​The Impact of Climate on Construction

When it comes to the construction industry, there has been a great evolution from the choice of building materials to the tools used itself. Take the access panel – due to their versatility and functionality, they have evolved through time to be more than just a door or panel, they have become a means of enhancing security or creating storage space. One thing that is presently affecting the construction industry is that of climate change. Why is this important? Access Doors and Panels share the impact of climate on the construction industry what this could mean for your next project.

Deadlines

No matter where you are in the world, spring and summer are busy times in the world of construction. It is during this time that, typically, the weather is ideal and favorable; however, with climate change, it is becoming harder and harder to know what to expect and will happen on a summer day in July. It is because of this unknown or rather an unpredictable variable that deadlines are affected by the climate. Days and possibly weeks could be missed due to rain or heavy winds that create an unsafe working environment.

Contractors and builders should, regardless if the weather is on their side or not, should always factor some buffer of delay. This means setting realistic expectations with the client and helping them understand that there may be times weather wins over meeting a deadline.

Building material and choice

Whether one factors in weather or not – climate can impact the choice of material for a project. For example, wood is a common building material found in any building site, whether it is residential or commercial. The fear though, and a rightful one is that wood is affected by wet weather. While it isn’t always immediate in the impact it is important to consider when working with wood to factor that moisture on wood can result in mold spores, the expanding in size and the potential for rot. This is the worst-case scenario in wood – and it requires more than a few days or millimeters of rainfall but rather torrential and persistent rain.

Wood isn’t the only thing that is impacted by rain – certain metals that aren’t of higher quality can be affected by rain and result in rusting and degrading in its strength and durability. Should a project find itself behind hindered due to wet weather, protecting the materials onsite is essential to not create further delays down the road or complications. It is also helpful to select materials that can withstand if not handle the climate of the area. For example, in industrial spaces where an access panel is needed connecting both exteriors to the interior, considering a panel that won’t rust and is insulated can make the difference.

Budget and Costs

If there is one thing every contractor and client hope to achieve it is to ensure that all budget planning and expectations are met and adhered to. For contractors who have been in the industry long enough and know what to expect when it comes to their projects, the know ensuring there is some buffer between what is expected and what could happen, in terms of having to spend more or prices for materials go up.

Take for example the purchase of access panels – at Access Doors and Panels, we offer access panels for all budgets and all makes. When a contractor seeks out the necessary materials for the project, they will consult with suppliers and at Access Doors and Panels we work to provide the options that will meet all the project needs. We work with both client and contractor to ensure that we can offer the necessities within their budget needs and expectations but more importantly, we work with the conditions that they must deal with – in this case, climate. It’s unpredictability but also the functionality of the access panel. Will this panel be used outside and if so – to what extent exposure will it receive? These are questions that are important to consider as they can impact the budget and costs.

While materials are one thing that is impacted by climate – climate also impacts the ability to work in terms of meeting deadlines. When a project is delayed this means extra expenses in terms of paying for help and attempting to get the job done.

Climate – the unknown variable

Climate affects the construction industry in ways that one who is not seasoned in the field would realize. It can create havoc in terms of the actual work being done to the material used. Climate, no matter how much one can attempt to predict and forecast, it can be an unknown variable that unless there are numerous contingency plans, it can truly impact a project.

With Access Doors and Panels, we work with clients to not only factor in their needs and what is the best solution but their budget as well. We offer a wide array of products that both clients and contractors will be happy with.

To view our inventory, visit us online at https://www.accessdoorsandpanels.com/