Having worked through the challenges of the pandemic and border closures, we had hoped for a smoother start to 2022. Unfortunately the weather hasn’t quite cooperated with intense rainfall and floods over the last few months affecting everyone, including the local construction industry.  The damage as a result of this rain is really widespread, on top of an already significantly impacted industry,  affecting every aspect from trades to manufacturers.

A question we are often asked, is why we can’t continue full operation when it’s raining? Trust us when we say any and all reschedules can cause a headache on our end as well.  A little bit of rain we can deal with, but this year has made many construction sites unsafe throughout NSW/QLD.  Particularly for those projects in the early stages of construction.

So why is that?

Here’s the issues we run into in the wet weather:

1. The rain can ruin tools and equipment.

This is especially true in the initial stages when there is little to no protection from the rain, exposing the tools and equipment. Our machines, equipment and tools are not only expensive but need to be cared for to ensure the best results.

2. Electrical equipment isn’t safe to be used in wet weather.

Power tools generally speaking don’t mix well with water.

3. We already have a shortage of trades, but working in wet weather often results in sickness.

This kind of speaks for itself, but even more so in present times we can’t afford to lose our workers whether it’s to more sickness (thanks Covid) or an injury.

4.  Heaps of activities including excavation, concreting, bricklaying and roofing can’t be carried out in the wet weather.

For example, if your site is getting ready to pour the slab, the rain could have a detrimental effect. If there is too much water on site, excavation will have to stop and the slab can’t be poured until there is enough sunshine to ensure the concrete can dry. Wet soil doesn’t hold like dry soil, which makes it not only unsafe when operating heavy machinery but could impact the results of the construction quality.

5. Generally speaking, wet weather can make a construction site unsafe.

Our workers are carrying heavy tools and materials at all times, but throw in a wet surface and rain in the face and it can make a construction site incredibly unsafe.

The weather plays a big part in the building process and living in Queensland, both the hot and rainy days can force our workers off site. Sometimes, we can’t be back at it the first sunshine we see either as many materials, such as bricks, need to be completely dry before laying them. Depending on the quantity of rainfall and how quickly it evaporates will determine how fast we can get back on site.

What can we do about rainy days?

The short answer- not a lot. When planning our timeframe we always anticipate rainy days knowing we are bound to face a few, and of course risk any other disruption but unfortunately Mother Nature is in control of this one. We definitely do. not extend the build time for every rainy day but in circumstances such as the recent floods, there may be some need to extend the building period to compensate for the time lost.

Bad weather is of course a part of life, especially here in Aus. As with every part of our building journey, we will always communicate transparently with you about any delays or impacts we face.