Tiles

The tiles available on the Ugandan market are either ceramic or porcelain in nature. These two can be differentiated by the texture. Porcelain tiles are harder than ceramic ones. Balam Bifiramunda, a sales manager at RAC ceramics in Industrial Area says although both types are made out of clay, some are genuine while others are fake.

To tell a fake tile, Bifiramunda says one can scratch it to see what happens to it in the process. A genuine tile will not have scratch marks. They are also heavier than fake ones.

Bricks

It is normal for bricks to break during loading and offloading exercises on construction sites. However, a genuine block is hard to miss. Engineer Dan Wasswa Kakande, of Kawunde Construction Ltd, says genuine bricks produce a sharp sound when they are thrown down and do not easily break, depending on the falling height.

Cement

The market is flooded with cheap cement mixed with silt and clay to increase its weight. All fake cement tends to have the same colour. To check for quality, one can feel it with their fingers before pouring using it. If one detects coarse grains, that cement is a fake product. In fact, some experienced builders can easily detect expired cement by merely looking at it.

Kakande advises people to use qualified experts who are well-established in the field and have valid references.

Cement being off loaded at a building site

Iron sheets

To curb theft in roofing, the Uganda National Bureau of Standard (UNBS) regulated different iron sheet gauges, whose thickness determines their price. Therefore, the thicker the iron sheet, the better its gauge. These are 30, 28, 26, 24 and 22 respectively. Unlike fake ones, genuine iron sheets have company names and logos engraved underneath them.

Also, one can look at the guage and make sure it is corresponding with what is printed on the sheet. They also have mild off-coloration, but not shinny in nature.

Alternatively, one can just bend a tip of an iron sheet as a way of checking it because a genuine one will remain intact while fake ones crack and the colour peels off. Fake sheets fade within six months of roofing.

Plumbing materials

Bridge Ainebyona, a plumber at Kisaka Plumbers in Nakawa, says there are different types of building materials that can be used for water supply, waste management and appliances. 

To make matters worse, most pipes are made out of plastic, steel and copper respectively which makes it hard to tell a genuine pipe from a fake one. However, a qualified technician can tell them apart. Make sure you make your payment for them at a reputable hardware shop.

A seller pointing at a certain type of iron sheets in his shop

Ainebyona says most hardware shops sign contracts with suppliers, especially for fittings that come with seven to 10 years’ guarantees as proof of their products. Ainebyona adds that a genuine plumbing material can take a maximum of four years without any defect like rusting, breaking or changing colour.