Key Building Materials: Features, Benefits, and Considerations

Building Material Characteristics

Flooring Materials

Ceramic Flooring

• Formed by mixing water and clay, then molded and baked.
• A glazed layer of silica and aluminum is applied to the smooth surface, providing enamel-forming qualities such as resistance and impermeability, meeting standards like GCN 1400.

Terrazzo

• Consists of white cement mixed with chunks of marble and granite, compacted and vibrated before curing.
• Pros: Economical, durable, brilliant color after grinding/polishing.
• Cons: Can be slippery, requires more labor.

Hydraulic Tiles

• Consist of two layers: the lower layer is a lean mixture of sand and cement, while the upper layer contains marble sand or silica and Portland cement.

Types of Flooring

• Terrazzo tiles
• Porcelain tiles
• Ceramic tiles
• Extruded clay tiles (e.g., Catalan)

Porcelain Stoneware

• Pros: Seamless placement, beautiful, durable, very resistant, available in many models, can mimic stone materials.
• Cons: Expensive and skilled labor required, can be slippery.

Marble Flooring

• Pros: Beautiful, long-lasting.
• Cons: Needs polishing, very slippery, expensive labor.

Wood Laminate Flooring

• Pros: Beauty, warmth, comfort, thermal insulation.
• Cons: Costly, difficult maintenance, not suitable for outdoor or wet environments.

Synthetic Flooring

• Pros: Beautiful, easy maintenance, economical, provides warmth.
• Cons: Lacks durability.

Standard Ceramic Tiles

• Pros: Economical (depending on format), variety of models, hygienic.
• Cons: Not very resistant to impact and breakage.

General Tiles (Decorative Coating)

• Pros: Decorative coating, possibility of even curved placement, continuous appearance without waste parts.
• Cons: Expensive and skilled labor required.

Ceiling Materials

Smooth Plaster Ceiling

• Pros: Easy, economical repair, supports painting.
• Cons: Fixed (not easily accessible for utilities), should not be placed outdoors.

Plasterboard Ceiling

• Pros: Cost-effective, quick to mount, waterproof, fire resistant.
• Cons: Can become more expensive with complex designs or finishes.

Aluminum Tray Ceiling

• Pros: Ideal for decorations, resistant.
• Cons: High price, not typically used in homes.

Door Materials

Conglomerate Massive DM Doors

• Pros: Very economical, natural wood look.
• Cons: Easy deterioration, does not have the natural grain or strength of solid wood.

Solid Lacquered DM Doors

• Pros: Average price, available in any color (glossy or matte).
• Cons: Can suffer chipping, not resistant to impact or scratching.

Veneered Solid Block Doors

• Pros: Outer layer of wood provides greater relief and aesthetic appeal.
• Cons: Costly.

Exterior Carpentry

Types of Exterior Carpentry

• Framing with steel, aluminum, PVC, or stainless steel timber.

Steel Exterior Carpentry

• Pros: Economical, durable, low maintenance.
• Cons: Requires specialized workshop fabrication/installation.

Aluminum Exterior Carpentry

• Pros: Variety of types and finishes, widely used.
• Cons: Quality depends on the type of profile.

PVC Exterior Carpentry

• Pros: Variety of shapes and colors.
• Cons: Expensive, not yet widespread in use.

Wood Exterior Carpentry

• Pros: Aesthetic beauty, warmth.