Building Materials & Supplies

Concrete, used for thousands of years to build homes and other buildings, makes an incredibly durable construction material. As building materials have evolved over time, so has concrete, creating...

Constructing buildings can be a long and expensive process. Contractors constantly look for ways to save money, materials and time. Concrete blocks have become an indispensable material in the...

Garages are a good addition to any home as they offer room for storage outside of the house and a place to park your car, off the street and out of the elements. In essence, garages are simply...

The structural integrity of piers and other structures that line the coasts of our oceans, rivers, lakes and bays is important to protect boats and other vessels, as well as human lives. Marine...

Power tools can make any construction project both safer and more efficient, but it is important to use those tools properly. Like anything, construction tools are only as good as the people who...

Perlite is a volcanic glass that becomes porous and expands as it is heated. The volume of heated perlite can become 20 times greater than it was prior to heating. Heated perlite is often white or...

Pressure treated wood is protected from decay and pests, but there are some extra steps you should take to make sure that your construction remains in good condition. A deck that's built with...

Geotextiles, as the name suggests, are fabrics used in construction, landscaping and environmental protection settings that are dependent on proper soil and ground conditions. They come in many...

Alternative home construction is a way to use available resources and create a custom home. Whether for ecological reasons, or simply to express yourself through unusual home design, consider...

There are several steps that must be preformed before construction can begin. Property must be zoned for a residential building. This can be checked at the county zoning office. Once determined,...

Construction adhesive can be difficult to remove from drywall. The paper face of drywall is easy to damage. If it is roughened by the removal of the adhesive, you may need to repair the surface...

Construction contracts are simply a construction agreement that protects all parties involved from losing monetary funds and time. Building contracts may need to have certain pieces of...

New construction sites can be extremely dangerous. This is true even after the construction is completely finished. There are always left-over materials that pose threats to people as well as...

Anyone who has ever built anything larger than a kitchen cabinet will tell you that estimating the potential costs of the project is key to not only having all of the items you will need for your...

The construction industry is one that will thrive wherever the human race decides to settle, and today it provides so much more than just houses and department stores. There is a sophistication...

Straw bale construction is a type of construction that has been used since the late 1800s, which uses baled straw from various cereal crops. The oldest known building that is still standing that...

Metal buildings have become increasingly popular due to lower cost and ease of design and construction over traditional wood buildings. Prefabricated metal buildings go by different names, such...

According to the United States Green Building Council, building structures account for 38 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions, and 39 percent of the total energy used, nationwide....

The barrel is one of the oldest and most universally used types of large storage containers. The classic image of a barrel is a wooden, cylindrical container reinforced with metal hoops. However,...

If you are a builder, architect or construction manager, you are probably familiar with various types of metal building components. These components are mostly used for roofing construction and...

Steel pipes play a large role in the construction of many building types. The most common places to see steel pipes used in buildings are in the foundations of tall buildings, the railings of...

Before you break ground on your new home, some planning and calculating is necessary to determine a reasonable cost estimate. Whether you hire a builder or act as your own general contractor, it's...

Lumber yards are retail or wholesale locations where people can buy lumber and other home improvement and construction-related products. Lumber yards are the most common suppliers when contractors...

The importance of obtaining a building permit is two-fold. For the government, it is a way to maintain regulations on public and private structures located in an area. For the builder, it is used...

Mortar is a workable paste made of water and cement. The first mortars were made of mud or clay and water. It is used primarily in bricklaying but may also be used for tile and stone work. Mortar...

Plywood is one of the most common and cheapest forms of wood available to work with in construction projects. There are many different kinds of plywood, and each type is best for a specific...

Plywood has become an integral part of construction today. From its creation in the early 20th century, plywood has undergone a great deal of transformation and refinement over the years. It...

Magnesium is a silver-white, abundant metallic element. Pure magnesium does not occur in nature, but it is contained in a variety of mineral compounds such as magnesium chloride and magnesium...

The majority of concrete building is found in commercial applications, such as malls and individual retail stores. In some locations, residential homes feature concrete exterior walls, designed to...

When compared to other traditional building supplies, concrete blocks add a considerable expense to a home construction. While the price of materials varies from region to region, concrete blocks...

Marble is a kind of metamorphic rock that is created out of limestone by various natural processes. In modern parlance, however, the term "marble" also includes almost any kind of stone...

Concrete is the most widely used material in construction on the face of the planet. It is made up of cement and a number of other substances, including granite, sand, fly ash, and a number of...

The use of crushed glass in construction projects is gaining in popularity. Thousands of tons of glass bottles and jars enter landfills each day. Recycling this glass is an excellent way to reduce...

Construction practices used in building modern homes can have serious environmental impacts that people don't realize or understand. If you're interested in reducing your environmental impact...

While discussing reincarnation one night a friend told me that he wanted to come back as a Styrofoam coffee cup because that way he’d last forever. Polystyrene is light, durable, sound absorbing,...

The cordwood building technique, often referred to as "stovewood" or "stackwall," is a traditional way to build a home with very few materials. A corwood builder will make a house by binding...

Lightweight concrete is a construction alternative used to build homes, offices or commercial properties. Lightweight concrete has been used in the United States since the 1960s and has proven to...

Poured earth is very similar to standard cement. A typical poured earth mixture will even use a small amount of Portland cement to bind the other materials together. Whereas cement contains a...

Poured earth is very similar to standard cement. A typical poured earth mixture will even use a small amount of Portland cement to bind the other materials together. Whereas cement contains a...

The cordwood building technique, often referred to as "stovewood" or "stackwall," is a traditional way to build a home with very few materials. A corwood builder will make a house by binding...

Lightweight concrete is a construction alternative used to build homes, offices or commercial properties. Lightweight concrete has been used in the United States since the 1960s and has proven to...

Concrete is the structural foundation for buildings and many walkways. Forms used in concrete construction are the molds that give the poured concrete the desired shape, width and length. Learn to...

While most frame houses use relatively inexpensive pine to frame the walls and roof trusses, building a home out of oak has its benefits. Oak is more fire resistant, and therefore safer, than even...

Construction mastic adhesive is an adhesive commonly used to bond ceiling, wall and floor tiles, plywood panels, concrete, asphalt, leather and fabric. Construction mastic adhesive is a high grade...