Tag: house building

3 sustainable construction trends

3 sustainable construction trends

Sustainable building practices are becoming more important than ever before. With the heightened awareness of climate change and pollution, many more people are looking for more sustainable construction methods, whether for their own homes or public services like roads.

Thankfully, with the abundance of emerging technologies and a better understanding of what makes buildings greener, there are many promising trends in the world of sustainable construction. Here are some of the best emerging green building trends for 2021 and the new year.

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Using biodegradable, recycled, recyclable and renewable materials

This is perhaps one of the most important innovations for building design and construction that has been made in recent years. The entire premise of sustainable construction hinges on the idea of reducing the impact of building on the environment. This can mean using less harmful materials or more energy-efficient practices.

Ultimately, ensuring that as many materials as possible either come from a sustainable source or can be disposed of safely is one of the most effective ways of reducing the environmental toll of construction. Many people are now choosing to use natural paints, recycled steel, clay bricks and wood to create new buildings.

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Zero energy and zero water buildings

Many people are now trying to ensure that their buildings are as close to self-sufficient as possible. This might mean using energy production methods like solar panels, wind turbines, fuel cells and bio-fuels to provide electricity to buildings. These sustainable power sources are making buildings with net-zero energy consumption a reality.

Similarly, there’s a growing trend towards net-zero water usage in construction at present. Buildings that are built for this purpose use water consumption management systems to reduce wastage where possible. Additionally, buildings are now being created with strategies to capture rainwater, waterless toilets, grey-water recycling and on-site sewage treatment to reduce water usage. Find out the comparison between both here.

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Retrofitting outdated solutions

One trend in construction that doesn’t apply solely to new builds is the growing popularity of green retrofits in older homes. Many companies like Arup now offer services to help people create new and sustainable building designs. However, these building designs can also be used to retrofit older buildings where green construction techniques were not considered.

This is an exciting facet of sustainable construction, as for most people, the idea of building an entirely new property using green techniques is unattainable. However, since sustainable retrofits are growing in popularity, anyone can renovate their home using environmentally friendly practices and materials.

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Conclusion

In summary, these are three of the biggest trends in sustainable design and construction that started to emerge this year. With the constant pressure to develop greener practices and regular innovations regarding building materials, sustainable construction seems set to increase in popularity at the end of the year and into 2022 and beyond. There’s still a long way to go to reduce humanity’s impact on the planet. Still, the emergence of greener and more sustainable construction practices is an encouraging sign of adaptation to the changing climate and weather conditions.

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9 things to consider when building your dream home

9 things to consider when building your dream home

Close your eyes and imagine your dream home… looks good, doesn’t it? Everyone has a picture-perfect image of what their ideal house looks like. However, few people have the blueprint of how to create their dream home.

If you’re finally ready to start building your dream home, here’s what you should consider…

Self-build project

Budget

Before you even begin to think about your dream home, think about your budget. It’s easy to get carried away when planning properties, so stick to designs that are within your financial reach before you get your hopes up.

Illustration of Google location map

Location

You’ve probably heard this countless times, but it cannot be stressed enough, location is one of the most important factors you can look at when purchasing a property. If you’re not sure where to start, why not take a look at land for sale werribee?

Illustration of house blueprints

Planning permission

Before you begin building your dream home, you’ll need to make sure you can secure all of the necessary planning permissions. Make sure to factor these into your budget as the cost of application will vary in accordance with your development.

Lakeside house

Terrain

Another important consideration when building a home is the terrain of the plot. For example, if your plot of land has a large slope, you’ll need to level this out before you can begin constructing your dream home.

Sunlight coming through window

Sun aspect

Before deciding on the layout of your home, think about the direction of the sun throughout the day. If you want as much natural light as possible, ensure your main living areas are positioned with a north-facing aspect.

Architect outside a house while holding rolled up plans inder his arm

Architecture

It’s all fun and games designing your dream home, but you’ll need an architect to make sure it’s a feasible build. It’s easy to get carried away when designing and creating your dream home. You can still recreate your vision, just get a professional to work out all of the nuances. If not, you risk making some very expensive mistakes.

Builder holding a hard hat

Contractor

Without a reliable contractor, you won’t get very far. The best way to find someone is by asking friends and family for recommendations. Find someone that can give you a good price but most importantly someone that can deliver the project on time and within your budget

Solar panels on a roof

Energy efficiency

Since you’ll be building your home from scratch, it makes sense to create an energy-efficient home from the outset. Think about insulated windows, doors and roof, solar panels and eco-friendly appliances.

CAD drawing of modern house

Climate

Think about the climate of your location whilst you design the features of your home. If it gets a lot of good weather, create spaces that combine indoor and outdoor living. If your area experiences harsh winter months, consider installing a gable roof.

All in all, the most important thing you can do whilst designing and building your dream home is enjoy the process. Construction can be stressful, however, it’s important to focus on the end goal – your dream property. This is the house that you’ll make lifelong memories in and cherish forever.

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How humidity can affect building construction

How humidity can affect building construction | H is for Home

When you’re working on a construction site, or are planning a new home, humidity is something that you should consider. Humidity depends on how much water vapour there is in the air and the amount of water vapour depends on the temperature of the air. More water vapour can be held in warm air whereas colder air can hold less water vapour. If the humidity level is high, then it can have negative consequences on the people who are surrounded by it. This includes anything from dry skin to your skin feeling sticky in warm weather.

It is hard to alter the humidity levels when you are out and about, but it is possible to alter the humidity levels in your own home. You’ll want your home to be as comfortable as possible as well as wanting any sort of construction site to be the same. Make sure to check out some of the indoor humidity recommendations for Calgary/Edmonton. These recommendations will help you to find the right humidity levels for where you’re located.

Home weather station showing 53% humidity

What humidity can do

When you’re involved in constructing a building, you want to make sure that it’s the best that it can possibly be. Unfortunately, if you don’t consider the humidity levels, this can have some negative consequences. High levels of humidity can make people feel sticky in the warm weather and very cold in cold weather. If there’s a low humidity, then you’ll find that your skin can become very dry and you’ll be uncomfortable. This obviously provides poor living and working conditions but there are many other serious results of humidity levels being off.

If there’s a lot of water vapour in the air, mould and bacteria can thrive, causing repository problems. Any fungal growth or mould can also mean that you can expect odours in spaces that are poorly ventilated. This is something that you should try to prevent when working on a construction site. Bacteria in poorly ventilated spaces can also cause allergic reactions, so it’s something to avoid. High humidity can also cause dust mite populations to grow which can be very problematic for anyone who has asthma. Damp air can also mean that condensation tends to form on the window, ceilings and walls that have a lower air temperature than the surrounding air. You’ll want to avoid this at all costs as it can cause damage to the building materials.

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Causes of humidity

There are many reasons for the wrong levels of humidity being present in your home or building site. The conditions of the group under the suspended timber floors can cause humidity if they are damp. You should also look out for any sort of water leakage coming through the building envelope or other plumbing leaks. During construction, any sort of retained moisture can cause high levels of humidity in the home. This includes moisture that’s present in timber framing, plaster or concrete floors.

If you’re looking for the causes of humidity in your own home, then you can blame certain household activities like washing or cooking. Any sort of un-flued gas heaters can also cause problems and lead to a lot of moisture indoors. Sometimes, simple activities such as breathing can add to the humidity levels in your home, as you tend to release a lot of water vapour when you do so.

Ceiling fan

Preventing the results of humidity

The good news is that there are many ways that you can help to control the humidity levels in your home or in the construction building that you’re working on. In the construction phase, make sure that per every square metre of the floor area, there are clear openings of 3500mm2. This will make sure that under any suspended timber floors there’s good ventilation. Another great way of preventing this is to use a vapour barrier to cover the ground where there’s a lot of water under the buildings. Using a barrier such as a polyethene sheet can help to provide support where any sort of underfloor ventilation cannot be added.

If you’d like to adjust the humidity levels in your home, then you should make sure that everywhere is carefully ventilated. This can be achieved by simply opening a few windows to increase the cross ventilation. Using fans and extractors around the house can help to circulate air and remove the moisture right at its source. This is especially true in places like bathrooms or kitchens. You can also prevent the high levels of water moisture by refraining from hanging your laundry to dry inside your home.

Be sure to follow the right steps when constructing a home to ensure that humidity levels can be controlled!

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Exterior design considerations for a good-looking home

Exterior design considerations for a good-looking home

The outside of your home is the first sight that people are greeted with when they arrive for a visit. Not only that, but a good-looking home can also add to the resale value should you ever decide to move. So, naturally, you want to keep the exterior of your home looking as good as the interior. Here are some exterior design considerations to keep in mind to be sure that your home’s exterior is always looking good.

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Build with insulated concrete blocks

When it comes to the overall construction of your home, insulated concrete blocks are something that can not only increase the design aesthetic, but also the overall structural integrity of your home. These lightweight insulated concrete blocks are made with a mix of composite materials that make for faster and more energy-efficient home construction. Because of how easy they are to use for construction projects, they can be used to create eye-catching design elements like columns or sleek modern fronts.

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Protect with house wrap

Before you can use something like insulated concrete bricks to create the exterior walls of your home, you need to put up the protective weather lining that will separate it from the inside of the home. That is where something called house wrap comes into play. This is that paper-like lining you see on houses that are still under construction and are not yet covered by siding. Don’t be fooled though, this super durable house wrap is stronger than paper, and will help protect your insulation from damaging air infiltration and weather. It’s an essential part of the home construction, so you want to be sure to go with the best!

House clad with fibre cement sidings

Check out fibre cement siding

While some people may like the look of insulated concrete bricks once they’ve been painted, others prefer the more clean and traditional look of siding. Fibre cement siding provides that traditional look while offering more durability than other types of siding. Like their wood and vinyl counterparts, this fibre cement siding will not warp, the colour will not fade, the weather will not penetrate it, and they’re even fire resistant. Another great feature of fibre cement siding? It is virtually maintenance-free, which means less housework for you!

House clad with steel log sidings

Consider steel log siding

If the traditional look of siding is not your cup of tea, then why not consider something a little more rustic looking? Steel log siding is another beautiful and durable option available that can turn your home into a modern-day log cabin. But, unlike traditional wood log siding, steel log siding is virtually maintenance-free and the paint is resistant to all sorts of damage including cracking and fading, so it will look new for years to come with little work on your part.

Laminated roofing shingles

Top off with laminated roofing shingles

Your choice of siding is not the only thing to keep in mind when it comes to exterior design considerations for your home. Your roofing option is another big part, as it can really tie your whole home’s look together. Laminated roofing shingles, can provide a durable and classic look to any home. New design methods make laminated roofing shingles an incredibly long-lasting option that has multiple layers built in, to ensure the utmost protection for your home.

While you can update your landscaping and other outdoor areas, your home itself is still the focal point of the exterior. It’s what people will see first, and therefore it’s important that you keep it looking good. Hopefully, these design considerations will help you when building your home, so it becomes the talk of the neighbourhood!

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