Let’s be honest, lodging an insurance claim always feels like it comes at the worst possible time – whether you’ve just gone back to work, the kids are on school holidays, or you’ve got relatives making their annual pilgrimage across the border for a planned vacation. In saying that, we all live busy lives and realistically it will never feel like the right time to make a claim as the process in some way or another will clash with social, family or work commitments. As builders, we commonly encounter frustrated insureds who – at no fault of their own – are unsure why they have received multiple phone calls from different parties requesting to attend their property. We understand this can be frustrating, however it is pivotal in making the correct determinations surrounding the claim. Leading us to the point of this article; ‘who are you, and why are you calling me?’ We thought we would attempt to provide some clarification by explaining the major parties involved in a home and contents insurance claim. Insurer The role of an insurer is to provide financial compensation when you, as the customer, suffer a loss. In this instance, this loss pertains to home and contents damage as the result of an insurable...

As like everything else in 2020, this year continues to throw curveballs our way as we prepare for the increased likelihood of a La Niña weather event majorly impacting the Northern and Eastern areas of the Australian continent. As of Tuesday, 29 September 2020 the Bureau of Meteorology have now advised that we are in a La Niña weather event and this will likely be ongoing until April, 2021.  Weather patterns like this that see the increased likelihood of cyclones, rain events and strong winds serve as a poignant reminder about the necessity and importance of understanding wind ratings. As a brief introduction, all modern homes constructed post 1980’s have a wind rating. The wind rating is dependent on where your home is located, the topography of the area, the built environment surrounding it and the speed and likelihood of wind gusts expected in bad weather. This rating is the cornerstone of your home’s engineering and ensures it meets the Building Code of Australia. South-East Queensland is located within a Zone (or Region) B; Non-Cyclonic region. The following categories are the most commonly used system to provide a wind rating on properties in South-East Queensland: N2 Wind gusts of up to 120 kph - Predominately built up urban areas less exposed to...

So, you’ve decided you finally want to add that fourth bedroom extension out the back. Where do you start – what do you do from here? Has your finance been approved, or have you saved up for the expected costs that you have estimated? All too commonly the actual costs of what you want to achieve are far greater than you expect. Importantly, both you and your bank will be very interested in the value this extension will add to your home. Our recommendation is to start by working out what you would like to achieve – bearing in mind the budget – comparing items that are hopeful against those that are essential. Secondly, select a good designer or architect who can work through your wish list with your budget in mind and come up with that dream bedroom extension that meets building codes and guidelines. A good architect will understand good design versus cost and provide you with a working set of plans that simplifies this for your builder to quote and in turn, for you to see what the extension will look like. The more detail contained within the drawings, the more accurate the quote will be. Our advice would be to make sure that all your wish...

We are all human, which can guarantee that accidents are commonplace in our day-to-day lives. Whether it be something minor and insignificant, or something major, I am yet to meet anyone who can honestly hold their head high and say “I have never accidentally damaged anything” – or more importantly, “I have never made a mistake.” So picture this – you’re sitting in your driveway looking in bemusement at your now destroyed brick pier in the entry to your garage which has unfortunately been introduced to the front bumper of your new Ford Ranger. It is an honest mistake, right? ‘Drive’ and ‘Reverse’ are only two motions away. It can — and I repeat — it can happen to the best of us. Your insurer will act quickly to make safe the area and secure access to your property, but how will the builder possibly fix this? These are Brampton Series bricks that were produced at Darra Brickworks back in 1999 no less. These bricks cannot be sourced anywhere – and now the front façade of your property will never look the same. Luckily, ICM Project Solutions are capable of replicating these bricks with the help of our specialist team. If an exact match cannot be found for these bricks,...

I have been working with ICM Project Solutions for 6 years, closely and meticulously completing over 1,500 projects which span from minor patch and repair works through to complete upgrades and modifications for QLD Health. In my time working within the spectrum of QLD Health, some things change, but some things stay the same – not out of lack of innovation, but out of the pure necessity for proven and effective methods. When tendering on any upcoming QLD Health projects, one of the first proven and effective methodologies we take into consideration is infection control. A pivotal and often overlooked requirement when conducting construction works within a clinical setting – infection control is essential in mitigating the preventable spread of allergens and pathogens that are consistently present within a hospital or medical environment. This level of infection control also extends to dust and airborne particle containment, ensuring that a physical barrier is constructed that efficiently separates the ongoing construction site and patients within the vicinity or ward. So – shall we dive in? A common question I am asked is “what form of infection controls do you utilise at ICMPS?” My answer to which is usually “a lot.” In the context of this article however, I think it is necessary...