UGANDA, Kampala | Real Muloodi News | Building a house is a dream that many people have, but the escalating costs of construction materials like bags of cement and labour can make it a daunting task.
However, it is essential to know the materials required for construction, the amount of each material that is needed, and the resulting costs to make an informed decision on how to proceed.
In this article, we will look at the number of bags of cement and bricks required to build a one, two, three and four-bedroom house, the cost of constructing different-sized houses, and how to calculate the number of bags of cement needed for a house.
While the cost of land varies depending on the location, the number of bags of cement and bricks required for construction remains the same.
Bags of Cement and Bricks Required
The number of bricks and bags of cement needed to build a house depends on the size and number of rooms and the thickness of the walls. For example, a medium-sized two-bedroom flat would need 2,200 bricks and 125 bags of cement yet a medium-sized three-bedroom flat requires approximately 2,700 bricks and 155 bags of cement.
Bags of Cement for a One-Bedroom House
Building a one-bedroom house requires approximately 64-70 bags of cement. The house consists of a living room and dining room measuring 12×12, one bedroom with a bathroom, and a kitchen.
The maximum estimated cost for a brand like Kampala and Simba cement at UGX28,000 per bag costs UGX2 million or Tororo and Hima cement at UGX33,000 per bag, making UGX2.3 million.
Bags of Cement for a Two-Bedroom House
Building a two-bedroom house requires approximately 80-88 bags of cement. The house consists of a living room and dining room measuring 12×12, two bedrooms with a bathroom, and a kitchen.
The maximum estimated cost for a brand like Kampala and Simba cement at UGX28,000 per bag costs UGX2.5 million or Tororo and Hima cement at UGX33,000 per bag, making UGX3 million.
Bags of Cement for a Three-Bedroom House
Building a three-bedroom house requires approximately 95-100 bags of cement. The house consists of a living room and dining room measuring 12×12, three bedrooms with a bathroom, and a kitchen.
The maximum estimated cost for a brand like Kampala and Simba cement at UGX28,000 per bag costs UGX2.8 million or Tororo and Hima cement at UGX33,000 per bag, making UGX3.3 million.
Bags of Cement for a Four-Bedroom House
Building a four-bedroom house requires approximately 112-120 bags of cement. The house consists of a living room and dining room measuring 12×12, four bedrooms with a bathroom, and a kitchen.
The maximum estimated cost for a brand like Kampala and Simba cement at UGX28,000 per bag costs UGX3.4 million or Tororo and Hima cement at UGX33,000 per bag, making the total cost of 500 bags at UGX16.5 million.
It’s important to note that the prices of cement in Uganda are subject to market fluctuations and may vary from time to time.
Once you have determined the total cost of the cement needed, you can proceed to identify the best suppliers in the market. It’s essential to work with reputable suppliers who can provide you with quality cement that will last longer and deliver it within the agreed timelines.
Some of the factors to consider when choosing a cement supplier include the price, quality, delivery times, customer service, and reputation in the market. You can conduct online research, seek referrals from colleagues or industry experts, or visit the suppliers’ websites to learn more about their services and products.
Once you have identified the preferred supplier, you can proceed to negotiate the price and payment terms. It’s crucial to ensure that you get a good deal that’s within your budget and doesn’t compromise the quality of the cement.
It is also important to follow the correct mixing ratios and guidelines to ensure that the building is strong and durable.
Calculating Cement for Plastering
Plastering is the process of applying a thin layer of cement and sand mixture on the walls to provide a smooth finish. The following is the calculation of cement required for plastering.
- First, calculate the area to be plastered. Measure the length and height of the walls to be plastered and multiply them to get the total area.
- Once you have the total area, you can calculate the volume of plaster required. The volume of plaster required will depend on the thickness of the plaster you want to apply. The standard thickness of plaster is 10mm.
- The volume of plaster required can be calculated using the formula: Volume of plaster = Area of wall x Thickness of plaster
- Once you have the volume of plaster, you can calculate the quantity of cement required. The ratio of cement to sand for plastering is generally 1:4.
- The quantity of cement required can be calculated using the formula: Quantity of cement = (Volume of plaster x Cement: sand ratio) / (1 + Cement: sand ratio)
For example, let’s say you want to plaster a wall with a length of 10ft and a height of 8ft. The total area to be plastered would be 80 sq. ft. Assuming you want to apply a plaster of 10mm thickness, the volume of plaster required would be:
The volume of plaster = 80 sq. ft. x 0.01ft Volume of plaster = 0.8 cubic feet
Assuming a cement: sand ratio of 1:4, the quantity of cement required would be:
Quantity of cement = (0.8 x 1/5) / (1 + 1/5) Quantity of cement = 0.107 cubic feet
Assuming a density of 1440 kg/m3 for cement, the quantity of cement required would be:
Quantity of cement = 0.107 cubic feet x 35.3147 cubic feet/m3 x 1440 kg/m3 Quantity of cement = 5.08 kg
So, to plaster a wall with a length of 10ft and a height of 8ft, you would require approximately 5.08 kg of cement.
How to Calculate Cement for Plastering 3-Bedroom House
Internal plaster
Internal plaster thickness=12mm change to foot= 0.0328084 ft
Total surface area for plastering = length * height
Kitchen 8*10=80 in a wall*4 =320
Bedroom 8*10 in a wall *4 =320 *4=1280
Living room 12*10 in a wall * 4= 480
Bathroom 70 *4 walls =280
The total surface area of house=2360
Total surface of doors and windows= (21 sq. ft * 5door entrances) + (12 sq ft. * 4windows)=153 sq ft.
Net surface area for plaster= Total surface area of the house – Total surface of doors and windows=2207 sq ft
The volume of plaster= net surface area for plaster* thickness=2207*0.0393=86.7351
Dry volume plaster= volume of plaster 86.7351*water volume 1.54 =133.5720
Recommended Ratio of cement to sand is 1:4 and the ratio sum is 5
Cement=1/5*133.5720 cft = 26.7144 cft
Cement bags =26.7144 cft /weight of cement 1.226= 22 bags of cement
Sand =4/5* 133.5720= 106.8576 cft = 3.0258702664 m3
External plaster (30 *24 ). Thickness =15mm (0.0492126 ft)
30 *10 height=300 *2=600
24* 10=240 *2=480
600+480=1080 square footage for a 3-bedroom house
Total surface of doors and windows= (21 sq. ft * 5door entrances) + (12 sq ft. * 4windows)=153 sq ft.
Net surface area for plaster= Total exterior surface area of house 1080 – Total surface of doors and windows 153 =927 sq ft
Volume of plaster= net surface area for plaster* external thickness=927* 0.0492126 =45.6176
Dry volume plaster= volume of plaster 45.6176*water volume 1.54 =70.2512
Recommended Ratio of cement to sand is 1:4 and the ratio sum is 5
Cement=1/5*70.2512cft = 14.0502 cft
Cement bags == 14.0502 cft /weight of cement 1.226= 11 bags of cement
Sand =4/5*70.2512= 56.2009 cft = 1.5914322636 m3
Calculating Cement for the Slab
The volume of the total slab of the whole house is Length * base * height. Let’s say it’s 23ft * 20 * 0.3333.
The total volume of the slab is 159.984 cft
Dry volume = 230 cft * 1.54 =246.37536 cft
The ratio of aggregate concrete of m15 is 1:2:4
Volume of cement =ratio of cement/total ratio *dry volume =1/7*246.37536 =50.5714 cft
The number of cement bags = 35.19/1.25= 28 bags of cement.
Volume of sand =ratio of sand/total ratio *dry volume =2/7*246.37536 = 70.39296 cft = 2 m3
Volume of aggregate =ratio of aggregate/total ratio *dry volume =4/7*246.37536= 140.78592 cft = 4 m3
Calculating Cement for the Foundation
The total surface area of the foundation = length *thickness * height
Living room: 12ft*2ft *0.666667ft =16.000*4=64.000032 ft3
Kitchen 8ft*2*0.666667ft =10.666672 *4=42.666688 ft3
Bedroom=8ft *2*0.666667ft=10.666672 *4=42.666688 ft3*3=128.000064 ft3
Bathroom= 7ft*2*0.666667ft=9.33338* 4= 37.33352 ft3
The total cubic footage for a foundation is 272.000304 ft3
The mix ratio of 1:2:3 consists of 1 Part cement, 2 Parts sand, and 3 Parts stone (plus some water)
Volume of mortar= 25%= 25/100*total cubic footage=0.25*272.000304=68.000076
Increment due to volume shrink after water=1.27
The volume of cement=cement ratio 1*volume of mortar * water vol divide by sum ratio 1*68.000076*1.27/6=14.39334942
Bags of cement=14.39334942/volume of cement 1.25=10 bags of cement
Volume of sand=sand ratio 2*volume of mortar * water volume divide by sum ratio 2*68.000076*1.27/6=28.78669884 ft3=0.81514853494238 m3
Volume of stones=sand ratio 3*volume of mortar * water volume divide by sum ratio 3*68.000076*1.27/6=43.18004826ft3=1.2227228024136 m3
Calculating Cement for the Wall Beam
17 Iron bars of 8mm thickness and 1 roll of reinforcement wires
The area dimensions of 4 bars are 0.108268 ft2
Area of wall beam =Length * base * height = 142ft * 0.5ft *0.5ft=63.1111ft3
Net area wall beam = area of wall beam – Area dimensions of 4 bars= 63.1111ft3-0.108268 ft2=63.00283ft3
Dry volume = 63.00283ft3 *1.27(water volume) = 80.01359664ft3
The ratio of concrete beam 1:2:3
Cement volume=1/6*80.013 ft3=13.33559
Cement bags = Cement volume/weight of cement bag=13.33559ft3/1.25=10 bags of cement
Volume of Sand= 2/6*80.013 ft3=26.67119 ft3 convert to m3=0.75524m3
Volume of Aggregate= 3/6*80.013 ft3=40.006798ft3 convert to m3=1.1328663 m3
Calculating Cement for the Mortar
Remember our mortar ratio is 25% in the walls.
The mortar ratio is 1:3
Mortar volume
Bedroom 10 cft * 3 bedroom
Living room and dining 11 cft
Bathroom 8 cft
Kitchen 10 cft
From the previous example
The volume of mortar is (30+11+8+10) =59cft
The volume of the cement bag is 50kg=1.4cft
Increment due to volume shrink after water=1.27
Cement in cft = ratio of cement*volume of mortar*volume of water/sum ratio=1*59*1.27/4= 18.7325 cft
Bags of cement= cement in cft /volume of cement bag= 18.7325/1.4=14 bags
Sand used mortar cft*sand ratio=18.7325 *3/4=14.049 cft =0.3978233778 m3
Building a house requires careful planning, budgeting, and execution. With the right information and guidance, you can build your dream house without breaking the bank. Therefore, it is advisable to consult a professional builder or contractor before embarking on a building project.
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