We share our knowledge freely with customers

Larger companies are turning over bathrooms daily. They may be able to offer a cheaper price, but there is a reason for that. They have slowly worked out who they can  sub contract  for the cheapest price (not the best quality) and where they can source the cheapest materials to bring the price down. 

With Home to Garden you get a company who will manage the job for you, sourcing local trades that have been tried and tested for quality and care. We only use the best quality materials as we want you to be happy. This may result in us being slightly more expensive, but you won’t be disappointed with the outcome.

If you use a licensed builder you will be sure that they have been trained and had to go through exams and interviews with the VBA to ensure they are qualified and of good character. On top of this a licensed builder then has a responsibility for work that he has carried out under his license for 10 years.

Home Warranty Insurance (HWI) is an insurance which a builder should take out for any structural work or works exceeding $16000.

For a full renovation of a bathroom you should allow 3-4 weeks dependant on the complexity of the build.

To obtain a builders permit you will require 3 x plans and specifications, Signed contract, evidence of HWI and contract works insurance

Normally in a bathroom renovation the labour and immediate costs for their trade are included. What is not normally covered is tiles, cabinetry, tapware, bath, shower rail, toilet and bathroom furniture.

• We are strongly guided by our family values
• We offer 100% guarantee because we measure of our success by your satisfaction
• We won’t drive you round the ‘S’ bend!
• We offer a holistic service
• We are friendly
• We are always punctual
• We are more than just a standard plumber
• We are able to give you expert advice that will be catered to you needs
• We believe in looking after our planet for the future and that together we can make a difference
• We are always kept up to date with the newest technologies to benefit you as our customer

• Instantaneous installation will require a larger gas line than a storage installation
• Instantaneous will need less space than storage
• Instantaneous unit is more expensive than a storage unit
• Instantaneous only heats water when on demand, storage heats water when the water drops below desired temperature, but will use more gas to heat the water on demand.
• Instantaneous unit is more complex, so there is more potential for costly faults and servicing than with a storage unit
• My overall opinion is that if you have the space install a storage hot water unit.

Your Pressure/Temperature Relief Valve (PTR) may need replacing.

The PTR valve is a piece of safety equipment which releases pressure when heating the water. It is advised that you change your PTR valve every 5 years as per manufacturers advise. The valve, when maintained and replaced regularly will prolong the life of your hot water unit. It relieves pressure on the cylinder so it doesn’t split

• The washer is only one of five components that make a tap function correctly
• The seat also needs to be cleaned
• Clean and regrease the spindle and the body of the tap
• Replace the 'o' ring and body washer
• Save yourself money in the long run and service your taps regularly instead of replacing every few years

Go to the water meter and switch off the water and call 0439951323. I will be there as soon as I can. If you cannot locate the water meter call your local water supplier, they can give you the location of the water meter.

• It is recommended (dependent on use) that you service you heater every two years
• Carbon Monoxide should be checked every year
• It is your responsibility to ensure that servicing and testing is carried out in any rental property

It is in my opinion that when installing a new system that you install drip irrigation. It is far more efficient than a spray system. When using a drip system it releases the water close to the gardens surface so you lose less water in the air with wind blowing the, as you do with spray irrigation. Also the system when installed under a layer of mulch will have less evaporation to that of a spry system. You can also set up a drip system so it only waters around the plants that you have in your garden, targeting the root system of that plant not wasting water soaking the soil everywhere else as you with have with a spray system. One of the other reasons that a drip system is my preference is that it can be used throughout the times of drought too.

So my opinion is to install a drip system over a spray system.

• Both have their advantages and disadvantages
• Grey water is available all year round, where rain water is only available when it has been raining.
• Grey water can only be stored for 24 hours, rain water indefinitely
• Grey water is available daily, but can be used in few applications unless treated
• You can store rain water in larger quantities and use in many applications.
• Harvesting grey water requires less storage, where as rain water requires large tanks

• Increasing population, no increase in infrastructure
• Environmental consequences
• 5 years ago the flow of the Yarra River on of our main water source was down to 11%
• Return of drought will definitely happen
• The cost of utilities is only going to increase in cost
• The desalination plant being in operation will only add further costs to our water bills.

There are a number of ways suggested on this web site to do this around the house yourself, like take shorter showers and not leave taps running whilst shaving, brushing your teeth and washing vegetables. There are also items you can implement in your home which are not very expensive to buy such as low flow aerators and reduced flow shower head (which is free). After that I can suggest you get me in to map out your water usage for free and I can give you some suggestions to other areas to save water in your home and garden.

• Yes you can
• The system can be set up so that when there is rain water available it will be used, but when there is not it will automatically switch to mains water
• Filtering the rain water will help reduce staining in the toilet bowl

The easiest way to reuse water from your bath is to have a grey water system installed. There are a few options as to how to do that. There is treated grey water (which we believe is the better option) or untreated grey water. To get to treated water, the bath water will have to go through a much more extensive process, costing you a bit more, but in the long run you will have so many more options of how to use this recycled water. This water can then be used for irrigation, toilet flushing, washing clothes, washing cars and drive ways and for general use anywhere outside. As for untreated grey water, it is only possible to reuse it in sub surface irrigation.

• Grey water systems
• Hot water recirculating pumps
• Drip irrigation
• Automatic irrigation
• Dual flush toilets
• Reduce flow shower heads
• Reduce flow tap aerators
• A variety of other forms of tanks to store recycled water, different to your normal plastic tank.
• There are a number of variations, so a specific quote needs to be given to establish individual requirements.