Lightweight Construction is the terminology used to describe a variety of new building products and techniques. In an effort to save time, money, and the environment, but not sacrifice safety and security, many different lightweight building materials have been developed.
Lightweight housing is a way to reduce the carbon footprint, save cost, build quickly and own a durable home with a high resale value. In the long term, lightweight homes that are built in sustainable, energy efficient ways will help the planet.
Lightweight homes can be designed in such as way that they are open and airy in warm temperatures, but also insulated enough to be warm in cool temperatures. With lightweight construction materials, builders can design thinner walls, which in turn will allow for a large living space inside the home. Buildings built without extensive brick work can be built in a fraction of the time of traditional buildings. Most lightweight construction materials can be installed even in poor weather, whereas many concrete products cannot be installed in wet or extremely cold weather.
Many of the new products that have been developed require less maintenance than traditional building materials. This offers both a time, and cost savings in the long term. For instance, some new materials never require painting.
If you are building a home to sell, or think you may want to move in the future, building a home from lightweight construction may increase your resale value. Since you will have paid less to construct the house in the first place, you won’t have as much money tied up in it. If your home is built to maximize energy savings, it will cost you less to live in, and will be a sale feature for any new owners since you can show them your reduced energy costs.
While there can be concerns related to the fire safety of some lightweight building materials, some are considered completely fire retardant and are great for use in areas that deal with a regular risk of brush or forest fires.
Lightweight construction options allow for cost savings by reducing the total weight of the building. This means that the building can be engineered to withstand many different stresses on a smaller foundation.
At the present time, lightweight construction materials may cost more to purchase, but the material cost is usually offset by savings elsewhere. Lightweight construction is usually cheaper to transport. Since the materials weigh less, they can be transported easier and quicker. It will take less trucks to bring all the necessary materials and less heavy equipment to unload them. This will result in significant labor savings. Installing lightweight materials may also cost less since it can be done more quickly with less laborers.
Lightweight Construction could be the best way to reduce cost, and increase the quality of new buildings. With the many new materials on the market, buildings can now be built much more efficiently. The future is here with lightweight construction.