Brick by Brick : Land to Home (part2)

  • Col Tej S Dalal (Retd.)
  • India
  • Mar 21, 2014

 

 

 

It was my long and cherished dream to build a house as per my own design, specifications, layout and furnishing. We moved into our Home before Diwali 2012.  I decided to share my experience with friends who may find it useful.

Doors/Windows: For doors, windows and frames you have a choice of  Wood, Flush or UPVC, or Aluminum. The last one is certainly the cheapest option but has its own drawbacks. It is much lighter, not very strong and does not provide  a good finish. UPVC is the latest material in the market for doors/windows, but is as expensive as Teak Wood. Popularly known as rigid PVC in western countries, it is very extensively used in the building industry there. It also has the advantage of durability and good looks, and being light weight (as compared to wood), weather proof, termite proof and resistant to chemicals, sunlight and rusting. Wood has been the traditional option for the making of doors and windows, for centuries. It comes naturally in two varieties – hard wood and soft wood - depending on its density/hardness. The common variety of soft wood is the ‘Chaap’ (Pine). Soft wood is susceptible to termite attack and the weather, will damage easily and absorbs/loses moisture fast - and is therefore not very suitable for furniture making. Most societies use soft woods for their doors, windows and frames, along with a Teak Ply covering - to give it a Teak finish. Teak Wood is preferred by those who want a good finish and have the money for the grains. The most common types in use are the Ivory Coast, Nagpur and Burma Teaks. They are hard woods, resistant to warping and insects (due to their oily contents), have distinct grains/patterns and can last really long (a century!). Don’t just go by the name of the wood -  check its properties (hardness and resistance). Rosewood, Rubber Wood, Sheesam and Meranti are also cheaper options of hardwood. In the manufactured wood category, the two most common sheets are MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) and Particle Board. They are made from wood particles, mixed with glue and bonded under high pressure. These sheets are most preferred by carpenters, because they are easy to handle, faster to work with and require minimum effort. The factors to decide on the type of wood are - strength, hardness, type of grain and cost. Nangloi in West Delhi is one of the major wood marts of North India, but even your local supplier should be explored if the quantities required are not very large. Ensure that the wood is seasoned before making your doors/windows, else you would be requiring the services of a carpenter in  all the seasons. Seasoning is the process of taking out the water from inside the veins of the wood, and can be done by stacking it in a honey-comb fashion and drying it for at least 2 to 3 months. You can also buy seasoned wood from the dealer, by paying a little extra.

 

 

The latest in the market are Ready-made Doors. They come in various sizes and designs and can be ordered as per your requirements. They can be of metal, wood, Board or PVC - and are less/not affected by the weather. You can choose from a large variety of designs and sizes. The options range from Flush Doors and Panel Doors to Metal Doors. For cheaper options, plenty of second hand doors or PVC Doors are also available in the market. A few tips before you go in for the design of the doors/windows:

(a) A normal door should not be of more than 1.5 to 1.75 inches thick - else it will become too heavy.

(b) The size of the door frame /‘chaukhat’ will also have to be broad enough to take on two doors, if you are going for wooden and mesh doors.

(c) There should be a gap of at least 2.5 inches between the mesh door and the  wooden door. Most inbuilt lock handles require this space. 

(d) Go for doors with ventilators only if you really need them. The ventilators these days are of fixed glass, and serve very little purpose - except for adding to the height, the cost of the wood and of course the length of the curtains.

(e) It has become a trend to put a door closure on mesh doors. They serve no purpose; rather, they allow flies/mosquitoes to enter the house (because of their slow movement). If you feel this option is ‘necessary’, go in for a spring door closure.

(f) If the wood is not seasoned, then chances are that your glass panes may crack/break when the window frame warps.


 

Glass: Along with the doors and windows comes the Glass you use for them. This comes broadly in three varieties:

(a) Normal Glass of varying thickness.

(b) Toughened Glass, which is approx. 5 to 7 times stronger than the normal glass and is twice the cost. It is good for window-panes and all cabins (baths/sliding doors). It comes out in small pieces when broken, just like the side windows of cars.

(c) Safety Glass, which has a thin layer of plastic film inside, with glass glued on both sides. These layers can increase, depending on your requirement. This combination makes it stronger and does not allow easy access when broken - as the glass pieces remain stuck to the film. Its most common use is for the windscreen of a car. It is suitable for windows where greater safety is required. It is 3 to 4 times more expensive than Toughened Glass - depending upon the thickness and safety layers. It is also advisable to put reflecting film on the big Glass windows, especially those getting direct sunlight. It makes a lot of difference to the room temperature and your A/C bill. Use, where possible, Glass partitions inside the house. They do the job and do not seem to occupy ‘space’. Use blinds for privacy, where required. A Glass door/window/partition with a wooden frame is much cheaper than rimless glass. Glass accessories like hinges, locks, handles and brackets cost a lot and can be avoided - by using wooden frames instead. Make sure that the mirrors you select are of a standard make; ‘cheap’ ones will start rusting and spots will appear very soon. It is better to put a distance piece or screw caps, which fits from the sides.


Flooring: The floor can be of marble, wood or tiles. Marble is the traditional material and is most commonly available, in a wide range – like Morward, Katni and Granite. Morward is white, with slight shades of gray/green, is sturdy, easily available and can cost from Rs 50 psf to 150 psf - depending upon its whiteness. It can be used in the bedrooms and washrooms. Katni comes in patterns, is slightly yellow in colour but, compared to Morward, is weak. Granite stone is tough, but its usage is restricted, due to its shade. It is generally used in the kitchen, washbasin tops, stairways or gates. Most natural stones will require layers of polishing, which adds to the overall cost. Composite Marble comes in many shades, is polished and has no cracks/veins/irregular patterns. It is more expensive (cost is almost 4 to 5 times that of Morward) and may not be available at all places. Italian Marble is very popular with high-end clients and commercial outlets. It is almost 6 to 8 times more expensive than Morward. It is very weak and requires very careful handling. It is porous when in raw form and needs filling and polishing before it can be used. Being weak, the cost of polishing, grinding and handling goes up. The life of this stone is also said to be much less than the normal marble. Stone is strong, absorbs moisture and can be polished - but will have veins and shades, since it is a natural extract. The more it is used the more polish it gets. And, if any stone breaks, it can be easily replaced. The downside is that it has limited shades, although these days artificial or composite marble is available in different shades, and with glitter added. Other stones - like the Gwalior Stone (beige colour), Bansi Pahadpur (pinkish colour), Agra Stone (red colour) and Slate (grey shade) - are used for cladding. For cladding with stones, the additional cost of clamps/fasteners has to be considered, besides the high cost of stone-laying. Tiles can be a quick, less tedious option for flooring. These come in all sizes, shades and patterns, look good when finished, do not require polishing, are comparatively easy to lay  and can be  cheaper on an overall cost basis. However, any replacement at a later date may be a problem, as the stock turnovers are fast and shades/patterns change often. Tiles wear off fast where there is greater footfall; these areas require repeated cleaning, and when some tiles wear off, the entire lot may need to be replaced. Anther option is wooden flooring. Natural wood is very expensive, and due to its quality of absorbing water, dirt and grease, its maintenance is also not cheap. Wood can cost from Rs 500 psf to Rs 2000 psf. However, Wood Laminates are commonly available in the market. They are made of composite ply(wood), with a high resolution print pasted on top and laminated. They offer a cheap and good-looking option for flooring. The cost is between Rs 60 psf to Rs 120 psf, which includes the cost of laying. They can be laid or replaced within hours. 

The rest of the construction is related to the quality of material (bricks/cement/’bazari’/steel) and the right mix, which needs to be checked from time to time. Your mere presence can be a deterrent and certainly stop pilferage. Cement quality is generally of two types - OPC (Ordinary Portland Cement) and PPC (Portland Pozolona Cement). OPC, which is also called grey cement, is more commonly used, and its finer version is RHPC - which is very  strong and hardens rapidly. White Cement is also one of the varieties of OPC. PPC is the cheaper variety, as Fly Ash is added to it. It is better at preventing cracks. Two important items the present day masons have forgotten to use are the hand held Hammer-head (‘dumchak’) - to hammer the soil before putting the tiles/marble; and the Spirit Level. Without their use you can end up with cracked/sinking floors, or floors with reverse slopes. Ensure that these are used - and properly.


 

Electric Items: These are basically of two types - the hidden and the exposed (or visible). All wires and conduits are hidden inside the walls. Make sure that the ends of the conduits are properly sealed, so that no water can seep-in from inside or outside these conduits. 

(a) Use the best type of cables and wires. It would be difficult to repair or replace these, and any overload on the cables can be a fire hazard.

(b) Plan the switches well, and beforehand. Every room should have its switch just at the entrance (and preferably with a red light indicator), so that anyone entering the room does not find it difficult to locate it. The placement of switches inside a switch box should also follow the pattern of the lights and not be set up in a haphazard manner.

(c) Have sufficient socket points for your TV, DVD, Music System, Table Lamps and Mobile Chargers. Bedside sockets should be above the height of the bedside tables. Similarly, in your Drawing /Sitting Room, place the sockets such that they do not obstruct the placement of the corner pieces and sofas. Have sufficient sockets in your Study for the Computer, Printer, CCTV and Wi-Fi connections.

(d) The Kitchen is a place where any amount of sockets will fall short. Keep points for your inbuilt cabins, Oven, RO, Geyser, Hob, Fridge, Dish Washer, Exhaust and Chimney. Plan for all the gadgets, so that you don’t keep pulling out wires every time you want to use some gadget. 

(e) Wiring for the ACs has to be done before plastering of the walls. Have the wiring & conducting, and later the sealing, done by the AC company. The water outlet pipe from the Split ACs can be connected to your waste water outlet, but make sure it is not connected to the sewage pipe - or else you will get a foul smell each time you switch on the AC. It is better to keep the power stabilizer outside, and the AC switch inside, the room.

(f) In case you go in for Solar lights, have their wiring done separately -  beforehand.

(g) Lighting for the house can be either on the ceiling (with or without a false ceiling) or wall hung, or a combination. Most fancy shades today are of Chinese origin. Nothing wrong, except that they all have screw type (big and small both) connectors and you have to cater for those CFL bulbs.

(h) While Bhagirath Place is good for your bulk purchase of cables, wires, switches and pipes, go to Lokmanya Bhawan (near Khan market) for shades. There you will get more variety and it is also comparatively cheaper. Sikanderpur in Gurgaon is also a one-stop market for all your construction-related needs.


Kitchen: Modular kitchens are not only convenient but space saving too. Within a Modular Kitchen, select as per convenience and cost. The cost  can range from a couple of lakhs to 15-16 lakhs, depending upon the size of your Kitchen, quality of the racks/pullouts and your specific requirements. It is always better to first plan your Kitchen layout - of what you want and where. In your initial market survey, have a look at the types and sizes of racks, pullouts and drawers. If budget is a constraint, it is better to have a pantry cupboard than a tall cabinet - the difference in cost can be 5 to 6 times. Similarly, the drawers that you need to open less frequently can be wooden, with channels; you may not require steel drawers (most expensive) for keeping utensils. Some of the other points you must keep in mind while planning your Kitchen are:

(a) Be selective in choosing between steel pullouts (expensive), wire racks (less expensive, but be careful of the quality) and wooden drawers (which are more economical). A combination can bring down the cost by almost 50%.

(b) Keep provision for slim tube lights underneath the top cabinets, to get more ‘working light’.

(c) To break the monotony of the look , have a few glass panels, or different coloured panels.

(d) Have plenty of electric sockets, or strips, for all your gadgets. You will always fall short of them, and it is better to have some spare – rather than set up ad-hoc arrangements later, which can be a fire risk.

(e) Remember that the inbuilt versions of an oven, microwave and dishwasher are more expensive than the normal ‘standalone’ ones.

(f) Keep at least a 37 to 38 inches ‘gap’ for your fridge to fit in.

(g) If space permits, have a small movable island in the centre, with one or two stools. 

(h) Deliberate well before opting for a Hob. They are heavy on gas and expensive, and cleaning them is always a hassle. Any spillover will go down to the drawer below the Hob. 

(i) Do not have too many bends in your chimney - it reduces its suction power.


 

Bath Fittings: The choice of bathroom fittings is again very difficult and confusing. Every brand in the market will give you the same design, but with different quality. If you go in for single lever taps/showers, then the diverter has to be fitted inside the wall - which has to be decided earlier. If the shower is big, you may need more pressure in the pipes to get the ‘effect’ - for which you may need to instal a pressure pump. When this does not work during a power failure, there will only be a trickle in the taps. Fancy faucets like flat nozzles will get clogged even with small dirt particles. Normal round taps are the best. All the taps/showers these days have concealed screws, which open with an L-key - and each type will have a different size of the key. Keep all these keys handy. Showers come with rubber fittings in the sieve, which prevents them from getting clogged/rusted. Concealed cisterns require at least 6 inches of covering and you must cater for this space while laying the WC pipe. Decide beforehand whether you want wall hung or ground WC. The distance of the WC pipe from the wall should be around 12 inches (as you have more choice in this type than in the 4 in or 9 in.). Wash basins are either table top (placed on top of the marble), under the counter (placed below the marble), stand alone with their own stems, or Vanity types (which are readymade - with the basin, cabinet/drawers, mirror and/or shelf, and give a very fancy look). Before you go in for a Vanity type, measure the space available, as they come in all sizes and shapes. A glass cabin for the Bath is advisable, as it keeps the shower water confined within its space. Ensure that the brackets and their screws are of good quality steel, or else they start rusting from day one!


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