HOW TO BUILD A HOUSE ON YOUR OWN
Building a house on your own? Here are the materials you'll need. And when you've found your location, purchased your surveyed property and designed your home, all you need to do is get those materials to build it!
Step 1
It’s a good idea to prepare an estimated breakdown of the costs so that you can stick to your budget. Include materials for the foundations, timber, framing, plumbing, heating, electrics and painting to start with. Remember that you may need additional help with clearing the land and installing the roof as well as any difficult interior work. It will be cost-effective to look for a reliable builder.
Step 2
Laying the foundations will be your job after the plot has been excavated. The strongest type of foundation to use is concrete block to form the perimeter of your home. The form work can be filled with concrete if that’s preferable. The thickness of the foundation is determined by the size and weight of the building itself. Building lines are then put up to make sure the walls and corners are square.
Step 3
Flooring is next to be installed and you can choose from slab or beam types. Generally slab floors are made on top of concrete block foundations and need to be poured in accurately as they cannot be adjusted at a later date. For the beam style, wooden flooring piers need to be installed with a floor joist framing system on top.
Step 4
As you frame the walls of your house, you need to mark the location of doors, windows and interior wall corners. Sheet metal straps can be used to brace all exterior wall corners. Light and small trusses are preferable for the structure of your roof as they give maximum strength. Connectors will secure the timber as you nail the fascia boards and deck the rafters with the chosen wood and groove boards. Make sure you use appropriate bracing and fasteners for a sound structural construction. Roofing felt provides a moisture barrier before the addition of tiles, sheet metal panels or shingles.
Step 5
Install all exterior windows and doors sealing with metal flashing to prevent water penetration. Then you can begin work on the interior by installing all pipes, waste drains and vents. Any ductwork and air conditioning needs to be completed at this stage too. Install the main electrical panel box and all wiring. Then comes the insulation for the walls and ceilings. Common materials used for the ceilings themselves are gypsum wall boards, ceiling tiles or natural wood lumber. If you want help on decorating your walls have a look at this wonderful wallpapering tutorial.
Step 6
And finally install all plumbing such as the bath, shower and sinks, the wall boarding on all interior walls and place the wall trim. Prime and paint the walls and install all lights, cabinets and appliances before activating the water and electricity. Job well done!
