Non-wood Construction Materials

Non-wood Construction Materials

Part 1

What comes to mind when you think about what a house is made up of?

Construction Materials

• Wood

• Concrete/masonry

• Metal

• Fiberglass

• Plastic

• Glass

• Gypsum

Structural Steel

Typically used as a load-bearing beam.

A more modern design would be a LVL.(laminated veneer lumber)

Steel

• Reinforcement (rebar)

• Framing studs (wood alternative)

• Ceiling joists/webbing (wood alternative)

• Why use steel vs. wood?

Fiberglass

• Insulation

• Shower/tub liner

• Roofing

Insulation

• Insulation is used to inhibit thermal or sound transmission.

• Available as loose fill, flexible, rigid, and foamed-in-place

• Insulation can also be made from cellulose, wool, recycled denim

• Besides the exterior, what other walls in a house would be insulated?

R-Value

• Insulation is rated by it's "r-value"

• R-value is a value that represents the ability of a material to resist heat flow.

• The higher the number, the higher the resistance.

Fireproofing and Firestopping (insulation)

• Fireproofing is the process of apply a fire-resistant coating to components such as columbs, beams, and decks.

• Fire-stopping is the process of installing a "fire caulk" or another method in all penetrations between floors. This reestablishes the integrity of fire rated materials.

Plastic-Laminates

• Countertops

• Panels for wall coverings

• Flooring

• What makes laminate an excellent material?

Plastic-exterior finishes

• Vinyl siding

• Window trims

Plastic pipe and fittings

• Plumbing PVC

• Electrical PVC

Miscellaneous Plastic Materials

• Housewrap

• Vapor barriors

Insulating glass

• Window made with two pieces of sheet glass that are separated by a sealed air space.

• Low emittance (low-E) coating is a metal or metallic oxide coating that reduces the passage of heat and UV rays.

• Argon or krypton gas may be used to fill the air space to also reduce the heat from one pane of glass to the other.

Gypsum Board

• Gypsum is a soft mineral used as the core for gypsum board.

• Gypsum board has fire-resistant gypsuim core encased with heavy paper on both sides.

• Gypsum board is fastened to wood or metal framing members using screws countersunk to allow "mud" to cover up the head of the screw.