14th November 2009
Steam rooms are built for relaxation and as a recreation place. The room has jets that bring in the steam to the desired temperatures. This is achieved using a regulator fixed in the place. The room can be constructed within the home or as a detached cons...
11th November 2009
Winding staircases are usually constructed where the space is constricted. This is when a straight flight with a normal landing is not possible. The house design will have the upper floor with a normal height as for a straight flight stair. It is importan...
09th November 2009
Timber floors are fixed on top screeds laid on concrete. When slit floors are made, there are two to three courses of masonry feature wall. This rise from the lower to upper level. The edge of the timber floor has a skirting piece fixed round the whole ro...
03rd November 2009
When frames are fixed on the door ways, a joint is formed in between the timber and masonry. This joint should be covered since timber and masonry do not bond. In buildings, different materials fixed together have joints that require to be covered. In exp...
30th October 2009
A house is constructed with different rooms and all these have window openings to let in light. During the normal use of a room a new window maybe required. Windows are made of different materials like timber, steel or aluminum. Before any works commences...
23rd October 2009
Family rooms are resting living areas usually located on upper floors in a home. This rooms are are used for watching television. This areas do not have walls on the side next to the stair well. This requires railings and balustrades to be fixed on this p...
20th October 2009
Earth driveways are made of the soil being cut and rammed to form a firm ground. Due to use and the rains, the road undergoes wear and tear. The pot holes start appearing and during the rainy season, vehicles get stuck in the mud arising. Usually where th...
15th October 2009
Suspended concrete floors are found in storeyed buildings. The self weight of concrete without additional live loads is great. In buildings where the spans are large, weight reduction is done to avoid buckling of the floor. This buckling is where the conc...
14th October 2009
Fan lights are found on top of a long door frame. They are usually made of glass with a vent of one inch above the glass. They allow light and air movement in and out of a room. They are normally fitted on door ways of all rooms except wash rooms and lava...
13th October 2009
Clay vent blocks are used in walls where light and air movement is highly required. They are laid in stairwells, laundry rooms, kitchen stores, verandas and balconies. The blocks are mostly eight sided polygons or circular in shape. They are laid in windo...
05th October 2009
Terrazzo is a cement based finish using granules or marble chippings. It is used on wet rooms or high traffic areas. It consists of colored chippings. This is laid on wood floated surfaces. Colored cements are also be used to give the desired finish or te...
30th September 2009
A beam is a horizontal structural member in a building. This are made from timber, stone, universal steel and reinforced concrete. They are used to carry a building load across a span with or without a wall below. They span from one wall or column to anot...
29th September 2009
Curtain walling is a finish mounted on the external walls. This is used as a sun screen, for aesthetics and external sound acoustics. The glass curtain wall can be clear or tinted. The mounting is done using aluminum framing. The glass used should be able...
29th September 2009
A sunken lounge or dining room is made by splitting the floor levels in the house. This is by having the floor lowered by one foot or more from the actual level. The level difference creates a good feature for the whole house. The ceiling heights normally...
23rd September 2009
Concrete floors are the bases on which other finishes are laid on in a house. In the construction of a building, the walls rest on this base. This is cast level across the whole floor be it ground or upper floors. Form work is normally done to a height fr...
