Darren Gouge is a stickler for quality. The 30-year veteran of construction is relishing his new role as Quality Manager.

Tasked with monitoring and maintaining quality standards across all Paynter Dixon projects, Darren’s calendar is filled with site visits and long hauls. “I was up in Coffs Harbour last week and worked my way down to Newcastle.”

Site visits typically involve conducting tests on installed materials – such as membranes, flashings and cladding – to ensure “everything is correct and fit for purpose”. To this end, he recently purchased an ultrasonic probe for reading the thickness of coatings and liquid membranes.

Has the correct sealant been applied to the substrate? Darren is more than willing to go down the rabbit hole of installation and product specifications, inspecting batch numbers, expiry dates and more.

Procore and other digital construction management systems also enable Darren to monitor progress from afar, whether viewing documentation or images of current work on site.

“Every project has a database of documentation for the purpose of quality control.”

He attributes a forensic mindset to decades of remedial construction and repairing defects. Conducting building investigations led to a deeper understanding of why buildings fail, and how to prevent these issues from appearing in the first place.

“I’ve learnt from the mistakes of other builders … I see construction in a different light.”

Previously a Site Manager in the company’s Tier 1 Remedial division, Darren stands by collaboration and working to common goals.

“I’ll speak to everyone as equals, whether they are the CEO or a cleaner. Give people the benefit of the doubt, listen with an open mind, and be fair and reasonable. This is how a culture of mutual respect is created on site with our subcontractors.”

Paynter Dixon’s commitment to quality of construction has underpinned the company for 110 years.