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When buying new construction materials or renovating an existing structure, there are many factors to consider before the first nail is struck. How will your home stand up to the weather? What type of insulation is right for you? Which roofing material is best? These questions can make the construction process seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. With the correct information, you can pick the perfect materials for your home no matter where you live. There are plenty of considerations when choosing new building materials that extend beyond cost and availability. Your area’s climate affects which materials will perform best and last longest. For example, a home in a humid area won’t last as long if it’s built with cedar siding or redwood in its walls because those woods are known to expand and contract with humidity changes. Knowing what challenges different climates present with unique construction materials is essential before beginning any project.

Climate-Based Building Material Guide

When choosing building materials, it’s vital to consider the climate where the building will be located. For example, is your area prone to floods, hurricanes, wildfires, or tornadoes? Some materials are better suited to each of these types of climates. 

In these flood-prone areas, you’ll want to avoid any kind of wood for framing, flooring, and siding. Instead, go with concrete, stone, or brick. Whereas to survive storms, you’ll want to avoid low-lying areas that are prone to flooding. Instead, choose higher ground that avoids flooding or is built up enough to prevent flooding. For building materials, go with concrete and steel. You want to be careful with building materials that could create sparks in places prone to wildfires. Wood, fabrics, and types of vinyl can create sparks during wildfires and should be avoided. Instead, be sure to choose concrete, stone, or metal. Lastly, buildings that are prepared for tornadoes are built with reinforced concrete and steel, with tanks built underground to withstand high-velocity winds.

Wood Materials for Every Climate

Cedar is good for humid areas because it doesn’t expand or contract with humidity changes. However, it’s more expensive than other woods like redwood and pine. Cedar is also great for siding, decks, and fences. It’s very durable and can be treated with a sealant to protect against rot, insects, and water damage. Cedar is one of the best wood building materials for high humidity areas. It resists warping and rotting. It’s strong enough for outdoor use but isn’t as heavy as other hardwoods. It has a classic look and is easy to work with. It lasts for decades with minimal maintenance.

Redwood is suitable for outdoor use but isn’t great for high humidity areas because it expands and contracts with humidity changes. It’s softwood and isn’t as durable as other woods like cedar or pine. Redwood is best used for indoor projects like paneling, shelving, and cabinets. It’s great for painting, staining, and finishing. Redwood is one of the best wood building materials for temperate areas. It’s strong enough for outdoor use and lasts decades with minimal maintenance.

Concrete and Brick Materials for Every Climate

Concrete is a durable material that can be used for indoor or outdoor projects. It’s suitable for high humidity areas because it doesn’t warp, expand, or contract with humidity. Concrete is one of the best materials for foundations and basements because it’s mold-resistant, water-resistant, and durable. It’s also good for sidewalks, driveways, and walls. Concrete is one of the best materials for high-humidity areas. It’s strong and durable. It lasts decades with minimal maintenance. 

Brick is another good material for high-humidity areas. It’s strong and lasts decades with minimal maintenance. It’s not great for outdoor use unless it’s covered in concrete. Brick is good for indoor projects like fireplaces, walls, and walkways. It’s great for patios and outdoor walkways because it’s durable and looks great. Brick is one of the best materials for humid areas. It’s strong, durable, and lasts for decades with minimal maintenance.

Metal Materials for Every Climate

Steel is a strong building material that’s used for frames and roofs. It’s great for high-humidity areas because it doesn’t warp, expand, or contract with humidity. Steel is common for roofing because it’s strong but lightweight. It’s also suitable for building and framing. Steel is one of the best materials for high-humidity areas. It’s strong and lasts decades with minimal maintenance. Steel is one of the best materials for high-humidity areas. It’s strong and lasts decades with minimal repairs required. 

Aluminum is another good metal building material. It’s lightweight but strong and good for high-humidity areas. It doesn’t warp or expand or contract with humidity. Aluminum is great for siding and roofing. It’s strong, lightweight, and lasts decades with minimal maintenance. Aluminum is one of the best materials for high-humidity areas. It’s strong and lasts decades with minimal maintenance.

Roofing Options for Every Climate

Asphalt shingles are a popular choice for roofs. They resist wind, hail, and fire. However, they don’t last as long in high-humidity areas because they warp and expand with humidity changes. Asphalt shingles are a good option for low- to moderate-humidity sites. They’re durable and last 25-40 years with minimal maintenance. Asphalt shingles are one of the best materials for low-humidity areas. They’re solid and last decades with minimal upkeep needed. In addition, they’re affordable, easy to install and come in various colors. 

Concrete roofing is a high-end material that lasts a long time. It doesn’t warp or expand or contract with humidity. Concrete roofing is a good option for high-humidity areas. It lasts decades with minimal maintenance. Concrete roofing is one of the best materials for high-humidity areas. It’s strong and lasts decades with minimal maintenance. Metal Roofing: Metal roofing is durable and lasts a long time. It doesn’t warp or expand or contract with humidity. Metal roofing is a good option for high-humidity areas. It lasts decades with minimal maintenance. Metal roofing is one of the best materials for high-humidity areas. It’s strong and lasts decades with few repairs to upkeep.

Conclusion

The building supplies you choose will significantly impact the performance of your new home or renovation. They’ll be the first line of defense against the elements, so it’s essential to choose wisely. Choosing suitable materials is tricky since there are so many factors to consider. Hopefully, this guide has helped you find the best materials for your particular climate.

Most people reading the title of this post would no doubt answer its proposed question with, “well, hire emergency plumbers,” and they’d be completely right. This is step one in the process of resolving a fault, and many of these firms can call out immediately to rectify the issue or help you limit the damage before they arrive; such as by turning off the water mains so leaks don’t spread too far.

That said, plumbing issues may not always simply require a quick fix to solve. In some circumstances, an issue like this can need weeks of renovation and repair in order to not only resolve the issue, but to ensure it won’t happen again. It’s always best to implement a direct solution now, no matter how long that takes, than to integrate patchwork fixes that only delay the inevitable.

But what exactly should you do if your business premises suffer a plumbing issue? In this post, we hope to discuss that, as well as how to manage your staff appropriately during this time:

Immediate Callout

Of course, ensuring that the chance for an immediate callout is one you can rely on makes a big difference. This may be the difference between a leak causing some damage or a lot of damage. They will be able to advise how to properly implement fixes in the right way; such as by renovating the plumbing network, replacing fixtures, or assessing the cause of damage. In the long run, these services are worth paying long-form maintenance subscription charges for, because they can save you thousands in recuperative costs after the fact.

Alternate Arrangements

It’s also important to make alternate arrangements as and when you can do so, especially if you have staff to manage. Portable toilets will provide a worthwhile method of giving staff somewhere to capably and hygienically retire when needed. It may also mean that events and other important calendar events can go ahead despite the difficulties with plumbing and the week-long fixes they require. Alternatively, it might be worth simply sending certain staff members home for the time being as you may not have the required about of legal restrooms necessary for them, luckily hybrid and remote working can make a big difference here.

Fencing Off Problem Areas

Of course, safety is paramount. A singular plumbing problem of sufficient difficulty can sometimes leave the overall structural soundness of an area incompatible with adequate risk management, which means that fencing off problem areas is key. Positioning signs to showcase where work will be carried out and which alternative routes exist can help those in your building more easily commit to their daily tasks without too much interruption. Plumbing professionals will be able to help you properly chart what space they need, how disruptive their work will be, and how long they estimate the project will take.

With this advice, we believe you’ll be able to thrive even if your business premises does suffer a plumbing issue going forward. In the long run, this will make a positive difference.

It’s often the more humble spaces and fixtures that we all take for granted which make the most difference in our long-term comfort and day-to-day productivity. For instance, most of us take our bathrooms for granted, but to be without one for a week would be completely unacceptable.

This is why more companies are renovating their business premises and offices so that staff toilets are fully functional, can service many departments, as well as ensuring the need for maintenance is reduced to an acceptable degree.

Keeping staff toilets functional year-round does not happen in a vacuum. With the amount of footfall traffic toilets will encounter each year; it’s important to make certain that all of your functional requirements are up to speed. Furthermore, the Covid pandemic gave companies a new focus when planning out their closed spaces, as hygiene, function and design are three sides of the essential triangle of priorities that help these spaces shine in utility.

With that in mind, let’s consider how to improve the maintenance and setup of staff toilets; which can be exceptionally useful when generating new spaces in kind:

Plumbing Inspections

The best plumbing company can schedule regular inspections of your plumbing network and will be able to advise and call out to specific jobs and tasks where necessary. If encountering a leak, if fitting new toilets, or if needing to resolve damage within that space, then it’s important to take out a maintenance contract with a given firm in order to make sure that these needs taken care of immediately. Resolve problems before they occur, and you’ll save money, time and stress.

Restrooms-Per-Staff

There’s a legal requirement to have a certain number of restaurants per the amount of staff or guests within a business premises. From 1-5 staff members you only require 1 toilet, while 76-100 staff will require five restrooms with five washbasins. In men’s toilets, the urinals should match the number of toilets integrated. It’s also important to make sure privacy is properly aligned in these spaces, and that ventilation is taken care of so that these spaces are fresh, light, and hygienic. More on that below:

Hygienic Fixtures

Hygiene is the name of the game when it comes to ensuring restroom function; and there are many ways we can invest in this. “Urinal cakes” can control bacteria and reduce smell, while non-touch functions can be installed by a worthwhile contractor like motion-sensitive flushes, tap fixtures and hand dryers. These investments can ensure that hygiene is always kept up with, and we saw that companies which did have these implements installed already did see Covid spread throughout their teams with less ease and rapidity. As such, keeping staff restrooms functional means not only providing a space for their private affairs, but to keep them happy, hygienic, safe, and well-catered to. This is just one element of wider staff satisfaction, but perhaps the most noticeable in terms of the upgrades you can make and the crucial aspect of its maintenance.

With this advice, you’re certain to keep staff restrooms functional year-round in the best possible sense. 

Planning for emergencies is something that any worthwhile building owner will take care of, because not only is it a legal requirement, but the reward vastly outweighs the time and effort you put into this effort. Sure it may take you a couple of weeks and some expense to ensure all areas of the developing premises are easy to evacuate, that the exit signage is bright and easy to follow, and that reporting systems are in place; but the results could quite simply save lives. This is, of course, even more important than curating revenue as a firm.

That said, emergency contingencies are not a ‘one and done’ process, in that the task is never ‘complete.’ We need to focus on maintenance from that point on, and making sure that regular tests keep us ready. Furthermore, essential measures such as staff training, qualifying certain team members for first-aid use, and making the use of the building easy to understand and carry out is essential when necessary.

In this post, then, we’ll discuss three important emergency contingencies to hold within your business premises. This way, safety isn’t just a nice word we use, but a habit we embody.

Plumbing Failures

From time to time, plumbing failures can occur. This is why it’s important to have maintenance staff able to prevent the problem from getting worse while you wait for professional contractors to come in. Learning where your water mains is and being able to turn that off, having reporting systems in place to notify an issue; especially if staff notice it, as well as ensuring alternatives exist like portable toilets or disabled toilet access temporarily is essential. You can check out Prime Dumpster portable toilets rental for more information.

Fire Safety Inspections

Fire protection system inspection efforts are important to schedule regularly so they can overlook your entire approach. This may also culminate in checking your sprinklers, making sure your reporting alarm systems work appropriately with necessary drills, and also ensuring that additional measures, like disabled staircase access for when the elevator is locked down can be so helpful; in this case a manual lift that can be operated by two people to help a wheelchair carefully but steadily make its way down those steps is key. This way, no one is left behind, and also every potential pitfall in your evacuation process is managed properly. With measures like sprinklers, plumbing expertise is required.

Elevator Safety & Callouts

No one wants to be locked in an elevator; and so making sure your error reporting systems are in place is key. This way, you can easily call for help, or ask for a callout of technicians to let out your staff where appropriate. In some cases, you may be able to manually open the doors if properly aligned with the opening; but this is not something we should focus on without trained and qualified personnel able to distinguish the right time for an exit. In the long run, this will make a tremendous difference.

With this advice, you’re certain to perfect your emergency contingencies within your premises going forward.