Home Construction

When it comes to new home construction, the first thing you need to consider is what foundation you will have. All home construction components are based on the foundation. The three most common home construction foundations used in residential housing include slab, crawlspace, and basement.

Concrete home construction relies on the slab foundation. This type of home construction has no accessible space. This choice of foundation is most popular in areas with a high water table such as the Southern United States. You need to have relatively level ground in order to use this type of foundation.

Modular home construction typically uses a crawlspace foundation. This type of home construction is also used in areas with clay soil. Crawlspace home construction provides a limited amount of headroom between the soil and floor of the house. Carefully planning is required to fit the necessary framework within the crawlspace such as plumbing and other piping.

Then there is the basement foundation which is typically used in home construction in the colder climates because the foundation needs to be below the frost level. This option provides the most room for additional storage space or just extra room to store the framework such as furnaces.

Choosing a Home Construction Foundation

A lot of factors go into choosing a foundation for home construction. The common factors that are considered include cost, needs, soil, and weather conditions. Areas of high water tables can't have a basement foundation. An area with a steep slope may not be able to support a slab foundation. You can find the best home construction foundation for your needs by discussing it with your builder.

Home Construction Types

Once you have chosen your foundation type, you can focus on your home style. The list of home styles is endless, such as ranch style or modern style. However, there are only a few types of home construction to choose from. The most common form of construction is wood frame, but other options include metal frame, metal stud frame, and insulated concrete forms. So what are the pros and cons of each type of home construction?

Wood Frame

This is the easiest form of home construction available. Wood is a renewable resource and is a forgiving material. However, wood is prone to termite and insect infestation. Other cons include the fact that it has a low insulating value and a high air infiltration rate.

Steel Stud

For the residential home construction market, the second most common method is steel stud framing. In commercial construction it is the most common method of construction used. The pros and cons of steel stud framing are the same as wood. The only difference is that there is no risk of insect infestation with a steel stud framework.

Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs)

ICFs are the newest form of home construction in the residential market. In fact, ICFs may soon replace wood as the most common construction type for homes. ICFs are a much stronger and superior form of home construction. There is no air infiltration in ICF construction. The main con of ICF construction is that it takes special designing which should be done only by qualified builders or contractors.

Tips for Inexpensive Home Construction

Home construction can be quiet expensive. However, there are a few tips to follow that can help lower the cost of your home construction. The best way to save money is to perform as much of the work as possible on your own. You can choose to do a part of the work yourself while hiring contractors for the parts of home construction which requires a higher level of expertise. This is the best way to get inexpensive home construction without sacrificing quality.

Another option for inexpensive home construction is to do all the purchasing, planning, and coordination yourself while hiring sub-contractors to do the actual home construction. This is an excellent option for those considering green home construction. So what do you need to know in order to coordinate your own home construction?

Do It Yourself Tips

To get the most out of inexpensive home construction, you need to focus on pre-planning and preparation. Before you start coordinating, you need to make sure you have a complete set of home construction plans. These plans should include the layout in addition to all the required systems such as electrical, plumbing, or framing. A complete plan is the only way to get an accurate estimate for materials.

After completing the plans, you may find there is a cost advantage to hiring a sub-contractor who will also buy the necessary materials for you. You will often find this is the case in areas such as framing that require a lot of materials. Sometimes you may even find some sub-contractors not taking the job unless they are allowed to provide the materials themselves.

When it comes to home construction, there are a lot of decisions to make. You have to choose an appropriate foundation and then choose a home construction type. Once these two major decisions have been made, you can focus on coordinating and planning your new home construction. Just make sure you are prepared, always plan for the unexpected and know that you probably won't stay on schedule. By following these steps, you can have inexpensive home construction.