Ways of using stones in house building

Jun 14, 2017

"Properties of natural stone make them a perfect fit for various parts of the home."

HOMES & CONSTRUCTION

Stone is rarely considered an accessory that would add style and beauty to a home or office.

Today, however, the use of stone in the enhancement of interiors is increasing. "As more and more people look to adorn unique designs in their houses, the use of stone is catching up," says Robert Bafundizeki, a civil engineer.

Builders consider convenience; strength, durability and cost-efficiency when choosing the material to use at foundation level. One builder may choose to use bricks while another will opt for hard-core stone.

I once watched a construction team filling the foundation with hard-core stones for a site near a swampy area. I later discovered that the location of this house was the founding reason for choosing hard-core stones in the foundation.

Magical stone

David Kireli a civil engineer says different stones offer distinct yet specially defined looks, from bringing out the ancient beauty of dry stacked stone in an attractive and easy way, to one exuding the beauty of the wild with textures and coarseness.

"Properties of natural stone make them a perfect fit for various parts of the home including the bathroom, living room and the kitchen. Their durability and resistance to wear and stains makes them ideal not only for decorative walling but also flooring", he says.

Decorating purposes

Rose Gitta an interior designer says the fact that stone comes in a variety of colours, ranging from black to almost white, provides one with a wide array of choices to experiment with.

They are so many other exciting colours include red, brown, dark tan, grey and cream. Additionally, stone also comes in a range of shapes and textures such as rectangular or square, smooth or rough and round or abstract.

"With luxurious stone, there is need to protect its natural beauty. This would require regular scrubbing with a wire brush to recreate its beauty or applying a coat of varnish and occasionally polishing it", she says.

 

Hard-core

Kireli says water-logged soils cannot effectively provide support for the house and, therefore, it requires a strong foundation provided by the thick wall of hard-core.

"Hard-core is also good for soils that previously had anthills since they gradually collapse inwards. Another merit hard-core has over bricks is that bricks absorb water and this weakens the foundation over time," he advises.

Kireli also says hard-core stones are impermeable to water and therefore maintain their resistance and strength. From durability to cost efficiency, hard-core stones are a much better option over bricks, in a swampy area.

Mike Nsubuga, a stone miner in Kitagobwa and dealing in hard-core, says A small truck trip of hard-core goes for sh100,000 to sh150,000 while a forward truck goes for sh180,000.

Why do builders use bricks?

Majority of Ugandan builders still choose to use bricks. Hard-core stones are heavy and come with the demerit of inconvenience.

"Most builders do not like carrying the heavy hard-core stones because they are heavy and could cause serious injuries," Kireli says

They prefer the bricks which are smaller and lighter, and make work easier.

"Other builders are so used to the bricks that they do not know how to use hard-core stones", he adds.

 

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