#12 Building Technology 1: Building

Materials

FLEX Course Material

To gain considerable
knowledge of basic
properties and composition
of building construction and
finishing materials including
their application and
articulation in the building

Hardware &
envelope
To apply the practical
application of building
materials-its application,
installation, fabrication and
maintenance methods and
Cabinetry
techniques relative to
building design and
construction
To specify appropriately
building materials
considering its applicability,
practicability and its
functionality and in 1. Samples of Hardware
accordance with the
standard and uniform 2. Samples of Cabinetry
systems of specification.
To express well the language
of building materials, both
English and local, as used in
the building construction
industry
Analyze the fundamental
concepts and principles of
building technology through
theoretical analysis and
exposure to actual
scenarios
Ar. Emmarie Rose C. Josue, uap, M.Arch
______________________________________________________
HARDWARE FOR WOOD
NAIL
fasteners mainly of various metals that are driven into wood or other
materials with a hammer or nail gun; made of steel, but other types
aluminum, brass, nickel, bronze, copper; stainless steel used where corrosion
might occur

With modern times, improved glues and the cordless screwdriver that are
readily available is now making the ease of using screws more common for
the choice of the woodworker. However, wood nails will always be around
because there are projects where a nail is the most practical fastener to use.
SCREW

Wood screws: most commonly-used mechanical woodworking

fasteners; used primarily for connecting wood to wood; also used to
attach hinges, locks/door knobs, etc.

types of screws for woodworking are based upon the gauge, length,
head shape and drive type of the screw
SCREW | Parts of a Screw

head thread pitch

point

drive

Shank
SCREW | Drive type

Drive types for wood screws

Slotted: referred to as “Flathead”
Phillips: referred to as “Cross-head”.

Two additional drive types:

Square-head and Square-head Phillips (a combination of Phillips and
Square-head). These two screw types tend to grip a bit better and resist
stripping more than the traditional types.
SCREW | Head shape

Countersunk heads: concealed below the woods surface

Raised heads: countersunk with a slight domed head
Round heads: rest on the surface
SCREW | Screw gauge

Wood screws are rated in gauges, which indicates their thread diameter. The
larger the gauge, the thicker the screw.
SCREW | Screw length
The general size of a screw is given a number. As the number increases, so
does the size of the entire screw, both head size and shaft size, but not length.

#4 Designed for small crafts, jewelry boxes,

attaching hinges, etc. Very light duty.
Available in 3/8" to 3/4".

#6 Small crafts, hinges and drawer slides,

children’s furniture, toys, light duty jigs and fixtures,
etc. Light duty, available in 1/2" to 1-1/2"

#8 General furniture construction, cabinets, light construction;

good all purpose. From 5/8" to 4".

#10 General construction, heavy duty furniture,

outdoor projects, decks, lawn furniture, boat building, etc. Available in 3/4" to 4".

#12 For heavy duty construction, hanging solid core doors, etc. Available in 3/4" to 4".
 TYPES OF SCREWS
a. COUNTERSUNK SLOT HEAD
for general woodworking for
example fitting hinges to doors
b. POZIDRIV HEAD
Used with special screw drivers
which will not slip when pressure
is applied
ideal when using screws in corners
or confined spaces
c. ROUND HEAD SCREW
d. RAISED HEAD SCREW
• for fixing pieces of material
together where countersunk holes • Used to fit door handle plates and
are not being used. decorative features that must look
• Round head screws can look quite good.
decorative especially if they are
made of brass.
e. DOME HEAD SCREW
• used for fitting fixtures such as f. CHIPBOARD SCREWS
mirrors • thread on this type of screw
• 'cap‘ = dome shape usually extends all the way along the
chromed or made from brass length; best used with chipboard
• makes the head of the screw safe
as the doom has no sharp edges
to catch and cut hands/fingers
cap
g. SELF-TAPPING SCREWS turned into the hole cutting a
• Normally used to cut a thread in thread
metal
• used for joining thin metal sheet
• A hole is drilled in the metal, a
fraction smaller than the width
of the screw
• The self-tapping screw is then
 2. NAILS
• effective way of fixing or joining pieces of softwood
together

• Hardwoods can be difficult to join with nails as they tend

to bend under the impact of the hammer

TYPES OF NAILS
a. ROUND WIRE NAIL
• This is used for general work. It is not attractive in b. OVAL WIRE NAIL
shape and it can split wood when hammered in • This is a long nail and care must be taken when it is
position. hammered into the wood. It is unlikely to split the
wood.
c. LOST HEAD NAIL d. PANEL PIN
• This is ideal if it is necessary to hide the head of the • A very popular way of joining woods although glue
nail as a punch can be used to hammer the head is usually included as part of the join.
beneath the surface level.

e. TACK f. SPRIG
• Can be used for fixing textile materials to wood for • This no head and is generally used for fixing glass to
example, fixing upholstery to furniture. glass in wood frames.
g. ANNULAR NAIL
• The teeth of this nail hold it in place firmly. h. HARDBOARD PIN
Therefore, it is used for fixing plywood and other • The diamond shaped head is hidden when used in
materials. materials like hardboard.

i. CORRUGATED FASTENER
• This will hold the corners of wood frames firmly
together
TYPICAL USE OF NAILING
 3. ADHESIVES FOR WOODS
a. Scotch Glue
• traditional glues made from b. P.V.A. (Polyvinyl Acetate)
natural materials (animal hides • very popular glue - do not need
and bones); boiled to produce a preparation
brownish coloured jelly which
slowly solidified and it could be • supplied in a plastic container
warmed up later and used as a and can be used straight away
liquid glue
SEQUENCE IN APPLYING PVA GLUE
c. Cascamite
• waterproof glue and is probably
the most effective glue
• must be stirred thoroughly until
it becomes a smooth/creamy
paste
• quality glue suitable for all
furniture especially if used
outside as it resists rain water
4. ADHESIVES FOR PLASTICS
a. Tensol Cement • Can be used to join plastics;
• best glue which joins plastics such adhesive is applied to both
as perspex together permanently surfaces and when the surfaces
• applied to the surfaces to be glued appear to be dry they are pushed
and they are pressed together; together. If the two pieces of
should be clamped for 24 hours material are left for a number of
and this gives a permanent joint hours, they are virtually
impossible to take apart.
b. Contact adhesive
c. Epoxy resin
• Hardens when a second chemical d. Super glue (cyanoacrylate)
is added (called a catalyst) • Another adhesive that joins
• bond most materials including plastics together, very quickly
some plastics • Great care must be taken when
• An equal amount of each tube are using this type of glue as it will
mixed together and then applied just as easily glue fingers together.
to the material to be glued.
e.Glue gun that melts when hot and
• used to join a variety of solidifies when it cools.
plastics; usually gives a semi-
permanent joint as surfaces
glued together can sometimes
come apart; a type of plastic

NOTE: Ventilation is vital when using all these

glues. Ideally an extractor should be used to
extract all the dangerous fumes.
 5. HINGES
a. BUTT HINGE b. BUTTERFLY HINGE
• range of sizes from 13mm to • used on light-weight doors and
150mm; normally used for cabinet different shapes and patterns are
doors; very strong but cannot be available; generally easy to fit
adjusted once they are fitted.
c. FLUSH HINGE
• does not require a recess to be
cut; not as strong as butt hinges
but can be used for light-weight
doors and small box construction
d. BARREL HINGE
• comes in two parts: The
threaded part of the hinge is
screwed into a pre-drilled
hole.; easy to fit and the hinge
can be dismantled
e. CONCEALED HINGE f. CONTINUOUS or PIANO HINGE
• come in two sizes (25mm and • comes in different lengths and
36mm; adjustable once fitted can be bought in brass or steel;
and is designed with chipboard ideal where a long hinge is
and MDF in mind required such as a desk top or a
cupboard door. Small
countersink screws are normally
used to fix it in position
 6. KNOCK DOWN FITTINGS
• can be put together easily, normally using only a screw driver, a
drill, a mallet/hammer and other basic tools
• temporary joints although many are used to permanently join
together items such as cabinets and other pieces of furniture that
are purchased in a flat pack

Types of Knock Down Fittings

a. PLASTIC CORNER BLOCK
(FIXIT BLOCKS) b. NATURAL WOOD FITTING (SQUARE
• The corner block is pressed against SECTION BATTEN)
the two pieces of material (normally • A piece of material such as pine can
wood based). be drilled and screws can be passed
• Screws are used to fix the block into through these holes. This gives a
position. cheap and effective knock-down joint.
The screws are normally countersunk
• Used to fit modern cabinets such as into the knock-down fitting.
those found in a kitchen.
c. TWO BLOCK FITTING (LOK-JOINTS)
• made from plastic
• A bolt passes through the first fitting into the thread of the second. As
the bolt is tightened it draws the two fittings together. The pins help
keep the fitting straight. This gives a very strong joint and it can be
dismantled using a screwdriver.
d. RIGID JOINT
• normally molded in plastic
which makes them strong;
Screws pass through the four joints. The cylinder is inserted
holes which hold the sides at
each corner firmly together.
e. SCAN FITTINGS
• strong enough to be either
permanent or temporary
into the first side of a cabinet
in a pre-drilled hole. The screw
is then pushed through the
hole in the second side until it
meets the cylinder. It can then
be tightened with a screw
driver until both sides of the
cabinet pull together.
f. CAM LOCKS
• disk fits into a recess in the
first side of the cabinet. It
rotates by inserting a
screwdriver into the slot in
its side. The shaft is
screwed into the second
side of the cabinet.
• The collar of the shaft is
passed through the hole in
the second slot in the disk.
When the disk rotates the
shaft is locked in position.
This keeps both sides of the
cabinet locked together.
g. Mortise and Tenon Joints.
• These joints are strong but have a
disadvantage - they cannot be used
for modern ‘knockdown furniture’.
Modern furniture is normally flat-
packed, this means it is delivered to
the home, in pieces, arranged in a flat
package. It has to be assembled in the
home. Usually instructions are
supplied but they can be difficult to
follow. The ‘table plate’ fitting is ideal
for this type of furniture because it
can be set up quite easily with the use
of a spanner and a screw driver.
The diagram shows a typical table
which has been permanently fixed
together using mortise and tenon
joints. The highlighted area shows an
alternative way of fixing the parts
together, using a table plate.
 7. NUTS AND BOLTS`

• used to join pieces together either permanently

or temporarily
• Many steel structures, including buildings, are
simply bolted together. Eiffel Tower in Paris was
originally a temporary structure and after twenty
years it was to be dismantled. Empire State
Building in the USA is also bolted together.
• used to fix together small structures such as
furniture.
• A washer is normally placed before the nut to
stop it sinking into the wood as it is turned.
a. Coach bolt has a square collar under the domed head
and this locks into the wood when the nut is tightened.
b. The countersunk machine
screw fits level with the surface
of the wood/metal/plastic. A
screwdriver is used to keep the
bolt still whilst the wing nut is
tightened by hand.

A plain washer prevents the nut

sinking into the surface of the
wood/plastic/metal

If there is a need to prevent, a nut

and bolt loosening a spring washer
is used.
 8. RIVETS

• Used to join plates together and they have been used for
hundreds of years. Before the widespread use of welding,
rivets were used in heavy industries such as ship building.

• Rivets are available made from other materials such as

copper and brass.

a. Pop riveting
used to join thin pieces of metal and it can also be used to join
plastic sheet.
The rivet has two parts; the pin and the rivet.
pop rivet pliers are used to pull the pin through the rivet and as
this happens the rivet is deformed slightly so that it joins the
metal or plastic pieces.
used where the metal or plastic is thin and where the joint
does not have to be very strong. It is ideal for joining
aluminums or even thin sheet plastic.
1. The two pieces of plastic or
aluminums are drilled to a size slightly
larger than the rivet

2. Thepop rivet is passed through both

holes in the sheet plastic / aluminum.

3. Therivet pliers are pushed on to the

pin of the rivet and the handles are
pulled together. As this happens the pin
head is pulled into the rivet and the end
of the rivet is expanded. Eventually the
pin will break off leaving the rivet
permanently fixed in position holding
the two pieces of plastic / aluminums
together.
b. Cold Rivets
• used in school workshops
although the modern pop-
riveting technique is more
Snap Head Pan Head
popular.
Below are two steel plates that
have been joined permanently
using steel 'snap head' rivets. The
plates cannot move a part because
the rivets hold them firmly
together. Mushroom Countersunk
THANK YOU!

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