Series-I: Analysis of Construction Materials
Purpose of the article: When we saw a classified AD that "House construction @ 1400/- per sft" (which is much less than our quotation), we wondered what kind of construction that firm is going to built (after excluding their profit share). Our phone conversation with them revealed what we have already anticipated:
- usage of low-cost and low quality materials
- shabby construction in less time without much supervision
- reduction of provisions (or) requirements, thereby reducing the cost
As there is no MRP (or) ISI standards for construction of residential/apartment unit, it is possible to build same house at cost ranging from as low as 1200/- per sft to 1600/- per sft on economical side.
- usage of low-cost and low quality materials
- shabby construction in less time without much supervision
- reduction of provisions (or) requirements, thereby reducing the cost
As there is no MRP (or) ISI standards for construction of residential/apartment unit, it is possible to build same house at cost ranging from as low as 1200/- per sft to 1600/- per sft on economical side.
MATERIALS - different grades of materials
| Material | Best & Super Deluxe | Best & Deluxe/Economical | Low-cost and Low-grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section-A: Materials contribute towards strength, durability and longevity of the building. These(like columns, slabs, foundation) can not be replaced/remodeled as part of maintenance. | |||
| Cement | - Best brands @ around 350/- + per bag | - Medium brands @ 330-340/- per bag | - Grade-C brands @ around 310/- per bag |
| Steel | - Vizag or Tata steel | - Brand which costs 4000-5000/- less per tonne | - Brands which costs 7000/- less per tonne |
| Metal (Kankara) | - Diamond shaped stones | - Flakes/flat shaped stones (costs 250/- less per unit) | |
| Sand | - Coarse(Gandra) sand is good for pillars and slab - Medium sand is good for brickwork of walls - Fine sand is good for plastering of walls | - Whatever type of sand quarry is near to the site, use it for all tapi works | |
| Bricks | - Fine material and properly burnt red clay bricks - Perfect size: 3”x4”x9” | - Irregular and soft bricks - costs 1/- less per brick | |
| Section-B: Materials contribute towards daily usage, ambiance & finishing of the building. Usage of low-grade material causes regular maintenance work and material replacement. | |||
| Electrical items (pipes, wires, switches & metal boards) | - 2mm (or) 1.8mm thickness pipes for wiring in slabs - 1mm thickness for internal wiring - Best brands and Good quality | - 1.5mm thick for slab - 1mm for internal wiring - Bunch of local brands with low quality | |
| - High price range for latest and hi-fi designs | - Medium price range for regular designs | ||
| Flooring (tiles or marbles) | - Premium quality of same batch make | - Assorted range costs less (As it mix from different batches make, all tiles does not look same) | |
| - High price range based on designs and size | - Medium price range for normal designs | ||
| Wood (polish quality) | - High price band - Balharshah teak wood (4200/- per cu.feet) | - Medium range – imported teak wood from Columbia/Ghana (2600/- per cu.feet) | - Bunch of teak wood varieties ranging around 2200/- per cu.feet |
| - Size of wood logs would be – 5x4 for main door, 4x3 for other doors - Width of door frame would be – 3’-6” or higher for main door, 3’-3” for bed room frames - Gap between window-khana – minimum 15” | - Good amount of Wood can be saved by reducing wood log size and door & window frame sizes - Reduction of log size from 5x4 to 5x3 saves 25% | ||
| Plumbing and Drainage | - Astral (or) Ashirwad make – moderately expensive | - Medium range (say Sudhakar make) | - Bunch of local brands with low quality |
| Sanitary | - High price band – in branded make fittings | - Medium price band – in branded make fittings like hindware, parryware | - Bunch of companies at low prices |
| Paints | - Cement primer & Birla Wallcare putty | - Birla Wallcare putty | - Altek putty – very less expensive |
| - High price range (say, Royal paints from Asian Paints) | - Moderate range (say, premium/tractor emulsion of Asian paints) | - Emulsion paints | |
| Paints (external) | - High price range - Birla wallcare and Apex Ultima | - Wallcare for front-side elevation - Apex Emulsion paints | - Janata white cement, followed by Ace Emulsion paints |
| Paints (Labour) | - 7 coats: 2 coats wallcare, 1 coat cement primer & 2 coats paint (in between 2 paper coats) - Higher price – one more extra coat of paint | - 5 coats: 2 coats of Altek putty, 1 coat primer+paint mix, 1 coat paint (1 paper coat) | |
Afterword: The above article is an attempt to enlighten customers (or) new home buyers about
- different standards of construction materials available in the market
- how builders/contractors mislead customers in different materials used.
The above list is a drop in the ocean compared to the all kinds of materials used in construction.
- different standards of construction materials available in the market
- how builders/contractors mislead customers in different materials used.
The above list is a drop in the ocean compared to the all kinds of materials used in construction.