Natural and Synthetic Materials used in Construction – Bishop Ltd

 Construction of buildings involves the use of a variety of building materials. These materials can be classified into two types, ‘natural’ or ‘synthetic’ (man-made) materials.

Natural constructing materials such as clay, mud, and straw are still used today in some warmer climate countries. Here in the UK, natural materials, such as sand and stone, are widely used in a variety of ways within the construction of buildings. For example, houses can be made of cut quarry stone and sand is used in almost everything in the construction process, from an additive when mixing cement to padding under patio slabs.

Synthetic materials are also commonly used. Plastic is a good example of man-made building material. Plastic pipes and fittings have taken over from the older metal versions in recent years; UPVC instead of wood is another great example when it comes to window frames. Below are a few more common natural and synthetic building materials but how many more can you think of?

Bricks

Bricks are one of the oldest types of natural building materials. This is not surprising when considering their advantages; they are weather resistant, fireproof and even pest proof. They are made by grinding down shale, a lightweight rock that splits easily into thin layers, then compacting the residue to form the bricks.

Wood

Wood is another long-standing natural material used in construction. Carpenters have been around for centuries crafting elaborate carvings from wood, which were then used as features and motifs to enhance the beauty of a structure. Wood is almost as common as a brick in the construction of homes, although, these days wood is used more as an internal feature (staircase, skirting, etc…) than externally. With modern buildings, glass and metal appear to have replaced the use of wood.

Concrete

Concrete is a man-made building material, although created by the mixing of natural materials. You could say concrete (like glass) is a bit of a hybrid when categorizing in this way. It is widely used in everyday construction, especially when extra strength and durability is required, for example, concrete frames are used when building car parks or shopping centers. Here the use of steel rods within the cement, in particular, ‘piling’ underneath the structure is common practice.

Rock and Granite

Rock and Granite are quarried from the ground and cut into a usable size. It is used both as an internal (e.g. granite worktops) and external (e.g. patio slabs) building material. It is one of the strongest and most hard-wearing materials to use. However, it is very expensive so its use is more limited than alternative more cost-effective materials. 

Plastic or Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is the world’s third most widely produced synthetic plastic. It comes in two basic forms, rigid and flexible; making it the most common type of construction material used for fixtures and fittings, in the form of pipes, guttering, and window frames, etc... Plastic is durable, rustproof and (to a certain degree) heat resistant so an ideal modern alternative to metal fittings. 

Glass

Glass is used as often as bricks in the construction of buildings, some buildings appear more glass than brick these days, the Shard in London is a great example of this. It goes without saying; glass is a very versatile product. It is widely used as a general building material and different forms of glass are used to enhance the appearance of homes and office spaces, both internal and externally. Glass bricks, a more recent invention than regular bricks, are used for just this decorative purpose. Glass, although another of man’s creations is a mix of refined natural products which have been mixed together, heated and then molded (when hot and pliable) to create a clear or opaque material.

Metal

Different types of metals such as iron, aluminum, and steel are used as construction materials. Coated or polished metals are used as decorative additions to buildings.  

Straw

Although commonly used in the past as a roof thatching material it is less common to see these days. This is because it has a shelf life and, unlike slate roof tiles, needs replacing more often over time. An additional benefit of thatching is that it also functions as insulation, therefore, keeping the home warm.

In every instance, it is essential to use good quality materials to ensure strength, safety, and durability of a structure. It is also important to hire the services of a professional builder and engineer to assist you with purchasing the right building materials for your needs, their advice and expertise will be invaluable, and safeguard you against structural issues with your build at a later date. 

Contact Bishop Ltd – Builders and Developers - for all your building needs!

We are a leading bespoke commercial and residential construction company. Our services include a completely managed construction process, spanning the Pre- Construction, Construction and Post-Construction phases of your project. Our main services include Architecture and Construction, Project Feasibility, Cost Analysis, and Project Management. We have offices in Loughton Essex and Aylesford Kent and operate across Essex and Kent. 

Professional Local builders in Dartford Kent | Bishop Ltd

With residential projects it’s normally very complicated for the average person to know where to start, Architects, Planning Permissions, Building Regulations, etc. For this reason, we at Bishop Ltd decided to include an additional service to our list i.e. “Management and Design services”. 

Our Design Consultant service is a stand-alone package that encompasses all the early stages of your project. These early stages relate generally to the design, drawings, and Planning Permission aspect of a project. If you are setting out as a ‘first time builder’ we would strongly advise that you consider using this service. 

The main aim of this service is to help you to achieve not only the best results for your plan but also gain a clear vision of how you would like your property to serve you and your family. All design work for a new home, or extension, has to be thoroughly considered to make sure you get the best possible use out of your new space. Once we are clear on the design part of the build we can then provide you with the support of our architect. They will complete all your plans and drawings in preparation for submission to your local Planning Permissions Authority. Whatever design and planning support you need we at Bishop Ltd is here to help you. Contact us at 02089262010.

Types of Glass and Their Decorative Uses in Homes – Bishop Ltd

We spoke about the different types of basic glass used in construction in an earlier blog. Below we are going to look at different types of decorative glass and a number of ways in which they are used to accentuate parts of a home (or building).

Types of Glass:

Glass Blocks

Frosted Glass

Colored glass

Decorative Uses of Glass:

Glass Panelling

Clear or Painted Glass Balustrades

Painted Glass Splash-backs

Glass floors and Stairs

Glass Balconies

Opaque Glass Kitchen Cabinets

Glass Doors and Partitions

Glass Shower Cubicles 

Stained Glass or Glass Mosaic

Types of Glass

Glass Blocks

Glass blocks (or glass bricks) can provide light and serve as a decorative addition to a structure, they give an aesthetic look when light is passed through them. However, due to their hollow center, glass blocks do not have them as high load-bearing capacity as masonry bricks, unless otherwise stated. They are manufactured as two separate halves and, whilst the glass is still molten, the two pieces are pressed together and annealed. The appearance of glass blocks can also vary in color, size, texture, and form. They are ideal in providing visual obscurity while admitting light and are very often used in the construction of walls and skylights, and for other decorative purposes.

Frosted Glass

Frosted glass is often used to obscure the onlooker's view of what’s behind the glass. For this reason, it is ideal to use this type of glass for bathroom windows, preventing passers-by from seeing into the bathroom when you are undressed. A pane of glass can be either a solid frosted panel or have a unique frosted design on it, often used by companies to display company logos or simply add privacy to glass offices.

Coloured Glass

Colored glass is regular soda-lime glass with the addition of metals and oxides, at the time of manufacturing, to change the color of the glass and enhance its aesthetic appeal. This process does not change the integrity of the original soda-lime glass. Colored glass can be used in a number of ways, some of which are listed below.

Decorative Uses of Glass:

Glass paneling

Glass panels are an effective way to protect your walls and to add a contemporary and striking decorative effect to your home.

Clear or Painted Glass Balustrades

Whether you choose clear or painted glass for your balustrades the effects can be amazing. The clear glass gives you a more stylish and minimalist feel, but those looking for a dramatic design statement should consider installing color block painted glass. 

Painted Glass Splash-Backs

Painted glass splashbacks have become increasingly popular in kitchens. This is due to them being tough and durable, more hygienic and extremely stylish. They are available in an unlimited range of colors, and commercial glass suppliers can even color match your glass splashbacks to fit your needs. 

Glass Floors and Stairs

For a dramatic and striking look consider a glass floor or staircase in your home. Glass floors are great, they are hard-wearing, easy to clean, beautiful to look at and allow lots of natural light to flow through a home. But remember, don’t install a clear glass floor above your head - where you can see people walking, for obvious reasons! Instead, install a frosted glass floor, it avoids any embarrassment while doing nothing to diminish the other benefits. The added benefit of frosting (or sandblasting) is that it creates a rougher surface giving you more grip than clear glass, therefore, less chance of slips and falls.

Stairs are always a focal point in any home so constructing them from glass is always going to have that “WOW” factor. If you don’t feel brave enough to go for glass treads on your stairs then maybe consider adding glass railings or balustrades to your staircase, that way you still get the look.

Glass Balconies

Glass balcony railings will make your balcony seem much larger and more open than other types of materials often used. It also gives better views when you are seated. 

Opaque Glass Kitchen Cabinets

Using the opaque glass on the front of kitchen cabinets is ideal, it’s easy to clean and you can't really see all the things stored inside. It also gives the kitchen a light, airy and sophisticated look. 

Glass Doors and Partitions

Using bi-folding doors, traditional glass doors or blasted glass doors are all great ways of dividing rooms internally, and in creating extra natural light to flood a room.

Opaque glass partitions are a slim-line solution to easily dividing up a room, they also allow the unobstructed passage of natural light to space. It’s a great way of saving space, no need for thicker stud walls!

Glass Shower Cubicles  

Glass shower cubicles always give any bathroom a beautiful modern and elegant look. You can use any type of glass finish you like; clear, frosted, sandblasted stripes, etc. but the result will always look amazing! As a tip, coat the inner side of the glass with a clear film to save from watermarks, the water will simply slide off the glass, which means less cleaning for you! 

Stained Glass or Glass Mosaic

This crafted glass can still be a great add-on to any type of traditional or modern interior. It can truly enhance the appearance of a place. Stained glass crafting requires several tools and materials and a special set of skills.

Thank you for reading this blog, I hope you enjoyed it. 

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Understanding Flat (Float) Glass Production – Bishop Ltd

There are two types of glass manufacturing, blown glass (by hand or machine) or flat (float) glass; we will be talking about the latter below.

Glass is a rigid material which may be either transparent or translucent and, unless a process is applied, brittle in nature. The machine required to produce flat glass was first designed by Sir Alistair Pilkington in 1952 and is now the standard method of making flat glass. The production line, from the furnace to flat glass, can be half a kilometer long and the machine can churn out 6,000 tons a week, amounting to a staggering 6,000 thousand kilometers of glass a year!

The Process

Flat glass is manufactured by the fusion of limestone, Silica Sand, Soda Ash, Dolomite, and Feldspar, using the steps below.

Step 1 – Smelting and Refining

By far one of the most important steps. It highly influences the overall quality of the glass produced. The furnace melts the glass at around 1400-1600°C to ensure it is refined and homogenized and the glass coming out onto the float bed is removed of any gas bubbles or insertions.

Step 2 – Float Batch

The spout pushes out the heated glass onto a layer of liquid molten tin. The molten glass sticks together and does not mix with the liquid molten tin, literally ‘floating’ on top. This, with a little help from gravity, creates a perfectly leveled contact surface (and a sheet of glass!). The thickness of the glass is controlled by the speed at which the molten glass is spread over the molten tin.

Step 3 – Coating

Coatings are applied to the glass according to the customer specifications. This is done at an area in the production line that uses advanced high temperature wielding robots to apply the coatings. Another way to add coatings to the floating glass is through a chemical vapor depositor (CVD), which can cover the liquid glass with a variety of coatings less than a micron in thickness as it passes beneath the applicator.

Step 4 – Annealing

This is to further ensure that the glass has no unwanted insertions or bubbles, which can occur if the glass was cooled unevenly. Along furnace cools the glass at varying temperatures best suited to keep the glass perfect. More recent technology includes a sensor to detect the stress level of the glass and in turn controls the temperatures of the furnace.

Step 5 - Inspection

Occasionally a grain of sand, tremor or a single bubble will create a lower quality sheet of glass. To prevent this, improved automated and highly sensitive technology is used to pick up these glitches. This automated inspection method can also control the cutters and take 100 million measurements a second across the ribbon of glass.

Step 6 – Cutting to Order

The final step is also controlled by a computer program. This is where the glass is cut to the client’s requirements. Any waste material produced is fed right back into the furnace as cullet.

Major Properties of Glasses:

•                 Transparency
•                 Strength
•                 Workability
•                 Transmittance
•                  U value
•                  Recycle property

Transparency

Transparency is the main property of glass, allowing us to see through it. Glass can be transparent from both sides or from one side only. In one side transparency, glass behaves like a mirror on the obscured side.

Strength

In general, glass is a brittle material but by adding admixtures and heat processes we can strengthen it.

Workability

Generally, you can find any type, size or shape of glass you need. Glass is very adaptable. However, some glass panes and units can be extremely heavy and there is always the greater risk of breaking the glass. Great care and attention need to be taken when handling a glass of any form.

Transmittance

Transmittance refers to the percentage of radiation that can go by throughout glazing, that being, visible transmittance, UV transmittance, or entire solar energy transmittance. With the advances in glazing technology, manufacturers can control how glazing materials behave in such instances. The basic underlying properties of the material (glass or plastic) can be altered, and coatings can be added to the surfaces. For example, a window optimized for daylighting and for reducing heat gain can be tinted on one side to reflect the sun’s rays, without losing visibility through the glass from the other side.

U value of Glass

The nationally recognized rating method is for the whole window, including glazing, frame, and spacers. U-factor of the center-of-glass is also sometimes referenced, and describes the performance of the glazing alone; note that the whole window U-factor reading is always more than the center-of-glass U-factor. High-performance double-pane windows can have U-factors of 0.30 or lower, while some triple-pane windows can attain U-factors as low as 0.15. The lower the U factor, the greater a window's resistance to heat flow and enhanced its insulating properties.

Recycle Property of Glass

All glass is 100% recyclable, therefore, causing less impact on the environment.

Reliable Local builders in Kent and Essex | Bishop LtdLocal builders in Chigwell Essex

BishopLtd is a leading bespoke commercial and residential construction company. We have offices in Loughton Essex and Aylesford Kent and operate across Essex and Kent. We control the complete construction process seamlessly, spanning the Pre-Construction, Construction and Post-Construction phases of a project.Our main services include Architecture and Construction, Project Feasibility, Cost Analysis, and Project Management. We provide a turnkey solution or 360° Design and Build service.

As a construction company, our bespoke service is based around your dream, seamlessly blending considerations of practicality and aesthetics to help you create your ideal commercial or residential property.

Our highly professional Project Management Team is made up of experienced construction managers, working in both the UK and abroad. They have decades of experience across diverse Construction projects, as both Main Contractors and Sub- Contractors on large projects.

As a company, we understand each project is unique, and therefore, every Project team is assembled based on their specific suitability, skill-set, and experience. Our Construction team is made up of only the very best tried and tested tradesmen.