![]() ![]() Since the cost of building a house with interlocking bricks is quite affordable, many homeowners are now embracing the technique, sparking a new trend that is likely to bridge the housing demand-supply gap in the country. In 2014, IGS unveiled a Sh851,400 house built using panels made from compressed wheat husks, targeting low-income earners, while Blue Sky later announced plans to build a Sh1 billion prefab materials factory in Machakos. NHC has invested Sh1 billion in the construction of a prefabs factory in Machakos County, with a capacity to produce 126,720 expanded polystyrene panels a year. Others include the National Housing Corporation (NHC), Mabati Rolling Mills, US-based International Green Structures (IGS) and China’s Blue Sky International. ![]() Makiga is one of the many local and foreign companies that have invested heavily in the provision of low-cost housing solutions in Kenya through the production of affordable interlocking building blocks. “All blocks are tested for strength and durability by the Kenya Bureau of Standards and the University of Bath, UK results show that blocks made with Makiga machines are 82% stronger than a clay-fired brick,” Makiga Engineering Services says on its website. It is manually operated and can produce 400-500 blocks a day, with the average interlocking bricks price in Kenya set at Sh13.50 per piece. The SBP machine retails for about Sh100,000. Plastering importance: If left without plastering, these blocks can develop cracks and crevices that provide refuge for insects.Addressing this involves sealing joints during construction using a cement-water paste-first dipping the block and then assembling. Seepage vulnerability: In extreme weather conditions, improper joint protection might result in water seepage. ![]()
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