Maintenance of Expanded Polystyrene Building Components in Mount Pleasant Housing Estate, Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

This study assessed user’s satisfaction as well as maintenance related issues associated with expanded polystyrene elements in a residential housing estate in the Federal Capital Territory. Residents of Mount Pleasant Housing Estate, Abuja constituted the study population. Questionnaires were administered to 310 adult residents of the housing estate out of which 267 were retrieved, constituting 86.1% rate of response and used for analysis. Data were analysed with basic descriptive tools of frequency, percentage and mean score derived from 5-Point Likert scale. Results were presented in tables and then discussed. The study established amongst others that expanded polystyrene materials are used for different components of housing units with partition walls, decorative finishes and window hoods having 79.4%, 68.2% and 64.4% of usage respectively. The study found amongst others that respondents generally agree that EPS elements are costlier in terms of maintenance and require special skill to fix. It was further observed that respondents are of the opinion that EPS elements do not breakdown easily or frequently. Concluding, the respondents ranked their satisfaction level with the aesthetics and moisture resistance above other qualities of EPS components. The study therefore recommended further research to discover how EPS materials can be used to build complete housing unit. Furthermore, developers and builders should as a matter of policy embrace the use of EPS while special awareness creation programme is organized to enlighten the general public on the benefits of EPS to housing development in Nigeria.