How to choose materials for single-family house?

Before starting, it is crucial to analyze which are the ideal building materials for a single-family house according to your particular case (or your idea).

Interior design and decoration studio Barcelona and Madrid. Luxury homes | Molins Design

Materiales para una casa unifamiliar. Villa Bera | Molins Design

It is also important to consider that learning to differentiate good materials will have an impact on the value of the house and will affect your quality of life when you live in it. With the use of these building materials, in addition to saving on heating and air conditioning costs, you will ensure that your home stays in good condition for longer.

Location and climate

The place of installation is one of the most important factors to take into account when choosing the materials for a single-family house with which we will build or renovate the single-family house. Depending on the region and the climatic characteristics it presents, the needs will be different. Thus, it is not the same to build a house by the sea than in the interior of the plateau, nor in a secluded place than in a land more exposed to weather conditions.

In warm or temperate climates we can use lighter building materials, which are usually a little cheaper. For more extreme climates, the best option is to build with heavier and more resistant materials, capable of properly protecting the interior of the house during the harshest months.

Distribution of the house

The characteristics and distribution are other factors that must be taken into account to choose well the materials that we will use for the house. The desired style of the house can also have an influence, since a house with a more modern and avant-garde appearance is not the same as another that wants to show off a more rustic and traditional design. In these cases, the architects’ and technicians’ opinions are the ones to be taken as a reference.

Budget and maintenance

It is necessary to be aware of our budget and the money we want to spend on the construction, or renovation. In this sense, concrete and bricks are very cheap compared to stone and steel.

Another of the fundamental aspects to choose materials is in its practicality. Thus, even if you have a good idea in your head, it is always advisable to make sure that the project that will finally go ahead is also easy to maintain and that it will last over time.

The most suitable materials

These are the materials that are most commonly used in the construction of single-family houses:

Bricks. For walls, partitions and ceilings. Together with concrete, they shape the structure of the house. They are a simple, strong, durable and easy to apply material. They can be made of a concrete material or clay. Their use is fully extended since it is a relatively inexpensive product.

Concrete. It is obtained from cement and is an economical and resistant material for construction projects. In addition, it has great versatility: it can be used in all parts of the house, such as structures, walls, floors and decorative elements.

Steel. Metallic materials are usually used in the structure of the house and in the external cladding. It is a more expensive material than the previous ones, but it is easy to maintain. In addition, it provides modernity and aesthetics.

Stone materials. They are those that are formed by stone. Among them we can emphasize the granite, the marble, the slate or the limestone. If we work the stone and, for example, we pulverize it, we can obtain conglomerates such as gypsum, plaster or mortar.

Organic materials. Wood and wood derivatives are organic materials, as well as those of vegetable origin, such as bamboo or cork.

Synthetic materials. Most of them are derived from petroleum. They are very resistant, but, at the same time, they are not very ecological. These include polyurethane, methacrylate, silicone and asphalt, among others.