Initial Cost
The following information is provided as a ‘Guide Only’ to the cost of having HIANDRI bottom plate packers installed on the bottom of 90mm timber frames manufactured in a frame and truss plant. Every house is different depending on stud spacings, size and number of openings, point loads etc. Get a quote from your F & T plant.
The following costs are based on a single storey average New Zealand dwelling of 200m² with a concrete floor, with studs at 600mm crs. Costs exclude GST.
Plant Costs
| Supply and fix HIANDRI bottom plate packers | $500 |
| Less cost of Damp Proof Course – not required | - $150 |
| Balance | $350 |
Site Costs
Fixing bolts:
The number of bolts used to fix the bottom plates on the average 200m² home could vary from 90 – 150 bolts. Hiandri Solutions Ltd require a Through Bolt length of at least 135mm. A large percentage of the country are already using this length bolt to fix their plates and therefore, no additional cost is incurred.
Drive Pins:
The length of the powder driven drive pins have been increased from 75mm to 90mm.
A 200m² dwelling requires approximately 200 pins – additional cost $0.80
Foam Insulation:
| Approximately 1.5 cans of Profoam will accomplish this task | $30.00 |
| Labour to install foam – 1 hour @ $40.00 | $40.00 |
| Total initial costs to install HIANDRI packers on a 200m² dwelling | $420.80 |
Based on a build cost of $1500/m², HIANDRI packers are 0.14% of the build cost.
Potential Savings
It is not always easy to identify and quantify the potential cost savings when installing a system such as the HIANDRI bottom plate packers, there are so many variables, but shear common sense tells us the savings are significant on any building project.
The potential savings are not only achievable during the construction phase of a new build but there are some long term potential savings that can affect every owner of the building over its life-span.
Water Removal:
The HIANDRI system allows water to freely flow off the floor and any puddles left can be easily swept away.
Depending on the size of the dwelling, exposure to weather and the build time, it is not unrealistic to claim a saving per job of 10 man hours for this function.
10 man hours @ $40.00 = $400.00
Pre-line Delays:
If the moisture content in the frames, especially the bottom plate, exceeds 18%, the plasterboard manufacturers state you cannot install their product.
As we all know, time is money and the two choices here are to either wait for the moisture content to drop to 18% or less, which could take weeks, or mechanically dry the frames using heaters and dehumidifiers, which will still take at least a week. Let’s look at those options from a cost perspective.
Mechanical drying costs between $1500 and $2000 per week for a simple single storey dwelling, and it may take more than one week to achieve the goal. On top of that, you may have a hefty power bill, and at least one other council inspection to check the moisture reading, at approximately $175 per visit. In addition to these costs, there are holding costs on the total money invested in the project and if you or your men are unable to work as a result of these delays, the cost may be in the order of $1500/week/man!
Allowing the frames to dry naturally, which will vary significantly depending on sun, wind, rain and exposure, may take 2 – 4 weeks. One of the main costs incurred here, is what can loosely be termed ‘holding costs’, regardless of whom may incur these costs. I am referring to the funds invested in the total project including the land, which could be capital, mortgage or money owing and to keep it simple, those funds should be either earning or costing 5% .
Therefore, based on this figure $200,000 = $192/wk, $300,000 = $288/wk, $400,000 = $384/wk. So a delay of 4 weeks on holding costs of $300,000 what equate to $1152. And it should not be forgotten that the poor owner will be either paying his existing house mortgage or rent for a similar period of time no doubt costing him in excess of $2000 for the same period. And the down time for the builder and his staff does not bear thinking about; costs here could be really significant.
Hiandri Solutions Ltd does not make the claim that their system will completely eliminate these costs, but common sense tells you, they will be dramatically reduced.
Electrical Cables:
The HIANDRI system provides an excellent conduit for the running of any electrical cable, and during the build process, this could help reduce your electrical labour costs as it is so quick and easy to run a cable under the bottom plate.
After the house has been lined, do you every have an owner say, I’d like a power point there! A lot easier to satisfy this request with the HIANDRI system installed – has to be a cost saving here.
Over the life of the building, there will be many occasions when having the ability to simply run cables will be a God send. On my own home, concrete slab, flat roof, built 13 years ago, I could name 6 occasions when having access to simply run cables would have solved a problem. In educational and commercial developments there would be some significant cost savings.
Wall Linings – Remedial Work
Achieving as low moisture content as practically possible at the time wall linings are installed, is paramount to the performance and appearance of the finished surface of that lining, particularly over the following two years. Timber movement, either shrinkage or swelling, can result in peaking and popping of the screws used to fix the linings, and this is directly related to the change in moisture content of the framing timber. The cost of remedial work to repair peaking, popping and sheet movement, plus a repaint, is not an inexpensive exercise. HIANDRI bottom plate packers help achieve as low a moisture content in the frame at the time of lining, as practically possible and therefore reduces the risk of expensive remedial work.
Leaky Homes
Installing a system in a new built dwelling or building, that makes a significant contribution to reducing the risk of the ‘leaky home syndrome’ and rotting frames, particularly in the lower floor and bottom plate area, certainly has the potential to save you significant amounts of money long term should you be unfortunate enough to experience this situation. When it comes to recladding homes in dispute, $100,000 does not go far, the lawyers and consultants will take a good percentage of this amount before one piece of cladding is replaced.