Building Materials & Supplies

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral with an innate resistance to chemical damage and open flames. Asbestos once was prized for these qualities and was incorporated into a variety of building...

Rain gutters are responsible for protecting houses against heavy rain and leaking. Buying the correct gutter system that fits your budget, aesthetics and your home's needs can be a confusing...

Whether you are building a dog house or a room addition you must have accurate measurements.

Nylon is an extremely versatile and easily obtained material commonly used in craft projects. It is used in various textiles and household products and there may come a time when you need to...

Chances are high that you own several wood products and live in a house that at least partially uses wood for support. No other material has the characteristics and abundance of wood. Hence, wood...

Micarta is a high-pressure composite laminate made by Norplex-Micarta . The material is manufactured by curing paper, linens and various cotton fibers with resins. The company uses these...

Insulation is imperative to keep homes at comfortable temperatures without wasting money on heating and air conditioning and wasting non-renewable energy sources. Like many other home improvement...

Sandpaper is sold for either commercial or industrial use. It differs in grit, backing material and bonding agent. Choosing the right sandpaper will help ensure that your project turns out like...

Sandblasting refers to the abrasive technique of smoothing, cleaning, and molding a rough, hard surface by pressurizing solid particles at high speed onto the material's surface. Sandblasting is...

Corrugated roofing has grown to be a popular choice for roofing material for structures of all purpose, from homes to office buildings. Its popularity is most likely due to its proven ability as...

Western cedar is an alternative material used for siding for houses, barns, and other structures. Western cedar has been used for building for centuries and can give a home a natural look. Since...

Roofing materials have come a long way over time, and today the choices are almost limitless. Each type has its own qualities and advantages, and with the number of different options, the choice...

Chipboard, sometimes called particle board, comes in a wide range of thicknesses for a wide variety of uses. As furniture or packing material, it offers several advantages over the available...

Copper pipe and fittings have been used in homes and buildings for decades. Copper is not a cheap material but it is highly recommended for use in certain projects. Since there are dozens of...

Foam core board is a handy material that has a variety of uses in the home. Foam core board looks somewhat like oversized sheets of plywood, only they're made out of a dense foam material. This...

A surface grinder is a device that is used to accurately and intricately remove unneeded layers from a surface in an effort to smooth the target layer. The reason that a surface grinder is used is...

Brick is a building material used in masonry construction. It is made primarily from baked clay and is used to construct structures such as walls, chimneys and foundations. Brick pavers are also...

Adobe is a natural building material with a long history of human use. Examples of adobe buildings, which are found in many places in the world, are Bam Citadel in Iran, the largest adobe building...

Confirmat screws are designed specifically to be used with processed-wood materials. These types of materials are particle board or medium-density-type fiber boards that are used in furniture and...

If you are cutting material for a project and are tired of wearing out your basic cutting machine, or are upset that the material was warped from cutting, consider using a laser cutter. The...

The raw material for the manufacture of carbon fiber is polyacrylonitrile. Acrylonitrile was produced via the Sohio (The Standard Oil Co. of Ohio) process. Polyacrylonitrile is produced via the...

Cellulose is an energy-efficient material used for insulation and is gaining popularity among the building community. Its use is a cost-effective and time-efficient method with a low waste...

Circular saws are one of the most convenient and powerful supplies in any carpenter's arsenal. Convenient and easy to carry, the circular saw quickly becomes the good workman's best friend. A...

Plexiglas is the common name for a transparent material used all around the world. Common in vehicles and buildings, the material has an interesting history. Its use dates back to the 19th century...

Building cladding is an exterior finish material that is installed over the wall framing or building support structure. It serves a dual purpose of improving the appearance of the building and...

Sealing granite is critical if you wish to preserve the stone material and make cleaning it easier in the future. However, it is essential that the granite be treated and cleaned thoroughly before...

Over a third of newly built homes feature vinyl siding. Vinyl siding is an extremely common building material because it is easily obtained and inexpensive. However, before installing vinyl siding...

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...

Insulation is necessary to keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Numerous options are available, but the type of insulation that will work best for your home is dependent on...

Building has slowed down tremendously because of the economy, but there is still areas where building is still taken place. If you have a small project or a large project you can get free lumber...

Concrete in its simplest form is created from aggregates, sand and water. The aggregates are used to form the paste, the sand is used for texture and the water holds it all together. In ancient...

Asbestos is a building material that was commonly used for many building needs in previous years, especially in the 1970s. It was a material that provided heat insulation and fire resistance to...

When many people hear the word "fiberglass" they think of the pink insulation used to keep homes warm and insulated. While this is a popular application for this material, there are many other...

Masonite's 1990s entry into the siding market siding was not a success. Class lawsuits were filed by the end of the decade involving three of its hardboard products. As the clock runs out on the...

Copper is a naturally occurring metallic element notated on the periodic table by the symbol "Cu." As far as metals go, it is most similar to gold, both in its color and characteristics. It has a...

Epoxy is a chemical comppund made from a combination of two elements. The first is a resinous material made from polymer chains and the second is a liquid hardener. When these two products are...

Material for to build a barn can differ depending on the requirements of the barn and budget. Barns in warmer climates can be open faced with no insulation. Barns in colder climates must be...

Fifty years ago metal roofs were mainly used on industrial building and barns. Today the popularity of the metal roof, has moved into the mainstream of the home market. Whether on outbuildings or...

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...

Fiberglass has a wide range of variations. Typical fiberglass is made of tiny strands of silica fibers that are wound into longer strands and used as a base for building everything from boxes to...

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,...

Hardscape is any kind of surface building material that does not use soil or natural, living objects to pave an environment. The maintenance, cost and sometimes even aesthetic values of hardscape...

Concrete can break apart over time due to weathering. Sometimes water filling small cracks and then freezing causes expansion. Another factor is wear and tear over a long period of use, such as...

Adding insulation to your house is fairly inexpensive and can really help cut your energy bills. Here's what to consider when buying.