Types Of Building Materials

Houses are a basic need for every human being. From caves to modern well built houses; houses are fulfilling the need of shelter and protection for humans in every age.

Houses are made from different materials; materials like stones, clay, husk, wood, concrete, bricks, cement and thatch. However many of these materials are not in use any more in most modern constructions.

Now as we all know, that most structures are built with cement and concrete, but to save costs people still use other materials along with concrete, most notably wood. However in many poverty stricken countries, houses are built with whatever people could get.

Nonetheless, if you are one of those who can afford to buy some quality house building material, here is some info on few of the many types of materials use to construct houses:

Stones have been used for the purpose of construction since the era of cavemen. This material has been used for construction of houses and buildings from the very first construction history known.

Rock and stone brick structures made hundreds of years ago still exist in good and strong condition. This material for construction is easily available in almost every part of the world.

Wood is used for the purpose of constructions in many parts of the world. Wood is cut down and pressed to form boards and planks for use in construction. Wood has proved to be flexible and resistant against climate harshness.

Wood of some particular specie is more recommended to be used in the construction material than others. Wood quality and its durability to be used as a construction material highly depends on the conditions it is grown in.

Clay is the most common material used to build houses, especially the houses in country sides are made from clay and mud.

To make houses it is mixed with some quantity of straws and grass. Along with straw, grass and mud, clay is a main ingredient of cob style houses. The main of reason of using clay is its ability to keep the house cool in summers and warm in winter.

Cement is used in construction to join brick and stones together. It is also used to bind wood and also to bind pre-cast building materials. Cement is mixed with water to make a hydrate paste.

It is used to stick block and bricks; just like we use glue to stick two papers. Once dried it becomes as hard as rock and it becomes quite difficult to remove those blocks and bricks apart. It is used in almost every country where modern construction methods are followed and where houses are made from bricks.

Bricks are modern form of block and rock stones used in constructing building and houses. Bricks are available in almost every place, especially cities and towns which are connected to big cities.

Bricks are available in different sizes made from different materials. The size of bricks varies from place to place and country to country so does the material of bricks. Normally bricks are made from the high consistency paste of sand and clay.

Thatch is commonly used building material in Africa, for making houses. It is one of the oldest building materials known in recorded history. In many African tribes it is still used to make houses.

This grass is easy to harvest and a natural insulator. In Europe, people used to make roofs of their houses with thatch before the industrial revolution. But the modern industrialization has made transportation easier which helps the availability of other materials as well.

Metal is used in construction of huge structures like big buildings or skyscrapers. It is used for external finish and support. For the purpose of construction, there are many types of metals used depending upon the nature of work.

Selection of metal depends upon its resistivity against corrosion. On these criteria, steel stands above all others as steel is a strong alloy of iron which is, durable and lasts long, but only if it is well refined, well treated and alloyed perfectly.

Various types of steel alloys are used in construction, where some of them are even custom manufactured to cater the needs of certain complex structures. One of the most popular types of steel used in construction is the hot dip galvanized steel; this type of steel is particularly used in buildings where the building's metal structure has to be protected from corrosion.

The hot-dip galvanized beams are frequently used in certain places, where the strength of a high-tempered metallic structure is required, to support the heavy mass of concrete; the additional zinc layer on the metal, effectively protects the material from affects of weathering, giving it a long lasting durability.

In modern structures, glass is also used as a construction material for outer beauty of the structure. Using clear windows in houses has been known from the days since glass was invented but now glass is used to cover the whole façade of a building and as a curtain wall to cover open roof known as space frames for big halls and lobbies. Glass needs some sort of holding mechanism and suspensions to stay longer as glass itself is very delicate and easy to be broken material.

Other than all the above mentioned materials, materials like Ice are use to construct Eskimos in ice lands. Natural materials are still considered best in some regions for the purpose of construction. Fabric is used to construct tents and tent houses. Plastic and foam is also used in construction for different purposes.