All guides
Tracking new building technologies: what they are, which are recognised, and what their performance shows — without recommending them for a specific building
Following modern building technologies, materials and methods: 3D printing, ICF, light steel framing, AAC blocks, spray foam, solar and radiant barriers. For each: its recognition status, what sources say about its performance, and its caveats, keeping technical news separate from recommendation.
Prefab (off-site) construction: modular and panelised, the benefits in numbers, the challenges, and a checklist before buying
Prefab buildings are no longer just 'portacabins'. The types of off-site construction — volumetric modular and prefabricated panels — what studies say about speed and cost, and when it is a smart choice.
Ready-mixed concrete: ordering and receiving it, the '90-minute rule', and why water must not be added
Most concrete for homes now arrives ready-mixed in truck mixers. What the US standard ASTM C94 says about delivery, what changed in the 2021 edition regarding the '90-minute rule', and what to check on the delivery ticket on pour day.
Precast concrete: boundary walls, hollow-core slabs and stairs — pros, cons and choosing a plant
Concrete elements cast and cured in a factory, then transported and installed by crane: hollow-core slabs, walls, boundary walls, stairs, manholes. Their advantages as presented by the US National Precast Concrete Association, their cautions, and what plant certification means.
Sandwich panels (insulated composite panels): core types, advantages, and the fire risks you need to know
Metal panels with an insulating core, used for annexes, warehouses, cold rooms and even housing. The core types (mineral wool, PIR, PUR, EPS), why they behave very differently in fire, and what insurers recommend.
Gypsum board: types under EN 520, moisture- and fire-resistant boards, and when they aren't enough
Gypsum board is not one product. The European standard EN 520 defines lettered types (A, H, F, I, R…) each with its own use. And the common mistake: the 'green' board is moisture-resistant but not waterproof.
Cement board and fibre-cement: when to use them instead of gypsum board, and are they waterproof?
Cement board is a cement-based panel used as a tile backer in bathrooms and showers and for external cladding. The ASTM C1325 and C1288 standards, how it differs from gypsum board, and why it needs a waterproofing membrane over it in showers.
Lightweight AAC blocks (autoclaved aerated concrete): insulation and less weight — and what to watch for
White lightweight blocks are known locally by several brand names. How autoclaved aerated concrete is made and why it insulates, its pros and cons compared with concrete block, and how it should be built.
Insulated concrete forms (ICF): a reinforced concrete wall insulated on both sides — benefits and cautions
Instead of timber formwork that is struck, walls are built with insulating foam forms that stay in place after the concrete is poured. The ICF system as presented by the US Department of Energy's Building America guide: performance, strength, and the termite and moisture issues.
Light gauge steel framing (cold-formed steel, LGS/CFS): a house on galvanised steel frames — what you gain and what to watch
Frames made from galvanised sheet steel, cold-formed into C sections and assembled into wall and roof structures. What the Steel Framing Industry Association says about its advantages, and the key technical points: corrosion and thermal bridging.
3D-printed buildings: how concrete walls are printed, and how they are evaluated
Huge printers build walls layer by layer from special concrete. A real technology spreading worldwide, but still new in evaluation criteria. The idea, the first international evaluation criteria, and the questions to ask.
Conventional or alternative construction? A full comparison of concrete and block, modular, sandwich panels, AAC, ICF and steel framing
One comparison table summarising building systems: speed, insulation, fire, durability, and when each system fits — with links to the detailed guides and sources for each point.
Car shades and privacy screens: shade regulations, the permit, and what to ask before installing
What do official bodies require for car shades? A summary of the Riyadh Region Municipality regulatory guide (shade height, projection, columns, prohibitions) and the car shade permit service on Balady, followed by technical questions to ask before contracting.