We loved our house from the first time we went through, but it really didn't have enough living space. We have worked on improving the layout of the home and increasing the living area of the home to create a modern and more pleasant layout to the home. We are really proud of how the job has turned out and we wanted to share some of the details of how the extension and layout changes where designed and constructed. This blog has some of the photos of our extension as well as tips that we have learnt along the journey,.
Construction & Contractors Blog
Which part of your home is most important? In reality, every part of your property is essential, but some parts are more fundamental than others. If you are building a home, one of the first property components that you will want to think about is the house frame. Getting the wall frames right is essential. If the frames are sturdy and resilient enough to withstand years of use, you can be confident that the rest of the building will be equally long-lasting.
Deciding on a material for the wall frames
The two primary choices for wall frames are wood or steel. Either could be the right choice, depending on how you are building, how fast you want the work to progress, and where the property is located.
A locally sensitive build
In most cases, you could use either type of wall frame. However, there can be locally specific circumstances that make one or the other preferable. In particular, if your building is near the coast, the salt in the air can corrode steel wall frames, causing them to fail faster than timber frames. By contrast, timber wall frames can be susceptible to termites and other insects, so if that could be a problem, it is wise to ensure that any timber has been fully treated.
A sustainable build
With both wall frame options being plausible, perhaps, environmental impact will be your first concern? Both steel and timber can be strong and durable, but the process to produce each type of wall frame can be quite different. Steel wall frames must undergo an intensive, high energy process to create the frames, while creating timber wall frames has a far lower carbon footprint. However, that is only part of the story. Steel wall frames are fully recyclable so when they are replaced, they can be melted down and reused. Creating timber wall frames could have a lower environmental impact, but they may be in a poor condition and beyond recycling when they are removed. They could also be from non-sustainable forests.
A faster build
If environmental issues aren't a deciding factor when choosing wall frames, perhaps construction speed is what matters most. During on-site construction, it is the labour costs that add most significantly to the bill. The longer your team must spend on-site, the more costs will rise. When you need to cut costs, timber wall frames often have the edge. Steel wall frames must be welded together by specialists, while timber frames can be delivered to your site already cut to length. With the timber prepared, it will only take basic tools and a little time to assemble the wall frames and prepare the building for the next stage of construction.
Share12 August 2021
