2 serious errors people tend to make when performing DIY house construction projects
There are some errors that people tend to make when they decide to build houses without any input from professional contractors, which can have disastrous results. Here are a couple of examples of the mistakes that could spell trouble for a DIY homebuilder.
1. Being careless when fitting the building's roof trusses
An error that quite a few novice builders make is being a bit reckless about the way in which they fit the roof trusses in the building. Some people, for example, forget to double-check their measurements when marking out the areas within the roof space where the trusses will be installed. This can result in the trusses not being evenly spaced across the roof frame.
This could lead to the following issues; firstly, in the areas where the trusses are too far apart from one another, the external roof materials could end up sagging downwards into the large gaps between these components. This could give the outer roof a bumpy appearance. Secondly, the sagging, unsupported part of the roof may be more likely to break open if struck by things like tree branches or if it ends up covered in a heavy pile of snow for more than few hours. A hole in a roof can do a lot of harm in a very short space of time, as it can serve as an entryway into the house interior, through which pests and water (in the form of snow or rain) can get in and cause damage.
As such, soon-to-be home builders must ensure that after measuring their roof space and marking out the locations for their trusses that they double-check all of their calculations before fitting the trusses.
2. Trying to save money by only using plaster and wood to build load-bearing walls
People who choose not to get advice from contractors when building homes sometimes make big mistakes when trying to come up with cost-cutting measures. One of these mistakes is using cheap plaster and wood to create their house's load-bearing internal walls instead of using a sturdier (and more expensive) material, like bricks. This is quite a major error, as load-bearing walls must be made from very robust building materials if they are to fulfil their purpose (which is to serve as support structures that hold up the heavy ceiling or floor systems that are built on top of them).
The consequences of this mistake will not always be immediately apparent. Whilst occasionally, a load-bearing wall made from weak materials might collapse completely and suddenly, in most cases, the deterioration happens gradually. After the house is built, the pressure placed on these walls by the floor or ceiling systems will cause them to slowly bow and develop lots of hairline cracks. As this happens, the aforementioned systems that the walls are supposed to be holding up with also begin to crack and sag.
In short, this 'cost-cutting' strategy can result in the type of major structural problems that could leave a homeowner with a very big dent in their bank balance (far larger than the one that they would have experienced, had they opted for the more expensive and durable wall materials). To learn more, contact a company like Prefab Technology Pty Ltd.
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