What Can Cheap Building Materials Cost You?
Saving money on home remodel projects is something everyone wants to do. However, sometimes saving money isn’t about just saving money but it actually comes down to quality and even safety for your home and family. This article looks at why you shouldn’t cut costs on some of your home improvement and renovation projects simply because it’s cheaper.
What Can Cheap Building Materials Cost You?
Building cheap can sometimes mean building unsafe or unreliable. There is a huge push lately to build home cheap but is this something that you should do when you’re remodeling or renovating your home. This article looks at some of the cheap building materials that you may want to avoid when starting a construction project on your home.
Cheap Vinyl Siding
Not all siding is made equally. Some siding is thicker than others and some siding isn’t made with the same coloring process. Take a look at the siding you are choosing for your home and look for the warranty information. Typically, siding companies will give warranties for the siding which can be a good measure of how long they will last without cracking, fading, or crumbling.
Determine if the warranty period is sufficient to pay extra for a better brand or style. Siding that has a 30 year warranty compared to a siding that only has a 15 year warranty will be better as long as the difference in price allows it. Consider if it was only 15 cents higher per foot, the cost would be well worth it for better quality.
Cheap Bathroom and Kitchen Fixtures
Another area that many people take to save money is by getting cheap bathroom and kitchen fixtures. These fixtures are usually plastic and can break easily. Especially if you have children in your home. Getting a good fixture can sometimes cost hundreds more but it’s usually worth it when the fixture is used often. In areas like extra bathrooms or guest bathrooms, you can opt for lower priced items because they will not be used as often.
So what can happen when you use a low priced alternative fixture instead of a Delta faucet in your upstairs bathroom? If the faucet breaks and water starts to run on the floor and into the ceiling of the first floor you’ll likely have water damage in the thousands of dollars range. Repainting, removing and replacing sheet rock, insulation, and more. Plus, to top it all off you’ll likely need to replace the faucet as well. It’s just not worth it to go with cheap alternatives like this.
Getting a Better Roofing System
Roofing is another area of vital importance when it comes to the quality of materials. By selecting the wrong roofing materials in your home you could start to have leaks. And the water from those leaks could be disastrous for your home. By using cheap alternatives for your roof you could end up paying huge amounts in home repair.
If you’re using a metal roofing system then be sure to check into the gauge of the metal used. Cheaper materials will use a small thickness and will not be as strong. Because it’s not as strong as most metal roofing systems, things like tree branches or debris can puncture the metal more easily. Leading to leaks in your home.
Structural Components of Your Home Need to Be High Quality
In most cities and states there are codes that require a certain structural elements in order to live in a home. Unfortunately, for home owners who do the work themselves and buy cheap building materials, they may not adhere to this code. Small projects in many cases lack the permit and the city or state doesn’t even know the project is taking place. The homeowner usually thinks they are saving money by not getting a permit or inspection, or they could possibly not know. Whatever the reason there are huge problems when not adhering to local codes especially when it comes to structural components of your home.
Some walls in your home are used to hold up the ceiling. Yes, there are load bearing walls in your home that are there structurally to make it more stable. There may also be headers and such in place to also help structurally. When you remove these items you may not see a problem as sometimes there will be no sagging or otherwise noticeable difference. But when a storm approaches, your home will likely not be structurally sound and it could collapse or at least portions of it. That’s why getting structural components right is a must. Don’t cut corners here with cheap building materials or avoiding permits and inspections, it’s just not worth it.
