Build your house really cheap…

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modern by Gaurav Roy Choudhury Architects, Modern
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House construction using low cost building materials increases the probability of low income people having access to housing. A low cost building can be made possible by employing innovative and effective planning and project management ideas or skills, construction technologies that are economical, economical building materials as well as by applying alternate building ideas and concepts. That way, the biggest advantage would be a fall in the construction cost, thereby resulting in homes that would cost less so that those can be accessed by a larger mass of people. Another advantage is, the use of low cost or alternate home construction materials helps to keep a check on the building cost which is otherwise on the rise these days since the trend is to use scarce building substances that eventually lead to a hike in the overall cost of the construction.

Internal walls

Drywall as a cost reduction idea has been prevalent since quite a long time. However, very few people know about it, where it came from, how it is made or how useful can this material be. It is basically a construction material that is used for the construction of ceilings and internal walls in buildings and apartments. It is also used in the creation of architectural structures like arches, curves, eaves, etc. The best thing about this wonderful material is that it is extremely easy to install, surprisingly durable and it hardly takes anything when it needs repair work due to damage. 

Clay block external walls

Research indicates that clay block construction proved to be an extremely efficient and versatile method in the process of building constructions. Compared to the rest of the traditional building construction blocks, the clay blocks were found to possess characteristics that led to a good amount of energy savings apart from excellent building quality and were found to be far more effective than the usual building blocks that are generally used for construction. 

Polished concrete floor

Most retailers, engineers, architects, and house owners are resorting to polished concrete for the floors. The reason for this? Easy maintenance, ability to reflect light and superior durability are the factors that led to this trend. As of date, polished concrete floors is the alternate to tile, linoleum, concrete (coated) or marble. Almost everybody is attracted to the appeal of the smooth and high lustre finish that can easily replicate the look of a polished stone finish. Unlike many of the other options that are in use or practice, the concrete floors are far economical in terms of cost than any other and can last up to a decade or even longer.

Brick roofing

Brick roofing, one of the low cost building materials, has been in practice for almost 150 years. For decades, this has been the most preferred choice for roofing of buildings and houses the world over. These are popular as it is very durable, sustainable, very low maintenance and can last for generations. In Europe, this form of roofing is extremely popular and it economical as well. In Paris too, brick roofing covers almost 80% of the roofs. The most prominent benefit is that this is an environment friendly material and can be completely recycled. This, along with the fact that it’s durable makes it a green building material. According to an estimate brick roofs can last for up to a 100 years.

OSB fittings

OSB, popularly known as oriented strand board or sterling board or OSB, smart ply and aspenite among the British is a wood particle board that has been engineered by pasting together layers of wood flakes using adhesives in a particular manner or format. The wood that is used for the construction consists of both hardwood and softwood like pine or spruce. Strands of wood are cut out across the grain and then these are dried in the sun. The merit of this material is its mechanical performance, which is directly proportional to the orientation and geometry of the strands. The surface is comparatively smooth which can be further improved by sanding. The other advantage is that it has no weak points or voids.

The wall and floor design shown in the picture above is the design and creation of Ceramica Sant' Agostino, professionals from Italy.

UPN steel structure

Structural steel is that category of construction steel material that is used in making structural shapes made of metal. The structural steel shape is basically a profile which is a result of a particular cross section and a result of specific chemical compositions  and mechanical property(ies). Now, UPN, also known as UNP, is the short form of a standardized channel section in conformation with the DIN 1026-1 2009 and having tolerance limits in conformation with the EN 10279: 2000. Though this may not be among the low cost building materials, among the various categories of stainless steel, the UNP variant is used for all sorts of industrial machinery, applications and equipment. This particular steel material (the UPN steel structure) is known for its design flexibility, cost effectiveness and quick construction. These are primarily produced from scrap and can be recycled after multiple uses thereby, leading to a conservation of valuable resources.

If you would like to know more about insulation of homes and the associated costs and materials, here's the right ideabook - Insulation for a house- materials and costs

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