45 Steps to Building a Residential Dwelling in Zimbabwe

7/24/2019 45 Steps to Building a Residential Dwelling in Zimbabwe

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45 STEPS TO BUILDING A RESIDENTIAL DWELLING IN ZIMBABWE

STEP (1)

Architect Drawings drawn up and approved by the city council. Make sure you hire an architect that

insists on visiting your stand in order to come up with the house design, this will ensure a design that

takes advantage of your stand positioning and orientation. Remember that Zimbabwe is in the

southern hemisphere therefore your houses (main living areas) should face north in order to get the

most sunlight.

The boundary pegs are already found and on view

Builder gets all required approvals for construction to begin

Your engineer will study the new house plans and specify where you will require certain beams,

structures and reinforcing, particularly with a double storey and sloping plots.

The Engineer will draw technical specifications which illustrate where the structural re-inforcing has

to be placed and how it is to be designed.

A copy of each engineers drawing are handed to the Building Contractor, Architect, Owner,Municipality, (for inclusion with your original drawings). The Engineer will inspect each selected area

as it is finished before signing each one off.

GEO-TECHNICAL REPORT - The Engineer will require a report on your plot for samples of soil.

Depending on soil type, extra foundations or re-inforcing have to be built into the structure for

safety. Holes are dug all over the site and at different depths. Soil samples are analyzed.

Reports on these samples are given to the Engineer who can then establish where the re-inforcing

and strength is required. Get the Geo-tech report done whether it is required or not for the safety of

your family and your building in the event of poor soil.

Clay is the worst soil type and requires special foundations.

STEP (2)

Erect Wooden cabin (this will be used by the guy that looks after your stand and for the storage of

building materials. We recommend a 6x3 cabin.

The municipality will require a connection fee to erect a tap for you to get connected to the main

water supply and thereby water to site, if there is no water connection a 50 000litre water tank is

recommended ($550). It costs $50 to fill such a container.

Temporary toilet erected in place and connected

The site is leveled and cleared.

STEP (3)

Site is surveyed and marked out for building foundations.

Exact positioning of the home is marked.

STEP (4)

Foundation trenches are dug Plumbing line is dug and run from street to site


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STEP (5)

Concrete is poured into the foundation trenches with re-inforcing steel where and if required.

Your steel and reinforcing contractor will have drawings from your engineers as well as other plans

of your building site. He will know exactly how and where to place his steelwork.

Steel normally comes in long rods which are bent and 'tied' together in major areas for support andstructural re-inforcing. Also done in Columns which are load bearing and in foundations, decking,

boundary retaining walls.

Steelwork is an essential element of a building and so too is it an expensive one. If any unusual

building is envisaged it normally involves steelwork and re-inforcing specialists. Your re-inforcing

Company must come recommended, registered and with good references.

STEP (6)

Foundation brickwork is built up

STEP (7)

Soil dug out of foundation trenches is backfilled and compacted.

STEP (8)

Soil is treated with a poison for ants (termites)

STEP (9)

DPC plastic damp proof sheeting is laid. (black sheeting) 200 microns minimum

Bricks are laid and built up

Re-inforcing steel and wire mesh is placed

Electrical conduit pipes and plumbing systems are installed and left exposed

Cement slab is pouredBrickwork is built up

Second floor deck is built up with metal plates on scaffolding in a double storey or flat roof home Re-

inforcing steel Concrete is poured and left to cure for a few days

DECKING If you are building a double storey then a decking contractor will position scaffolding

throughout your new home with large metal plates. After the steelwork (reinforcing) is in place on

these metal plates, concrete will be poured or pumped onto these and left for a few days to cure for

your second level flooring slab. A skilled, expensive and time consuming job.

It will include your engineer, the building contractor and his labour force, the steel re-inforcing

contractor, the municipality, the decking contractor, the cement contractor and hiring of pumps to

relay the concrete up and into. An extremely large deck should be done with a reputable contractor

to avoid any weakness in the mix and avoiding a "cold join."

And brickwork built up

Roof trusses are placed on walls

Roof Timber is painted with wood preserve

Beam fill brickwork fill between timber trusses

Plastic Sheeting placed on roof

Roof batons are placed

Tiles are placed


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Waterproofing areas of roof where it requires it

There are many designs in timber and tile roofs. It all depends upon taste, budget and weather. If

you are having a tiled roof the company delivers the timber trusses complete and made up. They are

placed on your walls. Batons are laid across waterproofing plastic and the roof tiles placed onto that.

In high wind regions get the roofing company to include in his quote storm clips on your tiles.

Inevitably some new tiles will crack and must be changed every so often. Once the roof is finished

the roofing company must have in his quote a time period whereby he will come and re-visit and

repair the roof at his cost.

Additionally get the roof serviced once a year to avoid problems later on. Into his quote put down all

water proofing that will be required on and around toilet breather pipes or joins and so on. Another

finicky nuisance task especially on a double storey. The roof structure when finished must be SIGNED

OFF by the designer of your roof according to National Building Regulations and Building Standards

Act and receive a DESIGNERS COMPLETIONS CERTIFICATE (Timber Roof Structure) and your ITC

ROOF LOADING CERTIFICATE (Timber Roof Structure).

STEP (10)

Conduit and electrical frames are placed in walls ALL conduit MUST HAVE draw wires visible in each

conduit for pulling of electrical wires through to their respective connections. Even if these conduits

are not required immediately draw wires must be in place.

Areas that must be included in the ELECTRICAL QUOTE are:

Conduit from house to gate for lights gate motor and intercom any other exterior lighting or power

points like alarm systems, pool pumps, electric fencing and so on.

The electrical CABLE running from your home to the roadside and connected to the main service

MUST be in the quote. The cable is expensive and will come as a shock in the final stages. The cable

should be placed at a depth whereby it won't interfere or get damaged at a later date by any digging

up of the garden for a pond or swimming pool. Quote must include and install all-weather proof

protection boxes for all outside wires and plugs.

Included in the quote for telephone conduit with draw wires from the room or rooms where it is to

be installed all the way to the road connection. This is often over-looked and can be very painful

towards the finish when such a minor but necessary job has to be done.

Count all plugs, lights and switches interior and exterior on the electrical plan and make sure they

are quoted for in detail. Lighting is inclined to be neglected but is an essential element of your new

home and for its smooth running day and night.

Your electrician should have a book showing fittings for the home to choose from or you can order

light fittings from a store of your choice.

Outdoor lighting must be waterproof and buy the brightest you can afford. The gate lights and

outside free-standing lights can be adjusted with an automatic light sensor which turns them on in

the evening and turns them off in the morning. Dimmer switches make a pleasant touch in indoor

lighting, especially in the bathroom and bedroom. Down lights always look good and the light is good

to.

Think about where your furniture will be placed, especially televisions and beds. Imagine where you


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would want a power point and for what. Make sure there are enough power points within each

room to avoid using multi-adaptors.

STEP (11)

Floors are screeded - A light cement and sand mixture is placed and "floated" onto the slab for level

flooring

STEP (12)

Window and Door lintels are built in as the brickwork goes up

Window and Door Frames are installed

STEP (13)

Exterior Doors are installed

Entrance doors must preferably be solid wood.

The sculptured doors with different designs on them look beautiful on any home (if you can afford

them).

One can buy all sorts of different doors but commonly moulded hollow core doors are used for

interior.

Fire doors are used for entrances from your garage into the home.

The carpenter fits the window and door frames to the specified areas.

He hangs the doors into the door frames and if necessary uses a PLAINER to shave off pieces of the

door top or bottom to fit AFTER the tiler has been and gone.

He drills and gauges the cavity for the locks within the doors and fits the hinges, handles and locks

etc. The carpenter is a busy man without a doubt and his job is also to cut, nail and wood glue the

skirting boards around the bottom of all the walls AFTER the TILER has laid his tiles. A tip is to paint,

varnish or stain the skirting boards if they aren't already BEFORE they are nailed down, otherwise

some poor soul will have a very long and fatiguing task painting them down on the floor.

STEP (14)

Interior and Exterior Walls are plastered

STEP (15)

Glass is fitted into windows

Windows can make a luxurious home look very plain indeed. Send for catalogues of available

window sizes and shapes and so on. In most cases you can get windows specially designed for your

home bearing in mind frames must be inserted between glass (if it is a large window) for safety andstrength.

A window sill can be wide or narrow, painted or face brick, quarry tiled, plastered or wood.

Aluminium frames are less maintenance and don't rust. A timber frame will look shabby quite

quickly unless you are fastidious in the varnishing, sealing and cleaning. Your glassing contractor

measures frames and fits glass. Different glass textures can be chosen for different rooms. For

example a downstairs bathroom would require a FROSTED GLASS. Glass can be tinted for glare.

STEP (16)

Ceilings are installed Conices are installed If you are having a tiled and timber roof then thecarpenter will install RHINO BOARD (ceiling board) onto the walls. He will then plaster this ceiling


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board with a thin coat of RHINO LITE for a smooth finish. These boards are not large enough to cover

the space of an entire room so CEILING BOARD TAPE is used to tape the sections together. The

RHINO LITE is plastered over this. This sets very hard and when dry can be primed and painted.

The carpenter places the CONICES the (the ornamental moulding) onto the ceiling and the wall. Thisseals the gap between the two. The conices are nailed and glued into place. If there is a slight gap

where the plastered wall does not meet the Conice evenly a FILLER is smoothed into the gaps and

once painted won't be noticed. Flat roofs do not require conices (a saving) and only if you specifically

want the decorative look of them. Conice fitting is a lengthy, messy job indeed. However these days

some beautiful WOODEN conices are available and are neater and easier to fit and work with.

STEP (17)

Baths and showers installed It is essential to waterproof all showers.

STEP (18)

Waterproofing a flat roof involves using a bituminous primer which is laid onto the roof and then a

torch is fired onto that, melting the primer onto the cement as a waterproofing system.

STEP (19)

Drills holes through ceiling for electrical light fixtures

STEP (20)

Electrician pulls his wires through conduit pipes

STEP (21)

Plumber lays his pipes

STEP (22)

Window sills are placed

STEP (23)

Ceilings and Conices are painted

STEP (24)

Walls are painted inside There are different interior and exterior paints for different areas in the

home.

STEP (25)

Walls are painted outside If your home is face brick then a brick sealer is painted over the bricks

STEP (26)

Baths and Basins are installed complete including toilet roll holders etc.

STEP (27)

Geysers are either placed within the roof on a lintel or inside the home within an area specified on

the house plans. The PLUMBER must be responsible for laying the pipes for sewerage, storm drains,

drain pipes, down pipes, guttering and connects to the municipal mains at the road verge. He shouldbe responsible for the fitting of your baths, toilets, basins, taps and geysers, including the supporting


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brickwork/framework around such items.

Thoroughly go through his quote making sure he includes everything to do with the plumbing down

to the last tap and plug filter. Ensure he is responsible for the brickwork around the bath or shower

area. Make sure that the baths fit snugly onto and into the brickwork leaving no movement or

hollow sound when the bath is tapped. If this is not supervised correctly your bath will move and

when you lean on the bath edges whilst getting out the bath the grouting will crack away from the

bath as it moves leaving cracks where water will soak down between brickwork and bath and this

could lead to leaks through ceilings in double storey buildings.

He must also include fitting of your roof guttering and down pipes and connection to ground pipes.

Some plumbers leave this out of the quote and then you end up having to sub-contract to finish the

job which becomes a necessary evil with a cost that will surprise you. He must also include the

connecting of washing machine and dish washer. A finicky connection if you don't know what you

are doing.

Inevitably sometime during the building process one or more of his pipes will get pick-axed in a

digging operation or accidentally cracked. Try and get him to agree to replace or repair accidental

damage to the pipes and if so make sure the repair work is to satisfaction (otherwise you may have

to fork over some more money to repair the damage to his pipes).

Once all plumbing is in place check all taps and pipes for leaks etc. Switch all taps on and off and

flush all toilets, see they perform as they should. Get him to show you where and how to switch off

the mains water in case of a pipe bursting within your home. Make sure he puts this within your

property at an accessible point. Make sure all underground piping is laid in an area where they won't

(at a later date) be dug into while building a pond or swimming pool. Do not let the plumber install

the exterior sewerage pipes where they will be ON SHOW on the exterior of your boundary wall

because he was too lazy to dig a little deeper. Try and get the plumber to lay the pipe through the

boundary wall at the bottom otherwise you may have a very long sewerage pipe running down your

front boundary wall which might not look as good as it could have where you home is situated above

your front boundary wall.

Make sure the geyser is installed according to the safety regulation and even get the plumber to put

this in writing. Storm guttering one can use PVC or an aluminium seamless gutter in the round or

square shape. Seamless guttering is very quick and looks very neat indeed.

Make sure Garden taps are included in his quote and any sprinkler systems you may want.

STEP (28)

Plumber places gutters, gulleys and down pipes

STEP (29)

Plumber connects up

STEP (30)

Floor and Wall tiles


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STEP (31)

Curtain Rails are installed Skirting laid down

STEP (32)

Lights and switches are fitted Stoves etc. are fitted and connected

STEP (33)

Electrician Lays cable Electrician connects up

STEP (34)

Kitchen cupboards are installed Get the best you can afford for kitchen furnishings. The kitchen is

the busiest area in the home and requires adequate space

STEP (35)

Built-In cupboards are fitted

STEP (36)

Ballustrading, security gates are fitted Get various quotes for metal work you require. Burglar

guards, security gates, driveway gates, dog control gates, fencing and automation. If affordable get

the biggest and fastest motor for your driveway gate as the cost is negligible and you might want to

put in a heavier and higher gate at a later date. All metal work should be galvanized without

exception. If not you will have a rust problem very quickly, especially at the coast. Rusting burglar

guards are dirty and smelly and become very hard to repair once the rust process has begun.

STEP (37)

site is cleaned up and rubble removed

STEP (38)Alarm is installed

STEP (39)

The driveway is paved Driveway gates are fitted

STEP (40)

Washing Line poles are cemented in place

STEP (41)

Landscaping and instant lawn is laid

STEP (42)

A 3 months maintenance period is then lapsed and any defects in the home are rectified.

BUILDING FAULTS A new building will suffer from plaster cracks and in most cases are not serious.

The dried plaster forms hair-line and perhaps in some cases larger cracks mostly around windows

and doorways. In some cases the conices will lift from the walls after movement or 'settling' in of

your new home. Most of these cracks are in the horizonal. A good filler and touch up is all that is

needed.

However more serious cracks caused by foundation movement are much wider and normally run in


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the vertical. These should be seen by a qualified person or inspector who will advise you what action

to take to rectify the problem.

STEP (43)

An inspector from the Municipality Local Authority will do a FINAL INSPECTION to see that your

house has been erected according to the plans specified and you must give him the originalcertificates for safe-keeping.

STEP (44)

Local authority issues a the home owner a CERTIFICATE OF HABITATION.

STEP (45)

Move IN!

Documents

45 Steps to Building a Residential Dwelling in Zimbabwe