The escalating cost of houses has locked out many people from having a decent shelter over their heads. Photo/FILE
What you need to know:
The escalating cost of houses has locked out many people from having a decent shelter over their heads.
But the use of new building materials such as Prefabricated Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) to put up houses may change this.
Builders are turning to SIPs which is expected to reduce the cost of homes.
They have been used in the US over the years, where they are the main construction materials.
Property developers are adapting new building technology that has the potential of lowering the cost of houses.
They are using new building materials such as Prefabricated Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) to put up houses.
The move is expected to cut the cost of construction and reduce the time of putting up a property hence deepening access to homes.
“The SIPs have been used in the United States over the years and we are introducing them in the country which will lead to reduced cost of construction as it takes a shorter time to put up a house. They meet all the required standards,” said Tony Gichuru of Afrohomes, the local producers of SIPs.
In the US, SIPs are the main construction materials.
The escalating cost of houses has locked out many people from having a decent shelter over their heads.
Property developers have pointed out that the prevailing high prices are a result of run-away cost of building materials, expensive land, and lack of social amenities.
Mr Gichuru said the new technology is expected to address the issue of high cost of building materials.
“The SIPs are assembled way before the construction hence reduce the associated cost of construction by as much as 20 per cent”.
The SIPs are treated to ensure they withstand weather conditions such as rain, wind, and destruction from insects.
In addition, the use of the SIPs cuts down on labour cost as few workers are required.
It also takes a relatively shorter time to construct a house using SIPs.
Whereas a normal house project constructed using blocks takes up to 18 months to complete, houses put up using SIPs take an average of three months.
The first housing project to use SIPs, approved by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KBS), will be the 300 units to be constructed by the National Co-operative Housing Union (NACHU) in Mavoko.
Appropriate amenities
“The housing scheme will allow our members to have affordable and decent houses with all the appropriate amenities,” said Ms Mary Mathenge, the CEO of NACHU.
The government, through Vision 2030, has mandated the country’s fledging co-operative movement to deliver 25 per cent of the estimated 200,000-unit annual house demand.
The construction technology comes at a time when the government is planning to bring changes to the country’s building code.
A taskforce recently formed to suggest changes to the building code has submitted its recommendation to the Prime Minister’ Office.
Archaic building laws have been blamed for slowing down the building and construction industry.
These include the issue of minimum wall thickness, the type of construction materials to be used, and limit on storey size.
The government has set a minimum wall thickness size of 150mm, limited the use of walling material to building stones and caps storey residential houses to three floors.
Real estate experts have queried the usefulness of these regulations, saying they contribute to the high price of houses.
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