Building supplies, also known as construction materials, are all material used for the construction of buildings. Almost all naturally occurring material, including sand, clay, stones, wood, and twigs, were originally used to build houses. Other man-made items are now in widespread use, some synthetic and some natural.
Wood is one of the most popular building supplies today. Some building supplies used for house construction are lumber, nails, screws, and flooring. There are many people who prefer to build homes out of wood because it is more aesthetically pleasing than other types of materials available on the market. However, building a home from wood also involves using some supplies made of man-made materials. For example, there are many people who prefer to use drywall for walls and plaster for floors because of their availability and affordability.
Landscaping is another popular home improvement activity. With a little bit of planning and creativity, you can transform your vacant lot into something that is indistinguishable from an exotic tropical garden. The first building supplies needed for landscaping are soil, plant life, decorative stones, fences and posts, edging, mulch, gravel, paint, brushes, and wheelbarrows. You can get these supplies at most big box home improvement stores and other brick and mortar retailers in your area.
Many of the big box retailers have come out with their own line of green building supplies. These include green roofing materials such as felt, straw, eco-friendly paints and sealants, trees’ bark, mulch, and low maintenance grasses and plants. If you prefer not to use green products to build your home or your yard, you can find non-green building supplies at big box retailers or lumber outlets. Some of the products that are non-green include metal building materials, concrete, tile, asphalt, siding, and vinyl products. If you are interested in natural stone products, you can also find them at big box retailers and lumber outlets, but they will be more expensive. It may be worth the extra expense to purchase natural stone products because the synthetic alternatives do not hold up as long as the real stuff.
If you are interested in building a structure, you will need building supplies such as treated wood, sheet rock, masonry nails, building paper, clamps, cement, masonry hammers, cement hammers, concrete anchor, stud finder, and level. Most of these supplies can be found at lumber outlets, although you might have a hard time locating all of them at one location. For example, the treated wood might be found at Home Depot, while the concrete anchor could be found at Lowe’s. The masonry hammers at either outlet could be used in other places, so it is not necessary to stock all of them at one store. You can save money by purchasing products from various sources and then combining sizes when you put them together.
Other products that you might need in your construction project are pressure-treated lumber and sheet rock. These products are manufactured to last for many years, which is good news if you are building a new home. Sheet rock will keep the structure standing during strong storms or when a big tree falls on it. Although treated wood and sheet rock are manufactured to last for many years, they are still susceptible to weather damage and insect infestation. Therefore, it is best to only purchase supplies that are specifically certified for environmental protection.
