Efficient Methods and Materials for Saving Time on Projects

Everyone knows the old adage that time is money. This is especially true in the construction industry, with statistics suggesting that missed deadlines and inefficient time management costing the industry a whopping $1.63 trillion annually. To help you avoid this expensive pitfall, keep reading to find out more about 6 efficient methods and materials for saving time on construction projects.

Choose Inorganic Roofing and Siding Materials

Many building owners enjoy the look achieved through rustic building materials such as wood and masonry. However, these products require a lot of treatment in order to get ready for use. Wood siding and roofing must be either painted, stained, or oiled to achieve optimal weather-resistant properties, while masonry products must be properly sealed in order to reduce moisture absorption.

Fortunately, there are many types of inorganic roofing and siding materials that can achieve the look of these classic products with none of the finishing requirements. There are numerous styles of composite roofing tiles, fabricated from asphalt, fiberglass, and recycled paper, that are nearly indistinguishable from wood shakes or Spanish barrel tiles. In addition, steel log and fiber cement board and batten siding can be fabricated off-site in any number of colors and designs, allowing builders to achieve pristine curb appeal upon installation, with no time commitments required for final painting or treatment.

Leverage Prefabrication and Modular Construction

Building piece-by-piece on the construction site is a time consuming process that can cause project costs to spiral out of control if something goes awry. For example, delays due to inclement weather or construction blockers created when one subcontractor falls behind schedule have the potential to disrupt the entire construction schedule.

Therefore, to maintain greater control of the process and mitigate these types of variables, contractors are increasingly leveraging methods of offsite construction. As mentioned, choosing inorganic roofing and siding is a great first step, as they can be manufactured in the desired finish and are installed ready to go. Other projects are utilizing prefabricated structural steel buildings to further reduce construction time. These innovative steel building kits are pieced together at the manufacturing warehouse and ready to be erected once they arrive at the construction site. They require less intricate foundations than wood-framed structures and can take months off the entire project timeline.

Get Innovative With Safety Features

With human tragedy and unprecedented natural disasters occurring with greater and greater frequency across the country, engineers have to put safety at the forefront when designing buildings in 2022. However, increased safety doesn’t have to add time or complexity to the project. In fact, top-line security can be achieved simply by choosing the correct materials.

Durable framing, such as steel or ICF, can help the building stand unscathed in the face of gale-force winds and driving rain. Fire-stifling features such as smoke baffles, fire curtains, and tunnel ventilation dampers can help keep building occupants safe and the integrity of the building intact in the face of wildfire or arson damage. Steel security doors can help prevent the spread of fire and protect the building from exterior threats. All of these considerations can protect the structure without throwing the project off schedule.

Invest in Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Construction Software

Rework is the bane of any construction project, causing delays and wrecking budgets. Therefore, don’t let unexpected issues throw the project off schedule. Invest in the latest BIM and construction software to create detailed designs before ever breaking ground, helping visualize troublesome eventualities beforehand and allowing you to create contingencies that don’t slow the project down.

Install Elite Drainage to Protect the Foundation

Protecting the foundation is critical for the success of any construction project. Once the foundation goes, so will the rest of the building, and it can often be expensive, difficult, or even impossible to set things straight. As such, contractors have to get it right the first time. This is why many construction projects spend months in advance preparing the earth and building complex retaining walls to ensure that the foundation of the building never becomes compromised.

While it will ultimately be up to the engineering team to determine the kind of preparation necessary to secure the foundation, having the proper drainage solutions in place beforehand can potentially reduce the complexity of the situation. By using sanitary drains to control the flow of wastewater and runoff, the design team can be confident that erosion won’t undermine the integrity of the foundation.

Rehabilitate As Much As Possible

With the soaring cost of construction and building materials in 2022, architects are searching for ways to rehabilitate existing structures as much as possible. By saving the good and modernizing the bad, projects can not only reduce the amount of materials required, but also eliminate the time requirements of demolition and building back from the ground up. Therefore, look into ways for filling cracks in cement, applying sealants to the building envelope, and retrofitting doors and windows to help save as much time as possible.

6 Cutting Edge Ideas to Save Time On Construction Projects

Inefficiency and missed schedules are notoriously catastrophic for construction projects. Therefore, it is critical that contractors find ways to employ the most efficient methods and materials on the job site. Inorganic roofing and siding, leveraging prefabrication, getting innovative with safety features, investing in BIM and construction software, installing elite drainage to protect the foundation, and rehabilitating as much as possible are 6 great ways to add efficiency and save time on construction projects.

Max Shafer is a contributor to the Innovative Building Materials blog. He is a content writer for the construction and home improvement industries with an interest in landscaping, outdoor remodeling, and interior design. Max is focused on educating homeowners, contractors, and architects on innovative materials and methods of construction that increase property value, improve sustainability, and create a warm and welcoming ambiance.