Choosing Floors

The floor is like a pair of shoes, it signifies class and personality. The type of floor you choose could significantly enhance the look of your home while adding great value.

Gone are the days when almost every other floor was cemented and was either green or red, with the higher class society having wooden floors or carpets.

Today, there is a lot more choice of floors without necessarily digging in too deep in the pocket. Some of the more popular floorings are;

Ceramic tiles

Ceramic tiles have grown in popularity in Kenya in the past few years. In fact, almost every other house has ceramic tiles as flooring. Tiles offer both class and beauty. They are easy to clean and have a wide variety of colors and designs. Tiles can be used both indoors and outdoors as they are waterproof and weather proof. They also vary in texture with the unglazed finish as the best alternative for outdoors. Anti-slip textures can be used in kitchens, bathrooms and stairs.

The drawback in ceramic tiles is that they can get really cold especially in the colder seasons, the gout lines could also be hard and difficult to clean.

Bamboo flooring

Bamboo is also quite popular in the Kenyan market. It is eco-friendly, easily available and easily replaceable. Bamboo closely resembles the more traditional hardwood flooring and is stylish and classy. Unlike the ceramic tiles, bamboo is much warmer to the feet and provides natural beauty. However, over a period of time, bamboo floors can become discolored or bleached out especially if exposed to sunlight. Being light wood, it can also be easily susceptible to scratches and greater care should be taken when dealing with heavy furniture and sharp objects- including heels and pet claws. The good thing is that the surface of the bamboo can be refinished by sanding it down and reapplying the finishing coats to give it a fresh look. Bamboo is a natural material, and can therefore be damaged by excessive moisture or humidity hence might not be suitable for kitchens, bathrooms or outdoors.

Hardwood flooring

This is one of the most expensive flooring available in the Kenyan market as the prices of wood are at an all time high. Hardwood flooring comes in maple, pecan, beech, cherry, oak, pine, birch, walnut, hickory and many more. Hardwood offers natural beauty, durability and style that you might not find in any other flooring. They are a longer lasting product with a wear resistant surface that can be refinished if need be. They are also easier to clean and maintain and are warm. Certain types of hardwood may darken with age and others could shrink and/or expand leaving gaps on the floor surface. Like the bamboo flooring, hardwood floors are also limited in color and design.

Carpets

Carpets will always have their place in the home. The greatest advantage with carpets is that they can be used with all other floorings, and since they are not permanent, they can be removed at will. A carpet can come in handy with the ceramic tiles as they can bring warmth in the colder seasons. They can also be used to cover unsightly scratches and damages in other floorings while waiting repair or replacement. Carpets can be picked to match up furniture or curtains or be used as an accessory by itself. There are different qualities on the market that vary in origin and in price. Local carpets are cheaper and easily available in leading supermarkets. Persian carpets are of a higher quality and much more expensive, usually available in selected stores and malls. On the other hand, carpets are vulnerable to stains and dirt and are not very easy to clean. They can cause allergic reactions as they easily capture dust and may not be ideal with such as asthmatic persons unless cleaned very, very regularly.

Please check out our full site at www.fundimjanja.com for more ideas and insights.

Alternative Power Source

Solar Energy

Solar power has been around now for a while, but it is yet to take off fully in the Kenyan market. Solar energy as the name suggests, is basically energy powered by the sun. You’d think that Kenya being a tropical country- meaning there’s good supply of sun all year round, and with the expensive sometimes unreliable electricity supply, we would take advantage of this alternative easily available cheaper source of energy.

A surface look into how solar Panels work.

Solar panels work by transforming the suns energy into electricity. The energy is absorbed by cells in the panels and transformed from light into electric currents. To maximize the energy transmitted, the panels will be placed on the roof of the building in a position that captures the sun directly throughout the day. This is best done by qualified and experienced solar panel fitters.

Efficiency and performance of solar power

The efficiency of solar power is usually measured by the amount of sunlight hitting a panel that gets translated into electricity. If the panels are of high efficiency then their size will be smaller. However, a typical roof can easily be outfitted with sufficient power to cover energy needs. There are also other factors besides size and efficiency that affect the performance of solar panels. The placement position of the panels greatly determines performance as they have to be fitted in an angle that gets the most of the sun. Patterns of shade on the roof are also considered as shade affects energy production.

Cost of Solar Panels

The cost of solar panels varies depending on the usability. For instance a small household will use much less as compared to a medium sized institution.

As opposed to say electric power, the cost of the solar panels is a lot less especially as there are no monthly bills. Expect for regular maintenance, the major investment is purchasing and installation of the panels themselves although the cost of rewiring might also come into play. A number of companies in Kenya offer products and installation of solar panels like Sun Power Technologies Ltd and Sollatek Kenya amongst others. Solar panels are also available in leading supermarkets but are best purchased from the companies that also do the installation.

If the whole process of setting up a full solar power source seems slightly overwhelming for now, there is also the alternative of buying the separate solar powered lights that can go a long way to save on the monthly power bills. These products usually have their own panels which are placed out in the sun to charge for some hours during the day and can be used to light up rooms for up to several hours. Some even come with phone charging outlets and can come in handy especially when there are power blackouts. The cost is between 3k to 5k, have warranty, and can last several years without extra costs if taken proper care of. These particular products are relatively new in the Kenyan market and are available from suppliers and from leading supermarkets.

For more insights and ideas please visit our full site at www.fundimjanja.com

Understanding Architectural Drawings part 2

Sections

A section, represents a vertical plane cut through the object, in the same way as a floor plan is a horizontal section viewed from the top. In the section view, everything cut by the section plane is shown as a bold line, often with a solid fill to show objects that are cut through, and anything seen beyond generally shown in a thinner line. Sections are used to describe the relationship between different levels of a building.

A sectional elevation is a combination of a cross section, with elevations of other parts of the building seen beyond the section plane. Just like an elevation, a section is used to show and specify certain elements of the building that would otherwise be impossible to in both elevations and plan. For instance, in a section, the architect can define the floor to ceiling height of a building, the architect can define the components of the foundation and roof in both cases giving detailed dimensions and materials.

Detail drawings

Detail drawings show a small part of the construction at a larger scale, to show how the component parts fit together. They are also used to show small surface details, for example decorative elements. Section drawings at large scale are a standard way of showing building construction details, typically showing complex junctions (such as floor to wall junction, window openings, eaves and roof apex) that cannot be clearly shown on a drawing that includes the full height of the building. A full set of construction details needs to show plan details as well as vertical section details. One detail is seldom produced in isolation: a set of details shows the information needed to understand the construction in three dimensions. Typical scales for details are 1/10, 1/5 and full size.

Axonometric, Isometric and Perspectives

Isometric and axonometric projections are a simple way of representing a three dimensional object, keeping the elements to scale and showing the relationship between several sides of the same object, so that the complexities of a shape can be clearly understood. An isometric uses a plan grid at 30 degrees from the horizontal in both directions, which distorts the plan shape. An axonometric uses a 45 degree plan grid, which keeps the original orthogonal geometry of the plan. The great advantage of this view for architecture is that the draughtsman can work directly from a plan, without having to reconstruct it on a skewed grid.

Perspective in drawing is an approximate representation on a flat surface of an image as it is perceived by the eye. The key concepts here are:

Perspective is the view from a particular fixed viewpoint.

Horizontal and vertical edges in the object are represented by horizontals and verticals in the drawing.

leading away into the distance appear to converge at a vanishing point.

All horizontals converge to a point on the horizon, which is a horizontal line at eye level.

Verticals converge to a point either above or below the horizon.

In computer aided designs, perspectives have become easier to render incorporating real life materials to give as a real as possible an image to what is proposed. This is a great tool for architects in helping the clients understand the concept.

The skill though has been learnt by many professions, some nto architects, who will give a rendering of any layouts given them. Some of these people have become so good at it that they give the service to the architects. It may be a cost saving factor to get the renders done separately, but in any case, the architect should be incharge. Interior designers will too create perspectives to explain their proposals in terms of colors, fittings etc.

You as a client should always remember that perspectives are add-ons. It will be great to have an image representation fo your proposed construction but if its too expensive, then at the back of your mind you should realize its not an absolute necessity. Other add-ons are architectural models. An architectural model is a type of a scale model, tangible (also called sometimes physical) representation of a structure built to study aspects of an architectural design or to communicate design ideas to clients, committees, and the general public. Architectural models are a tool which may be used for show, presentation, fundraising, obtaining permits, and sale purposes.

Rough study models can be made quickly using cardboard, wooden blocks, polystyrene, foam, foam boards and other materials. Such models are an efficient tool for three-dimensional understanding of a design, used by architects, interior designers and exhibit designers. For a highly detailed presentation model, architects would employ a professional model maker, model making company or students working for credit. This is again an add-on but not absolute necessity. Next we shall look at structural drawings.

For more insights please visit our full site on www.fundimjanja.com

Metal roofing

Posted By: Nyumba Imara on 30th of November 2012

Metal roofing entails the installation of a roofing system made from metal pieces or tiles. The popularity of metal roofs is on the rise because the roofs are more durable than other roofing materials and homes with metal roofs have higher resale values. A metal roof offers many advantages to the home-owner, including energy savings, expanded color options, longevity and long-term warranties (up to 50 years). According to the U.S. Metal Roofing Alliance, metal roofing can save up to 40 per cent on annual energy costs depending on the geographical region. Another major advantage of metal roofing is that metal roofs can increase the thermal efficiency of homes in high temperature regions with their cool-roof paints and high emissivity. In addition to that, metal roofs are impervious to rot and mildew and they cannot be damaged by termites – hence their longevity. Metal roofs are also known for their ability to withstand extreme weather conditions including high winds, wildfires and hailstorms. This is the main reasons as to why insurance companies offer discounts of up to 30 per cent to homes with metal roofs. Metal Roofing Materials Metal roofing materials consist of steel, aluminium, copper or tin. Steel is the most common material and may be coated with zinc to reduce maintenance costs and rust. Aluminium is ideal for coastal regions because of its anti-corrosive properties, though it tends to be more expensive compared to steel. Copper is popular for its rich coloring but it is usually the most expensive of all metal roofing materials. Tin is not so popular for homes but it is commonly used on barns and sheds. Metal roofing materials can be recycled and are more environmentally friendly than other materials. Metal Roof Shingles Metal roof shingles are interlocking metal components with less than 3 sq. feet of installed exposure. Roofs made of interlocking metal shingles have been reported to have stayed maintenance-free and watertight for more than 100 years since their installation. This is possible because the interlocking metal roof shingles actually interlock with one another and each of their accessory components, and are secured with heavy-duty stainless steel clips. Metal Roofing Price Metal roofing price is generally higher than other materials. However, metal roofs last several decades longer than most other roof options – meaning they are cheaper in the long-term. That said, metal roofing price vary depending on your geographical location and other factors such as the materials used to make the metal roof. When budgeting for roofing costs, always remember to include the cost of removal of old roof, disposal of old materials and installation of the new metal roof. It is also advisable to ask qualified contractors for metal roofing price estimates. Courtesy of Construction Business Review. For this and more please visit our full site at www.fundimjanja.com

Understanding Architectural Drawings Part 1

Posted By: Fundi Mfalme on 21st of December 2012

An architectural drawing or architect's drawing is a technical drawing of a building (or building project) that falls within the definition of architecture. Architectural drawings are used by architects and others for a number of purposes: to develop a design idea into a coherent proposal, to communicate ideas and concepts, to convince clients of the merits of a design, to enable a building contractor to construct it, as a record of the completed work, and to make a record of a building that already exists. Architectural drawings are drawn according to a set of conventions, which include particular views (floor plan, section etc.), sheet sizes, units of measurement and scales, annotation and cross referencing. The set of drawings may differ from country to country but typically in Kenya, a set of architectural drawings must contain a location plan, a site plan, floor layouts of proposed construction, elevations and sections. Axonometric and perspective drawings too are normally done by the architect but may not be required for approval of a construction project. They however give great insights to clients in terms of an artistic impression of how the complete project should look like. Location Plan The location plan defines the area of the proposed construction. This is a map that will show the the surrounding area of the proposed construction. The drawing will include the site for the proposed construction clearly marked and its Land Registration number, it should show access roads to the site, and the other plots around the site with their LR Number. The size of the drawing will be defined by the scale used and in most cases, Architects will request the Survey department of the area to provide accurate copy of the land markings for them to use. Site Plan This is a drawing that shows the layout of the proposed site. The drawing will be a zoomed in version of the location plan but this time the lenses focusing only on the site. The drawing will show boundary/perimeter fence. It will show the proposed construction layout and its proximity to the perimeter wall and/or the nearest roads. The drawing will also define spaces in the site i.e. car parking area, servants quarters accommodation etc. This is where the architect also defines services running in the compound like storm and sewer drainage, electricity posts. If there are local authority service lines, the architect will define how he proposes to connect to the services. Floor Plan This is the most important drawing especially to the structural engineers, contractors and especially the client. It is a view from above showing the arrangement of spaces in building in the same way as a map, but showing the arrangement at a particular level of a building. Technically it is a horizontal section cut through a building (conventionally at one meter above floor level), showing walls, windows and door openings and other features at that level. The plan view includes anything that could be seen below that level: the floor, stairs (but only up to the plan level), fittings and sometimes furniture. Objects above the plan level (e.g. beams overhead) can be indicated as dotted lines. For it to be considered as a working drawing it will clearly indicate the dimensions of the spaces, the specifications i.e. floor finishes of every room, and clear labeling. Even though the drawings are drawn to scale it is always a written rule that the drawings should not b scaled. This is to try minimize as far much as possible errors in interpreting the drawings. In situations where dimensions are not clear, figured dimensions will always override scaled dimensions. This means for instance, of the drawings shows a dimension of say 3m to be shorter than that of say 1m, the drawings should be read as it is. But again in such situations, such discrepancies MUST always be reported to the architect. Elevations An elevation is a view of a building seen from one side, a flat representation of one façade. This is the most common view used to describe the external appearance of a building. Each elevation is labeled in relation to the compass direction it faces, e.g. the north elevation of a building is the side that most closely faces north. It may also be labeled in relation to the use of a building, for instance front elevation to mean the view from the front access of the building. Buildings are rarely a simple rectangular shape in plan, so a typical elevation may show all the parts of the building that are seen from a particular direction. Geometrically, an elevation is a horizontal orthographic projection of a building on to a vertical plane, the vertical plane normally being parallel to one side of the building. The elevation will not only show the external appearance of the building but also provide other specifications and dimensions. For instance, it is not possible to define the specifications of a window on the floor plan but in elevation, one can define the height and make of the window. This will happen in relatively small drawings, in bigger drawings, such information maybe too crowded hence a table called ‘doors and windows schedule’ that will in detail define such specifications. For more insights on construction please visit our full site at www.fundimjanja.com

Choose your curtains wisely

Curtains!!!!

Posted By: Designer Mjanja Blog on 5th of December 2012

Never underestimate the power of a new pair of curtains. Not only will they give your home a fresh new look, they’ll also keep it lovely and toasty. But good curtains don’t come cheap so it’s worth doing a bit of research before you hit the shops. Which fabric to choose? Look for good quality, heavyweight fabrics like linen blends or cottons. Over time, cheap material may go shiny. If custom making curtains always be generous with the fabric, nothing looks worse than skimpy curtains. Linings are almost as important as the curtain fabric. A quality lining will give budget materials a longer lease of life. Choose thermal lining to keep out the chill in a draughty room, or interlining which provides an extra layer of padding to make curtains super-thick and cozy. For kids’ bedrooms, blackout lining should hopefully ensure a good night’s sleep for them - and you! Latest looks Current trends are veering away from fussy swags and flounces towards a more tailored approach. Curtains Hung from a pole, eyelet styles produce a sleeker look than traditional pencil pleat curtains and there are no fiddly hooks or clips to worry about. Pelmets are also back in fashion. A flat pelmet covered in silk looks surprisingly contemporary, just the thing for a formal dining room. Long or short? Whether you choose sill length or floor length curtains is really a matter of personal taste, although floor length styles do have a more luxurious feel. Sill-length drapes cost less, and are popular in bathrooms and kitchens. They also make a practical choice above radiators to allow heat to circulate. Plain or patterned? Take a good look at your scheme before deciding on a pattern. Too many different designs can create a busy, distracting effect. For a relaxed ambiance  opt for either patterned curtains with plain walls, or vice-versa. You can always dress up plain curtains with beautiful beaded tie backs or colored glass poles. Other Tips.. When buying a curtain pole, allow for it to extend beyond the window at either side by 10-20cm so that curtains can be drawn right back. Grubby net curtains are never a good look. Update your windows with panels of delicately patterned white voile (sheer). Vertical striped curtains trick the eye into making a ceiling appear taller - perfect for a small room. For more information and insight on interior decor, construction and handymen contacts, please visit our full site at www.fundimjanja.com

Alternative Technologies part 2

Posted By: Fundi Mfalme on 26th of November 2012

Stabilized Soil Blocks Interlocking Stabilized soil blocks are walling blocks made from compressed soil. They are just as hard and as water-proof as stone. Stone is made when soil is compressed by forces of nature while the Interlocking Stabilized Soil blocks are made when the soil is artificially compressed. Interlocking Stabilized soil blocks are artificially compressed using either a manual or diesel-operated pressing machine to a pressure of between 20 to 40 Kg/cm2. While making compressed soil blocks is labor intensive, they can significantly reduce the costs involved in building a house, outbuildings, fences, garden walls, etc. If soil consisting of clay, caliche & silt is available at the building site, admixtures can be omitted, thus the only cost involved in producing compressed soil blocks is the block press and the time invested by the builder. This might be a disadvantage to most builders interested in say one house as the cost of procuring the machine is high. It therefore comes as an option to hire the machine for production of enough blocks for your project, invest in the machine and hire it out to other builders or buy readymade blocks. Stabilized Soil Block Press Technical Data Typical Compression force 80-100 kN Weight 130 Kg Typical daily production with 4 workers 400-500 blocks Technical Specifications of Stabilized Soil Blocks Weight 5kg Size 290mm x 140mm x 115mm Number of Blocks per bag of cement 100-150 blocks Recommended wet curing period 7 days Minimum dry compressive strength 2.5 N/mm² Maximum wet compressive strength 1.5 N/mm² Maximum water absorption (after 28 days) 15% Blocks are ready for use after 14 days Cement to Soil ratio will vary according to soil type and should be determined by testing the soil for shrinkage. This can be done quickly & easily using a special shrinkage box supplied with the Block Press. Please note that heavily clay soils, where shrinkage exceeds 40mm, the soil may require further stabilization with sand. Shrinkage Less than 12mm 12 – 23mm 24 – 39mm Cement to Soil Ratio 1:18 1:16 1:14 Approximate no of blocks 150 120 100 COST BREAKDOWN. Assuming an average price of KES 750 for a 50kg bag of cement, and KES 350 to 400 for unskilled labour per day, the cost of producing 1 meter squared is as below: CEMENT-KES 7 per brick LABOUR to manufacture brick-KES 4 per brick LABOUR to make wall-assuming 1 fundi and 1 assistant at a total of KES 1,100 per day with a minimum of 500 bricks per day.-KES 0.4 per brick. TOTAL=KES 11.4 per brick. 1 M2 of walling will have an average of 33 bricks. Four workers using a heavy duty manual press can produce 500 rock hard building blocks a day, compacting a soil/cement mixture under high mechanical pressure. The press is adjustable for use with almost any soil type and just 1 bag of cement makes over 100 bricks. Blocks can be sold profitably to build walls at half the cost of the concrete block or stone walls. The blocks will not need mortar during construction as they are inter-locked one to the other in subsequent succession. This will not only guarantee straight and true walls but increase in the speed of construction as well. The downside is that their structural strength will depend hugely on the persons who made them. This therefore does require expert attention during production to guarantee consistency in strength and quality of the blocks. In Nairobi and its environs, since there are large construction projects requiring deep foundation excavations, soil can be delivered to the site for free since the large building owners are required to dump the soil in far away located approved council dumping sites hence more convenient for them to deliver to a nearby site. Stabilized soil blocks eliminate the need for joining cement mortar in between the blocks. It also eliminates the need for plaster. It’s however recommended to paint it externally using water-proof varnish to make it more water –resistant. Specific sections can be painted using contrasting colors to create creative interior wall patterns. The walls though can still be plastered and painted. Advantages of Stabilized Soil Blocks • Soil is available in large quantities in most regions. • Cheap and affordable - in most parts of the world soil is easily accessible to low-income groups. In some locations it is the only material available. • Ease of use - usually no specialized equipment is required. • Suitable as a construction material for most parts of the building. • Fire resistant - non-combustible with excellent fire resistance properties. • Beneficial climatic performance in most regions due to its high thermal capacity, low thermal conductivity and porosity, thus it can moderate extreme outdoor temperatures and maintain a satisfactory internal temperature balance. • Low energy input in processing and handling soil - only about 1% of the energy required to manufacture and process the same volume of cement concrete. This aspect was investigated by the Desert Architecture Unit which has discovered that the energy needed to manufacture and process one cubic metre of soil is about 36 MJ (10 kwh), while that required for the manufacture of the same volume of concrete is about 3000 MJ (833 kwh). Similar findings were also reported by Habitat (UNCHS), Technical Note No. 12 comparing adobe with fired clay bricks. • Environmental appropriateness - the use of this almost unlimited resource in its natural state involves no pollution and negligible energy consumption thus further benefiting the environment by saving biomass fuel. Disadvantages of Stabilized Soil Blocks • Reduced durability - if not regularly maintained and properly protected, particularly in areas affected by medium to high rainfall. • Low tensile strength - poor resistance to bending moments, to be used only in compression e.g. bearing walls, domes and vaults. • Low resistance to abrasion and impact - if not sufficiently reinforced or protected. • Low acceptability amongst most social groups - considered by many to be a second class and generally inferior building material. Source Compressed Stabilized Soil Blocks Source Makiga Engineering Source a4architect For more information on the construction industry, handyman contacts and other insights, please visit our full site at www.fundimjanja.com