Savings on construction. How to build a house inexpensively - reasonable savings at every stage of construction How to save on roofing a house
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If you dream of a luxurious house outside the city, but do not have the funds to build it, we will tell you how and what you can save on by building the house of your dreams.
One of the most important rules for saving in construction is not to buy the cheapest materials and not to hire cheap labor. After all, you certainly won’t be able to save money that way. Because what can you take from cheap raw materials and workers working for a minimum wage? wages? In this way, you will end up spending more than you can save.
Architectural features
In order to save, you need to consider not only the cost of materials.
Another important point is the layout of your home:
- there must be a house rectangular shape, without unnecessary expensive elements;
- savings on stairs and other decorative details. Your house should be one story;
- standard roof. It should not have a complex design. Also, it should not have windows, which will definitely increase the amount of your expenses;
- standard windows. The shape of the windows is not the most important component in creating a cozy and bright home. Rectangular double-hung windows are just what you need for your country house.
You can save a lot on these details without limiting yourself in the comfort of your future hearth. The simpler the details in the layout of your home, the lower the costs and the faster the process of building the planned project.
5 economical options for building a house
House on screw stilts
This foundation can be made in a few days very simply and without premature preparation of the construction site. The pile is screwed into the soil to a certain depth and after installation, the crown is placed and they continue to build a house that will not have a basement. This technology guarantees excellent underground ventilation. Also, piles are indispensable when building an extension. Also, technology using piles is found as a budget option for building houses, because once the building is built, this material will serve you for a very long time, and if you want to dismantle them, they can be easily unscrewed, without unnecessary problems.
House made of sip panels
This technology is used quite often in the construction of buildings, because the material is not expensive and is very suitable for building houses for the winter period. This raw material consists of two slabs of wood, between them there is a layer of high-quality insulation. Also, technology allows you to build a house in a short period of time, without having almost any skills or knowledge. Some construction companies offer to go through school in this specialization and participate in the construction of buildings independently.
Insulated plaster facade
This method used in construction helps to give an old, cracked building a solid appearance. This technology is not very expensive, but when used, the value of the house can be increased by a considerable amount. An insulated plaster facade can not only hide imperfections, but also perfectly insulate the house, closing all the small cracks in the walls of the home. Using this method of construction, you can also take courses and equip your home yourself, saving quite a bit of money.
Permanent formwork
This method of construction is not difficult to implement. You don’t need to hire specialists or a team of craftsmen to get the job done; you can master it yourself this method no problem, you just need to get a little information by reading articles and advice on the Internet. Using technology permanent formwork, you will stand a reliable and warm house, because the monolithic reinforced concrete walls are strong and safe, and two layers of polystyrene foam insulation will not allow you to freeze even in the coldest weather.
Lightweight concrete
This material is not an expensive, but high-quality way to build your country house. Also, this raw material is fireproof and resistant to external influences, it has thermal insulation properties. Buildings over 10 meters can be built from foam concrete, as this type of material is very durable. When building a house, the blocks are placed on a special glue, thanks to which the heat in the house will be retained for a long time, because the glue seam will cover all the cracks and small cracks between the blocks.
This article offers the most budget-friendly options for materials for building construction. And also revealed not significant, but especially important points in creating a project for your home, thanks to which you can save a lot. To live well, you don't have to build big houses. Even the smallest house can be comfortable and warm. The main thing is simple, but tasteful!
Surely the thought “What can you save on when building a house?” visited everyone who decided to build on their own. This is not surprising, since the desire to save money when building a house is often forced. Especially when you consider how much wages do not keep up with rising prices for literally all materials and services. So our fellow citizens begin to look for “specialists with experience” on the Internet and offline in order to get advice, learn professional secrets, and study the pitfalls of certain methods.
About what economical construction is and how to build good house without unnecessary expenses and regrets in the future, we will tell you in this article.
How to save money on building a house so that it won’t be excruciatingly painful later
And let me immediately clarify our position: we are for reasonable savings on construction. We are convinced that any solution described in this article can be implemented a little differently and cheaper. However, our goal is to provide recommendations that have already been tested in practice, as well as the most complete and accurate information for consideration. So that the reader can understand the logic and expediency of each step, and get the predicted result. A result for which you will not be ashamed and which will not require even greater expenses in the future.
Step 1: site selection
When choosing land for your dream home, it is difficult to resist the temptation to buy a plot outside the city. The advantages of such a solution immediately begin to appear in your head: good ecology, beautiful nature, PRICE (especially the price!). Yes, the cost of a comparable plot of land within the city will always be significantly more expensive. But, as always, the low price is just hidden disadvantages. Let's prove it with an example.
An inexpensive suburban plot will require significantly more costs than a city plot. This includes:
- laying a gas pipeline;
- connection to the electrical network;
- laying water supply and sewerage or drilling wells.
And each type of work will require collecting a package of documents, going through authorities, long waits and new expenses.
Sometimes, choosing a site in cottage village, the buyer hears from developers that gas/electricity/water “will be available soon.” Moreover, the closer the deadline for the promised connection, the higher the cost of the site.
It’s up to you to decide whether to save money on a plot without communications and whether to believe the promises of developers. But if you have chosen a particular cottage community, we recommend that you clarify what kind of work is planned by the developers, are there any positive decisions from the relevant authorities (for example, on gasification), and what exactly are you being offered to pay extra for (for poles, electrical wires, pipes)?
In general, construction costs outside the city will increase by at least 10% due to the laying of communications.
What else should you pay attention to when choosing a site:
- the need to carry out cleaning or leveling work (garbage removal, delivery of sand, crushed stone);
- for the presence/absence of geological defects. This point is very important, since the defects themselves practically do not affect the price of the site, but will require significant costs to eliminate (for example, drying out wetland).
So, when choosing a site, you can save on construction:
- On conducting communications;
- On the cost of delivery of equipment and building materials;
- Select a site without defects - elevated, level and dry.
Step 2: conducting geological surveys
Geological surveys are pre-design work to determine the level of groundwater, composition, mobility and bearing capacity of soils. Today, such research costs 30,000 - 50,000 rubles. It is noticeable, but the money spent will guarantee that in the future you will not spend several times a large amount to eliminate defects that arose because you decided to save on geological surveys. Thus, by overpaying up to 50,000 rubles, you save a significantly larger amount. This is a kind of insurance.
We will list what can happen if you decide to save on this item:
- frame house or a structure made of timber will “lead”;
- a brick or block house will crack. Moreover, cracks are not uncommon both in the plaster and in the walls and foundation;
- partial or complete collapse of structures may occur;
- due to high groundwater, the premises will become damp, and the basement and ground floor- flooded.
If you spend money on geological surveys, you will save:
- on building materials, building a house that is resistant to the negative consequences described above;
- on the repairs that the house will require if you underestimate the negative factors.
Step 3: choose the right time to obtain permits
By planning economical construction wisely, you can even save on obtaining permits. Not everyone knows that you can make any changes to the project for free if you do this before the start of detailed design. Therefore, it is necessary to obtain a building permit before construction begins.
- On making every change to the project;
- On the legalization of each alteration after completion of construction.
Step 4: saving on the project
House project and engineering systems you will need it anyway. But in order to minimize the costs of purchasing it and making changes, we recommend that you clearly define:
- do you need a house for seasonal or permanent residence;
- number of storeys of the house;
- Do you agree to use the attic or attic as the second floor, because this way you won’t need to build walls;
- Do you want a unique project or agree to choose a standard one? The fact is that individual design is a rather expensive service. And even if you find standard version, it will be much cheaper to simply make changes to it according to your wishes than to pay for the project from scratch.
It is also common practice to buy a project together. There are many specialized sites on the Internet for this purpose.
You have already been able to save on construction:
- If you clearly understand what kind of house you want to build and for what purposes;
- On the project, if you buy it together;
- On making changes and restructuring, if you find a project that more fully meets your wishes.
Step 5: save on building materials
Perhaps saving on the purchase of building materials is the most difficult stage. After all, it will require a lot of time for calculations, purchases and control. But on each item you can save up to 50 percent of its cost!
You can save on construction if:
- you will buy building materials directly from the manufacturer;
- you will be able to convince sellers that you are not a simple buyer, but a foreman or another wholesaler (in this case, you can count on a significant discount);
- plan a purchase during the sales season (for example, before the New Year);
- you will use trusses rather than a rafter frame to make the roof structure (in this case, you may need 2 times less materials).
Finally, one of the most effective ways to save money is to use composite materials wherever possible. In particular, composite reinforcement, which is cheaper, lighter and stronger than traditional metal.
Composite reinforcement was first introduced back in the 70s of the twentieth century. It surprised specialists with its characteristics and capabilities, but due to high cost failed to interest the mass buyer. However, manufacturers saw the promise of the “composite”, so they did not stop working to reduce the cost of the production technology of this material.
They succeeded, and today the construction market is experiencing a real boom in fiberglass, carbon fiber and basalt reinforcement. This is not surprising, because it is 2 times stronger than metal analogues. This means that it will be possible to use a “composite” with a diameter that is 2 times smaller.
Another advantage of this modern material is its lower density, which makes the reinforcement tens of times lighter.
Finally, by choosing fiberglass, you can save up to 50% on rebar costs. In general, it will save several percent on construction. And it will even be possible to bring such reinforcement to the site a passenger car.
And remember: you need to take into account the cost of materials along with delivery, since often the seller more than compensates for the cheapness of raw materials with expensive delivery. And if you find a seller whose warehouse is located close to the construction site, you will also save on freight transportation.
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Step 6: saving on the foundation
This point has something in common with the point about geological surveys. If you clearly understand the degree of impact of negative geological factors, then you will not need to play it safe and build an overly thick and overly strong foundation.
Step 7: save on labor costs
First, you need to decide whether to hire a small team of builders or a specialized company. A team will cost less, but will require much more time for control.
Second: any work must be performed in accordance with the contract. This way you will protect yourself from unfulfilled obligations by builders or poorly performed work.
Finally, you need to pay for the work only after it is completed. This way, quality can be assessed, and builders will be more motivated to complete what they started as soon as possible.
And once again about control. You will have to control literally everything: the pace of work, its quality, the rate of material consumption.
Save time
It's true what they say: time is money. Postponement of the next stage “to spring” and any other delay in work will certainly entail additional costs. Either you will have to bring materials, equipment and builders again, or you will have to correct defects that appeared in the open air during the winter.
You will save money if you start construction with a sufficient amount of money.
Step 8: save on heating
Making your home energy efficient is very important. Yes, initially it may cost a little more than traditional options, but the difference in price will quickly pay off and real savings will come.
You will save if:
- reduce the thickness of the seam between building blocks– savings both on the solution and, subsequently, on heating;
- choose the right material for the walls;
- you will use more insulation;
- use thermal panels as finishing;
- install solar panels, a thermal boiler, an automatic heating control system and energy saving. When choosing these systems, we recommend that you follow the rule of the golden mean - take not the most expensive and not the cheapest.
Unfortunately, our summers are hot and our winters are too cold, so the issue of cooling/heating a house is one of the most pressing. And the right approach will allow you to save practically in the future all year round.
Finally, let us give you a few more simple but proven effective tips:
- be sure to keep contracts and receipts for all purchased building materials and equipment - in the event of a defect or failure, you will be protected from additional costs for repairs or replacement;
- strive to be rational - think over every purchase many times. Ask yourself questions: what is it, what will it be used for, what will happen if you don’t buy it, what will happen if you buy it cheaper or more expensive? Through clear planning and awareness of tasks, you will always remain rational. This means that you can build your dream home not cheaply, but economically.
As you know, building an individual residential building requires a huge amount of effort, time and money. The process is quite lengthy and involves constant financial expenses for the purchase of a construction project, materials, rental of machinery, labor costs for the team and foreman. All this can make a noticeable hole in family budget. This state of affairs often stops customers from implementing the construction idea, because no one wants to overpay. Therefore, future owners are looking for opportunities to realize their dream without being left in huge debts. Some decide to carry out construction on their own. In this situation, developers are not insured against loss of quality of the house or violation of construction technology, because they cannot take into account all the nuances.
Other developers are building large houses of complex architecture with expensive finishes. At the same time, they save on materials, workers, and supervision. But all these actions are as illogical as purchasing a Rolls-Royce on credit and servicing it in your neighbor’s garage.
In this article, we have collected the most effective ways to save money when building houses that do not affect the quality of the final product, which will help both categories of individual developers save significantly on construction. Let's talk about them in more detail.
Stage one: land for construction
Plots of irregular shape, relief, located near ravines are cheaper, and thus attract the attention of inexperienced developers. Please take into account that, as a rule, only non-standard house designs are suitable for such areas, the development of which is much more expensive standard project cottage
- give preference to the even, regular shape of the site;
- and also, purchase a plot of the required area without overpaying for hundreds of dollars for future use;
- make sure there are communications.
It is forbidden:
- plan your purchase in winter, because snow hides many surface imperfections;
- purchase land with an existing foundation, since it can be built without following technology and is not designed for the required load. Its dismantling will require significant financial resources.
Stage two: a successful project is the key to success
Before starting construction, it is important to think through everything to the smallest detail. You need to calculate the usable area of the cottage and not plan a house of impressive size, because the construction of additional squares will require a considerable amount.
- Determine the purpose of housing: seasonal or permanent;
- Consider the quantity and necessity of each room, its reasonable area.
- Search suitable project among ready-made ones, because it is more profitable than creating it from scratch according to individual wishes.
- Give preference to standard solutions, which, in addition to being cheaper, are also time-tested, operational, and do not contain errors or violations of construction technology.
Not worth it:
- Select a house project that does not fully meet the required purpose and has few functional premises.
- Select projects with a complex cascade roof for use. By simplifying the design to a classic gable roof, you can reduce the cost of roofing work by up to two times.
By giving up a couple of dozen square meters and architectural excesses, you can significantly reduce the cost of building a house.
.Stage three: a solid foundation is the basis for peace of mind
The foundation is, of course, the most important part of the structure of the cottage, and it must be reliable. But taking large reserves of thickness and strength is not effective. It is worth considering a middle ground.
- Conduct geological surveys in the spring;
- Based on the data obtained, find out what type of foundation is suitable for a given type of soil and load.
- The optimal solution for the main types of soil would be to install a strip foundation and avoid basements.
Not worth it:
implement the idea of burying the base into the ground and constructing a basement. This will save money on foundation materials, drainage construction, and heating the basement.
Thus, preliminary soil studies and a well-calculated foundation can provide up to 20% savings on the cost of its construction.
Stage four: bargain purchases
A considerable part of the benefits can be obtained by purchasing the materials specified in the specifications for promotions, preferably in the off-season. It would be best to purchase everything from one supplier, because by placing a bulk order you can count on a discount and save on delivery.
Can:
- Replace the main material of the box construction. So blocks made of foam and aerated concrete will be much cheaper than brick or timber. Projects of houses made of foam blocks can be found in our catalog. It is important to provide reliable waterproofing, since porous lightweight block materials have increased hygroscopicity.
- Provide for the construction of partitions from blocks, regardless of the material of the external walls, and the laying of wooden interfloor ceilings instead of reinforced concrete.
It is forbidden:
- When replacing materials from the project specification with more economical ones, it is not recommended to choose cheap varieties of the same material. By holding back funds for good quality aerated concrete from a trusted manufacturer, you can significantly lose in the reliability of the entire structure. Projects of houses made of aerated concrete are designed for materials that have the best quality and technical indicators.
Stage five: planning delivery
As a rule, the cost of delivery of materials is up to 20% of the price of the order itself. You can save on such a significant issue by following these recommendations:
- Choose a supplier located at a minimum distance from the construction site, avoiding manufacturers operating in another region.
- Try to plan purchases by ordering goods in large quantities in order to completely fill the volume of transport provided for delivery. This will reduce the number of trips and reduce costs.
Stage six: select a contractor
Professional builders and people with experience can build a house on their own. great experience in this matter. In all other cases, it is better to entrust this work to hired professionals.
Can:
- Choose a company that provides a full range of services: it will provide a choice of designs for economical houses, carry out the necessary surveys, and carry out a range of construction and installation works from laying out the axes of the building to erecting the roof. This will help avoid defects and rework, and if they occur, it will speed up the process. In addition, ordering large volumes from the company provides for bonuses and discounts.
- Hire different foremen for each type of construction and installation work. This will increase the risk of defects and allow employees to avoid liability.
Stage seven: ready-made standard units
When implementing projects of economy class houses, preference should be given to the installation of ready-made standard structures. Welding, assembly and production of components at construction site– this is a considerable labor effort that requires additional money.
Can:
- For low-rise buildings, it is more profitable to make the roof structure from factory-made trusses than to assemble a conventional truss frame on site. In this case, customers will receive the following significant benefits:
1. Low need for materials, because the production of trusses requires almost half as much materials as for the production of a traditional attic-truss system. Hence the more favorable cost of farms due to its low material consumption.
2. Reduced installation time for trusses, taking from two to three days. The result is savings on workers' wages.
3. A high-quality finished truss produced at the enterprise does not require modifications and is immediately ready for installation. At the same time, the manufacturer guarantees its reliability with quality certificates.
4. The ability to implement floors with a span of up to 12 meters, which is technologically impossible to implement using a rafter system.
If possible not worth it:
- trusting the assembly of standard components to workers on site will cost more; moreover, they will not be able to guarantee the required quality of the design and will not provide a guarantee for the work performed.
Stage eight method: savings in operation
When choosing designs for inexpensive houses, it is important to consider their cost-effectiveness in future use, because the characteristics of our climate zone include severe winters and hot summers, and therefore expensive heating and the need for air conditioning.
Can:
- Carefully select a project that includes an efficient heating system and energy-saving technologies.
- Choose the right thickness of insulation for external walls, taking into account the characteristics of the climate zone, so that the house is warmer in winter.
- Install the following methods in your home to reduce energy consumption in your home:
1. Automatic heating control systems in the house, which select methods of regulating operation to maintain specified parameters.
2. Selection of efficient boiler equipment with the highest possible efficiency. Combination of heating and hot water supply circuits in one boiler.
3.Ways to save energy: a system for controlling the switching off of lighting devices based on signals from presence or motion sensors, as well as the use of energy-saving light bulbs.
Installation costs similar systems energy savings are fully paid off over time of use.
It is forbidden:
- Let this issue take its course, since an incorrectly chosen heating system can become a big cost item.
- Completely trust your home modern technology“zero house”, a house that receives heat from natural sources: wind, sun, people in the room and household appliances. In our climatic conditions, such a zero-emission house will still be a little cold in winter; it will have to be supported by a traditional heating system.
Stage nine: saving time
The construction process is associated with the costs of paying workers and renting machinery. Increasing the lead time for work entails unjustified costs.
The best thing:
- Draw up a schedule for completing construction and installation work and strictly adhere to it.
It is forbidden:
- Allow delays in the supply of materials and downtime of the construction team. This entails additional cash expenses.
Stage ten: choosing the environment
As a rule, choosing equipment, furniture and interior items for the home is an expensive task associated with large financial investments and a significant investment of time. Not everyone enjoys spending hours shopping.
Can:
- Use specialized online stores to order all the necessary furnishings for your home. This will help you save time and also buy goods at a reduced cost, since the seller does not include the cost of renting a showroom and paying for consultants in their price.
It is forbidden:
- Order goods on the sites of little-known online stores. You should use only trusted sources that can issue all the necessary documents and the manufacturer’s warranty for the product.
Having considered the above methods of saving money, we can conclude that making your dream of construction come true own home actually real. If you build a house according to all the rules of economy - build it on a flat, clean site according to a competent economical design with an adapted foundation, with energy-efficient systems provided in it, under the guidance of one foreman for the entire construction cycle; You can get a good quality home and considerable benefits by saving money!
Any construction, as you know, requires a large budget. And, if you are not a Rockefeller, it is advisable to save this very budget. But the economy of economy is different. For example, if you save on the foundation, that is, take low-quality cement, dilute the mortar in a small proportion with sand and similar “tricks”, such savings threaten over time to turn into large cracks in the wall, or even to its destruction. Therefore, let’s leave aside such everyday tricks, because we want our house to be durable and consider ways of “legitimate” savings, using which it is possible to save on building a house without causing damage to its other qualities. So what are these ways? Let's get started.
Project selection
Realization of the dream of own home you have to start by choosing a project. When looking for the best solution, you must first take into account the rules and principles contained in the local development plan, or development regulations. Only after these adjustments can you focus on matching the design to your needs. If low construction cost is the main selection criterion, Special attention should focus on projects that will provide economic realization and low cost of operating the finished building. If you do not have too high requirements for sophistication and you are not building a mini-palace, you can choose completely ready-made house designs, which will save you a lot of money.
Architecture
Choosing between three types of houses of the same size - a one-story house, a multi-story house and one-story house with the best attic, with economic point view, is to choose a house with an attic.
Compared to a simple one-story house, it has a smaller roof and foundation area, and, unlike a multi-story house, there is no need to build additional floors. These factors will significantly reduce construction costs.
You can also save on compact forms with a simple design, without unnecessary architectural details that increase the cost of construction - bay windows, balconies, loggias, cornices.
The roof also plays an important role - the cheapest to implement will be a regular pitched attic roof; an attic roof is a little more expensive. If a basement is not a necessary part of the house, it is preferable to avoid it - as building one is a much more expensive option than building a similar space at ground level.
Very important element What you need to pay attention to when choosing a project is the number of risers in the building. It is preferable to place rooms in close proximity to each other, to which water, sewerage and a ventilation system should be installed.
It will also be economical to abandon large areas of terraces. You should also consider replacing your garage with a carport. Keep in mind that everyone finished project can be changed to fit within a limited budget, although you will have to pay extra for this. But it is certainly better to spend a few hundred dollars to customize a project than tens of thousands on expensive designs and materials.
Construction Materials
The stability of the building, heat and sound insulation, and the aesthetics of the entire structure depend on correctly selected materials. However, even before purchasing a project, it is worth reviewing the list of materials and thinking about which of them can be replaced with cheaper alternatives.
It should be borne in mind that you need to find materials that, despite low price, will meet all technical standards, and will also ensure long-term use of the building without the need repair work. Investors often choose to change the materials from which the building's walls are made, the type of roofing material, and simplification of windows. Custom-sized windows tend to significantly increase construction costs.
Walls
House designs, inspired by current trends in the construction industry, involve the use of various facing materials such as stone and wood. You can easily abandon them in favor of less expensive materials, such as locally sourced wood or regular plaster.
A particularly interesting visual effect can be achieved by using plaster of various, often contrasting colors and textures. In this case, investors are limited only by their own imagination, because the choice of facing material does not affect the parameters of the building. It is only important that the changed material matches everything else from an aesthetic point of view.
Construction method
You should also remember that it is advisable to build using well-known and available materials, which do not require individual orders or the involvement of individual specialists with experience in construction using this technology and with specific materials.
Advantages
Before choosing a project, you should make an estimate of the cost of building a house. This will help you accurately estimate costs and provide confidence in your project, which will undoubtedly lead to its speedy implementation. Thanks to a number of economically effective solutions you can really make a difference in reducing the cost of building your dream home.
Construction of a country house always requires large material costs. Some people invest in this amount of money that they have been earning for several years, or even decades. And every penny saved is important to them.
To build a country house cheaply, it is not necessary to take on all the work and erect the building with your own hands. Moreover, this is not at all recommended if you are not a professional builder yourself. After all, if you save on the services of specialists and build a house yourself, it is unlikely to last long. In just a few years you will have to spend major renovation buildings, strengthen the foundation, etc. As a result, all the money saved will go towards restoring the house.
But there are several other ways to reduce construction costs. Let's consider the most optimal of them.
Method number 1: refusal of the services of an architect
As practice shows, compiling working documentation to conduct construction work costs approximately 10% of the total amount invested in building a house. To obtain permission from authorities local authorities, you will need only three documents: a certificate of registration of ownership, a town plan and building layout drawings. Drawings, as a rule, are developed by a professional architect, and he can charge quite a lot of money for his services (about 300-500 dollars, depending on the complexity of the work).
Read also: Construction formwork: types of materials used. Stages of installation of formwork from unedged boards
You can study the basic principles of creating a building layout diagram on your own. It doesn't require much time or much effort. You just need to find the relevant literature and find out how drawings of residential private houses are developed. If desired, this can be dealt with in just a couple of days. And save good money on the services of an architect. But it is worth noting that this is not the most The best way. You can save on the services of an architect only if you are really experiencing serious financial difficulties and simply cannot afford to hire an architect.
Method No. 2: correct selection of building materials
When building a country house, the main part of the costs falls on the purchase of materials. In order not to spend extra money, we recommend using hollow blocks to build walls. Support structures made from these blocks will have sufficient strength and thermal insulation properties. And most importantly, such a house will serve for at least 100 years. And in terms of its protective characteristics, it will be significantly superior to buildings made of laminated veneer lumber, panels and similar materials.
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