Siding and Window Construction Basics for Lansing Michigan Houses
Author: waldemarbureau | Posted: 07.06.2012Whether you rent or own a house, a place to call your own is something to be proud of. It is likely the end result of years of hard work and determination. In case you ever wondered how houses are built, here’s a quick rundown of the house construction process.
It all starts with site preparations. The preparation crew clears the site of any obstructions (e.g. rocks and trees), levels the ground, and digs the foundations. If the site is on a slope, the concrete foundation needs a stepped form.
The house may stand on a slab, a crawl space, or a basement; of these three, slabs are easiest to build. Slabs are basically flat concrete pads that serve as barriers between the ground and the base of the house. Sewer pipes, as well as electrical wiring, are usually embedded in the slab before the concrete is poured. The house may also stand on a basement or a crawl space, usually made of bricks, that is lower than a basement but higher than a slab foundation.
The house’s foundation depends on the prevailing climate in the area, among other things. For instance, slab may not be the best material in cooler regions like Lansing, Michigan, since they turn quite cold during the winter. But if the foundation consists of a slab, the slab can already serve as the floor. Otherwise, floor framings and joists are installed.
Pieces of oriented strand board (OSB), in turn, are used to cover these. Concrete is poured over the OSBs then covered with tiles and other flooring materials to create the floor surface you see. After the floor is finished, the walls that serve as the foundation for Lansing siding are put up. Similar to the floor, OSB pieces make the wall foundation sturdier, while the siding adds even more protection to the house walls.
Once the walls are finished, wooden frames or trusses for the roofing Lansing houses need are installed next. Trusses go up quickly, are incredibly strong, and are designed to accommodate different roofing styles such as cathedral-type roofs. If these frames aren’t installed, even the simplest roof style can be incredibly difficult to put up. Asphalt, wood, and metal are among the most common roofing materials.
Now that the foundations of the house are built, the construction crew builds the Lansing windows, chimneys, porches, doors, plumbing, electrical wiring, et cetera. Voila! You now have the house you’ve worked so hard for. For more information on house construction, you can read architecture.about.com/cs/buildyourhouse/bb/beforebuild.htm.
Click here to return original format