TRUECORE® steel has been impressing Block fans for years
TRUECORE® steel has been playing a supporting role on The Block for many years. Let’s have a stroll down memory lane and look back on some of the highlights.
As with any major TV production, particularly one that demands the construction of five premium homes in only a few short weeks, with contestants that have little to no experience – time is of the essence! Whether renovating existing builds or building brand new homes from scratch, frames made from TRUECORE® steel have been a valuable addition to these impressive homes. Let’s recap some of the best applications over the last nine years, because if a frame made from TRUECORE® steel is great choice for The Block, there’s many reasons why TRUECORE® steel is also a great choice for your home.
Double-storey Garages
TRUECORE® steel made its first appearance on The Block way back in 2017 when five weatherboard houses were trucked into the Elsternwick location, and complemented with a freestanding garage, with a sizeable living area up above. These two-storey builds brought all kinds of challenges – time, as always on The Block, was a critical factor, so the ability to pre-fabricate the two-storey garages offsite and assemble them quickly onsite was a huge plus. On top of that, the site was super tight, making it difficult for large vehicles and transportation - having frames that could be readily carried in by hand made the build so much easier. Being light but strong, frames made from TRUECORE® steel also enabled the design to incorporate the high ceilings and large open spaces that modern homes increasingly demand - creating spaces that were full of light and style. Aesthetically, the backyard garages were connected perfectly with the renovated cottages through the use of walling made from COLORBOND® steel. When you look at the finished result, you’d never have known that the ‘bones’ of the build were a renovated cottage and a newly-built two-storey dwelling. Blended together in perfect harmony.
Old Meets New
Straight and true - it’s one of the main benefits when working with TRUECORE® steel. But in the 2020’s Block TRUECORE® steel curved your thinking. Melbourne’s affluent beachside suburb of Brighton, was taken over by The Block with five period homes used to explore a range of styles from past eras. Each of these older iconic homes gained an architecturally designed extension, studio and garage featuring frames made from TRUECORE® steel. There were all sorts of interesting challenges to overcome, including a twice-curved wall in one property (yes, curving one direction and then the other) and some very unconventional rooflines (a brain-teasing combination of strange angles and twisting roof pitches) in houses 1 and 5. House 3 even decided that they’d like a fireplace in the middle of their curved wall, thank you very much. TRUECORE® steel managed to help make it all happen. And quickly. Contestants worked closely with the fabricator of the frames to explain their requirements, and the next day, pre-fabricated frames were delivered to site, right on spec, ready to be installed.
Going Big
The Block headed for a sea-change in 2022, with contestants helping create palatial homes on huge five-acre blocks at Gisborne in the foothills of the magnificent Macedon Ranges. It was certainly The Block on a grand scale – each of the beautiful old homesteads were cleverly linked to a modern new pavilion with frames made from TRUECORE® steel. The strength and precision of the frames allowed design that really took advantage of the location. There were 7-metre high walls, spectacular cathedral ceilings, skillion roofs suspended over large balconies, and massive window and door openings that blurred the separation between inside and out. TRUECORE® steel was also able to demonstrate its adaptability, with all the usual last-minute Block stuff: “Can-I-move-this-wall, can-I-add-a-niche, I-need-a-pelmet-to-hide-the-blind”. Not a problem. And to give the eventual winners of the homes the peace of mind of knowing that even out in the Ranges, there was no prospect of termites eating away at framing made of TRUECORE® steel.
Year of the Curve
In 2023, The Block was back in the ‘burbs – Melbourne’s popular East Hampton. Five older style brick houses wrapped around a quiet suburban corner position underwent stunning changes, including second storey additions with frames made from TRUECORE® steel. It was definitely the year of the curve, with all sorts of curved walls (both internal and external), arched doorways, and wave-shaped ceilings – all achieved with TRUECORE® steel. Grannies also got a well-deserved look-in that year, with each house getting its own unique granny flat in the backyard, again with frames made from TRUECORE® steel. (If you’re in the market for one yourself, it’s the perfect way to do it, with the frames being light enough to easily carry down the side of a house – no cranes needed).
Topped with a Butterfly
Transforming eight single storey existing dwellings was no easy feat in 2024, but the result was impressive with the help of TRUECORE® steel. Four of the five properties featured large scale butterfly roofs delivering open living spaces and high span ceilings thanks to TRUECORE® steel’s strength to weight ratio. The remote location of Phillip Island also set a challenge in construction. However, through smart thinking and the benefits of pre-fabrication, contestants were able to order their frames at the location, thanks to an innovative ‘Factory in a Can’ located onsite. Once ordered, frames were installed in their home ready for plastering and insulating in less than an hour, rather than waiting days for the pre-fabricated frames to arrive onsite. A major TV production can make magic happen, so even though ‘Factory in a Can’ is not available for typical residential builds, it did demonstrate the speed, efficiency and ease of working with pre-fabricated frames made from TRUECORE® steel.
Destination Daylesford
The Block 2025 comes to the historic spa town and well-known tourist destination of Daylesford in regional Victoria. For the first time ever, there’s not a renovation in sight - contestants are building five brand new homes from scratch, each on a ¾ acre plot against a background of cedar trees and rolling hills. Three of the houses will have pitched roofs with towering cathedral ceilings and four metre high walls – the straight and true frames made from TRUECORE® steel have been a big asset in making that happen. And being made from TRUECORE® steel, the frames are also playing a key role in helping ensure these homes are compliant with the local fire regulations. Another of the many benefits of choosing framing made from TRUECORE® steel. Make sure you’re watching The Block to see how TRUECORE® steel helps bring it all to life.
More news from The Block
Just like our steel, our partnership with The Block is built to last. Read more about our involvement with one of Australia’s most popular television shows.
TRUECORE® steel is back on The Block and we’re celebrating by giving you the chance to WIN $10,000 in cash.
Thank you to our valued partners of The Block 2025.
From the very first episode of The Block this year, TRUECORE® steel and COLORBOND® steel are featured.
