How to select the right building materials for your home: Part 2

In my last blog I talked about how to select the right external building materials for a home. Now we’re going to venture inside the home and guide you in choosing the right internal building materials. We’ll cover off the advantages and respective costs of tiles, timber and carpeting, and compare plasterboard and wall panelling.

How to select the right internal home building materials

Tiles vs timber floor vs carpet

Tiles like bricks have been around for thousands of years and are one of the most practical and popular flooring materials used in the building industry.

The advantages of tiles:

• Easy to clean.
• Wide range of shapes, colours and designs.
• Extremely versatile.
• Durable.
• Cost effective.

As they’re so easy to clean and scratch resistant tiles are no longer limited to use in wet areas, they are a popular choice for living areas and even in bedrooms nowadays. To buy and lay tiles you’d be looking at around $65 to $90 a square meter, depending on the tile you choose.

For sale: 13 Balmoral Avenue, Mosman, NSW

Timber flooring has a wide appeal and comes in a variety of looks and styles.

There are several advantages of using timber floor, including:

• Environmentally friendly.
• Value for money.
• Easy to care for.
• Comfortable.
• Recyclable.
• Wide range of colours and styles.
• Timeless appeal.

If you’re looking for a relatively inexpensive, contemporary and warm look for your new home then timber flooring may be the material for you, costing only $40 to $70 a square meter.

For sale: 27A Perry Street, Williamstown, VIC

Carpet is something that many people shy away from using a lot of in their home because they have allergies, it’s hard to clean and shows wear and tear over time. Over the years carpet manufacturing has evolved and changed, where you can now get allergy resistant and heavy duty carpeting.

Some advantages of carpet are:

• Comfortable.
• Aesthetically pleasing.
• Cost effective.
• Soft surface.
• Warm on the feet.
• Sound installation.

One of the great things about carpet is that it really does make a home cosy and it’s great for cooler climates. Carpeting is also on the budget-friendly side, where to supply and install carpet would be around $45 a square meter.

For sale: 159 Kambrook Road, Caulfield, VIC

Plasterboard vs panelling

Plasterboard is also commonly known as drywall, gypsum board and gyprock. Plasterboard is made up of two thick sheets of paper with a layer of gypsum plaster in between.

Advantages of plasterboard are:

• Easy to paint on.
• Great for acoustics.
• Easy to repair.
• Simple and fast to install.
• Recyclable.

The key value of plasterboard is it’s versatility. You can easily paint or wallpaper it when you’re in need of a fresh look. The supply and installation of an average single level 20 square home would be between $11,000 and $14,000.

For sale: 11 Thorne Street, East Geelong, VIC

Wall panelling provides a modern alternative wall finish to plasterboard. It comes in a number of different styles and textures.

Some advantages of panelling are:

• Easy to install.
• Modern look.
• Wide range of styles.
• Adds elegance and interest.
• Not used that often.

There are so many different types and styles of wall panelling the price can vary from $50 to $150 a square meter. So if you’re looking for something different with that added touch of elegance and personality then wall or ceiling panelling might be the way to go.

For sale: 83 Queenscliff Road, Queenscliff, NSW

We have covered off some of the main internal housing building materials, but there are many more out there. In the comments below I would love to hear what you used to make your home look different inside and feel inviting.