LeARn aBoUt ThE BuIldInG CoNsTrUCtIoN

y of the various structural components are essentially the same. Below are diagrams of two standard framing styles with the components labeled. Below the diagram, the structural components are listed with descriptions and comments. We will spend time in class discussing the primary types of stress to which these components are subjected. If you know of a house that is in the framing stage of construction, try to visit the site and see how many of the structural components you can identify. Of course, be sure to obtain permission from the owner,are left to the student to consider as a Special Projects topic.
nearly any shape. A few common designs are shown below. The gambrel is often used for storage buildings where vertically space is needed. It is also found in homes in which the area under the roof is used as a living space. The lean-to or shed design is the simplist to construct, but provides little or no natural ventilation space. It isa used primarily for storage buildings. The most popular design found in the Caribbean is the hip roof. Although similar to the gable, the hip roof can be more strongly anchored into the walls and offers a more aerodynamic profile to wind, an important consideration in hurricane proned areas.
pes. You may occassionally find trusses in open ceiling designs, but usually it is used when there is an attic and the structure is hidden by a ceiling attached to the roof joists. An important characteristic that all the designs have in common, is the use of the triangle. As you may have learned as early as grade school, triangular structures are rigid because the shape of a triangle cannot change without changing the length of its sides. Consider the two frames shown below. For simplicity, assume the structural components (struts) are connected at each vertex with a single nail. When external forces are applied in any direction to the triangular structure, the forces generated at the vertices will be shear forces. Provided the members themselves are sufficiently strong, the nails would have to be sheared for the structure to fail. In contrast, the rectangular structure can change shape without changing the lengths of its sides. External forces can alter the shape of the structure by introducing only a net rotational torque about the nails; shearing of the nails is not required.
d units. These measure 3 5/8" x 2 1/4" x 8", and weigh about four pounds each. Both the Mortarless Barbecue and Landscape edging projects use standard bricks.For mortarless paving, Redland produces a 4" x 8" paver. The Four-by-Eight Paver gives you a simple two to one ratio and makes installing popular patterns such as basketweave and herringbone even easier. The Patio in a Day project uses these handy paving bricks.
n a comparable home without brick. The small initial investment for brick more than pays for itself over time.Brick offers better fire resistanceMade from natural clay materials, brick is the most fire-resistant of all siding materials. Home insurance rates are often lower on brick homes.- Brick Homes are easy careNo cleaning or painting is required with a brick home. You will recoup your initial investment for a brick home with money saved on maintenance in a relatively short time. Brick will not warp, crack, rot, corrode, split or dent, and doesn't mind the weather. In fact, the look of a brick home actually improves throughout the years, looking more distinctive as it ages.Brick homes conserve energy and save moneyBrick homes shut out noise and pests as well as the chemicals used for pest treatment. As a natural sound barrier, brick also insulates your home from outside noises and adds to the quality and comfort of living in a brick home. For a few dollars more, you can have the best brick for your homeDon't settle for anything but brick for your home. And what's more, insist on genuine molded brick from Cushwa Brick.
by metal ties or by grouting it to mesh attached to studs.The other common type of wall used in houses is a solid masonry "bearing wall", which means that the wall carries the weight of the house. With this type of wall, there is no frame behind the brick. Instead, the brick, and usually a "back up" of hollow masonry units or brick, provide both enclosure and structural system.In some cases, a house may have a brick "cavity wall".This is a wall in which a space is left between an outer and an inner width of brick. The space is usually filled with insulation. Most often, this type of wall is used when it is desirable to have an exposed brick interior wall. However, exposed brick interiors can be constructed using inside veneered or bearing walls.In townhouses, brick walls frequently serve as bearing walls, supporting the weight of the structure. In addition, "party walls" which separate one townhouse from another provide sound control and fire resistance. Brick, because of its density and mass, cuts down on the passage of sound, and because it is made of fired clay, it provides excellent fire resistance. In addition, if a party wall is brick, it can be left exposed as an interior decorative highlight.
at a time, otherwise you can clean up to 100 square feet at a time. In warm weather, it's also a good idea to clean in smaller sections.- Always saturate brick with clear water before applying cleaning agents and rinse thoroughly after cleaning.Use wooden, plastic or rubber buckets, wooden scrapers and stiff fiber brushes to clean brick.In most cases, stains can be removed by scrubbing with a stiff brush dipped in a strong solution of household detergent and warm water.To remove smoke stains, make a smooth, stiff paste of trichlorethylene or any dry-cleaning solvent, and purified, powdered talc. Apply this paste to the stain with a trowel and scrape off when dry. Repeat until the stain has disappeared and then wash the area thoroughly with clear water.Fresh paint stains can be removed with a commercial paint remover or a solution of two pounds trisodium phosphate, available at paint and hardware stores, to one gallon of water. Apply the mixture to the stain and allow to dry. Remove with a wooden scraper and wire brush. Rinse with water. For older paint stains, you may need to use steel wool or a steel brush. Be sure to protect unstained areas from any chemicals you use.- Oil stains can be removed with a paste made of one pound of trisodium phosphate and one gallon of water. Add a small amount of powdered chalk to thicken the paste. Spread about 1/2" of paste over the stain and let it dry. Remove dried paste with a wooden scraper and wash the surface with clear water.Plants and vines growing over brick walls hold moisture and can cause mortar cracking and brick discoloration. To remove them, usereputable weed killer, following the instructions on the package.Be sure to protect any areas not bothered by growth.
orld wide building industry. Some might argue that it is also one of the most beautiful and that it adds character to any building with its colour, strength and texture. Clay brick dates as far back as the Egyptian age and connects us with the history of our ancestors. Being such a versatile building material and because of its very good climatic characteristics, it remains the material of choice for residential buildings in South Africa. Bricks have an excellent fire rating, it is weatherproof and has really good acoustic properties and is almost soundproof, and best of all it amount to only about 10 per cent of the total cost of a typical residential building. Homebuyers will almost always prefer to buy a house constructed out of clay b
rick as it does not deteriorate over time and has a higher resale value. Bricks vary quite significantly in because of the diverse manufacturing processes and types of clay used in their manufacture in various regions. Often potential home builders make the mistake in thinking that all bricks are the same and there is no need to shop around for different finishes and colours. This can be costly as the quality of different brick manufacturers vary considerably as will also be reflected in the price. A very cheap brick might be of un-even size or may warp making building with them a lot more difficult.