Understanding Soffit Infratop Ceilings and Why They’re Used in Construction In construction, aesthetics, protection, and functionality are all essential to a project’s success. One feature that embodies all three is the soffit. For buildings with roof overhangs, a soffit ceiling completes the look, protects from external elements, and supports ventilation.

Jali work ( also known as “lattice screen,” “decorative grille,” or “perforated screen” ) is an intricate, decorative lattice design often used in Indian architecture. Traditionally crafted from stone or wood, jali consists of patterned perforations that allow light and air to pass through, creating unique visual effects. These intricate

Stone wallpaper is a decorative wall covering designed to mimic the appearance of natural stone, such as granite, marble, or limestone. It is made from materials that replicate the texture and look of stone, giving a room an elegant and natural aesthetic without the heavy cost or installation process of

In the world of modern construction, materials play a vital role in shaping the durability, efficiency, and aesthetics of a building. One such material that has gained popularity in recent years is Fibre Glass Composite (FGC). But before we dive into FGC, it’s important to understand what a composite is.

Terracotta tiles are a type of ceramic tile made from natural clay that is shaped, dried, and then fired at high temperatures. The name “terracotta” comes from the Italian words terra (earth) and cotta (baked), reflecting the material’s natural origins. Known for their earthy, rustic look, terracotta tiles are widely

A Comparative Study: Normal Concrete vs Ready Mix Concrete Concrete plays a crucial role in modern construction, and understanding the differences between normal concrete (site-mixed concrete) and ready mix concrete (RMC) can help in choosing the best option for a project. Below, we compare both based on several key parameters,

Here is an excerpt from our new series – Tech Talk by Viya Constructions.Today we will discuss the importance of design before the construction of a house. Should we finalize the design before starting the construction of our house?Is design an important factor in home building?

What is V Board Ceiling? A V board ceiling is a type of suspended ceiling system made from V-shaped boards, commonly referred to as V-groove panels. These panels are typically made from materials like PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride), fibre cement, or gypsum. They are used for interior ceilings, especially in residential,

Recycled Plastic Bricks: An Innovative Solution for a Sustainable Future In today’s world, the need for sustainable building materials is more urgent than ever. One such solution that is gaining popularity is recycled plastic bricks. These bricks are made from recycled plastic waste, offering an eco-friendly alternative to traditional construction

Understanding Wall Slabs: A Modern Construction Element Wall slabs are an integral component of modern construction, providing structural integrity, aesthetic appeal, and functional benefits. Due to their versatility, they find wide applications in residential, commercial, and industrial projects. This blog delves into wall slabs, their advantages and disadvantages, and their

Concrete is one of the most widely used building materials in the world, essential for constructing everything from roads and bridges to buildings. However, over time, traditional concrete is prone to cracking due to stress, weather conditions, and regular wear and tear. These cracks weaken structures, increase maintenance costs, and

Creating lively living spaces in your home can have numerous positive effects on your well-being and overall quality of life. Lively living spaces, filled with color, light, and vibrant decor, can positively impact your mood, reduce your stress levels and thereby increase productivity. Incorporating natural elements such as indoor plants,

Careful planning of the electrical layout for your new home is paramount for safety, efficiency, and convenience. A thoughtfully designed layout ensures the optimal distribution of power, preventing overloads and potential hazards. Room-specific considerations allow for customization based on individual needs, while future-proofing accommodates emerging technologies. Following safety rules and

A water well is a must-have in your house. It serves as a secondary source of water during the scorching summers and also when the regular water supply gets disrupted due to some reason. Let’s have a step by step look at how to dig a water well manually by

What is the importance of Design while constructing a house? Should you complete the design before your construction begins? What are the most important parameters to look for while designing a house? These are a few of the questions we get from our customers.

Making the most of a small residential construction budget requires careful planning and strategic decision-making. Here are some essential tips to help you make the most of a small residential construction fund and yet create a small budget house:

India is home to a multitude of cuisines, and this makes the Indian kitchen an experimental laboratory where flavors and ingredients are blended and transformed into unique and delicious dishes. The design of an Indian kitchen is unique, and it should adhere to certain standards to ensure that it is

Choosing the best colour for your house can be an exciting and a daunting task at the same time. Colours have a significant impact on the overall look and feel of your home, and it’s important to choose them wisely. With so many colours and shades to choose from, it’s

What is Home Automation? Home automation is the use of a variety of techniques and technologies to automatically control the environment within a home. Automation can be used to control lighting, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, security, music and video systems in a household.

Point of View – You are working from home, and have an important call to attend. The neighbour’s dog is barking relentlessly and wouldn’t stop.  You cannot reschedule the call. Neither can you get the neighbour’s pet to stop. What do you do? You wish you could block all the

Want to build a home for yourself, but not able to devote the time needed? Want to get the best out of your new home, but unable to do so because of your time constraints? Why not consider engaging a Project Management Consulting team (PMC in building construction) to do

In one of our earlier posts, we have seen how wood is an essential ingredient in the building construction ecosystem. We learnt that there are different types of wood like hard wood, soft wood and engineered wood, that find common use in the building construction industry.

What is a Pergola? As per definition, a pergola is an outdoor structure consisting of parallel rows of evenly spaced columns, supporting an open roof of girders and cross rafters. To put it more simply, a pergola is a wall-less structure that can be used as a free-standing design element

Fixing your interiors is a two stepped process. The first one requires the skillset of an Interior Designer or Architect. Most of us spend our attention and energy on this phase. However, there is an equally important second phase, which most of us tend to ignore. And this is nothing

Storage space is a luxury when it comes to small sized homes and apartments. However, if you properly plan for storage during the design of your interiors, even small spaces can be transformed into beautiful and efficient storage spaces. Let’s have a look at some bathroom storage ideas in detail

Materials for Interior design The choice of materials used for your interiors is a key factor that can make or break the looks of your dream home. Several materials can be used for interior design, depending upon the space in which they are used. The choice of other finishing products

Aggregates in house construction Aggregates or crushed stone is one of the major raw materials used in the construction of a building. Also known as “metal” in the construction parlance, aggregate is a key ingredient of concrete, along with cement, sand, and water. In general, aggregate forms about 70-80% of

False Ceiling – Should you or should you not? False ceiling is an interior design element used to enhance the aesthetics of your interiors and thereby the beauty of your home. Things have changed a lot from the times when false ceilings were considered part of office room décor. They

If you were asked to name the 10 basic materials that went into the making of your home, will you be able to do it? Well, this post is just that, to help you identify and understand the 10 basic civil construction materials that makes your shelter rock solid.

In one of our earlier posts we have seen the different factors to consider while flooring your house. We saw the various parameters to keep in mind while choosing flooring materials, how to choose the size and patterns of the tiles and how much to pay for each type. We

DPC or Damp Proof Course is one of the vital stages in a building construction. We have learnt in High School Physics about the principle of Capillary rise. Capillary Rise is the phenomenon whereby liquids defy gravity and flow upwards in a narrow space. This phenomenon may often occur in

Boundary Wall Design and Construction Gone are the days when we lived in tandem with our neighbours, as one single large family. Now-a-days all of us want our privacy and are not ready to compromise it for anything in the world. That brings us to the importance of good fencing

We know that the kitchen is a very important part of any house. It is a room that you need to use everyday, come rain or shine. That makes it extremely important that you design it properly. Thoughtless design of a kitchen space may result in design mistakes that will

Tired of gazing at your plain, dull walls all day long? Think it’s time to give your home a makeover? Then this blog is for you. Here are 10 tips for wall décor and over 100 wall decor ideas.

We have already seen many blogs on what to consider while developing floor plans for houses, the different types of floor plans, open floor plans etc. Today let us have a look at 15 different floor plans for houses. All these are in the 1500 – 2800 sqft range and

Walls – An envelope for your building Walls are essential structural components of any building.  A wall can be defined as a vertical load-bearing member, the width of which exceeds four times its thickness. The main function of the different types of walls is to partition the house into usable

One of the basic requirements of any house is that it should remain dry and free from moisture. A wet structure reduces the strength of the structural components of the house. Moreover, it gives rise to unhygienic conditions and may become the breeding ground for several disease-causing organisms. Therefore keeping

Steel for construction purposes comes as long bars about 12 m in length. This has to be cut and shaped into desired forms as required by the structure that you are building. Details on the length and shape of how the steel bars have to be cut are usually given

The choice of materials used for flooring will make or break the looks of a building. The right choice of flooring materials can transform an otherwise drab building into an enlivening one. On the contrary, a wrong flooring option can also completely ruin the aesthetics of a building. Moreover, changing

What is PCC in construction? Cement concrete is a product obtained artificially by hardening the mixture of cement, sand, gravel, and water in predetermined proportions. When these ingredients are mixed, they form a plastic mass which can be poured into suitable moulds, called forms, and set on standing into a

We have already seen the two kinds of foundations used in building construction – Shallow and Deep Foundation. We also saw the most basic type of shallow foundation – the rubble foundation. Now let’s look at another type of shallow foundation namely the Strip foundation or Strip Footing.

A foundation is that part of a building that supports the weight of the superstructure. Its main purpose is to transmit the weight of the building to the underlying soil. This makes the foundation the most important part of a building. The type of foundation that you choose for your

When you construct a building, the most important thing to keep in mind is its ability to withstand the weight of the structure and other loads. The foundation of the building should be strong enough to support specific loads. This makes load testing an important aspect of building construction. This

We have already seen the importance of foundation in building construction. We have also briefly touched upon the different types of foundations commonly used. Now we look at the different types of construction in much more detail. We can broadly classify Foundations into two – deep foundations and shallow foundations.

As the saying goes, you can never trust your stairs, because they are always up to something. Jokes apart, staircases have become an inevitable part of our daily lives. Nowadays almost all houses come with more than one storey. Therefore a proper staircase to connect them has become a basic

A commercial building can be broadly defined as a building that is not constructed solely for residential purposes. The objective of constructing such a building is to supplement your family income through rental income. You can let out commercial buildings either on monthly rent or lease it out for a

Not a day goes without our seeing advertisements in the media adulating ‘strong’ cements. Walls built with “best cement for house construction” which elephants cannot break, battering rams cannot even scratch or explosives cannot bring down! As a discerning user, shouldn’t you be aware of the basics of cements? Here

Fact : Most prospective house owners pay scarce attention to the quality of the raw materials used in their construction. The truth: Sadly, it is true that while most people take pains to select quality plumbing /electrical fittings and sanitary ware, they thoroughly disregard selection of raw materials!

As work from home becomes the new norm, questions arise on the ideal remote workstation. Work from home definitely offers a lot more comfort. It cuts off on your painstaking daily commute, it allows you to watch your kids and spend more time with family.

Why is it important to have a construction agreement? So, after several days and months of thought and discussion, you have taken that decision – the decision to build a house of your own. You know what tiles to use in your living room, which direction your bedroom windows should

Home Construction: 7 Common Mistakes and Misconceptions  Are you starting on the construction of your Dream Home? Often, when it comes to our Home Construction, we make the mistake of just starting without enough research and planning. People say, “You just got to start on your home construction, rest can

Natural Lighting in houses Lighting is a very important aspect of interior design as well as healthy living. It enhances the aesthetic feel of a house. Lighting also creates the mood and ambiance of your interior spaces. In short lighting can make or break the ambiance of a room. There

Ask any Construction engineer what his major cost headaches are. Invariably, the reply would be – material cost and time over run. The advent of LGSF (Light Gauge Steel Frame) into construction has therefore come as a manna from heaven to these engineers!

Kerala has a predominantly humid climate. And, with this moisture comes our constant battle with mosquitoes, ants, lizards, spiders, rats and what not! These tiny creatures, unfortunately, find themselves at “Home” when residing in the remote corners of our homes. With them comes the extensive need for pest control.

I am sixteen, going on seventeen, I know that I’m naïve.  I need someone older and wiser telling me what to do. Remember the young Liesl von Trapp from the 1965 musical, The Sound of Music, spending a cosy evening with her boyfriend in the park? Suddenly thunder strikes and

Roofing is almost always the first thing to catch your attention when you look at a building. A well laid out roof stands out and adds to the visual impact of any building. It is one of the most important factors that determine the aesthetics of a building.

What  is contour survey? In construction parlance, a contour  is nothing but the outline of a mass of land. Contouring or contour survey is the process in which the height or elevation of the different points of the land are identified and then fixed in the same horizontal position. What 

What are the different components of a building? Did you just say, living room, dining room, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom??  Maybe, you are not alone. Majority of our people consider themselves too non technical to understand the details when it comes to constructing a building.  We think that technical aspects of

Cement – one of the most important ingredients that binds together your dream home. This makes it extremely import that no mistakes are made in the choice of cement used in building construction. In this post, we look at a few things that a layperson should know, before they make

Rainy days are here again. The monsoons are back again, bringing memories – pleasant ones and not so good ones!! While we have learnt to ignore the unpleasant memories and move on with our lives, there are certain things we need to be careful about during this season.

Moving into a new home is a dream come true for many; especially if you were involved in the construction right from scratch. It is a culmination of several months of hard work. That makes the house warming or Grihapravesham ceremony a very important one. It is a proud moment

During the process of construction, large quantities of soil will be removed as part of building the foundation. An easy way to reuse this soil is it use it for backfilling.

There is no stopping Malayalees from earning the prestigious ‘home-owner’ tag. It is something that is ingrained in our minds that one should own a home at a certain stage of his or her life. With smaller sized families and the fast paced lives we are always in a quest

Constructing a house is a once-in-a lifetime opportunity and a dream come true for many of us. But if not done with utmost caution, it can also be the most daunting task too. So, how should you go about this entire process of house construction? Fret not! We are here

Buildings and Buildings Everywhere! If you live in any of the prominent Indian cities, then this is no alien talk to you. Every corner you wander off to, there is either a building or an upcoming building.

It is a fact that most of us build a house only once in our lifetimes. We put in our heart and soul and our hard earned money into it, with the intention of transforming the blocks of bricks and mortar into the home of our dreams. But, since our

When you step into an ancient home, you feel fresh cool air all over. Have you ever wondered, how can such houses be so cool without air conditioning? The people in those days focused on building houses that adapt to the surrounding climate. For example, in warmer climatic regions they

 “Good fences make good neighbors” – Robert Frost. Remember the good old childhood days when you just had to jump over the fence to visit your dear friend next door; your grandmother sharing her secret recipes or tiny bits of local news to her neighbor over a cup of coffee

Yes! It is painful to see your precious home inundated in water. Damage to the homes caused be recent Kerala floods is beyond expression. Anyways, what has happened has happened! Undoubtedly, rebuilding life inside the flood affected homes is the challenge of the hour. And the biggest one among that is

When it comes to landscaping all we can think of is “Green”. In fact, when gardeners take up a landscaping project, more often than not, plants are their only point of concern. Amidst the puzzling choice of apt flowers and grass, we often dismiss off elements like landscaping stones. To most of

First impressions always carry the best impressions.  Months of painstaking planning and construction should entail that your residence is a stand-out for all the right reasons. Looks do matter and it is the exteriors of a house that captures the eye first, more than anything else. Though ‘beauty lies in

In spite of 44 rivers and the world’s largest well density, the per capita surface and groundwater availability in our state of Kerala is lower than that of the comparatively dry states of India. Be it urban areas or villages, the issue of water scarcity is not an uncommon one. It is becoming a

It is common knowledge that the foundation of any building needs to be strong enough to bear its load. In addition to vertical loads, buildings are also subject to horizontal loads during earthquakes, heavy winds and hydrostatic pressure. In order to avoid any damage or calamity to the buildings, it

All of us have a dream home we aspire to build and live in someday. When it comes down to our dream home, there are many specific details that we desire. It is therefore important to plan wisely and have a complete idea of the specifications we require before construction.

Are you finding it difficult to juggle between your work life and family? Coming home to all those household chores is almost equal to no time for anything else. Be it your child’s homework, communication within the family, or a glimpse of your favourite TV show. In this tech-savvy world where

Wallpapers are the perfect solution to decorate and beautify your walls when it comes to interior designing.  This guide will walk you through the step by step process of fixing wallpapers. To understand this, let us first see in detail the types of Wall Papers.

Are you over-awed by the process of construction of your house? Do you find the stages of building construction rather over bearing and difficult to comprehend? Not to be, as we would like to give you a simplified over view of the stages of building construction. This will reveal to

It can be quite dreadful if your newly constructed house starts slowly sinking on one side, like The Leaning Tower of Pisa! The worse, if it develops cracks and finally collapse in due course of time. All your effort, time, and money spent on erecting a building go in vain

The living room undoubtedly bears the major focus of attention of any residence. Being the area which attracts most ‘external’ attention, the living room enjoys the pride of place in any residence. While that is justified, here are some pointers to help you in your living room design.

We are always unsure if our home will look similar to the picture we paint in our dreams. Once we decide to build our dream home, the very first thing to finalize is the house elevation design. The house elevation design gives us an idea of the what our house

It is often stated that the best way to a person’s heart is through his stomach! And if so, the kitchen plays a pivotal role in our lives! Therefore it only makes absolute sense to invest in a kitchen while constructing a house. Let us have a look at some

A potted plant or two, and a decent amount of fresh air and sunlight – this is the idea that most of us have about an ecofriendly house or a green building. And in this fast paced world, this is all we have time for. But don’t you think we

A house that has a library in it has a soul ~ Plato. A home library is a must have in every residence. Put some thought into it during your building design, and rest assured your family leisure time is taken care of. Here are some ideas to set up your

Gone are the days when the unpretentious bathrooms (toilets included) were banished to the outhouses of residences. Bathrooms were considered as unhygienic and had to be kept away from the general living areas. However, the need to conserve space and  the advent of designer bathrooms has completely changed this mind-set.

More often than not, most of us leave the onus of designing our homes to the Architect. No doubt, the Architect is the most qualified person to do so – but it is worthwhile to augment his ideas with your own. Ultimately, it is you who is going to live

The layperson is quite unfamiliar with the materials in use in the field of construction. Though it is not necessary to dig into the details of all the materials used, it wouldn’t hurt to have a fair idea about the major components used in building construction. The knowledge of such

Steel, in common parlance is an epithet for strength. So much so, ‘men of steel’ often signifies persons of resilience and physical strength. Likewise, in Steel structures lie the strength of the construction industry.

Building a home is a once in a lifetime opportunity for most people. And the most important building block of a house  is the house plan itself. A good house plan can make your life easy and comfortable. That said, do not dump the entire responsibility of creating the house

More than your home’s external appearance, the feeling it creates is what matters the most. If your home is cosy enough to lighten up your mood after a draining day, you need nothing more than that. This is where interior design ideas play a prominent role. In fact, it is

Do you constantly find yourself up in the middle of the night? You just couldn’t ignore that unusual noise in the neighbourhood. You often find yourself wondering if the door was locked right. Home security has become an issue of concern over the years. You may succeed in building the

Gone are the days when smart homes existed only in fictional sci-fi movies. The things which seemed unreal in the past are turning very much possible nowadays, thanks to home automation. Having your morning coffee brewing in the coffee machine before you get out of the bed, getting your vacuum

Constructing a new home, with all the modern amenities that you hoped for may turn out to be a daunting task, especially considering the rate at which construction cost in Kerala is rising.

Monsoon season can be dreadful if there is a dripping roof over your head. The leaky roof can cause a lot of trouble like health concerns to the occupants, damage to the interiors of the house, to name a few. Staying in a house with damp ceiling and plaster peeling

Everyone’s dream – a house,  of his or her own, with all amenities and conveniences, where you are the lord and master!  Yes, but if you are not a wee bit careful while you go about constructing your house, those dreams could well become nightmares! Here are some house construction

Ancient homes have prospered by the implementation of Vasthu. Traditional techniques create well being in the built space by incorporating passive solar designs and environment friendly solutions. These measures add positive energies into the building through air and light, at the same time remove negative energies like microbes, toxic gases

If you ask any experienced property agent for the top three factors in real estate, the answer would be an emphatic Location, Location and Location!

Vaastu is the science that integrates invisible energies in a living space to create well being for the  occupants. Indian traditions say that universe is a system of varied elements existing in a symbiotic relationship with each other.

Living in a newly built house is a really fulfilling experience. But much before the house becomes a reality, there are a few important Vastu tips that we look for when we start planning for a home.

Rituals are essentially celebrations with other forms of nature to gather life energy, for any individual. It is especially noteworthy as it links the individual to collective consciousness through natural vibrations. Rituals in Vaastu Shastra pertains to the relationship of an individual to the earth (bhoomi), or with the energies

When you pick a metro city like Kochi to construct your dream home, you are commencing a great but a rather difficult job. To brilliantly build your home, precisely as you dream and to step proudly into that elegant concrete cloud nine, you need the support of an ace architect

In our series of blogs, we have already seen how a civil contractor in Kochi handles carpentry, wiring, painting, roofing, flooring and foundation for constructions in Kerala. In this article, we take a look at plumbing basics and why it is important to consider the same during building construction.

Carpentry is the art and magic of slicing, cutting, and joining wood- which is one of the most abundant and flexible natural substances for home furnishing. In the earlier days, most parts of our building construction were using wood or wood materials which provided years of hassle free services. But

We know for a fact that the choice of materials for partition walls is important for structural stability and acoustics in any building construction. But it is less known that the choice of materials needs to be done carefully, striking the right balance between cost, quality, resource requirements, topographic environment

Kerala is in the tropical region and is expected to get plenty of rains. The rains support the growth of trees and plants which are important to maintain a comfortable climate in Kerala. However, with the rapid increase in urbanization and the rains playing hide-and-seek, Kerala is moving at a

When it comes to an energy efficient house construction in Kerala, implementation options seems to be never ending. Switching to solar energy as the primary power source and installation of 5-star rated energy saving equipment are just some of them. At Viya, we believe in delivering 100% energy efficient buildings

House construction in Kerala is experiencing a growth rate of 7-8%. Construction costs in Kerala escalate at 8-10 % per annum. In order to improve longevity of a house, the materials used for building services should have a life span matching the life of the structure.

Designer doors are becoming a hot cake over time. Here is information on the different contemporary styles of door designs.

A false ceiling, also known as dropped ceiling, or suspended ceiling has become a symbol of modernity and sophistication. It is a secondary ceiling suspended below the main ceiling of the room. In this piece of writing, we look at some of the trends in false ceiling designs, the benefits offered,

Eco friendly house construction in Kerala is highly in demand these days. Staying or working in an eco friendly building is preferred by the young and the old alike. But do you know how such a building is constructed? Let’s have a look..

In our series on building construction tips, we have already seen articles on foundation, flooring, roofing, tiling and monsoon proofing. In this piece we concentrate on yet another important aspect of home building in Kerala, viz. painting of walls.

A leading building contractor in Kochi, Viya constructions specializes in the construction of residential projects including houses, villas, and bungalows. Viya is a trustworthy name in the construction sector in Kochi with many successful projects to its credit. Our uncompromising attention to detail and excellent execution process makes us stand

Creating a dream home is one of the most rewarding experiences in one’s life and more often than not the choice of builders in Kochi is a major decision impacting the quality of the end product. Several things can go wrong during the course of the construction, but one careful

Building construction in Kerala is experiencing a rapid growth rate of 7-8% per annum, due to the population increase, easy availability of finances and lifestyle changes of its people.

Probably, you own a piece of land and plan to do a house construction in Kochi.  But you are confused as your engineer is suggesting different types of foundation in construction and you don’t know much about them. All you know is rubble foundation, that follows a systematic laying of

Monsoon season rejuvenates all parts of Kerala. The fresh earth smell, small puddles, overflowing rivers, blooming flowers and greenery all around makes the place beautiful. But, do you have a monsoon proof home?  Can it withstand the long haul of rainy season? Are you planning for a monsoon proof construction in Kerala

Long lasting houses are constructed for generations of a family to live in and not for a few years. That should be true, considering the amount of money that a common man spends on his house. So, does the cheapest square feet rate give an accurate indication of the quality