Basic Guidelines To Owner Home Building
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Article by: Jere Botes Many South Africans are choosing to build their own homes , Introduction to Pipe Repair for Oil, Gas, Water or Wastewater instead of buying an existing property. , Design Psychology: Fabrics Reasons for this vary but mostly for the cost saving (It is said that a saving of 25% can be made on the capital outlay of the proposed project when building yourself , Hot Tub Cover - Essential Accessory For Your Hot Tub as oppose to buying), other reasons might include the great challenge of taking on a building , Adjustable Beds - Now This Will Put You To Sleep project or the fact that it can create a great sense of self-achievement. For a number of reasons the cost of building , Brighten Up Your Shelves With Picture Frames went up tremendously in the last couple of years. In 1998 an average house , A Guide To Buying A Down Comforter with regular finishes could be build for appx. R1800/sqm whereas at the time of writing this document (2006) the rate of building , The Benefits of Closet Dehumidifiers the same house , Is Your Home Fully Protected Against Winter would be around (R3500/sqm) This probably had a huge influence on the 'property boom' as perceived by South Africans in the recent years. With the above in mind, it goes without saying that it is essential to hire a good contractor , The Artistic Past And Present Of Oriental Rugs (for a list of good contractors , Installing Solar Panels on Your Home or Business in your area, contact the NHBRC - National home , Water ionizers - every needs one builders registration council) Also know that getting a building , How Long to Install a New Roof? loan from a respectable financial institution would require you to hire a contractor , How To Measure Your Room For Laminate Flooring who is registered with the NHBRC, a loan would not be granted otherwise. The experience, skill, , Choosing And Cleaning Shower Curtains efficiency, and contacts of a seasoned professional contractor , Make a Weekly Cleaning Schedule can yield dividends for years. CHOOSING A SUITABLE STAND Shape Try to avoid irregular shaped plots, if possible a square or rectangular shaped plot lends itself to easier planning. Optimum shape are more or less a 4:3 ratio. If considering a pan-handle, know that the pan-handle makes up a lot of the size of the total area of the plot and that this is generally un-usable and would cost generally more to pave that a regular plot. Slope Generally flat , Concrete Sealer- Why You Need One and How it Effects Your Concrete sites are easiest to build on, but one might choose a sloped site as it often is accompanied by great views, but keep in mind that sloping sites, no matter how steep will often call , Don't Purchase A Fireplace Until You Read This for professional help in the planning stages. Size If you are planning to possibly extend the house , Brighten Up Your Shelves With Picture Frames in future make sure the site lends itself towards making this possible sensibly. It would often not make sense to extend if there is only open space on the western or cold , Outdoor Benches southern side of the plot. Orientation North facing plots are the best in the Southern hemisphere as they get more sun, , Hurricane Shutters especially in the winter , Choosing And Cleaning Shower Curtains months when the sun , Prefabricated Storage Buildings is lower. Views or other advantages will influence a buyer to buy alternatively orientated sites, but never consider buying a western orientated site - you will seriously regret it afterwards. Soil conditions Do a proper soil , Introduction to Pipe Repair for Oil, Gas, Water or Wastewater investigation before buying, or ask the developer/seller to provide you with a soil , How Long to Install a New Roof? test. The cost of building , Things to look for when buying a new mattress on un-suitable soil , Hot Water Heating Systems: Modern Conventional Boiler / Conventional Systems is surprisingly higher with the need for special excavations & foundations. Access to site Mull over the possible accesses to the site, this often becomes a huge headache during building , Hidden Cameras and even more so in many cases once you have moved in. BUILDING THE SUPERSTRUCTURE Storage Make sure your builder has a proper store for the building , Outdoor Benches materials delivered to site to prevent theft and also to protect the materials from weather, , Retractable Awnings - Top 10 Reasons to Invest in Retractable Awnings especially cement should be kept free from all moist at all cost. Bags of cement could be stored on a platform lifted on bricks etc. Don't construct the storage hut too far from the road for easy delivery. Make sure that the proper sanitation facilities are provided as well and make arrangements to have the water , Decorating ideas to spruce up your home connection activated. Setting out This process involves the marking out of the building , Make a Weekly Cleaning Schedule with lime powder, corner pegs and datum level references. Once the marking out is complete, make sure to double check that the proposed building , Adjustable Beds - Now This Will Put You To Sleep does not cross building , How to Finish Your Basement and Basement Remodeling lines or servitudes. If you are building , Introduction to Pipe Repair for Oil, Gas, Water or Wastewater on a sloped site the cut & fill excavations & filling will have to be done before hand. Excavations & Foundations Make sure that the excavations for the foundations are level and at least 550mm deep, most local , Working Safely with Concrete authorities require the top of the foundation to de at least 340mm (4 brick courses) deep and see that the excavated trenches are free of water , Decorate Your Home At Low Cost before concrete , Choosing And Cleaning Shower Curtains casting commences. For external walls , A Guide To Buying A Down Comforter the foundations are to be a minimum of 550mm wide for cement bricks and 600mm for clay bricks for a one storey building. , Introduction to Pipe Repair for Oil, Gas, Water or Wastewater The foundation depth to be around 230mm min. deep. These are for normal soil , Tips For Buying A Furnace conditions. If you suspect that you have special conditions ex. Silt, Clay etc. consult your engineer as you may require a special raft foundation or even piles in cases where the top layer of extreme unusable quality. When building , Great information regarding sauna selection on a sloping site, a stepped foundation may be required. Make sure that the top foundations ends overlap sufficiently (appx. 250mm) over the bottom strip for a normal strip foundation. For unstable soils , Brighten Up Your Shelves With Picture Frames consult your engineer for a foundation design , Central Air Conditioners Review and have him do an inspection when the foundations are cast. (Have a look at the details section for typical foundation details on the advice , Installing Solar Panels on Your Home or Business page of this site, you might also want to read the article on concrete , Tips For Buying A Furnace construction in South Africa) Waterproofing & floor , From Savu to Infrared – The History and Health Benefits of Saunas slab casting Residential ground floor , Home Inspection: A Doctor Visit for Your Home slabs are usually only one brick course thick (Apprx. 75mm) and are layed on a well compacted crushed stone , How to Install an Inground Flagpole filling covered with riversand and on a adequate damp proof membrance (The dpm is often specified as a 250micron under surface bed , Is Your Home Fully Protected Against Winter layer). Make sure that the layer of riversand in sufficient in thickness and that it is well spread over the layer of crushed stone , Colors: Their Connotations and Perceived Meanings to prevent penetrations through the sheet. Also check that the final unfinished floor , Prefabricated Storage Buildings level is at least 2 brick cources (170mm) above the natural , How To Choose Laminate Flooring For Your Home ground level to prevent stormwater or rising damp from entering the house , Tips For Buying A Furnace and as required by local , From Savu to Infrared – The History and Health Benefits of Saunas authorities. See to it that the builder is keeping the floor , Pre-Fabricated Steel Buildings slabs damp to ensure proper curing and that he has ordered his building , Water ionizers - every home needs one sand and cement from sound suppliers who will supply him with the correct type of cement and aggregate mix for slab casting. When the slab is cast check your plans , Central Air Conditioners Review once again to see that all conduits or pipes etc. are in place , The Benefits of Closet Dehumidifiers for the sanitary fittings (wc, whb, shr, sink, etc.) and for all the electrical fittings (plug outlets etc.) Walls (Masonry work) Before any bricks are laid check that the top of foundation is square and level once again. Make sure you get good quality stock/face bricks from a sound supplier. When the bricks are delivered to site inspect them and see if more than 5 out of 100 are broken, if so the bricks might not be of optimum quality. When using cement bricks/blocks make sure the bricks are dry before being laid as shrinkage might occur afterwards if they are laid wet which might result in mortar jointing getting loose. concrete , Furnace Buying Tips based the supplier must supply a SABS certificate of compliance. It is good practice to wet the bricks before laying them as the dust accumulated on them might act as a barrier between the mortar & the brick, also clay bricks might absorb a lot of moisture , Central Air Conditioners Review out of the mortar mix which it needs to cure (harden). Before building , Hurricane Shutters of walls , Decorating ideas to spruce up your home commences make sure that your builder installs a layer of 250micron Plastic , Decorate Your Home At Low Cost sheet as wide as the wall , Is Your Home Fully Protected Against Winter as a damp proofing similar to the sheet below the floorslab. Where there are platform differences a vertical sheet should be installed to prevent damp to the lower levels. When the building , Central Air Conditioners Review is in progress, see that the corner profiles (wooden masts with brick courses marked of at the corners of the house) are plumb and that brickwork is laid level as building , From Savu to Infrared – The History and Health Benefits of Saunas proceeds. Make sure that the lines spanned between profiles are always level and stretched tight. Bricks should be laid with brick-reinforcing every third to 4th course, and every course above door , Furnace Buying Tips & window , Home Inspection: A Doctor Visit for Your Home level. Door & window , Installing Solar Panels on Your Home or Business frames should be built in and see that they are at the correct placement and height and that they are built in level. If you are building , A Quick Guide to Plastic Mailboxes aluminium window , The Benefits of Closet Dehumidifiers frames, openings will be left and the openings will be measured on site and the windows , Things to look for when buying a new mattress built accordingly and installed just before plastering commences. Make sure that lintels are resting at least 150 mm on both sides of openings for openings smaller than 1,5m, or 250 mm for openings wider than that. Bricks must be laid plumb and level, with joints of about 10mm, properly filled. With facebricks it is important that all joints are properly filled, otherwise water , Things to look for when buying a new mattress will leak through these joints into the interior , Great information regarding sauna selection skin of brickwork Cavity walls , Tools - The Right Tool For The Right Job (walls consisting of two brick skins with small gap - 40-50mm usually) needs to be build at all coastal residences with weep holes at the bottom for the moisture , The Benefits of Closet Dehumidifiers to escape. It is also good practice to build cavity walls , Hot Water Heating Systems: Modern Conventional Boiler / Conventional Systems at the western side of the building , Tools - The Right Tool For The Right Job to eliminate the heat , Introduction to Pipe Repair for Oil, Gas, Water or Wastewater created on the walls , Tools - The Right Tool For The Right Job by the scorching western afternoon sun. , Tips For Buying A Furnace Where cavity walls , Repairing Rolled Roofing are built, wall , The Benefits of Closet Dehumidifiers ties are to be used between the skins, at a rate of 4 ties per square metre. Roof covering Roof , Don't Purchase A Fireplace Until You Read This design will depend on the type of covering and the span over which the structure is built. A timber , How to Plumb a New Bath Tub sub-structured roof , Decorating ideas to spruce up your home typically rests on a wooden , Concrete Sealer- Why You Need One and How it Effects Your Concrete wallplate which acts as a 'ringbeam' around the perimeter of the building , How to Create A Tuscan Wall Mural to evenly distribute the loads to the supporting walls. , Hot Tub Cover - Essential Accessory For Your Hot Tub The trusses & wall , How To Choose Laminate Flooring For Your Home plate is anchored to the walls , How to Plumb a New Bath Tub with metal roof , Working Safely with Concrete ties and needs to be built into the wall , How To Measure Your Room For Laminate Flooring at least 4 brick courses from the top. The roof , Hidden Cameras trusses should be graded and treated and bear a mark of approval typically by the SABS. An engineering certificate of compliance should be supplied to you by the roof , Hot Tub Cover - Essential Accessory For Your Hot Tub contractor. The battens are the cross pieces of timber , Outdoor Benches spaced as per roofing , Colors: Their Connotations and Perceived Meanings material used. For tiled roofs , How To Choose Laminate Flooring For Your Home they are 38x38mm and spaced at appx. 330mm centres and 38x50 or 50x76 for sheetmetal coverings and spaced at 1,2 - 1,6m apart depending on the manufacturer. , Retractable Awnings - Top 10 Reasons to Invest in Retractable Awnings Brandering are similar to battens but is nailed to the underside of the trusses for the ceiling to be fixed to it. They are typically 38x38mm in profile and spaced at 450mm centres. Make sure to have a trapdoor fitted in between at a suitable place. , Furnace Buying Tips (See also trapdoor detail - at the details page of this website) Depending on the roofing , Pre-Fabricated Steel Buildings type and manufacturer roof , Brighten Up Your Shelves With Picture Frames slopes may vary from 2 degrees to very steep angles. Typically tiled roofs , Prefabricated Storage Buildings will not have a smaller slope that about 17 degrees and will then require an undertile waterproofing membrane (this is typically done for roofs , How to Finish Your Basement and Basement Remodeling at a pitch greater than 45 or smaller than 26 degrees and also prevents dust from entering and act against wind loads that might be forced onto the roof), Many sheetmetal profiles can be installed at a very small slope without difficulty. Where ever there is a protrusion through the roof , Design Psychology: Fabrics eg. A ventpipe, chimney , Central Air Conditioners Review shaft, parapet wall , How Long to Install a New Roof? etc. these areas should be properly flashed with galvanized sheetmetal flashings. Depending on the style of architecture or personal preference you might install a facia board and gutter or not; however if you decide not to, it is good practise and most local , Repairing Rolled Roofing authorities will require you to build an apron of 900MM min around the house , Why Use Water Filters perimeter to prevent the falling water , Home Inspection: A Doctor Visit for Your Home from corroding the earth , Why don’t you choose an epoxy floor for your home? around the house , Central Air Conditioners Review and cause rising damp or structural failure of the weakened brickwork by the moisture. , Choosing And Cleaning Shower Curtains (For thatch roof , A Quick Guide to Plastic Mailboxes information refer to the article on thatch roof , Working Safely with Concrete design on this website) Construction of floors , Rubber Roofing / Stairs When constructing floors , Tips For Buying A Furnace it can either be a wooden floor , Introduction to Pipe Repair for Oil, Gas, Water or Wastewater raised and rest of wooden floor , Concrete Sealer- Why You Need One and How it Effects Your Concrete joists (beams) and be concrete , How To Measure Your Room For Laminate Flooring which is the preferred method because of its better insulating qualities. For concrete , Retractable Awnings - Top 10 Reasons to Invest in Retractable Awnings ground floors , Concrete Sealer- Why You Need One and How it Effects Your Concrete see also the section regarding slab casting earlier. If you are building , Tools - The Right Tool For The Right Job a wooden floor, , Fire Pit Essentials especially at higher levels consult a qualified professional to work out the live loads which will act out on the floor. , Concrete Sealer- Why You Need One and How it Effects Your Concrete When considering which flooring , How to Finish Your Basement and Basement Remodeling material to be used also consider the fact that a lot of services needs to run in the floor , Outdoor Benches and will need to be covered from below is using wooden floor , Adjustable Beds - Now This Will Put You To Sleep for the upper floors. , Make a Weekly Cleaning Schedule Local authorities in SA require stair treads to be no less than 250mm and risers (vertical) to be no more than 200mm. These however are minimums and a comfortable stair should have at leas 270mm treads and 170mm risers. The 170mm risers also makes it easier if a concrete , The Use of Glass in Architecture stair needs to be built into a wall , Central Air Conditioners Review module as 170mm equals 2 brick courses. Other items and services Plumbing , From Savu to Infrared – The History and Health Benefits of Saunas & sewerage, electrical installation, landscaping, , Brighten Up Your Shelves With Picture Frames Special fittings etc. will not be covered in this document. Should you have any other questions please contact us and we will do our utmost to provide you with guidance.
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