If you’re planning home renovations, then a significant fraction of your total spend is going to go toward materials. Given this, you might be tempted to cut corners here and there, in order to bring down the total cost of your project. It’s worth therefore knowing what difference your materials make, and what particular purpose they’re each suited to.
Introduction to Home Renovation Materials
Choosing the right material for a given project means doing a little bit of research. You’ll need to think not only about the price of the material, but its suitability. With that in mind, let’s take a look at a few options to fill various needs.
Flooring Materials
There exist a broad array of flooring options. You might put down carpet, hardwood, laminate, vinyl, or tile. Within these categories there’s significant variety: you might spend a little on porcelain tiles, or a lot on limestone ones. It’s worth thinking about ease of cleaning, as well as aesthetics. How soon are you going to be replacing this floor? Certain areas where moisture and spillages are likely are naturally going to make a good match with tiles and vinyl: the kitchen and bathroom being obvious
examples.
Wall Finishes and Paint
You might finish your walls with wallpaper, paint, or a specific texture. The most popular option today is paint. Think about the amount of coverage and opacity you’re going to get from a given product, as well as the importance of sanding between coats. The right finish can make a big difference.
Countertop Materials
In kitchen and utility areas, you’ll need a countertop. This can be made of solid stone, a special product made from an aggregate (ground-up pieces of stone, plus adhesive), or laminate. The former two tend to be more attractive and hard-wearing, but you’ll pay a premium for them. When you’re making your choice, be sure to check out the product in person. It might be that you’re so impressed with a given surface that it’s not worth paying extra for the more expensive stuff. Bear in mind also the value of your home. In larger houses, the extra cost of granite might be reflected in the sale price, later on. This is less so in smaller ones.
Plasterboard
The introduction of plasterboard has revolutionised homebuilding. By setting up a few vertical lengths of timber and attaching a sheet of ready-made plaster, you’ll be able to vastly reduce the cost of throwing up a wall – and of refinishing a ceiling. If you need a new partition, or you’d like to smooth out an existing wall, then the chances are good that you’ll be using plasterboard.
Plasterboard is a product that comes in several varieties. For most purposes, the standard 12.5mm version works nicely – though you might prefer the slightly thinner 9.5mm alternative.
Stewart Thurlow
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