When building a house, starting with slab-on-grade unlike the conventional basement foundation in the building has many advantages and a few disadvantages. The use of a slab-on-grade improves the quality of living by lowering the chances of growth of mold, improving natural lighting within the house, and the floor can absorb and retain heat hence regulate the interior temperatures. The case is not the same as a basement foundation. Slab-on-grade minimizes costs as the thousands of dollars spent on the purchase of concrete in basement foundation is saved. Another advantage of slab-on-grade over basement foundation is that it lowers the environmental damages associated with basement foundation which is the release of greenhouse gases when concrete is used. However, unlike basement foundation, slab-on-grade requires more room above the ground which may be a problem in places where space is limited to urban areas. Basements offer a lot of space for storage, unlike slab-on-grade. Also, with basement foundation, the housing is flexible as changes such as altering the plumbing can be easily done which is not the case with slab-on-foundation since the plumbing systems are permanently fixed on the slab (Cosgrove & Reynolds, n.d).
Wall Systems
Traditional Block or Brick Construction
Brick construction is cheaper than traditional blocks. The reason is the bricks are made using soil which available everywhere in the world, unlike concrete which is used in the making of traditional blocks. Brick construction when building a house saves up to 70% of the costs that are encountered with the use of traditional blocks. For example, the cost of bricks per square feet is about $2.99, unlike traditional blocks which cost about $30. Also, the use of bricks saves on costs as it is fast to build a house using bricks and it is not mandatory to use cement to hold the bricks. The bricks also offer insulation more effectively by regulating temperatures. The advantage that traditional bocks have over bricks is that they fasten the pace of building as one brick is equivalent to approximately four bricks (Benefits of Compressed Earth Blocks: Interview with Dan Powell of EarthTek, 2012).
Lightweight Steel Framing
About total costs, lightweight steel framing is superior to conventional construction. The first way in which lightweight steel framing lowers the total construction costs is by saving on time which means reduced pared site supervision requirements, lower charges for financing construction, and less labor. Also, using it has the advantage of expediting the process of installation and erection over the conventional construction. The savings related to saving time with the use of lightweight steel framing is approximately 3-5 percent of the overall project value. Other advantages of lightweight steel framing include versatility, non-combustibility, durability, and ability to be recycled. The only disadvantage that lightweight steel has in comparison to conventional construction is that the latter has lower raw materials framing costs and is more efficient with thermoregulation of the building (Steelform, 2012).
Structural Insulated Panels
Use of structural insulated panels is being adopted as an alternative to conventional construction due to the advantages it has on saving time and labor. Putting up a prefabricated Structural Insulated Panels (SIP) saves time as it is faster than building a conventional housing. However, the use of SIPs requires more use of equipment such as a crane thereby using up the savings made by hastening the construction. The increase due to this is about 68 percent greater costs. Installation of rough wiring with SIPs is cheaper than that of conventional housing, by about 11 percent. On walls, SIPs are relatively less expensive with the labor cost being $0.97/square foot compared to the conventional building which is a $2.37/square foot. From an overall perspective, the use of SIPs saves approximately 45 percent if labor time that would otherwise be needed with conventional housing. Other advantages of SIPs against conventional construction is that there is no need to install thermal insulation and exterior sheathing separately and also because of pre-cut openings, jobs on the construction site are reduced. However, the use of SIPs requires qualified operators for crane operation which raises labor requirements and the fitting of panels before shipping which makes it difficult to make any necessary adjustments in the construction site as field cutting is prone to error (Evaluation of structural insulated panels for National Building Code compliance, 2012).
Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs)
This technique is an alternative construction method, which is developed to meet the required performance of the thermal envelope of a home under the green guidelines. The construction process involves a combination of a handful of wall assembly materials to mold expanded polystyrene to form interlocking blocks or flat panels to crease concrete formwork that can be assembled on site. The method enables the balancing of the premium cost of construction with faster cycle times, which also results in labor savings (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, 2010).
Additionally, the ICF wall systems are energy efficient, relatively easy to install, has characteristics that make it highly resistant to fire and they are very durable. However, the cost of ICF is higher than that of the standard wood frame. Although ICF wall system is more expensive than other systems, it saves on costs of the final house by about $0.75 per square foot making the net extra cost encountered with ICR $0.25- $3.25 (Proud Green Home, n.d). Another disadvantage of ICF is that the higher weight of exterior walls may necessitate bigger footings to cater for increased loads.
Roofing
Asphalt shingles
Asphalt shingles are among the cheapest roofing materials and are found in many colors. Its installation is easy relative to other roofing systems, and it offers flexibility during the process of installing. There are two types of asphalt shingles, organic and fiberglass. The price of shingle will vary depending on the type. The average cost is $8.5/square foot which is relatively cheaper compared to other roofing materials such as metallic roofing which is average $10/square foot (Metal Roofing Cost vs. Asphalt Shingles: Metal Roof Prices in 2017, 2017).
For this type of roofing, the process of installation is easy, it has a longer lifespan, it can be recycled, and it has a broad variety of colors. However, abrupt weather changes can cause the decay of asphalt shingles, wind affects and creates an uplift of the shingles, requires periodic maintenance, and it is not environment-friendly as they are made from petroleum. (The balance, 2017)
Synthetic Tiles
Synthetic tiles are gaining popularity over the conventional roofing materials for the reason that they are more cost saving. Synthetic tiles offer authentic looks from replication of traditional roofing materials such as shingles, slate, and shakes. On most occasions, they are molded from plastic-based materials or rubber as these elements enable them to be made predictably and smoothly hence making installation easy. Also, these materials are available in numerous colors. Therefore, they can comfortably fit into many architectural palettes. (Clawson, 2015)
Synthetic tiles are inexpensive and reliable relative to the conventional asphalt shingles. They are also very reliable and look almost identical to the natural materials they replicate. However, compared to conventional asphalt shingles, the very affordable and cost saving synthetic tiles lack an authentic look. Some of the newer types of synthetic tiles are also not time-tested, unlike, the older conventional shingles which are more popular. (Clawson, 2015)
Metal roofing
Metal roofing can be made from various alloys and metals. They include galvanized steel, galvalume steel, stone-coated steel, copper, terne, aluminum, zinc, and stainless steel. The cost of installation of metal roofing is relatively expensive than other roofing materials such as conventional asphalt shingles. The cost of metal roofing including materials and labor is about $14,500 whereas that of asphalt shingles is $7,500 per 1620 square feet. The expertise requires in its installation contributes to the high cost of metal roofing. However, the cost varies among the different metal roofs. For instance, the cost of installing metal shingles is 20 percent cheaper than that of installing standing seam. (70 Metal Roofing Facts, 2017)
Metal roofing can easily be installed even during winter, is non-combustible, it offers the best protection against ice dams, ice, snow, and hurricane, it is durable, and it saves money in the long run as it does not require expensive maintenance costs. The significant drawbacks of metal roofing are that it is more expensive than other types of roofing such as asphalt shingles and the metal get corroded on exposure to air. (70 Metal Roofing Facts, 2017)
BUR (built-up roof) and membrane systems
The BUR and membrane systems are composed of alternating layers of bitumen and reinforcing fabric. Typically, cold tar, asphalt or cold-applied adhesive is used. The cold-built up is environment-friendly as it does not have harmful fumes when applied. Compared to asphalt shingles, they are relatively more expensive to install. However, in the long run, they are cheaper. (Rodriguez, 2017)
The BUR and membrane systems absolute waterproof protection, require low life cost maintenance, can use minerals or gravel as surfacing materials, can last longer in weather inclemency, and offers protection against Ultra Violet light. However, the installation of BUR and membrane systems are much slower compared to asphalt shingles, there is the production of hazardous fumes and vapors in its installation, it is prone to damage by water and wind, and the cost of its installation is higher than that of asphalt shingles. (Rodriguez, 2017)
References
Alternative Wall Systems for Low-Rise Housing (CMHC Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation). (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/publications/en/rh-pr/tech/02-132-e.html
The Balance. (2017, November 13). What type of Underlayment Should I Use When Installing Shingles? Retrieved from https://www.thebalance.com/pros-and-cons-of-asphalt-shingles-844652
Build Block. (n.d.). Why build an ICF basement with BuildBlock ICFs? Retrieved from http://buildblock.com/how-to-build-an-icf-home/basements/
Clawson, M. (2015, August 16). 8 Alternative Roof Materials to Buck the Mainstream. Houz. Retrieved from https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/52543050/list/8-alternative-roof-materials-to-buck-the-mainstream
Editor. (2012, July 4). Benefits of Compressed Earth Blocks: Interview with Dan Powell of EarthTek. Green Building Canada. Retrieved from https://greenbuildingcanada.ca/2012/benefits-compressed-earth-blocks-dan-powell-earthtek/
Evaluation of structural insulated panels for National Building Code compliance - Construction Innovation. National Research Council Canada. (2012, March 6). Retrieved from https://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/ci-ic/article/v17n1-4
Kosgrove, E., & Reynolds, M. (n.d.). How to build a slab-on-grade. Ecohome. Retrieved from http://www.ecohome.net/guide/slab-grade-technical-guide
Metal Roofing Cost vs. Asphalt Shingles: Metal Roof Prices in 2017. Roofing calc. (2017, July 5). Retrieved from https://www.roofingcalc.com/metal-roofing-cost/
Proud Green Home. (2015, July 27). 5 things you didn't know about insulated concrete form construction. Retrieved from https://www.proudgreenhome.com/news/5-things-you-didnt-know-about-insula...
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