A History of Building Materials
By Richard Chianti
The first material we will discuss is the earth itself – in the form of rock, mud, clay, etc. Earth is the oldest and most basic building material, and obviously one of the cheapest, coming straight from the earth! Rock is one of the strongest natural materials known to man and has been used since the early cavemen, however it is very difficult to work with, very heavy and does not absorb a lot of heat but tends to stay cold. This property makes it very good for hot climates but not so good for cold climates.
Mud, clay and earth are much easier to work with and are still used all over the world today, including in developed countries in the form of adobe / rammed earth. Mud and clay are usually mixed with sand or straw to make a better composition and stronger structures. Earth has very good insulation properties, especially on thicker walls. This means they hold the heat or the cold for a very long time, so your house is easier to heat in a cold climate, losing less heat at night, while the same house in a hot climate will require much less heating as it will not heat up too much during the day and will retain some of the colder temperatures of the night. Of course bricks and tiles are the most modern use of clay, mimicking the techniques learned from building with rocks/stones. These days a lot of bricks and tiles are made artificially from concrete which is a cheaper alternative although the quality is usually not as good.
Fabric has been used since ancient times and is still very much alive today although its purposes are more limited. Most people think of traditional teepees when conjuring up images of fabric homes, while these days you will find fabric used for tents, such as camping, emergency or aid tents, or for parts of houses, for example wall partitions and awnings.
Wood is a cheap and renewable source which, unlike most building materials, actually benefits the environment as it removes carbon dioxide from the air and replaces it with life-giving oxygen. Wood is very easy to work with, very durable and wooden houses look fantastic and feel homely. As well as trees for timber, smaller plants are also used in construction, from the grass or straw mixed with clays to the thatch found on some old roofs. Smaller plants can also make good temporary shelters in survival situations.
Cement. Cement is basically a glue which is mixed with sand or gravel to form the solid material that we call concrete. It comes in powder and is “activated” by adding water. When set it is as hard as rock although larger structures can sometimes crack and break if the ground is moving or settling, so it is usually supported by metal inserts when used for construction. Inexpensive, easy to transport and use for just about any shape or size, from driveways to walls, cement is the most popular building material in the world today.
Glass serves as both a source of light and a wall, in the form of doors, windows and roofs. It is known as a fragile material, but modern glass-making techniques can make some almost unbreakable varieties which serve as security or fireproof doors. Fairly tricky to work with, difficult to transport and rather expensive, and with the exception of windows, this material is usually left to create interesting designs rather than a useful functional building material.
Richard is very passionate about building and enjoys writing articles to share his knowledge with as many people as possible. He has lived and worked in the Brisbane area for over 40 years and over this time has built up a very reliable company. There are thousands of builders in Australia today but Brisbane Extensions prides itself on employing only the very best, fully qualified builders to transform your home.
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