The basic structural elements of a home are the foundation, floors, walls, beams, columns, roof, stairs, etc. They serve the purpose of supporting, enclosing, and protecting the building structure of your home.
If you are looking for a trusted Chula Vista home remodeling contractor, then you should contact Done Right Remodeling & Design. Now, let us understand the structural components of a home.
- Roof
The roof is the topmost component of a building structure. It covers the entire house and protects it from all the harsh weather conditions like snow, rain, hail storms, and harsh sun rays. Roofs can be either flat or sloped in shape depending on the location and weather conditions of the area.
- Parapet
Parapets are short walls extended above the roof slab. If you are building a flat roof, then you will have to build parapets. It serves as a safety wall for people using the roof.
- Lintels
Lintels are structures constructed above the wall openings like doors, windows, etc. These structures give support to the weight of the wall that comes over the opening. Usually, lintels are formed by reinforced cement concrete. Lintels can be constructed either from concrete or from bricks in residential buildings.
- Beams and slabs
Beams and slabs are the structures built horizontally in a building. The top slab works as the roof for a single-story building. On the other hand, in a multi-story building, the beam transfers the load coming from the floor above the slab which is further transferred to the columns. Beams and slabs are made of reinforced cement concrete.
- Columns
Columns are constructed vertically above the ground level. These can be of two types: Architectural columns and structural columns. Architectural columns are made to improve the aesthetics of your building; whereas a structural column takes the load coming from the slab above and transfers the load safely to the foundation.
- Damp Proof Course
DPC is a type of waterproofing material that is layered on the basement level to prevent the rise of surface water into the walls. The walls are constructed over the DPC.
- Walls
Walls are constructed vertically and they give support to your roof. Walls are constructed from stones, bricks, concrete blocks, etc. They provide an enclosure and protect your house against harsh weather conditions like wind, sunshine, rain, etc. Usually, openings are constructed in the walls to facilitate ventilation and access to the building.
- Floors
The floor is the surface constructed on the plinth level. You can use various materials for flooring such as tiles, granites, marble, concrete, etc. Before flooring, you have to level the ground and make it compact for proper installation.
- Stairs
A stair connects to the different floors in a building structure. Basically, a stair is a sequence of steps, and the space occupied by a stair is called the stairway. Stairs can be of different types such as wooden stairs, R.C.C stairs, etc.
- Plinth Beam
A plinth beam, a beam structure is constructed either at or above the ground level to support the load of the wall coming over it.
- Plinth
The plinth is made above the ground level; which is basically a cement-mortar layer lying between the substructure and the superstructure.
- Foundation
The Foundation helps distribute the load from the superstructure to the underlying soil uniformly. This is the first structural unit to be constructed for any building structure. A good foundation helps prevent the settlement of the building.
Conclusion:
A home becomes structurally strong when you focus on strengthening its structural elements of it. You should build a strong foundation that will help protect your entire house. Focus on walls and roofing that will help protect your home and give it an enclosure.
We recommend you hire a trusted general contractor while building your home so that they can build a strong foundation and focus on other structural elements of your home.
