Materials for building a home

Foundations are usually reinforced concrete made from cement, sand and coarse aggregate, cast around steel reinforcement. A plinth beam ties the columns together just above ground level.

Columns and beams are reinforced with steel bars (rebar) tied into cages, then filled with concrete. The grade and diameter of steel are chosen by the structural engineer.

Slabs are cast on site with a mesh of reinforcement steel. Their top surface later receives screed, waterproofing or flooring.

Walls are built from clay bricks, fly-ash bricks or concrete / AAC blocks, laid in cement mortar and finished with plaster.

Door and window frames are fixed into the masonry, then fitted with shutters, hinges, handles and locks.

Roofs are protected with waterproof coatings or membranes, laid to slope towards rainwater outlets.

An overhead tank on the roof supplies taps and showers below. It is filled from the municipal line or a sump using a pump.

A down-take pipe from the tank branches at each floor to bathrooms and the kitchen, with valves to isolate each line.

Soil, waste and rainwater pipes run down the building and discharge into inspection chambers connected to the sewer or septic system.

Inspection chambers allow access to the drainage system for cleaning and inspection.