You can build your house in just three weeks

Jul 13, 2007

BUILDING a house is a daunting task that not only rakes away millions of shillings above the calculated cost, but also drags over several months. However, Roofings Limited, a local manufacturer of steel products, has introduced a new method of putting up houses instantly and for only 50% of the ordi

By Titus Serunjogi

BUILDING a house is a daunting task that not only rakes away millions of shillings above the calculated cost, but also drags over several months. However, Roofings Limited, a local manufacturer of steel products, has introduced a new method of putting up houses instantly and for only 50% of the ordinary cost.

Stuart Mwesigwa, the development manager, says Instant Quick Build is a new method that allows people to shop for prefabricated steel houses off the shelf. The house is simply screwed onto a cemented slab and that is done.

“The house parts are prefabricated at our factory. Anyone can have a house ready for use within less than three weeks,” he says.

An instant building can have a living room, kitchen, master bedroom, guest wing, lavatories and a home office or workshop.

And it is so beautiful that no one except the homeowner will know that it is made of steel. The house has the same look as any other ordinary house. In fact, some steel houses have been fabricated to look like wood, shingles or stucco!

Besides, the developer can add any kind of finishing, be it a marble floor, a tiled roof, glass louvers, a skirting of half-bricks or ceiling boards and chandeliers.

Steel lasts forever. And with all its architectural flexibility, and the dramatic price advantage over other materials, there is no better choice in residential construction, but steel!

Building a house has always been an enormous financial investment. But with prefabricated steel houses, even those people who are on a tight budget can afford a roof over their heads.

Erecting the building only needs minimal guidance from the manufacturer. For the less sophisticated models, all it takes is to simply bolt the pre-fabricated frame to your slab, screw on the pre-finished roof and wall sheets, attach doors, windows, trim and it is all done.

Little wonder that many local organisations have caught the allure of the prefabricated steel buildings.

Roofings is so far the only local company selling prefabricated steel houses and the company has erected structures at the Mildmay Centre, Catholic Relief Services, Mengo Hospital, Reach Out and also exported several units to Sudan and Rwanda.

Mwesigwa said for a two-bedroom house, one would need to part with between $5,000 and $6,000 (sh8.2m and sh10m) to have it contructed.

Worldwide, prefabricated steel structures are called “buildings of the future” and they carry a much lower insurance premium than traditional houses. Never in history, except on the September 11, 2001 (the bombing of the American twin towers) has a steel building collapsed due to fire.

Steel conducts lightening to the ground, reducing the likelihood of explosions, secondary fires or human injury. And should a fire break out within the instant quick building, the steel frame will contain it from spreading.

Unlike wood, steel will not be infested by termites. It is also indestructible to climate. That also means that prefabricated houses provide a healthy living environment, while requiring minimum maintenance.

However, Deus Lwalinda, a civil engineer, says: “Most people who buy prefabricated house parts are those who suddenly need to make expansions on their homes and they do not want to go through the tiresome process of building brick-houses again.”

There is a widespread belief that metallic houses always get unbearably hot, especially during the day and very cold during the night. However, the latest prefabricated houses come with a double roof that reflects the radiant sun rays and generates natural air currents that passively cool the building.

Besides, the steel frames also come with thick insulating paint that will keep the heat in the night.

Since steel is a strong building material that will cope with adjustments such as the creation of new doors or the shifting of windows to new locations, it can accommodate different architectural plans.

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