| Building materials consist of lumber, steel, | | | | |
| concrete, etc. A large part of the cost of | | | | Apart from the basic construction material, |
| construction is due to the building materials | | | | there is requirement of cement, concrete, |
| used. That's why it is important to find good | | | | limestone, sand and other adhesive and |
| building material distributors. Costs of | | | | protective materials. Again these materials |
| building materials vary between different | | | | should be selected for their efficiency. New |
| vendors and so does their quality. | | | | materials with modifications are continually |
| Negotiations on rates will reduce the overall | | | | thronging the market. |
| construction cost by a huge amount. | | | | |
| | | | One important factor in the availability of |
| It becomes imperative to double-check the | | | | building material is the location. Locally |
| correct amount of building materials that | | | | available materials are cheaper and more |
| would be needed for construction before | | | | easily found than materials imported from |
| embarking on the project. This would ensure | | | | foreign places. |
| that one is not left with unused material | | | | |
| once the construction is complete. It also | | | | Ancient structures are still built with |
| becomes easier to negotiate prices when one | | | | traditional materials like wood and stone as |
| has a clear picture of the correct amount of | | | | in Victorian, Georgian and Edwardian homes. |
| materials needed. | | | | People in the tropical rainforests of Africa |
| | | | use anything from animal hide to tree leaves |
| Materials for building must be purchased for | | | | to construct their tent settlements called |
| their performance rather than looks. While | | | | yurts, while the Eskimos are famous for |
| buying stone, brick, concrete and other such | | | | building their igloos entirely of ice blocks. |
| fundamental building blocks, it is the | | | | Wood is considered by many people even today |
| rigidity and tenacity that matters and not | | | | for its tremendous visual appeal. It can be |
| just their aesthetics. It is wise to know | | | | acclimatized to any type of environment and |
| well in advance what purpose the construction | | | | can be made pest-resistant and |
| will offer before zeroing in on a particular | | | | water-resistant. It can be made to be highly |
| construction block. | | | | tenacious and flexible. Compressed wood is |
| | | | known to be very strong. |
| There has been a wide range of building | | | | |
| materials used over the ages. Almost every | | | | In recent times, green building materials |
| moldable and adherent substance has been used | | | | have gained a reputation for being highly |
| at one point of time or the other as a | | | | environmentally friendly. These materials are |
| building tool. People have used substances | | | | composed of renewable materials, and hence |
| like mud, metal, even plastic and glass to | | | | they can get degraded in the environment and |
| craft building structures. Nowadays, steel | | | | do not pose an ecological threat. However, |
| and glass are much in vogue for office | | | | the use of green building materials is still |
| buildings, while brick still remains the | | | | a developing field as of now. |
| popular choice for residences. | | | | |