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Designing Your Residence: Alternative Methods and Materials to Benefit You

11 December 2020

Tommy Franklin

Design elements for modern homes are critical to ensuring that you make the most of the structure you are building. The spacing, provision for utilities like water and power outlets, air conditioning and insulation rely on the attention you pay to your design. At the same time, it also helps to minimise the environmental impact of your structure. Ensure that the structure is sustainable so that utilizing it does not leave a negative imprint on the environment. Indeed, the perfect balance is only achievable if you can integrate the right methods and materials into your design. The following piece will shed more light on this:

Cold-formed Steel Framing

One way to go about green building designs is to use materials that leave a minimalist imprint on the natural environment. Steel frames can be fabricated from recycled steel, living up to the standards of environmentally-friendly construction. Cold-formed steel pieces can be made from scrap steel and combine with small amounts of oxygen in electric arc furnaces. The result is a light-weight material that can be cut into bars and beams for residential construction. Generally, the light-weight attribute allows you to use the cold-formed steel for roofing and wall panelling, among other functions. Incorporating this material into your design benefits you with low-cost, fast-rate construction and strength. Additionally, steel is a highly workable material that allows you to expand or alter your design easily.

Engineered Wood Components

The increased use of wood in residential designs is a consequence of decades of testing and improvements. Your design components should feature the latest and most sustainable products and that includes engineered wood components. These design elements will deliver excellent dimensional stability and easy construction. Examples of the popular features here include wood trusses, glue-laminated lumber, plywood parallel strand wood. When using this material, consider design variations that will optimise the strength and longevity of your wood components. For example, consider metal plate connections for your wood trusses to eliminate weakness and degradation at the wood joints.

Insulating Concrete Forms

Proper residential insulation is critical for ensuring that you can maintain ambient indoor conditions in the most affordable way. Using methods and materials like insulating concrete form to make your walls is a more beneficial design element than traditional concrete. Apart from strength and optimal heat insulation, the material also delivers durability and noise attenuation. Consider panelling spaces like bedrooms and reading sections with this material if you cannot use it for the whole structure.

For further help with residential building design, reach out to a local contractor.

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