In recent years, there has been an increasing emphasis within the residential and commercial instruction Industries on the usage of alternative materials. Some of this emphasis has been due to a desire to find more environmentally friendly construction materials, while some of these alternate materials have been used simply because they are visually striking. Also, there are some newly popular alternate materials that may offer technical benefits as compared to traditional construction materials. The alternative building materials that will be discussed this article include structural insulated panels, steel framing, polyvinyl chloride, and autoclaved aerated concrete blocks. For more information on these exciting alternative construction materials and how you can use them in your home, read on.
Structural Insulated Panels
One of the most popular alternative construction materials is structural insulated panels. These panels are also called SIPs. They are made of fiberglass foam that has been sandwiched between (you guessed it) structural panels. The main benefit of using this material is that it is very quick to build a structure with SIPs. In fact, a structure built from SIPs can go up in 10% or even less of the time it would take using traditional construction materials. They are also extremely light, and the insulated nature of the material lowers heating and cooling costs. However, structural insulated panels do cost about 10% more than traditional materials.
Steel Framing
As you probably know, houses are usually built with wood framing. You may wonder why more homes aren’t built will steel beams, as steel can be made into the same shape that wood beams are made into, and it is stronger than wood. The main reason the steel framing is not more common is there few contractors that are familiar with using it. However, people who do use steel find that it is stronger and more stable than wooden frames are.
Polyvinyl Chloride
Polyvinyl chloride is better known as PVC. You are probably already familiar with this material. It is often used for pipes in many different homes. Believe it or not, it can also be used to construct the frame of a structure. It is more stable than you might think, and can last for decades without any maintenance. This can save a serious amount of money for homeowners versus the maintenance necessary for a wooden framed house. However, the resale value of PVC homes is frequently significantly less the resale value of wood framed homes.
Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Blocks
Autoclaved aerated concrete blocks have been popular in Europe for a long time, but Americans might not even know what they are. The concrete used in this material is mixed with chemicals that causes it to take on air, so the blocks are much lighter. However, they have nearly the same amount of strength as regular concrete. They are also excellent insulators. The only drawback of this material is that it is quite expensive. It is about 20% more expensive to build a home with autoclaved aerated concrete blocks then is to build a home with traditional materials.
Check out 360 Construction and Design
If you have any Anchorage construction that needs to be completed properly, contact Scott. Even if you simply have a question or concern, we’d be happy to help you out. We at 360 Construction and Design pride ourselves on our customer service. We look forward to hearing from you.
