Plastering
It is pretty standard for wall plasters to have ugly cracks or spoilt interior/exterior finishes. Here are some ways to avoid it.
- Plaster surfaces can crack and even disintegrate from a lack of adhesion.
- The surface preparation is crucial for adhesion. Surface preparation is essential to ensure adhesion.
- For plastering, lean mixes are preferable as they tend to crack more than weaker or more prosperous combinations.
- Plastering should usually be done in two coats, with enough time between each coat.
Compacting
Concrete that is well-made can go to waste if it’s not correctly compacted and cured. Here are some tips for compacting concrete:
- Air voids can cause poor compaction, which in turn reduces strength and durability.
- Over compaction can lead to cement paste moving upwards and segregation. This makes it weak.
- Concrete that is more densely packed with ingredients can be achieved through adequate compaction.
- It is important to start treatment early and continue for a long time so that the skin doesn’t crack.
- Intermittent curing is dangerous and should be avoided.
Reinforcement bars
RCC is incomplete without reinforcement bars. It is important to use the correct steel to prevent cracking and even complete destruction of RCC members.
- Make sure to procure steel from a trusted manufacturer.
- Ineffective reinforcement bars that are not properly positioned can lead to the failure of RCC components.
- When joining the bars, it is important to maintain a proper lap length and to have the laps staggered.
- Make sure there are no obstructions of reinforcement bars, and that concrete covers the bars.
Centering and formwork
Inadequate or unstable formwork and centering can lead to injury/loss of lives, as well as material loss. Here are some tips for centering and formwork:
- The concrete should be strong enough that it can hold its new center until it sets.
- Props should be adequately braced to support centering at specific intervals in order to ensure stability.
- To prevent slurry from leaking between the centering sheets, gaps should be sealed. This will avoid honey combed concrete.
Masonry Walls/Brick Work
If the walls of your house are weak and not sturdy, it will not be safe. These are some tips to follow:
- Bricks/blocks must be laid on a complete mortar bed.
- You should fill the joints completely and pack them with mortar.
- Vertical joints should not be arranged in a straight line.
- To make brick work strong, it should be well cured.
Aggregates
Inadequate aggregates can lead to inferior concrete, which will affect the structure’s durability. These are some useful tips to remember:
- Aggregates must be strong, hardy, chemically inert, and free of harmful substances.
- Concrete strength can be reduced if flaky or elongated aggregates/jelly is present in excessive quantities.
- Preferable over all other types are rough-textured and cubical aggregates.
- Sand should not contain silt, clay lumps or mica.
- The setting, hardening, and strength of concrete is affected if any aggregates are present in excess.
Cement Storage
Cement is very sensitive to moisture. Cement becomes hard when exposed to moisture. Here are some ways cement should be stored
- Water-proof buildings or sheds should be used to store cement.
- Cement bags can be used for temporary storage on site. They should be placed on a raised platform covered with tarpaulins/polythene sheet.
Anti-termite treatment
Termite infestations can cause damage to wooden surfaces and weaken structures. Before construction starts, you should start anti-termite treatment. This is what you need to know in order to protect your home from termites.
- You should treat the soil surrounding the foundation up to the plinth with the appropriate chemicals.
- The chemical barrier must be continuous and complete.
- You can treat the site before, during, and after construction.
- It is important to ensure that chemicals don’t contaminate domestic water supplies.
Marking and Excavating the Foundation
- Make sure that foundations are appropriately marked for new walls. This will ensure that they are in the correct size and position to support the wall’s weight.
- Get the engineer’s layout plan/centre line drawing and determine the centre line for the longest outer wall as a reference between the pegs in the ground.
- All trench excavation lines should be marked in relation to the centre lines of walls.
- You must ensure that excavations are accurate to the level, slope, form, and pattern.
- Watering and ramming will help to consolidate the excavation. Concrete should be used to fill in any weak or soft spots.
- To avoid the sides collapsing, brace the excavation sides with tight shoring work in deep excavations.
Foundation
Poor foundations can cause your entire building to collapse or sink. These are some tips to help ensure a solid foundation.
- Foundations should be placed on solid soil.
- To prevent soil from collapsing, it is important to support excavation sides if the soil is too loose or if there is more depth.
- The foundation area should be large enough to transfer the load to the ground safely.
- The soil’s load capacity determines the area that will be used for the foundation. Before excavation, it is important to mark where and how big the foundation will be.