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Today on Building contractor secrets, i have decided to bring this information to my readers because i know i found it in a place where most of my audience may not be able to reach. Its a post that would highlight 20 different steps that must be taken by home builders in Nigeria in order to be able to erect the best structure without fear and without making unnecessary mistakes.
20 Important Steps Involved In Building A Home In Nigeria
1. Seek advice from your Architect/Engineering on what type and size of land the can suit your dream house.
2. Look for a land speculator or agent, that will help you in getting the land that can soothes your purpose. make sure you see the land and get all necessary original document related to land before payment. you can arrange with a lawyer to help you in preparing and checking the documents to make sure you are not buying a land from the wrong person, and to avoid land with dispute.
3. You need meet with your local town planning authority in your area to make sure that land is meant for the purpose you have in mind and they can give first hand information about development pattern in that area. Land under Government acquisition will be found through this process.
4. You need to arrange with a Land surveyor to establish and draw out the site boundary, the surveyor will also put the position beacons on the boundaries.
5. The drawings of the land surveyor will be used to produce at befitting building plan for you, a set of plans building plan usually three will have to be used to seek for building plan approval.
6. Clear the site manually or mechanically(bulldozer)
7. You can now move to site, for about 2-3 bedroom bungalow at starting, get two trips of sand and a trip of gravel,
8. Locate a secured place where you can keep your bags of cement
9. Acquire a tank or drum where water can always be stored for use.
10. Buy about 1000 blocks for a starter. you can choose from five, six and nine inches block as required or suggested by your builder.
11. Setting out time, in some case bricklayers uses blocks to set out a foundation most especially when it is a small building and the ground is level, The Builder can collaborate with bricklayer to do this in a some complex plan. They will have to buy woods, ropes, nails and you have to pay for the services or based on contract or as agreed.
12. After the setting out have be done foundation excavation commences, after excavation concrete is poured on the foundation and leveled. the leveling is done by a mason to ensure uniformity of foundation
13. Brick laying begins. Blocks are laid by the bricklayers on the concrete to about three or more courses (Coaches) as required, this serving as the DPC level. It is then filled with red sand and rammed (compacted or made hard). an over-site concrete or (German floor) is poured round to cover the DPC (in waterlogged, sloppy or sandy area you may need to apply reinforcements or Iron at the edges of building and nylon-like membrane is used to cover some site especially when there is a threat of water problems).
14. At this stage blocks are laid to window base, four courses(coaches) or layers after marking out the doors, then after the four coaches(courses) you mark out the windows and go another five coaches(courses), the entire opening in the house is now ready for concrete lintel.
15. At this stage Iron benders or welders are involved, they will have to make their estimate the carpenter and the bricklayers are all going to work here the welder is responsible for cutting and bringing in the Iron, the carpenter makes the frame or form work to contain the concrete. The bricklayer with laborers pours(casts) into the boxes(form work) which are properly filled with concrete.
16. At least two or more layers of blocks are laid on the lintel after this the building is ready for roofing.
17. At this stage carpenters are contacted, the timber or steel in the case of larger projects are estimated and cost. Roofing material could be chosen from aluminum, asbestos, plastics, galvanized zinc.
18. The electrification and plumbing works can begin. You can now contact your electrician and plumber. you can ceiling simultaneously or after electrification. Your soak-away pig can now be Dug and connection of pipe services will be handled by the plumber,
19. At this stage door frames, wardrobes by furniture maker, windows and other accessories can commence
20. Tillers or terrazzo contractors can be contacted if need be. The tilling and plastering works can go on simultaneously. two to three trips of plaster sand will be needed for plastering a moderate size.
