House Construction
House can be constructed in lots of different ways depending upon the client requirement, geography, climatic conditions etc.
In India houses are mainly constructed using RCC and masonry. It can be constructed using woods in mountain areas.
Metal Fabrication/Grillwork
Grills are used for security and safety purposes. We used grills along our compound walls, metal grill doors are used in front of our main door for more security. Windows are provides with extra grill for safety, even a box grill is added around the window. Balconies and open spaces are also covered with grills for safety purposes.
Now grills normally are created using following materials – MS (Mild Steel), Stainless Steel, Cast Iron, Aluminium and occasionally brass. Mild Steel is the most material used of creating the grills because of its durability and sturdiness. The cost will vary depending upon the material used and the gauge of the material which is indicates the thickness (e.g. 14 gauge = approx 1.9mm). Grill made from rectangular bars are much stronger compared to cylindrical. Also the bars could be hollow which is less strong then the solid bars/rods. From the cost perspective Mild Steel (MS) is better than Stainless Steel.
Woodwork & Carpentry
Wood is the natural resources and has been used in construction for thousands of years. Wood provides one of the economical construction material, easy to use and is renewable. Woods are classified as Softwood and Hardwood. Wood from conifers (e.g pine, deodar) is called softwood and wood from broad leave trees are Hardwood (e.g. sal, teak, babul, sheesham). Softwood are used in internal structures, window and door frames etc. Hardwood is used as beams and columns, floor, ceilings and for main structure elements. In mountain regions and earthquake prone areas, wood is used to construct the house.
Wood is also used to make furniture. Now with advent of technology, plywood, particle board and MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard) are used for making furnitures. Lets understand all of these so that you make right choice while making furniture
Water Proofing
Causes of dampness
- Defective Design
- Substandard Material (Brick Masonry absorbing rain water that it shows dampness of wall)
- Improper Execution ( Faulty drainage, leakage in plumbing)
Water Proofing From Soil Water Absorption
- Builds are provided with DPC (Damp Proof Course) at the plinth level. The surface of brick or stone masonry should be level before laying DPC. DPC consist of 40 to 50 mm of thick cement concrete 1:2:4 with 2% waterproofing compound.
- Hot bitumen layer is also provided over the dried cement concrete DPC layer
- National Building Code specifies that even plinth level should be more than 45 cos from the surrounding ground level.