANS 10400-Part Q deals with the sanitary waste and the healthy handling and treatment of effluent when there is no water-borne sewage system available in a particular area. Health is the major factor when it comes to effluent and any pathogens, pollutants or contaminants must not affect the user of…
SANS 10400-Part P, Drainage, Plumbing, Main Picture Above: A new drainage and sewage containment tank installation. Sanitation and Water Disposal Drainage and plumbing is not only what you see above ground. All water, waste disposal, soils and stormwater have to be drained away and treated to maintain safety and health. In many instances these pipes…
Good Lighting and Ventilation is Vital for Healthy Living-Part O In terms of the National Building Regulations Part O, all habitable rooms, including bathrooms, showers and toilets (and interestingly enough garages!) must have some form of lighting and ventilation that will enable people to use these rooms safely. The most important aspect is that it…
Glazing and the Glass You Use for It-Part N Part N is the section on glazing in the National Building Regulations & Building Standards Act and is short and reasonably sweet. Essentially you need to be sure that any material used for glazing in buildings is secure and durable and that it is fixed so…
Safety is Paramount when it comes to Stairways-Part M It stands to reason that stairways must be safe. If stairs are too steep, and they don’t have railings, or if screens and balustrades are not strong and secure, people may fall with disastrous consequences. What the National Building Regulations say about Stairs and Stairways “Any…
Building Regulations as They Apply to Roofs-Part L When the South African National Building Regulations were updated by the Department of Trade and Industry in May 2008, the General Requirement relating to Roofs was changed to incorporate certain safety elements. For example, instead of simply having to “resist any forces” to which the roof might…
It is vital that walls are strong, stable, waterproof and fireproof. The way that the roof is affixed to the wall is also very important.
Building Regulations that Apply to Floors-Part J The Application of the National Building Regulations that apply to floors (Part J of SANS 10400) are certainly not exhaustive. In fact, if you think of how much of our house is floor, it’s what we might, in South Africa, describe as a biekie min. But the authorities have,…
Regulations for Foundations-Part HA Focus on Safety Foundations, Part H, of any structure, large or small, must be built to safely transmit all loads of the building to the ground. If foundations are not correctly built, walls may crack and at worst, could even collapse. While the National Building Regulations specify general requirements for foundations,…
Safety and Stability When Doing ExcavationsAre Top Priorities – Part G Excavations are not always necessary when we build our homes, but it often is, even if the ground is reasonably flat and level. Part G of the National Building Regulations deals with excavations and their safety. The Importance of Stability One of the reasons…
Site Operations – Part F – Building Regulations Site operations must be carried out in a safe, responsible manner. It is for this reason that Part F: Site Operations of the National Building Regulations specifies how the public and property belonging to the local authority must be safeguarded. Other site operations issues that are addressed…
Site Safety during Demolitions-Part E If you have to do some demolition work before you build, Part E is the section of the National Building Regulations that you need to familiarise yourself with. But really all it states is common sense and caution. There are only three elements that are covered: 1 – demolition itself,…
Even at Home Public Safety is Paramount-Part D All home owners have a responsibility to people who visit their homes, or members of the public who are able to access their homes. According to the National Building Regulations we must be concerned specifically with: Change in Level If people can access a level other than…
IT’S PLUMBER PLUMBING CRAZY Not being a registered plumber, or even someone who would try to work with pipes and fittings, all I can do is read the relevant national standards when I want to check the legality of fixtures and fittings. Not that the owner of the property cares. Pipes and fittings have been…
