Chapter 8: House Construction Brittany Hendershot & Brice Elliott

The Foundation and Frame The Foundation and frame is the basic structure of the house. Without the basic structure it won’t be a house. If you think that the foundation and frame aren’t strong enough you can inspect it your self and have it repaired if it needs it. When your building a house you can be able to observe the construction and make sure it is done correctly.

Foundation There are three basic foundations. Houses can be constructed with a basement, crawl space with a pier foundation, or slab on grade foundation. The foundation also consists of foundation walls and the footing. At the very bottom of the foundation is called the footing. Footings are usually made of concrete. Concrete is a hard building material made by combining cement, sand, and gravel with water.

The footings must be reinforced for added strength with a system of horizontal steel rods, called rebar. Concrete and steel should be strong enough to support the rest of the foundation and the house it will support. Footings need to be the correct width and thickness to support the weight of the foundation and house. The foundation walls support the load of the house between the footing and the floor.

Frame The frame of the house is the skeleton around which the rest of the house is built. It consists of joists, studs, and rafters fastened together to support the house and its contents.

Materials used For Exterior Construction Vinyl or aluminum siding- Vinyl siding is made from plastic materials formed and molded into the desired shape and width. Cement Fiber Siding- fiber cement siding is made from Portland cement mixed with ground sand, cellulose fiber, and other additives. Masonite Siding- Masonite boards are synthetically constructed from a mixture of wood fibers, wax, and other resins. Stucco- stucco is made of cement is combined with water and inert materials such as sand and lime.

Stucco Types of sidings Cement fiber Masonite Vinyl or aluminum Stucco Types of sidings Cement fiber Masonite

Wood Siding Wood Shakes or Shingles - Wood shingles resemble the scales on a fish in that they are nailed to the exterior of the building or roof in staggered rows designed to repel water. Shakes or shingles were first manufactured by felling trees on the property where the house stood and shaping them with a wooden mallet Clapboard - Clapboard is another type of wood siding that is quite old. In the beginning, this siding was cut by hand. By cutting radially into the wood, or riving, you could produce many clapboards out of a single tree trunk. Lap Siding - Within lap siding, there are different styles: beveled lap siding, rusticated lap siding, and drop siding. Beveled lap siding is made of boards that are 1-inch think and can be 6-to-9-inches wide. Board and Batten – Board and Batten is a type of wood siding that originated in Sweden and Norway.

Wood shakes or shingles Clapboard Lap siding Board and batten

Manufactured Siting Manufactured Siting is a cheaper siting will last you a few years you should go with the plastic siting.

Masonry Siding Brick siding is one of the most popular masonry siding materials. A variety of shades and colors are available. It is a natural product, made of clay and/or shale.

Roofing Materials Metal Shingles Wood Tile Rubber bond Tar Solar panels

Windows and Doors Windows Arch windows Picture windows Double Hung windows Doors Sliding Doors Wood doors Steel doors

Windows

Doors

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