The National Association of Home Builders has reported a 2% increase in custom home building construction starting in 2018. The increase over the last four quarters may seem like small potatoes, but custom home building comprises 20% of the market share. Though 2019’s home building forecast is still being debated by analysts, the single-family construction market is expanding.
Custom homes allow home builders and DIY enthusiasts room to get creative. They don't necessarily have to build to please the resale market, so their expressive possibilities are endless. Woven wire mesh is one emerging trend that is catching people's interest.
Wire Mesh: Inside & Out
Welded wire mesh has a place in all aspects of a custom home, far beyond the concrete foundations where it’s so often used. Slab-on-grade foundation is made of concrete reinforced with wire mesh to cut down on possible cracking. These foundation types are especially common in regions that are warmer and have a high water table.
The material appears in many indoor and outdoor features, sometimes even providing the main structure of the home itself. Wire mesh can aid in soundproofing when combined with sound-absorbing fill. The mesh can also be indispensable for ventilation and filtration jobs, including liquid drainage and temperature control. The use of mesh in architecture can keep spaces feeling open, while still providing necessary privacy.
The Modernization of Wire Mesh
Wire mesh can add a contemporary touch to any custom home. For example, a Jackson Hole, Wyoming residence boasts an elegant stairway railing with a delicate-looking, yet strong, decorative metal weave. The mesh railing allows light from the large windows to filter into the home.
Wire mesh can be complemented by materials like earthy wood floors, vibrant walls, or decorative wall panels. DIY enthusiasts can choose if they want their mesh accents to be stark or subtle. No matter their look, woven wire mesh styles are gradually catching hold nationwide.
Even the Coachella music festival jumped on the bandwagon this spring when Italian artist Edoardo Tresoldi unrolled three stunning wire mesh buildings inspired by Neoclassical and Baroque styles. He tells Archinect the “Etherea” art installation was meant to explore the relationship between humans and the sky.
“Etherea follows a growing experiential path where architecture becomes a tool and place for contemplation, a dedicated space where the sky and clouds are narrated through the language of classical architecture,” Tresoldi said. “Thanks to the transparent wire mesh, an optical effect made of perspectives and dimensional relationships is generated by the passage through the three sculptures and measuring scales, which either amplifies or reduces the distance between man and sky."
Welded Wire Mesh Has Impressive Applications
The Outstanding Full Fill Home
Imagine a home that can be built in six days and deconstructed in one. Indian architect Anupama Kundoo created the Full Fill Home, an affordable, environmentally-friendly prefabricated home to do just that. The modular home uses ferrocement, a lightweight material made with chicken wire mesh, as well as cement mortar and small-diameter steel reinforcement. Thanks to the strength of welded wire mesh, the home can withstand earthquakes.
DIY enthusiasts can bring this durability and practicality to their own homes. While steel accents like wire mesh can be more expensive than other options, they often come preassembled and allow for quick set up.
The Airy Zafra-Uceda House
In Madrid, Spain, woven wire mesh is the backbone of one jaw-dropping home design. Nomad Studio's Zafra-Uceda house features an industrial-style steel mesh enclosure that protects the upper level from flying golf balls from a nearby golf course, without sacrificing the view of the mountains.
The use of decorative wire mesh in a custom home can offer DIY enthusiasts the inspiration they crave—and truly transform a new house into a home. Woven wire mesh can appear in a variety of unexpected places, including staircases, lighting features, and room dividers.
TWP Inc. supplies wire mesh worldwide. Our company is to go-to choice for high-quality mesh products and laser cutting services. Contact us today.
