Concrete in the building materials trade: heat, cold, moisture

Concrete is used in various compositions in the construction and renovation of houses. In its properties, concrete convinces with a high density. This makes the material very hard. Concrete is absolutely weatherproof. Heat, cold, humidity and extreme weather conditions do not bother the building material. Concrete can be poured or processed into bricks. In special compositions, the material has insulating properties. It is used for the construction of solid houses, garages and outbuildings. In the context of renovation, the building material can also be used for the construction of partition walls or for the redesign of room layouts.

Wood: Ecological building material

The natural building material is very popular for the construction of houses, but also for interior finishing and for the creative design of living spaces. You can have a house built entirely from wood.

How resilient is wood as a building material?

In its natural state, wood is not weatherproof. However, there is the possibility to make the wood weatherproof for decades with a stain or diverse variants of impregnation. Nevertheless, the maintenance required for wood used outdoors is higher than if you opt for stone or concrete. Wood is used in a particularly wide variety of ways indoors. Floors, ceilings and walls, but also stairs, windows and doors can be made of wood.

Permanently installed elements such as kitchen or built-in cabinets are also often made of wood. Wood can be easily worked and shaped. With special tools, even very hard woods can be cut or sanded. It is possible to paint or colour wood. Elements made of wood can be changed even after years or decades by repainting or sanding the surface. This makes the building material not only visually appealing, but timeless.

Stone for house building and wall construction

This general umbrella term covers building materials that are formed and manufactured from the various types of stone. Granite, marble, sandstone and natural stones are used for paving paths and designing terraces. Clinker bricks are very popular as part of a facade renovation. They are bricked in front of the actual facade and offer very good insulation. In terms of colours and design, bricks are very versatile. The durability of the building material and its weatherproof properties make it very popular for outdoor use. But stone can also be used indoors for the design of walls and floors.

Glass for windows and doors

The fragile material is indispensable for window construction in various thicknesses and designs. But also doors and elements in the bathroom are often designed with glass. The high-quality material is durable. However, it requires careful care so that it does not scratch, break or go blind.

Plastics: design and cladding

Plastics convince with their weatherproof and easy-care properties. They are used in window and door construction. But plastics are also used in the cladding of ceilings and walls and in the design of floors. The building material is very stable and does not change over years and decades. When selecting materials, please note that not all plastics are break- and scratch-resistant.

Further information on the subject of house building

Here you will find further information and tips on the subject of house building.

Interior fittings for new buildings and renovations

The interior finishing of the house includes the design of the walls, ceilings and floors. In addition, the installation of the electrical systems, the heating and the water circuit takes place. Stairs and doors are installed and fixed fixtures are integrated in the kitchen and bathroom. When building a house, interior finishing takes about the same amount of time as the construction of the building up to the topping out ceremony. The interior fittings can be very individually designed by the builder. Not only with a new building, but also in the context of a reorganization a new planning of the interior fittings is possible. If an extensive renovation with a change in the internal structure of the house is planned, the house should be empty for the period of the construction work. Otherwise, the renovation will be difficult.

• Click here to go to the interior design article.

Energy and technology: Energy efficiency in technical installations & security systems

Many value-adding components of a house fall into the area of energy and technology. If you wish to sell your property without stress, we as real estate agents are happy to offer you our individual services. This also includes the preparation of an exposé. This serves to describe your property to all interested parties who respond to the advertisement.

• Click here for the article Energy and Technology.

Overview of turnkey handover

• Definition – Shell with windows etc. finished
• Property developer responsible for construction site until handover of keys
• In English – “turnkey handover

Back to the wiki: Real Estate

Fireplace at a glance: Built-in fireplace in the building

• Colloquially used
• A fireplace installed in a building and its smoke outlet
• Fireplace often increases the value of a property
• Chimney must be checked regularly by a chimney sweep

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Cosy hours in front of the fireplace

Build and connect the fireplace on your own – Video

The most common operating errors fireplace – video

Luxury: Design fireplace in concrete look with formwork joint

Avoiding trouble with tradesmen – delays, mistakes & waste disposal

What is the best way to escape the hassle of tradesmen? Who is really responsible for the resulting garbage and what rights do you have in case of delay or non-observance of the appointment? So that you are prepared for the next visit from the craftsman, all questions around the topic of craftsmen are answered here.

Lateness – tolerance for appointments and punctuality

In principle, craftsmen are given a tolerance of fifteen minutes. However, if you are more than a quarter of an hour late, you are entitled to anew appointment. In this case, the arrival and departure times may only be charged once. If, for example, you have to go to an appointment and the craftsman is late and then stands in front of a closed door, this arrival and departure time may not be charged. However, you can very rarely claim compensation for such a case. Employees who have taken paid leave for the appointment usually come away empty-handed, since the waste of free time is not damage according to the legislator.

In order to protect yourself, you should agree a written contractual penalty with the craftsman’s company for larger construction projects, which becomes due when the deadline is exceeded. For smaller projects or assembly work, however, such an arrangement is not worthwhile in most cases. So if there are no claims for damages, you can still do something about a significant delay or a cancelled appointment without a cancellation. You can, of course, demand a new date and set a reasonable grace period for this. This varies depending on the case. For urgent matters, such as water damage, your deadline may be set quickly. For simple installation work, two weeks is a common deadline. Send a reminder with the deadline by registered mail to the craftsman and only if no result is achieved after the reminder and the craftsman is still not on time, you can withdraw from the contract with the company and hire another. Freelancers, in contrast to employees, can claim loss of earnings as long as they had an appointment with the craftsman, but he still reschedules you.

As a general rule, tradesmen only have to pay compensation if they themselves are at fault. This includes, for example, delays because the craftsman took longer at the previous appointment or because he forgot materials. They are also liable for damages if materials are not delivered by third parties, because craftsmen bear the so-called procurement risk. Our guide: insurance guide. However, you do not have to pay compensation if the accident at work is due to a serious illness or force majeure. This includes, for example, storm damage in the company.

Garbage, tools & materials – who is responsible?

Craftsmen should leave their workplace swept clean. So if there is a job that causes a lot of dust, the craftsman must sweep the affected area afterwards and leave it swept clean. The rubbish that accumulates during work must also be taken away and disposed of by the tradesmen. When replacing a device, you should agree with the company that the old device and the packaging of the new one will be taken away by the craftsman and disposed of properly.

As a rule of thumb, a quarter of an hour is charged for the journey to and from the company. However, it is best if you agree a flat rate for travel costs with the company in advance. If the craftsman forgets materials or tools, you do not have to pay for the travel costs or the time taken to obtain the new tools/materials. However, if you change your mind and, for example, get a different wall colour painted by your painter, he can transfer the additional costs incurred to you.

Legal basics – what claims and rights do you have?

Often clients do not know the rights and claims that you have against the craftsmen. A small list with the most important conditions:

• Workmen must take their own rubbish with them
• Hourly wages are calculated according to qualification: semi-skilled workers and apprentices are charged less than journeymen or master craftsmen.
• If materials or tools are forgotten by the workman, he may not charge for the journey and the additional time
• Replaced devices must be taken away and disposed of
• If the craftsman is more than 15 minutes late, you are entitled to a new appointment. Arrival and departure time may then only be charged once.
• In the case of assembly work that can be carried out by one fitter, it is not necessarily necessary to pay two fitters.
• The work site in question must be left swept clean
• Calculations per hour or part thereof are inadmissible unless agreed in advance.

So that you can be really safe with their next craftsman however, there are still some legal tips, which it gives to consider. Before you decide on a craftsman company, it is advisable to compare in advance both the hourly rates as well as the material prices and the conditions of the company. It is not only price that is important, but also the qualifications. A good company will save you a lot of stress later, which is why it pays to search in advance. Fees for an estimate may only be charged by tradesmen or the company’s customer service if this has been expressly agreed in advance.

Of course, the safest thing for you to do is to agree on a fixed price right from the start, which should not be exceeded in this way. Such fixed price agreements should be regulated in detail and both the scope of the work to be done and the materials should be specified in the order. However, some craftsmen do not offer this service. Therefore, tradesmen without a fixed price must inform them immediately if the estimated costs are significantly exceeded. If the costs are exceeded by 15 to 20 percent, you can cancel the contract, but you still have to pay for the partial services that have been provided up to this point.

Once the work has been completed, you should check whether the services and work have been carried out properly. You do not have to pay for work that is not included in the contract. Do not pay the bill until the acceptance was satisfactory and everything was done according to the contract. If in doubt, consult a specialist. If there are any defects, you must document them on photos. The company must rectify the defects and as long as this has not been done, you can retain part of the invoice amount due until the defects have been rectified. The rule of thumb here is to withhold twice the amount of what it would cost to fix the defects. However, if you discover a defect after acceptance, the company must correct the defects free of charge within a reasonable time. If the defects are not corrected or are not successfuly corrected, you can commission another company to carry out the corrections and claim the costs from the original tradesman.