The Process of House Construction
October 2nd, 2008 adminPre-Construction Activities
Clearing and Grubbing
Once you have selected a site to build your home, you will, most of the time, find that it is covered with wild grass, trees, rocks, even garbage, and other objects found in “raw” land. All these have to be removed before construction can proceed to expose the soil where the house will be built. This is usually done manually for the whole area.
Site Grading
After clearing the site, the bare soil is exposed showing its natural contour. It is desirable to, more or less, flatten the area for better workability and for the purpose of leveling the structure to be built. A small backhoe, as well as a few workers, carryout this activity.
Excavation
Excavation can begin once the plan is laid out on the site. Stakes are set in the soil, which serve as markers for excavation. Once it is set up, digging can proceed.Holes are dug in the ground for the main footings, as well as the wall footings, according to the plans provided by the designer, and for all other excavations needed for the construction.
Foundation
The foundation is the structure where the house is supported. It transmits all the weight the house carries to the underlying soil. It consists of the footings, columns, and all other parts, which serve the same purpose.
The footings used in most houses are of reinforced concrete. The steel reinforcements for the footings and the columns are first fabricated on the ground - cut, bent and assembled - and then transferred to the designated positions. To ensure that the house is free of termites, a process called soil poisoning is done to the soil, where environment-friendly chemicals are sprayed to the soil surfaces. Concrete is then poured into the footing and allowed to set and harden before the concrete for the columns can be poured in place.
Hollow Block Laying
Hollow blocks compose most of the walls of the house. These are laid one by one and layer by layer along the excavation, from the bottom of the footing up to the top of the ground floor, and for the other floors as well. Mortar is applied between each layer of hollow blocks and in the holes, ensuring that every block is aligned and leveled horizontally.
Slab Concreting
Concrete slabs are made of poured concrete reinforced with steel bars. Ground floor slabs rest directly on earth while those of the other floors rest on formworks until they set and harden. These provide platforms for the interior of the house, separating each level from one another.The reinforcements are assembled and placed over a layer of gravel (for ground floor slabs) or on forms (for slabs of other levels). The concrete is poured over the reinforcements and allowed to set and harden. The Thickness, as well as the reinforcements of the slabs, may vary as indicated in the plans.
Plastering
Concrete usually have a rough surface after the removal of the forms. To have a more desirable texture on concrete surfaces, and to cover the surfaces of the hollow blocks, plaster, a combination of cement and sand, is applied on the surfaces and smoothened. Different kinds of finishes may be applied to different surfaces, depending on the preference of the owner. Types of finishes include plain, sand blast, anay, brick, beveled, grooved, etc.
Roof Truss
There should be a means of transferring the weight of the roof to the columns and beams, to the foundation and into the earth. The roof truss provides this means, as well as a platform on which purlins, where the roof sheets are laid, are welded. These steel components are assembled away from the site and are painted with red oxide paint to prevent rust. These are transported to the site and lifted into place when ready. The trusses, together with the purlins make up the frame of the roof where the insulating material and the roof panels will be installed.
Roofing and Insulation
Roofing is finally added to the structure to protect the interior of the house from the weather. Gutters are first installed to control the flow of the water from the roof through the downspout, and eventually to the drain. Insulating material is then installed on the roof frame before the roof panels can be placed to prevent heat coming from the sun from entering, or even damaging some parts of the house. The roof panels are finally placed one by one over the insulation, secured with screws, and painted. Roofing materials can either be pre-painted G.I., shingles, or clay.
Painting
Painting is the last addition to the list of work that is placed in the concrete surfaces. Once the desired shapes are visible and ready, the final touches of color are applied to the gray concrete surfaces.After plastering, a layer of concrete neutralizer is applied to the concrete surfaces to completely dry the concrete and to prevent bubbles from coming out of the concrete and ruining the paint job. White flat latex base, as well as patching compounds, is then applied to the treated surfaces. The interior walls and moldings are sanded to ensure smooth and flat surfaces before the final coatings of paint are applied or before the wallpapers are installed.
Staircases
Staircases are one of the most useful, and decorative, features of the house. Its construction begins with the preparation of the concrete base for the steps. Forms are prepared and installed after which steel reinforcements are put in place. Once ready, concrete is poured and allowed to set and harden.Narra planks, or other wood materials, are used for the steps. These wood are measured, cut and planed, and laid one by one on fresh mortar, set on the concrete base and then leveled carefully. The steel railings, fabricated off site, are installed by welding it to dowels provided in the concrete base. Newel posts complete the stair railing after it is installed at the bottom of the stairs at the end of the railing. Once it is in place, The steps and the railings are sanded, waxed, and applied with wood stain or varnish, depending on the preference of the owner. Finally, the railings are spray painted with the desired color or texture.
Finishing
You can now see the house as it is - complete with painted walls, roof, and all the things you would need to see to make up a house. But no house can be complete without some final touches. A few of a number of finishing activities for your house include: o floors - parquet, bathroom and living room tiles, etc.;o wooden, pvc and steel doors;o window casements;o glass;o cabinets;o granite counters;o fence and steel gates;o aircon covers;o fixtures;o wallpapers;o finishes - sand blast, anay, brick, beveled, grooved, etc.;o landscaping;Items such as doors, cabinets, aircon covers, and gates are pre-fabricated to the specifications off site, transported for assembly and installation at its designated places.All these items give your house a personalized touch and give it its own character.
The Role of the Homebuilder
As the builder of your dream home, we know all the details to a house and we are responsible for its construction. All clarifications and modifications made goes through us, and it is our duty to make sure everything goes smoothly in the execution of the plans. Regular inspection of the site by the architects and the engineer are made to ensure that what is being built comes out as what is drawn on paper. Quality control is strictly imposed in the construction with the aid of our regularly updated Quality Control Manual developed by our architects and engineers. Supplies needed in the site are delivered on time for uninterrupted construction. It is our responsibility to make sure everything is on schedule and minimal waste of materials are produced.