For those about to embark on the adventure of building your own house, you must consider your method of construction. Many people have far-fetched ideas of bringing back medieval styles or inventing their own hybrid methods. However, there are numerous options so it can get confusing. We have gathered some here for you to consider.
Read on to find out the different types of construction. Which one suits your style?
Construction Methods
There are two main families which make up most of the construction styles we see today. Many different materials fall into these categories. The two families are:
- Prefabrication or;
- In-situ Construction.
Both of these options require a large amount of manual labour and come with their own pluses and minuses.
Prefabrication means that weather has less effect on production, the construction times are shortened and contractors can more accurately give price forecasts to their clients.
However, in-situ construction is far more adaptable, if the measurements are a slight off, prefabrication may not work and large frames go to waste. In-situ means problems can be fixed in real-time.
The type of construction that will suit your build best will depend on your contractor and on your plot of land. This will include the access, capabilities and type of ground.
Construction Materials
Both building methods are often carried out using framing. This means using individual pieces of timber in order to form the frame of the home. Materials are then built around this frame in order to give the house strength and structure.
The four main types of materials used in the construction process are:
- Wood: Wood is used most commonly for the frame of the house. Much of the inside fabrication is also wood in the modern home. Many people use engineered wood products which are attached to the frame in order to provide extra support.
- Steel: A more industrial look, many people choose to have a steel frame and leave some beams exposed. This I is extremely popular in modern, futuristic homes.
- Bricks: The most classic building material. Many old homes are structurally only built using bricks. It is better to have a structure that has a frame nowadays in order to comply with building regulation.
- Concrete: Concrete is more commonly used for commercial or industrial projects. However, the rise of modernist homes on TV has meant it is becoming more common as a domestic construction material.
Other Construction Options
If you really want to try something out of the box for your new build, there are other options. Other options include:
- Earthship Homes: A type of off-the-grid home that uses only recycled materials.
- Rammed Earth: Compressed blocks of earth are used to build up the structure of the house.
- Straw Bales: Straw bales are used to solidify the structure and provide insulation.
- Cannabricks: Bricks are made out of hemp products.
- Adobe: Sand, clay, water and straw are formed into blocks for the building after being mixed.
- Cob: Same as Adobe, but is applied wet in layers rather than in blocks.
- Log Cabins
