Concrete door frames, an alternative to wood
Fatudin Muchtar, Contributor, Magelang, Central Java
Financial constraints forced Waji, from Karangtalun village, Ngluwar district, Magelang, to think hard about how to complete the construction of his house.
The man looked around, glancing at the door panel that was left unattached on the ground, as he had no more wood to make the door frame.
Necessity is the mother of invention, so the proverb says. Waji got the idea to make a door frame from concrete.
His first frame looked ugly but he did not give up, instead trying again until he was able to make one that was both strong and pleasing on the eye.
He was quite happy with the work and when the house was ready the frames attracted the neighbors, who then asked him to make similar ones for them.
Soon, more and more houses in the village had concrete door frames and a number of residents tried to make them themselves.
Waji's first concrete door frame was made 15 years ago. Today, his village is known as a producer of concrete door frames, with at least 15 workshops and 200 workers. They can make about 150 frames per day, which they sell to developers in various towns in Central and East Java, such as Yogyakarta, Magelang, Semarang, Surakarta, Temanggung, Madiun and Surabaya.
The basic materials to make concrete door frames are cement, sand and coral, with iron bars as the supporting structure. The ratio of cement, sand and coral is 1:4:1, but more cement is needed to make a better door frame. A wooden bar is also incorporated into the side of the frame to make it easier to attach to the door panel.
To make the frame, cement, sand and coral are mixed together with some water. The mixture is then poured into a wooden mould and left for eight hours to dry. Finishing involves filling the rough parts with cement to make them smooth.
The frames come in a variety of designs, from Spanish style to traditional Javanese. Size also varies. Some villagers have even tried to make furniture from concrete.
"We received many orders requesting strange designs. Some customers have even asked for semicircular frames," said 40-year- old Waji, a father of three.
Concrete door frames have some advantages compared with wooden ones. They are waterproof, can withstand strong sun, fit better and last longer. Termites will not attack them, either. Besides, the frames can also strengthen the walls, providing structural support to the building in which they are installed.
However, concrete frames weigh more than wooden ones and workers must be more careful when handling them, especially during installation, otherwise they may crack or break. The measurement of a frame must be carried out meticulously because once it is ready, it cannot be adjusted through planing, grinding or grating, as with wooden frames.
"The quality is as good as wooden frames. They are even stronger and last longer," said Widodo, 39, a customer who lives in Minomartani residential area, Yogyakarta.
In addition, concrete door frames are cheaper compared with wooden frames made from teak or even meranti (timber tree). In fact, they can be a third or quarter of the price.
A nine-meter teak frame will cost at least Rp 200,000, while a concrete one is only Rp 50,000.
It is also clearly a good idea to use concrete for door frames in order to reduce the amount of wood used, especially when considering the alarming loss of forested areas as a direct result of poor forest management or illegal logging.