NAN-HE-13
Construction
By Lilian Chukwu
Lagos, July 11, 2017 (NAN) A property expert, Mr Lanre Imah, has advised the low income earners in the country to use cheaper, yet more durable construction techniques in building their houses.
Imah, a Managing Partner of City Planners Property and Investment Ltd., Lagos, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Tuesday that using such techniques would help to check slums.
He identified wood frame construction as an example of cheap and durable construction material available to Nigerians.
“Wood frame houses are the gold standard of the American construction industry, the major component is wood, a renewable resource with regulations for harvest geared toward preserving forested lands for continuous use.
“As the only renewable building material, wood has many advantages over other materials. It requires less energy to produce in terms of resource extraction, manufacturing and transportation.
“This may not be accepted in many urban areas in Nigeria, but it can be used effectively in the rural areas,” he said.
Imah said Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs) construction technique could also be used anywhere in Nigeria.
‘’ICFs are revolutionising the global building industries,because of the exceptional speed of construction, energy efficiency, comfort, and safety ratings at lower cost.
“Research confirms that the most cost-effective energy solution is saving energy in buildings and nothing comes close to the long term net income of improved building insulation.
“It is not just durable and cheap, it is also environmentally friendly.
“The insulating forms come in panels, planks, and blocks, and are adaptable to many home styles.”
He also said using these techniques would enable low income earners and prospective landlords to adopt them in construction of houses to cope with the inadequate funding facing the construction industry.
“If the techniques are adopted, more people will afford their own construction or take little loans that will not be stressful to pay back.
“This situation will in turn make accommodation more accessible to any level of income earner.” (NAN)
LUC/MO/DUA
Edited by Morayo Omolade/Dada Ahmed