Category: Fixed Abode

Balinese traditional culture is one of the most amazing cultures in the world and probably the most visible aspect of Bali’s cultural treasure trove is its architecture. The elders of Bali are constantly considering how their culture can be preserved and protected and, to this end, have built a series of rules into legislation. Before […]

At around 1:30 in the morning on Thursday June 24th 2021, in the small town of Surfside near Miami in Florida, USA, a large section of a 12 storey beachside residential building collapsed. Over 150 people are missing. The building was completed in 1981 and had not been reconditioned since. The cause of the collapse […]

Living in Indonesia one of the important investments we will make is in our air conditioners. We expect them to run continuously for many years with very little maintenance and to not let us down particularly on those occasional very hot days. So what do we buy? There are so many to choose from. A […]

The wet season is ending and the weather is starting to warm up, now is a good time to think about your air conditioning. Are your air conditioners working well enough? Let us look at common problems with selecting and maintaining air conditioners.   How big an air conditioner do you need? It is important […]

I went to see a house the other day. Oh sure it was alright, you could move in tomorrow, if you don’t mind the nails some vandal had banged in the walls for pictures long ago discarded, or perhaps the doors that wouldn’t close. Then of course there was the running toilet, the ten years […]

Terrazzo is used extensively as an attractive, hardwearing floor surface in places such as banks, hotels, railway stations, supermarkets, public buildings and private homes all across the world. While mostly used for floors, terrazzo is a versatile material often used in Indonesia for walls, kitchen benchtops, washbasins, shower cubicles, baths, planter boxes and tubs, tables, […]

Wet and damp walls are a perennial problem in many parts of the world. Waterproofing is a specialist skill and can be surprisingly difficult, even the most competent contractors will be doomed to failure if they don’t know what they are doing. By following some basic principles and using initiative combined with sophisticated materials walls […]

It’s wet, very wet. Ark Constructions Pty of Serangan are doing a roaring trade, ducks are getting new seals fitted to their nether regions and my dog is growing webbed feet. Finally, after years of pretty feeble attempts at a wet season, we are now being treated to a more acceptable tropical monsoon experience. Who […]

A building permit has to be obtained before construction of any building in Indonesia begins. The building permit is also known as an IMB or Ijin Mendirikan Bangunan, it specifies the approved initial design of the building but it also continues through the buildings life stating what the building can be used for. Here we […]

“Ark The ‘Erald Angels Sing” It’s been a bit wet. In fact it has been so wet that the ducks have all had new seals fitted to their nether regions. A leaky duck is a very unhappy duck you know. My next door neighbour has started behaving quite odd. He has suddenly started collecting animals. […]