Build Hub Resources
Practical guidance on specifying, estimating and buying construction materials in Zanzibar — written for the people actually ordering and laying them.
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Guides are added steadily rather than in bulk. Each one covers a question we are genuinely asked by contractors, developers and homeowners in Zanzibar.
4 inch vs 6 inch vs 8 inch concrete blocks
Which block size belongs where, what each one costs you in floor area and labour, and where projects most often get the choice wrong.
Read guideHow many concrete blocks do I need?
Estimate from wall area rather than guesswork: the method, the deductions, the waste allowance and what to send us for an accurate quote.
Read guideConcrete blocks vs bricks in Zanzibar: terminology, selection and ordering
Bricks, cement bricks, blocks and concrete blocks are the same product on the island. What to specify instead of arguing over the word.
Read guideTypes of construction sand in Zanzibar: plaster, mortar and concrete sand
Concrete, mortar and plaster each want a different sand. What separates them, why coastal sourcing matters here, and what to look at on the tipper.
Read guideAggregate sizes and uses for concrete and sub-base in Zanzibar
Bigger stone is not better stone. How to match aggregate to the pour, the sub-base and the drain, and what to send with an order.
Read guideHow to order building materials for a Zanzibar construction site
From material list to truck at the gate: what to send, how to phase it, what to prepare on site and what a written quotation should include.
Read guideWhat is crusher dust used for?
Where crusher dust performs well, where it does not, and what to confirm before ordering it for a Zanzibar site.
Read guideHow to order sand and aggregate for a Zanzibar construction site
A practical checklist for ordering the right bulk material, quantity and delivery arrangement for a Zanzibar construction site.
Read guideRebar sizes and uses on a Zanzibar building
Reading the bar schedule: diameters, links, laps and why swapping a bar size is never a site decision.
Read guideBuying reinforcement steel in Zanzibar
A buyer's guide to ordering reinforcement steel against a drawing rather than a guess.
Read guideBuying and storing cement in Zanzibar
Getting bagged cement onto site in the right quantity, at the right time, in usable condition.
Read guideConcrete block curing and why it decides strength
What controlled curing does to a block, and how to handle and store units so that strength survives the journey to the wall.
Read guideGuides being written
These topics are planned. They are listed here so you know what is coming — they are published only once there is something genuinely useful to say.
How to calculate construction material quantities
Turning drawings into a material schedule a supplier can actually price and deliver against.
Looking for a specific material?
Every material category has its own page with specifications, applications and delivery detail.