A house is where people reside or dwell as a means of security and comfort from outside danger; danger in the form of weather or climate activities such as rain, snow, etc, animals or just other human beings. A house has been a safe haven for people since the beginning of time. Use the instructions below to construct your very own house.
Tools required
- A Drill or hole saw
- Glue
- Duct tape
- A Knife
Materials required
- Plumbing fixtures (pipes, threading, etc)
- Prefabricated roof trusses
- Rafters
- Lumber
- Roofing tacks
- Nails (including simples nails)
- Roofing felt (tar paper)
Instructions
- The location of the building should be decided on prior to plans of erecting a house. Areas such as the stability of the earth, climate, and community infrastructure should be researched thoroughly before an attempt is made to acquire land.
- Get a professional or architect to design a proper plan to determine the overall structure of your house, this includes its size and design both external and internal. The layout should provide details on how many rooms including bathrooms, kitchen and lounge areas, walls and windows the house will have, and any other details concerning fixtures, etc.
- If the land is in close proximity to others, survey the property to ensure that the proper property lines are drawn. Then obtain all the necessary permits for construction.
- 4. Consider and calculate all the different aspects of the construction and the professionals who will be involved in making everything work well together. These include site workers, bricklayers, carpenters, framers, electricians, plumbers, painters, flooring installers, etc.
- Arrange all the building lines such as batter boards and corner stakes at all the corners of the house foundation, this square and levels the foundation. Where the corners connect should be diagonally correct. Install the plumbing fixtures in the vent lines then lay the flooring of the house using either slab on grade or pier and joist construction.
- Lay out the lining of the house walls and then frame it. Start at the corner and mark your bottom plate to attach the anchor bolts. Identify and mark the location of the windows, doors, and interior wall corners. Use special connectors at the floor level. Use tee equipment at the wall intersections, substantial headers for openings in load-bearing walls and allow space at each rough opening for features such as windows and doors to be installed correctly.
- Install the plumbing fixtures into the walls and braces. Install sheathing and diagonally brace all the exterior wall corners with sheets of metal straps. Nail all the studs are nailed in place vertically using 2*4 inch lumber. Make sure it’s properly measured with the measuring tape and squared to the wall line.
- Lay out the marks for installing the roof trusses. Cut and install rafters and ceiling joists then install the prefabricated roof trusses in the correct locations then use hurricane clips to properly secure them. Plumb the center of each truss and support with a rat run near the peak. Using the prefabricated trusses also saves a lot of time.
- Install the gable diagonal bracing; this prevents the roof deck frame from racking when the floor deck is being installed.
- At the end of each truss or rafter nail a sub-facia board should be nailed up. Deck the trusses with lumber (1*6) and plywood. Use 15 – 30 pounds of roofing felt starting from the lower edge and going up to the center, it should overhang over the wall edges. Each layer of roof felt should overlap the other which prevents water from seeping in and creating moisture which can lead to leaks and deterioration. Use simplex nails, and roofing tacks to nail in the roofing felt properly. Choose shingles, tiles, or other materials to construct the final roofing. The roof deck structure should be secured to withstand extreme cases of weather.
- Some locations will require flashing to prevent water from getting into certain corners and edges of the structure where openings such as doors and windows are. Now set up the doors and window fixtures.
- Rough in electrical devices and install the electrical panel box and any sub-panels to the wall studs with the front edge protruding to allow the wall to be flushed as stated in your house design. Take all the wirings from the panel box to send to the electrical outlets and fixtures.
- Install the piping for the waste drains, drain vents, and potable water in the walls. Make sure the pipes are securely anchored and protected and when the walls are finished the piping ends can be capped off. Then install the air conditioning, air handles and insulate walls if it is required.
- Use drywall or sheet rock (gypsum wallboard) and tiles to install ceilings and panel the interior walls. Prepare any plumbing interface such as bathtubs, face basins, and showers. Install interior jambs for doors and windows. Then caulk, prime, and paint the board walls.
- Install lighting fixtures, kitchen cabinets, and flooring from hardwood to complete the flooring. Check that the lighting is wired properly by connecting and testing appliances. Finalize decorations and then move into your brand-new home.
Tips and Warning
- You can custom-build your roof trusses but the prefabricated ones are normally recommended because they are engineered for maximum strength.
- In most cases, you will have to work out a plan to have temporary electricity for working in your home.
- When building your house, consider installing attic exhaust, ridge vents, and fans to increase the comfort of your home. These measures help to decrease cooling costs in locations that have hot climates.
- All the aspects of the land dimension and its foundation should be carefully and thoroughly inspected before any form of construction starts.
- Make sure you have carefully calculated the budget of your housing project from start to finish to know exactly how much money will be needed to build your new home.