House Construction Tutorial

When considering house construction, there are several things to keep in mind. The construction of a house is much like the construction of a puzzle. There are many different components that must go into place before the next step can be completed. House construction, although difficult at times, can be achieved by a savvy homeowner. Even if you are not planning on constructing yourself, you can still save time and money by knowing what your builder is planning.

Permits

Home construction happens in phases. The first phase will require building permits. You can get permits approved at your city's main governmental office. Once procured, you will need to display them on the job site. An inspector will come by every so often to inspect the work--you will also need to phone the inspector after major steps of construction, such as framing, plumbing and electricity, so that he can approve of the construction.

Ground Work

Basements and crawl spaces are the norm amongst home construction; however, many homes are being constructed on concrete slabs with no basement or crawl space. The plumbing is located in the concrete, and all flooring will be installed on top of the concrete. The benefit of a slab is that it is cheaper and quicker to construct, but the negatives are that your floors may be colder in the winter. The basement and crawl spaces are constructed out of formed concrete or concrete blocks--they both will be laid on top of a prepared footer that is 24 inches wide and12 inches thick. During the rainy seasons, it may be difficult to get the footers, basements and crawl spaces and slabs in due to the rain.

Framing

The floor of the new home--if not a slab--will be framed from 2-by-10 lumber or floor trusses that are prefabbed to stretch farther. The floor sheathing should be 3/4 plywood or oriented strand board (OSB). The walls will usually be framed with 8 or 9 foot studs, and the roof can be framed from 2-by-6 or 2-by-8 lumber. Remember that roofs can be framed in many different styles, such as gabled or hipped.

Finish

There are many areas of the house building process to consider in the final phase. Plumbing and electrical are important parts of this phase in which all water supply--copper or cpvc--will be installed, followed by the drain lines, which will almost always be PVC. The electrical services will be installed, including light fixtures. Insulation in the attic and walls should go in before the walls are covered. The ceilings and walls may be covered with various panelings or drywall, and the floors may feature tile, carpet, hardwood or vinyl. Finally, the doors, windows and roofing will finalize the project for completion.

References

• More information on homebuilding