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our big construction issues of 2021:
· The ice storms in Texas this winter significantly damaged production facilities for latex, a vital joint compound for drywall. Drywall is now in very short supply and vendors are experiencing extended lead times.
· Additionally, drywall prices have gone up due to the low supply of latex as well as the shortage of synthetic gypsum.
· The steel industry is also experiencing a worldwide shortage, leading to rising metal stud prices. This is compounded by supply issues as well. With conventional construction’s extremely linear building processes, a lack of metal studs means an entire construction job built conventionally will be delayed.
· The conventional construction is a very labor-intensive industry, with up to 70% of the cost labor related. TheCOVID-19 virus has limited the amount of workers allowed onsite, which exacerbates the pre-existing issue of quality labor availability in the U.S. Construction jobs have moved even slower and seen more cost overruns than before. Keep in mind that it also leads for a low margin of error - it only takes one crewmember to be exposed to COVID-19 to shut down an entire project!
These acts of God are by their nature unavoidable, but it does not have to mean that you have no choice but to wait and pay more money. Off-site interior construction, in particular DIRTT’s pre-fabricated construction, has maintained a short production cycle throughout COVID-19 and hasn’t increased its material cost in two years.
DIRTT has flipped the model with respect to on-site field labor, by using small crews on-site since most of the work is done in an efficient factory setting. Essentially, we are tilt-up interior walls that are pre-finished and pre-wired. DIRTT doesn’t use gypsum or latex in its process and our low VOC paint is applied at the factory. This faster, software-based method of building is ideal for firms, schools and hospitals that can’t afford to suffer untimely construction delays and cost over-runs.
Lastly, there is peace of mind that comes from not using a single-use product, but instead choosing a product that can be used over and over again. Up to 15% of all materials shipped to a jobsite for conventional construction wind up in a landfill without a single day of use.
Single use conventional construction doesn’t make sense – especially with all of the uncertainty surrounding both price and availability for conventional materials. If you are building soon, you should consider the North American leader in pre-fab interior construction, DIRTT, as the backbone of you project.
