Bangur - Cement Company India

How to Design a Bathroom That Lasts: Layout, Plaster & Right Cement Choices

A bathroom is one of the most frequently used spaces in any home, but also one of the most vulnerable. Unlike other rooms, it is constantly exposed to water, steam, cleaning chemicals, and temperature fluctuations. This combination makes bathroom design a technical challenge rather than just a design exercise.

A long-lasting bathroom is not built by tiles alone. It depends on a carefully planned building layout, properly executed plastering work, correct cement mix decisions, and strict attention to waterproofing and curing. If any one of these elements is compromised, issues like seepage, damp patches, tile failure, and structural weakening begin to appear over time.

This is why material selection matters at every stage. Reliable cement brands like Bangur Cement play a key role in ensuring consistent bonding, reduced porosity, and long-term durability in bathroom construction.

Why Bathroom Construction Needs a Different Approach Bathrooms behave differently from other areas of a house because they are continuously exposed to moisture. This creates a high-risk environment for construction materials.

Common long-term issues in poorly designed bathrooms include:

Water seepage into walls and slabs

Cracks in plaster due to moisture expansion

Tile debonding and hollow sounds

Mold and fungal growth

Corrosion of embedded reinforcement in extreme cases

These issues do not happen suddenly. They develop gradually due to poor planning in layout, weak cement plaster, or improper waterproofing execution.

How to Mix Cement: Understanding Cement Mixing, Concrete Mix & Water-Cement Ratio

Mixing cement properly is one of the most important steps in construction. Whether you are building a foundation, casting a slab, or laying bricks, the strength and durability of the structure depend heavily on how well the cement is mixed with other materials.

A correct concrete mix ensures that the structure gains the required strength, resists cracks, and lasts for many years. On the other hand, poor mixing can lead to weak concrete, structural damage, and costly repairs in the future.

Understanding the basics of cement mixing, including the correct proportions and water-cement ratio, helps builders and homeowners achieve better construction results.

This guide explains how cement is mixed, the components involved in concrete, and the importance of maintaining the right water-cement ratio.

Understanding Cement and Concrete Many people use the terms cement and concrete interchangeably, but they are not the same.

Cement is a binding material used in construction. It reacts with water to form a paste that binds other materials together.

Concrete, on the other hand, is the final construction material made by mixing cement with sand, aggregates, and water.

The basic ingredients of concrete include:

Cement

Sand (fine aggregate)

Gravel or crushed stone (coarse aggregate)

Water

When these materials are mixed in the right proportions, they form a strong and durable building material used in foundations, slabs, columns, and walls.

How to Find the Initial and Final Setting Time of Cement

The setting time of cement determines how fast a concrete or mortar mix begins to harden and how long it takes to gain enough stiffness to be handled or loaded. This affects everything from slab casting to plastering to foundation construction. Understanding the initial setting time of cement and final setting time of cement is essential for engineers, contractors, and anyone involved in construction work.

The most widely accepted method to measure these setting times is the Vicat apparatus test, performed as per IS 4031 (Part 5), ASTM C191, or similar standards. This blog provides a clear, step-by-step explanation of how to measure setting time, why it matters, and the factors that influence the results.

1. What Is Setting Time of Cement?

How Proper Planning Can Help Reduce the Cost Of House Construction

Reducing the cost of house construction starts with better planning. A realistic budget, careful material selection, the right contractor, efficient labour management, simple design decisions, and avoiding changes during construction can help control spending and reduce waste without affecting the basic quality of the house.

Key Areas Where Proper Planning Helps Reduce House Construction Cost Build a proper budget first The most important starting point is a realistic home construction budget. It should not only cover the main construction work, but also include permits, statutory charges, labour, materials, and a contingency for unplanned expenses. Many budgets fail because they only account for visible construction items and leave out supporting costs that appear later.

How to Compare and Evaluate Quotes from Different Contractors

Building a home is one of the most exciting milestones in life. But it also comes with its share of stress, especially when it comes to choosing a building contractor.

Most homeowners make the mistake of looking at the construction quotes and picking the cheapest one. Later, hidden costs appear, deadlines are missed, and the final quality leaves them frustrated.

The truth is, comparing quotes is not just about the number. It’s about understanding what you are actually paying for, evaluating the material cost, labor, timeline, and scope of work. Making the wrong decision at this stage can affect your entire home-building journey.

Best Cement for Foundation and Footings: Building a Strong Base

When it comes to building a home, the foundation is the most important part. Think of it as the backbone of your house; it supports everything above it. From the walls to the roof, every element relies on a strong and stable base. Choosing the best cement for a foundation can make a huge difference in your home’s durability, strength, and safety.

Understanding the Chemical Composition of Cement and Why Each Ingredient Matters

The raw materials for cement manufacturing, the resulting chemical composition of cement, and the control maintained during the cement manufacturing process together determine the cement quality and how it performs in construction. Since each ingredient in cement plays a specific role, the right balance of these constituents directly affects important properties such as strength, setting time, soundness, durability, and workability.

Choosing the Right Cement for Home Building

Want the quick takeaway before reading everything else? PPC cement can reasonably be seen as a more all-round option across many everyday home construction needs, especially in parts of the job where workability and finish are important, while PSC cement is often considered in situations where durability and environmental exposure come into play, and OPC cement still has a clear role where early strength is the priority.

In home building, the choice of cement type directly affects how different parts of the structure perform over time, especially in terms of strength and durability. Since this blog focuses on selecting the right cement for residential construction, it helps to first understand the broader categories used on site; for a general overview of different cement types used in construction, you can also read this article on types of cement used in civil construction.

Understanding Cement Composition in Practical Terms At a basic level, cement is made using clinker and gypsum. What changes across types is the addition of other materials such as fly ash or slag. This variation in cement composition is what defines how a cement performs once it is mixed, placed, and cured.

Clinker is responsible for strength. Gypsum controls setting time. When materials like fly ash are added, as in PPC, or slag is added, as in PSC, the reaction during hydration changes. This affects how much heat is generated, how quickly strength develops, and how the concrete behaves under moisture exposure.

Gypsum Plaster vs Cement Plaster: Which is Better for Your Walls?

When it comes to finishing your walls, choosing the right plaster is more than just an aesthetic decision. Plaster not only gives walls a smooth, paint-ready surface but also protects them from cracks, moisture, and wear. Two of the most common options in modern construction are cement plaster and gypsum plaster.

Many homeowners often ask: Which is better for my walls? Should I use gypsum plaster or cement plaster? The answer depends on the location of the wall, the function of the space, and long-term maintenance considerations.

Earthquake Resistant House Construction: The Role of Soil, Foundations, and Concrete

An earthquake applies rapid horizontal and vertical forces to a building and these forces reverse direction repeatedly within seconds. A house or building structure designed only for gravity loads may not perform safely under such cyclic movement. An earthquake resistant house is therefore defined by properly following seismic principles in every stage of the house construction.

A Home-Builder’s Evaluation of Structural Systems in Residential Construction: Load-Bearing vs RCC Frame Structure

In residential building construction, the structural system defines the way loads are transferred, spaces are planned, and how future modifications can be handled. For most homes, the comparison for such factors happens to be between a load-bearing system and an RCC frame structure. The decision should be based on height, soil condition, layout requirements, budget, long-term intent and finally, durability. So let us find out the appropriate choice that a homebuilder should make between these two in consideration to the future projection of a building.

Structural Behavior and Load Transfer A load-bearing structure relies on masonry walls to carry the weight of the building. The roof and floors rest directly on the walls, and these walls transfer the load to the foundation. The walls are structural members and cannot be treated as removable partitions. Materials such as stone or brick walls are commonly used. Since the walls carry structural loads, openings must be carefully planned and cannot be arbitrarily increased.

In contrast to that an RCC frame structure uses a structural skeleton made of reinforced cement concrete. The load path follows a defined sequence where the slab transfers load to the horizontal beam, the beam transfers it to the vertical column, and the column transfers it to the building foundation. The walls in this system act as non-structural partitions and do not carry the building load.

Complete Details About Plain Cement Concrete (PCC): Difference Between PCC and RCC and the Role of PCC in Construction

Before a building rises above the ground, a lot of work happens below the surface. One of the most important materials used at this early stage is Plain Cement Concrete, commonly known as PCC concrete. While it may not be visible once construction is complete, PCC plays a critical role in ensuring stability, load distribution, and durability.

Many homeowners hear terms like PCC and RCC during construction discussions, but are not always clear about the difference or purpose. Understanding PCC helps you make informed decisions during building foundation work, flooring, and other base-level applications.

What Is Plain Cement Concrete (PCC)? Plain Cement Concrete (PCC) is a construction material composed of cement, fine aggregate (sand), coarse aggregate, and water, without any steel reinforcement.

Because concrete is inherently strong in compression but weak in tension, PCC is used in areas where tensile stresses are minimal.

Typical uses of PCC include:

Levelling course below foundations

Flooring base

Pavements and pathways

How to Calculate Construction Cost Per Square Foot

Calculating the construction cost per square foot is one of the most important steps in planning a residential building project. Whether you are building a new house, an extension, or a renovation, understanding this calculation helps you estimate your budget, reduce cost overruns, and compare contractor quotes effectively.

This guide explains what construction cost per sq ft means, its components, how to calculate it step by step, and the factors that influence the final cost.

What Is Construction Cost Per Square Foot? Construction cost per square foot refers to the total cost to build a structure divided by the total built-up area. It includes the cost of materials, labor, equipment, finishing works, and overheads.

It helps you answer the question:

How much will it cost to construct one square foot of built-up area?

It is widely used in:

Estimation and budgeting

Comparing different construction options

Planning a residential project

The Role of Cantilever Beams in Modern Construction

In house construction and other structural work beams are very important so as to ensure strength and load distribution. Among the many types of beams that are used in construction, the cantilever beam is preferred usually because of its design adaptability and utility in architectural features.

Difference Between Mortar, Concrete and Cement

Builders, architects, and homeowners often confuse mortar, concrete, and cement because all three are grey, powder-based, and used together in construction. But technically, they serve very different roles. Cement is the base ingredient. Mortar is the bonding material. Concrete is the strong structural composite. Understanding these differences is essential because choosing the wrong material weakens the structure, increases maintenance issues, and shortens lifespan.

This guide explains what cement is, what mortar is, what concrete is, how they are made, how they behave, and where each one fits in any construction project.

What Is Cement? Before understanding mortar and concrete, you need to understand what cement is, because it is the ingredient that triggers the chemical reaction that binds everything together.

Definition Cement is a powdered binding material that hardens when water is added. It starts a chemical process called hydration, which forms strong bonds between the particles.

Common Mistakes to Avoid While Making Concrete Mix

Concrete is the backbone of almost every structure we see around us. From small residential slabs to large commercial foundations, the quality of concrete determines how strong and durable the final structure will be. Yet many people underestimate how sensitive the process of concrete mixing actually is. Small mistakes in the proportions, timing, or handling of materials can weaken the entire mix. Understanding these issues is important if you want to avoid costly repairs or structural problems in the future.

How Modern Construction Techniques Are Shaping Today’s Residential Building Construction

Urban population is undergoing rapid expansion, and with it, the need for affordable, durable homes is also rising. This hike in demand has put great pressure on the construction industry to deliver residential projects faster, with greater consistency and cost efficiency. Today, residential building construction is no longer limited to traditional brickwork and manual processes. Instead, modern methods like prefabrication, Mivan shuttering, smart materials, and advanced concrete mixes are being widely used in new residential building projects.

What are the most popular modern construction techniques used in residential buildings? In residential building construction, the structural backbone is still typically reinforced cement concrete (RCC). RCC offers strength, ductility, and adaptability to both low-rise and high-rise buildings. However, the way RCC is placed, formed, and cured has evolved significantly with new methods.

Some of the modern approaches now used include:

Prefabrication: Building components like slabs, beams, or walls are manufactured in a controlled environment and transported to site.

Precast concrete: Similar to prefabrication, but focused on structural elements such as staircases, panels, and balcony slabs, allowing precise shaping and faster installation.

Mivan shuttering: An aluminium formwork system for monolithic casting of walls, slabs, and columns.

Self-consolidating concrete (SCC): A high-fluidity concrete mix that flows under its own weight, reducing the need for mechanical vibration.

Smart Materials: Lightweight and insulating materials such as AAC blocks and fly ash bricks improve thermal performance and ease of handling.