Should I buy or mould blocks for my building project? This is a question most people ask when starting their project.
Both have their advantages and disadvantages but from our experience we believe that buying blocks is better for some of these reasons underlisted.
Manufacturing on-site is more time consuming for the owner.
The old adage “time is money” applies even when considering to mould or buy blocks.
The amount of time used to monitor the manufacturer and attend to issues that may come up ranging from transportation problems, fuel issues, machine issues to absenteeism, weather problems and unforeseen circumstances can be used for something else. Most times you have to spend lots of time making calls to resolve unexpected issues such that you begin to ask if it is worth it. Block moulding is a small project on it’s own.
Take a look at the processes to buy or mould:
Buying blocks:
Look for a reputable manufacturer
Check quality and agree on terms
Buy blocks
Deliver to site
Manufacturing blocks on-site:
Look for a reputable manufacturer
Discuss the terms
Transport block moulding equipment to site Transport cement and sand to site
Ensure site access for workers
Provide water
Start molding blocks
Monitor the manufacturer for compliance
Block production and laying on site to dry
Attending to logistics issues
Stacking of blocks after drying
Checking of blocks
We can take a look at the above process and determine which is more effective.
Moulded blocks are not better in quality
This is the most important factor to note… many people feel because the blocks are moulded on their site then it is automatically better, this is far from the truth. Why? because it is the mindset of the person or company you are dealing with that matters and not wether the blocks were moulded on or off site. There are many site moulders who cut corners by using less cement for instance while we also had a reputable company that believes they can’t go below a particular quality irrespective. If you buy from such company you will have no issues hence your main task is to find a good manufacturer and buy from them.
Some moulders may be careless about materials because they aren’t the ones buying those materials.
A crooked person will remain crooked on or off your site while a good person will remain good on or off your site.
It is not where the block is molded but the mindset of the person moulding it that matters.
Moulding blocks is not cheaper than buying
If you’re buying blocks at N 250 per block and
considering the cost of a bag of cement as at the time of writing is N 4600. If you’re doing 30 blocks to a bag of cement that is 153 naira per block for cement only… now factoring the cost of sand, logistics, your time, labour ,water and other resources required, you will easily come to the cost of production.
Therefore the thinking that molding is cheaper than buying is not completely true. Blocks are one of the cheapest building materials and if even if you make any savings it doesn’t cover up for other resources such as the time energy and logistics required.
On-site moulding of blocks requires space and logistics
Most times you may have limited space on-site. In this case, molding blocks will become a hassle as you may have to quickly stack undried blocks in order to create more space for the new batch.
Also, the cement meant for the building project is mixed with that for block moulding and mostly leads to confusion.
Your site is not a factory
Building sites is meant for building structures while block production should be done in a factory like setting for standards. Turning your site into a factory means you have to keep things not as simple. Not turning your site into a factory keeps things simple and makes you less stressed out which in turn makes you and the contractor more productive on the project and other areas.
In summary, when deciding on sourcing blocks for your project your most important task is looking for a good block company that believes in quality… then letting them do the job which they have always done and known for. This will give you more peace of mind as against engaging moulders who may not have quality mindset and forcing them to give what they don’t have.
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Or contact us by email: info@nigerianhouseplans.com
A good assessment. I will definitely keep this in mind. Thanks.