It is believed that architecture was born almost ten thousand years ago, right after the Ice Age ended when man started looking for ways to build more permanent structures. Anything beats living in caves!
This signaled a fundamental shift where the nomadic lifestyle was left behind for small clusters of societies and villages in places where food and water was available in abundance. Mankind's quest for powerful materials to build societies, structures, and cities is a continuing one. Updating of the interior and exterior of older buildings is well under way by reputable general contractors and home remodeling firms for better efficiency.
Let's take a look at five ever-lasting building materials that modern humans are still using after all these years.
Wood
Wood can not only be used as a primary building material, but also in conjunction with other materials. At the time of redecorating your house, it can be used for many purposes range from decoration to actual structures such as decks as well as wood floors that give a home instant appeal. It is also often used for supporting purposes. It is easy to cut into length, lighter than stone, and once you season it to remove any moisture from it, it is durable and strong.
There are some disadvantages of using wood though such as decay, moisture, termites, and sometimes fire. Inspite of all these disadvantages, wood continues to be one of the most used building materials in the world. The oldest building made out of wood is in Japan, which is the Horyu-ji Temple, which was built in the 8th century.
Brick
Clay is used to manufacture bricks which have been used extensively in many ancient structures like The Great Wall of China. Bricks are tough, fire resistant, weather resistant, and easy to manufacture for remodeling or new construction of homes. They are also very convenient to work with. This building material can be easily manufactured in even and uniform shapes which makes working with bricks simple.
Not only homes built with bricks appear beautiful and vintage, but they also stand the test of time. Brick is a solution but remember to discuss your options with the general contractor you hire for your specific job. They should be able to guide you based on requirements and the structure of your home.
Stone
Stone is one of the most prolific building materials known to humankind and it is still used in construction of new buildings, usually for esthetic purpose. The problem with using stones to build a home is that stones are extremely heavy which makes it difficult to move around, and they have limitations when it comes to stress and tension.
Unlike bricks that require mortar to keep the bricks in place when it comes to stacking, stones can support heavy vertical loads without the need for mortar. If resources are available to excavate stones in large numbers and cut them in precise shapes, using stone as a construction material is very sensible.
Stone is fire resistant, weather resistant, and even resists deformation. Some of the most extraordinary structures in the world have been constructed using stones. They are also widely used for decoration. Steel and concrete have dethroned stone though which is still used though for its aesthetic and vintage values.
Concrete
Concrete is made by mixing stone and sand mixed with binder and water. The resulting mixture is then left to dry.
Concrete is usually made on the spot and can be given any shape and form which makes it an ideal replacement for stones and wood. Reinforced concrete was discovered in the 18th century which increased its tensile strength. Used by all remodeling contractors in the USA and areas around the world, rebar reinforcement helps make concrete usable for beams, walls, frames, slabs, foundations, and more.
It is now used to support huge structures made of steel rods and frames. Concrete is used to embed steel frames and rods. In order to increase concrete's water repelling characteristic and reduce its ability to contract and expand, pre-cast concrete is manufactured under extremely controlled environments.
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Gabby_Gilady/2366076