Structure | BUILD Version | Page 36

Structure

Many elements of structure make up the home, including doors, floors, walls, roofs, foundations and windows. This handy guide helps explain all these elements and more.

Wood cladding and moulding

Wood has many uses on internal walls, but is perhaps most commonly used for decorative purposes like mouldings and frames. What are wood-clad interiors and...

Mortar

Mortar is the material used to hold bricks together. There are a number of variations in mortar that are worth knowing about.   Mortar is used...

Bricks

Bricks serve a different purpose as internal walls than they do as external walls, and have good insulative properties.   What are bricks? Bricks are rigid blocks,...

Plasterboard

Plasterboard is by far the most common interior wall surface in Australia, thanks to its tremendous versatility and low cost. What is plasterboard? Plasterboard is a...

Cob homes

Cob walls are typically quite roughly built, but do offer some advantages over many of the more sophisticated choices. What is cob? Like mud brick and...
Mud brick and adobe

Mud brick and adobe

Mud brick and adobe are two other types of wall materials that are making a resurgence as alternative building materials. What is mud brick or...

Plastic cladding/vinyl cladding

Plastic or vinyl cladding is often made to imitate weatherboards, and is a relatively cheap and durable alternative. What is vinyl cladding? Vinyl (or plastic, or...

Weatherboard/wood cladding

Weatherboard is very common in older Australian homes. It is easy to maintain, and relatively cost-efficient to buy and install. What is weatherboard or wood...

Stone cladding

Stone cladding, in addition to the many attractive finishes it offers, is very resilient and durable, and only requires very basic maintenance.   Stone cladding can...

Metal cladding

Metal cladding is strong and weather resistant, and offers a very wide range of decorative and design choices for a home's exterior.   Metal cladding can...