Concrete door frames, an alternative to wood<\/p>\n
Fatudin Muchtar, Contributor, Magelang, Central Java<\/p>\n
Financial constraints forced Waji, from Karangtalun village,
\nNgluwar district, Magelang, to think hard about how to complete
\nthe construction of his house.<\/p>\n
The man looked around, glancing at the door panel that was
\nleft unattached on the ground, as he had no more wood to make the
\ndoor frame.<\/p>\n
Necessity is the mother of invention, so the proverb says.
\nWaji got the idea to make a door frame from concrete.<\/p>\n
His first frame looked ugly but he did not give up, instead
\ntrying again until he was able to make one that was both strong
\nand pleasing on the eye.<\/p>\n
He was quite happy with the work and when the house was ready
\nthe frames attracted the neighbors, who then asked him to make
\nsimilar ones for them.<\/p>\n
Soon, more and more houses in the village had concrete door
\nframes and a number of residents tried to make them themselves.<\/p>\n
Waji's first concrete door frame was made 15 years ago. Today,
\nhis village is known as a producer of concrete door frames, with
\nat least 15 workshops and 200 workers. They can make about 150
\nframes per day, which they sell to developers in various towns in
\nCentral and East Java, such as Yogyakarta, Magelang, Semarang,
\nSurakarta, Temanggung, Madiun and Surabaya.<\/p>\n
The basic materials to make concrete door frames are cement,
\nsand and coral, with iron bars as the supporting structure. The
\nratio of cement, sand and coral is 1:4:1, but more cement is
\nneeded to make a better door frame. A wooden bar is also
\nincorporated into the side of the frame to make it easier to
\nattach to the door panel.<\/p>\n
To make the frame, cement, sand and coral are mixed together
\nwith some water. The mixture is then poured into a wooden mould
\nand left for eight hours to dry. Finishing involves filling the
\nrough parts with cement to make them smooth.<\/p>\n
The frames come in a variety of designs, from Spanish style to
\ntraditional Javanese. Size also varies. Some villagers have even
\ntried to make furniture from concrete.<\/p>\n
\"We received many orders requesting strange designs. Some
\ncustomers have even asked for semicircular frames,\" said 40-year-
\nold Waji, a father of three.<\/p>\n
Concrete door frames have some advantages compared with wooden
\nones. They are waterproof, can withstand strong sun, fit better
\nand last longer. Termites will not attack them, either. Besides,
\nthe frames can also strengthen the walls, providing structural
\nsupport to the building in which they are installed.<\/p>\n
However, concrete frames weigh more than wooden ones and
\nworkers must be more careful when handling them, especially
\nduring installation, otherwise they may crack or break. The
\nmeasurement of a frame must be carried out meticulously because
\nonce it is ready, it cannot be adjusted through planing, grinding
\nor grating, as with wooden frames.<\/p>\n
\"The quality is as good as wooden frames. They are even
\nstronger and last longer,\" said Widodo, 39, a customer who lives
\nin Minomartani residential area, Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
In addition, concrete door frames are cheaper compared with
\nwooden frames made from teak or even meranti (timber tree). In
\nfact, they can be a third or quarter of the price.<\/p>\n
A nine-meter teak frame will cost at least Rp 200,000, while a
\nconcrete one is only Rp 50,000.<\/p>\n
It is also clearly a good idea to use concrete for door frames
\nin order to reduce the amount of wood used, especially when
\nconsidering the alarming loss of forested areas as a direct
\nresult of poor forest management or illegal logging.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/concrete-door-frames-an-alternative-to-wood-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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