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Use cement, judiciously
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The best way to avoid cost escalation on cement is to avoid wastage
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Cement prices continue rising after touching an all-time high in April. The real estate sector is thus facing a difficult situation. Also affected are families planning to build houses or those that have started construction.
States such as Tamil Nadu have devised mechanisms to ease the problem for individual home builders. The Tamil Nadu government has worked out a formula with cement companies to provide cement at affordable rates to individuals planning to build houses.
Nearly 400 bags priced at Rs. 150 each are provided to anyone constructing a house having an area below 1,000 sq.ft and 200 bags at the same rate for a 500-sq.ft house.
This formula is unlikely to materialise in Kerala in the near future. One, the house of a middle-class family in the State exceeds 1,000 sq.ft in area.
So, the best way is to scientifically use cement and check it for adulteration.
Cement is one of the most important materials in construction. It forms 12 to 15 per cent of the building cost. However, this can be brought down to less than 11 per cent through judicious use.
Cement is used in almost all elements of a house, such as roof slabs, beams, column, lintels, brickwork and flooring. It imparts strength and durability. But cement has to be thoroughly mixed, laid, compacted and cured to get strength and durability.
It is found that five to 10 per cent of the cement bought for construction gets lost owing to improper handling and storage and careless use by masons.
0Experts say that a house builder should be careful in buying cement. Cement normally is manufactured in modern computerised mills. The bag should carry an ISI certification and must be fresh. It should be bought from authorised dealers. Always insist on a bill.
T.G. Paul, marketing manager of UltraTech Cement, says that the batch number on the bag should be verified. Complaints, if any, can be registered with a consumer cell. The e-mail address and telephone numbers are provided on the cement bag.
Adulteration does not usually take place in cement. However, a few things can be done, such as checking the manufacturing date, getting one or two bags weighed and opening a bag to see whether the cement is in powder form or in lumps. Feel the cement between fingers. It should be cool, says Mohammed Koya, dealer of Chettinad, Malabar and ACC cements in Kozhikode.
Store the cement in a place without dampness. Do not store cement directly on the floor. Use a wooden panel or polythene sheets. Do not stack up more than 15 bags together. Always adopt a “first come, first served” approach when opening the bags, Mr. Paul says.
BIJU GOVIND, KOCHI
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