When it comes to building a house, one of the most important aspects that should never be overlooked is choosing the right construction materials. The materials used are the backbone of your home; a house can only be as good as its structure. If you have knowledge and understanding in selecting the appropriate materials, it will ensure a strong, durable, and high-quality foundation, all while helping you stay within your budget.

That’s why today, The Wisdom Property is sharing some great tips for choosing construction materials to help you build a strong and reliable structure for your home.

What are Construction Materials?

Construction Materials refer to the materials used for building a house, which are designed to meet the specific needs of each type of home. The goal is to ensure a structure that is strong, durable, high-quality, and meets industry standards. These materials are chosen based on their properties to provide stability, safety, and longevity for the building, ensuring that the home is both functional and secure for its occupants.

Types of Construction Materials

When choosing materials for building a house, there are various types, which can be categorized as follows:

1. General Construction Materials

These materials form the fundamental components of a house’s structure, and today, there are both natural and synthetic materials available. It’s important to choose the right materials that are suitable for your home’s design and structure. Here are some common construction materials:

• Soil is a basic construction material used to level the ground in construction projects. It is commonly used for filling and raising the ground level at building sites, such as for houses, buildings, or other structures, ensuring a consistent and level base.
• Stone: Various types of stone are used in construction, including natural stone and crushed stone for mixing with cement to make concrete. These stones are known for their durability, resistance to abrasion, high strength, and ability to resist chemicals. They are ideal for building homes and other structures because they bond well with cement and asphalt and have low water absorption rates.
• Sand is a key material in construction, commonly mixed with cement to create mortar or concrete. It is categorized into four types: coarse sand, medium sand, fine sand, and fill sand. Each type has specific uses, such as for foundations, plastering, or filling.
• Wood is a sturdy material derived from the trunks of trees. It is mainly used in the form of hardwood and softwood, such as teak, rubberwood, and eucalyptus, for construction purposes, including framework, flooring, and finishes.
• Bricks are essential for constructing walls and foundations in buildings. Made from a mix of clay, sand, and sometimes stone, bricks come in various types, including red-fired bricks (masonry), lightweight blocks, and concrete blocks, each offering specific advantages for different types of construction.
• Steel provides reinforcement for building structures, enhancing strength and durability. Popular types used in construction include round steel bars, channel steel, and rebar (reinforcing steel) for adding resilience to foundations, columns, and beams.
• Concrete is the primary structural material in many buildings due to its ability to withstand compressive forces. It’s versatile, allowing various shapes to be formed using molds, making it ideal for foundations, walls, and other components of homes and buildings. Its durability and moldability make it a popular choice in residential and commercial construction.

2. Roofing Materials

Today, roofing materials serve the primary purpose of protecting homes from sunlight, wind, and rain. There is a wide variety of roofing materials available, each with different types and colors. Some popular choices include:

• Galvanized Steel is a cost-effective roofing material known for its durability and long lifespan. It is made from metal sheets coated with almost 100% zinc. Its key features include a shiny surface and lightweight properties, making it easy to install and maintain.
• Roof Tiles are a popular roofing material and come in four main types commonly used for residential buildings:
  • Concrete Tiles: Durable and versatile, offering a range of styles and colors.
  • Shingle Roofs: Made of overlapping layers, typically used for traditional roofing.
  • Clay Tiles: Traditional and aesthetic, often seen in Mediterranean-style homes.
  • Fiber Cement Roof Tiles: Made from a mixture of cement, sand, and cellulose fibers, offering strength and durability.
• Metal Sheets (Metal Roofing) are thin sheets of steel that are treated to prevent rusting, often used for roofing or partition walls. These materials are popular for their modern look, durability, and ease of installation. They also offer an affordable roofing solution while providing excellent protection from the elements.

3. Flooring Materials

Choosing the right flooring material is crucial, as it greatly influences the ambiance of the room and its functionality. There are various flooring materials available, each offering unique advantages. Some popular choices include:

• Floor Tiles are a popular choice for flooring due to their ability to add beauty and charm to a home. There are various types of floor tiles available, including different patterns, materials, and textures. Ceramic, porcelain, and stone tiles are commonly used, each providing distinct aesthetic and functional benefits, such as ease of cleaning and durability.
• Parquet Flooring is a type of wood flooring made from real wood, which is cut into small pieces and arranged in intricate patterns. Parquet flooring is known for its durability, resistance to expansion and contraction, and its stylish appearance. Popular types of wood used for parquet include teak, mahogany, tamarind, rosewood, redwood, and beechwood.
• Solid Wood Flooring is made from natural wood sourced from hardwood and softwood trees. Hardwood floors, such as teak, redwood, mahogany, and oak, are commonly used because of their strength, aesthetic appeal, and long-lasting nature. Wood floors provide a warm and timeless look, enhancing the atmosphere of any room.

Types of Specific Building Materials

Specialized Building Materials are materials that are specifically designed for particular purposes in construction. One such example is piles, which are a crucial component of building structures. Piles serve as intermediaries to transfer the building’s load to the ground, channeling weight from the roof, floors, beams, columns, piers, and foundations to the soil in sequence. Piles can be categorized into the following types:

• Wooden Piles are easily available, lightweight, and inexpensive. However, they have low load-bearing efficiency, requiring multiple piles to be driven together. They should be driven below the groundwater level to prevent decay from termites and fungi. Currently, pine and eucalyptus wood piles, known for their durability, are commonly used for small structures.
• Reinforced Concrete Piles are factory-cast piles designed with sufficient longitudinal reinforcement to withstand bending moments during transportation and driving. These piles are less popular today due to their higher cost.
• Prestressed Concrete Piles use a technique involving tensioning steel strands before pouring concrete into the mold. Once the concrete sets, the strands are cut, creating compression within the pile that reduces cracking issues. A common form of this type is the spun piles, or prestressed spun concrete piles.
• Cast-in-place Concrete Piles, commonly referred to as drilled piles, cause minimal vibration impact on adjacent buildings. They can be made deeper than driven piles and offer better position control but are more expensive.
• Steel Piles are made entirely of steel and have higher load-bearing capacity than concrete and wooden piles. They are more expensive but now often come with anti-corrosion coatings. Steel piles are easy and quick to install, produce minimal noise and vibrations, and can be easily removed and reused. They are popular in temporary structures that require high load capacity but will eventually be dismantled.
• Composite Piles consist of two different materials in a single pile. Their significant feature is a strong and durable joint, effectively transferring loads from the upper to the lower sections.

The building materials outlined by The Wisdom Property are just a part of the essential basics for house construction. Having foundational knowledge of these materials ensures a strong, quality, and standard-compliant home while also helping to manage construction budgets efficiently. For those planning to build a house, understanding the process of obtaining a construction permit is vital. More details can be found [here].