Greetings wise ones,
Imagine you are building your own home, What products(specifically), special features, or above standard techniques would you insist on.
My own list:
Plumbing
type K copper supply, PVC DWV(not ABS),full port ball valves(not gate or globe). angle stops-full port type, braided connectors(not plastic), kit sink-Cast iron or stainless, fixtures-Moen, tubs/shower- cast or fiberglass(not steel). 1″ supply up to water heater, 3/4″ to fixture groups, 1/2 to individual fixtures.
Electrical:
40/40 all-in-one murray panel no 14 guage wire,all 12 guage(xcpt 14-3 smoke detector circuit).All gfci’s in panel, nylon commercial plugs/switches with screw terminals(no stab-ins). Pre-wire for ceiling fans, lights and plugs on separate circuits,leave empty conduit from panel to attic and sub area for future use,sprinkler control in garage,prewire for satelite tv,cat 5,and phone in each room.motion detector light at front door, garage door opener wiring .
Framing:
Extra blocking/backing for bathtowl bars,closet shelves & poles, kitchen cabinets, garage door opener
Replies
i came across this list in the past on the newsgroup alt.home.repair
under a heading titled
New Construction? What would do that you didn't??
posted by Ken Schumm
he obviously spent some time on this list, so i gotta give the credit to him.
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I'll try to make a contribution here. I spent a long time
compiling a list of things to do when we built our home,
so here it is:
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Appliances
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All LP appliances should work without electric, if possible
Cooktop - downdraft shall NOT be located between burners
Check oven door swing - we need room to pull stuff out of the
oven and place it on a counter.
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Attic
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Heavy-duty (not cheap) fold-down attic access ladder from garage (Bessler)
3/4" Plywood subfloor in attic
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Audio/Video/Security
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Phone access in MBR closet (doubles as safe-room)
Driveway gate intercom, opener to be controlled via phone system
Extra RG-6, power to driveway gate for future camera
Low-voltage floor outlets in great room (location TBD)
Run three RG-6 to attic for antennas
Run three RG-6 to location TBD for satellite dishes
Run two RG-6 for future cable hookup
Cat-5, RG-6 to each room, double for offices (locs, quantities TBD)
Computer hookup in kitchen/pantry
Phone service to home to be underground
All phone lines homerun using cat-5 to control room
Separate wire for each door/window for alarm sensors, homerun to
control room
Empty conduit, boxes on each floor for future expansion
Magnetic deadbolt sensors on each exterior door
Pre-wire sprinkler controls in control room
Pre-wire for weather station
Pre-wire for WWV clock (attic antenna)
Sirens at both ends of house outside
Sirens on each floor inside
Pre-wire for speakers, volume controls(?)
Access panels for low-voltage wiring, location TBD
Phone, computer in gazebo
Exerior speakers, locations TBD
Pre-wire (or install) security consoles by garage door, MBR, ??
Pre-wire for security cameras on exterior of each side of house
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Basement
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8' minimum ceiling
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Cabinets
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Kitchen counter height TBD
Bathroom counter height TBD (36" for adults?)
Some vertical partitions for cookie sheets/cooling rack storage
Allow enough space between counter & upper cabinets for tall wine bottles.
Fully-extending Accuride door glides
Plywood only. No particle board.
No stiles between doors that face each other.
1/2" plywood back (no nail-board)
In kitchen, wood flooring to be installed underneath cabinets and
cabinet bases to set on wood floor.
Under-cabinet lights in the kitchen
Toe-kick lights in the master and guest bathrooms
Flooring (tile, wood) to be installed underneath all cabinets
One laundry room floor cabinet bay w/o door for litterbox
Leave room for pet dishes (between cabinet & garage door?)
If we use regular refrigerator (not built-in) to be flush with front
of cabinets. This implies that it must be recessed into wall. If we
get built-in this is not a problem.
Bookcases w/glass doors at ends of island for cookbooks
The cabinets under all sinks should have roll-out shelves.
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Exterior Siding
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HardiePlank/HardieShingleSide siding (face-nailed for wind resistance)
Installed per James Hardie Corp. specifications
Rim joist to be insulated (gasket between rim joist and sill plate
around perimeter of house) Example at
http://www.shelter-mn.com/catalog/buildingproducts/jointgaskets.html
Use longest possible lengths of HardiPlank on all sides of house.
Plan framing so siding will overlap concrete foundation
See http://southface.org/home/sfpubs/sfjv198/fiber.html
Insist that siding arrive dry - it shrinks as it dries
Do not overnail. Compression can cause wavy looks.
Nail with 3" roofing nails - large heads hold better
Prime with Duron Bond and Seal, then paint with 100% acrylic latex
Two coats of paint on exterior - Due to fibers exposed 2-3 mils
above the surface due to the pressed-in pattern, the fibers must
be completely coated with paint, otherwise they will absorb moisture
and wick it into the interior of the siding.
Use hot-dipped galvanized nails, or nails recommended by James Hardie
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Closets
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Lights in all bedroom closets.
Closet organizers in Master bath closet, others TBD
Phone line in MBR closet (safe-room)
Steel security door to MBR closet
Security hinges on MBR door
Very strong wall between MBath & Master Closet
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Concrete
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Allow for floor drains in garage
Allow for floor drains in mechanical room
Make sure patio under deck drains away from house. Deck boards will
drain onto patio, and this must have positive drainage.
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Decks
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Low-maintenance materials (Ipe) (Pre-cut rails/posts available from
Endura hardwoods)
How will drainage be handled?
Make sure enough structural strength is built-in to support
possible future hot-tub.
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Electrical
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All copper wiring. No aluminum ANYWHERE, not even stove.
All electrical boxes/receptacles/switches to be light-commercial
grade or better.
Grounding system shall consist of eight 10-ft 3/4" diameter
copper-clad steel ground rods (no galvanized pipes) connected
with 4-gauge copper ground wire with exothermic welds due to
great lightning potential in this area.
Minimum 12-gauge wiring and 20-amp circuits.
Either one 400-amp or two 200-amp service panels
Only Square-D (preferred) or GE panels allowed
Neutral wires to be available in all wallswitch boxes
Pre-wire for generator. Have transfer switch now, 13.5KW propane
generator will arrive in July. Generator to be installed in
outbuilding. Need to determine circuits that will be powered by
generator.
Will specify brand of wallswitches (for automation)
Flourescent lights in all bedroom closets & kitchen pantry.
Closet light switches located TBD
Great room media center to have separate 20-amp circuit with two
quad receptacles.
Master & Guest baths to be wired with in-floor heating system. Not
sure yet of controls (may automate)
Power supplied to driveway gate lights, intercom, opener
Blocking coupler to be installed on all service panels (brand TBD)
Whole-house surge suppressor installed on all service panels
(Tytewadd brand)
Boxes, wiring, wallswitches installed for ceiling fans in all rooms.
Minimum 50-lb support.
Ceiling fan boxes to be wired with separate circuits for lights, fans
Bathroom vent fans to exhaust through HRV.
Kitchen island hood to be custom made with remote mount fan
Floor outlets in great room (location TBD)
Clock outlets (locations TBD)
Kitchen counter outlets spaced no more than 4-ft apart.
Counters 12-inches or wider require a receptacle.
All normal wall receptacles spaced 12-inches above the floor
All wallswitches spaced 48" above the floor (to top of box)
Outlets at base, landing, and top of stairs
Outlets within 6 feet of every door, and spaced every 8 feet after
Double the number of outlets in two offices
Each room on a separate circuit, no overlapping circuits.
Interior outlets shall not be wired back-to-back (sound suppression)
Soffet outlets for Christmas lights on all sides of house.
Motion-detecting flood lights on all sides of house. Brand TBD.
These lights should also have on/off capability via wallswitch
in the MBR and on the first floor, locations TBD
220v outlets at each end of garage.
Generous 110v outlets in garage as well
Pre-wire 220v for stove, dryer (even though they may be gas)
GFCI outlets on each side of house exterior
Dedicated outlet in pantry, separate from appliance power, for
kitchen computer.
Ceiling outlets in garage for each garage door opener.
Service to home to be underground
Upstairs light fixtures to be caulked around base into attic to
reduce air infiltration
Install lights and outlets in attic
Wire for under-counter kitchen lights TBD
Outlets on separate circuits from lighting fixtures.
GFCI circuits to be separated on a per-room basis. Use GFCI
outlets, NOT GFCI breakers in service panel.
Kitchen counter outlets to have at least two-20amp circuits
Kitchen island outlets to have one dedicated 20-amp circuit
Only Hubbell 5242/5252 receptacles are to be used
All receptacle/switch connections to use the screw terminals,
not the push-in terminals.
Switch boxes should be HUGE, plan for large switches to be
installed in the future.
Submersible pump protected by Tytewadd surge suppressor
Submersible pump ground wired back to house ground. No ground loops.
Need wiring/conduit to generator location installed under foundation
Gate wiring to be underground
Dedicated computer circuits in Kens office, Susans office, control
room, and other TBD locations
Install vapour-boxes around each switch and receptacle box.
Example at
http://www.shelter-mn.com/catalog/buildingproducts/barrierboxes.html
CO detectors to be Nighthawk brand, models 900-0046-01, 900-0014-01,
900-0056-01, or 900-0057-01
Bedrooms to be wired with two-way wall switches, one at entry door
and one near beds, location TBD
Switched bedroom outlets for lamps, etc. TBD
Need grounding rod for control room node 0
Pre-wire 220v outlet at gazebo for possible future spa
Install a couple of lights and outlets in attic. Light switches
to be located near master bath door into attic, and near all
attic access hatches.
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Finish Carpentry
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Reinforce all exterior door frames for security (3.5-4" striker screws)
Reinforce MBR closet door frame for security (3.5-4" striker screws)
(closet doubles as a safe-room)
Top-quality door hardware, esp. bi-fold doors
Access panels for low-voltage wiring, location TBD
Locksets TBD, don't drill until selection
Make sure all horizontal exterior trim (windows, belt line between
lap & shingle siding) is sloped to drain water.
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Flooring
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Builders felt or plastic membrane underneath carpet to prevent
leaks/spills from getting into subfloor.
Carpet in bedrooms/offices
Real linoleum in entire utility room area
Real linoleum inlaid into wear regions of kitchen
Tile floors in all bathrooms except utility room
Wood floors everywhere else
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Framing
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All framing 2x6 #2 or better framing on 16" centers
Floor joists to be overbuilt or on 16" centers (no-bounces)
7/8" T&G plywood subfloor, glued and screwed. Have decided against OSB.
Does it make sense to use exterior grade plywood subfloors in the
bathrooms where moisture is an issue?
2x6 sound insulated interior walls, except for Guest Bedroom
Make common wall between guest bedroom & great room a party-wall
(2x6 sill plate, staggered 2x4 studs, sound insulation)
Extra tie-downs for earthquake & wind-resistance
Reinforce all exterior door frames for security (3.5-4" striker screws)
All pressure-treated boards requiring paint (fascia boards, etc) to
be re-dried after treatment for paint adherence.
1/2" Plywood sheathing under siding, (not OSB)
5/8" Plywood sheathing on roof (was 3/4" previously)
Not sure what it's called, but there is an adhesive type of seal
that covers the seam between the window flashing and the housewrap,
and we want it installed.
3/4" Plywood subfloor in attic
Rim joist to be insulated around perimeter of house. Example at
http://www.shelter-mn.com/catalog/buildingproducts/jointgaskets.html
Framing must accomodate HVAC duct locations
Plan framing so siding will overlap concrete foundation
Outside door for loading firewood for woodstove?
Accomodate medicine cabinet in Master, Guest baths with 2x6 walls
so a deep cabinet can be installed
Access panels for low-voltage wiring, location TBD
sill gasket between foundation walls and sill plates
plenty of soffit vents
Ridge vent on roof
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Foundation
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Electric, phone service to be underground all the way into home.
No exposed exterior connections.
Basement walls to be fully waterproofed using combination of
waterproof membrane and Warm-N-Dri boards (or similar) to relieve
hydrostatic pressure. http://www.tuff-n-dri.com
Warm-N-Dri boards to be R 5, 1 3/16" thick boards
Drain tile around exterior perimiter of footings
Of course, pea gravel to cover all drain tiles
Vapor barrier under basement slab to be wrapped between basement
slab and foundation wall and taped to vapor barrier on interior
basement wall (i.e. continuous vapor barrier under slab and up
foundation walls.
Vapor barrier between footings and foundation walls to keep moisture
from wicking up from bottom of foundation wall
Need wiring/conduit to generator location installed under foundation
Need wiring/conduit to driveway gate installed under/through foundation
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Garage Doors
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One opener on each door, with two remotes each
Remotes shall have scrambling codes for security
Each door shall have outdoor entry keypad
Garage door rails to be electrically grounded to nearest outlet.
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Generator
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Location TBD on south side of house
Circuits TBD. Partial list includes:
: Whatever is necessary to run well pump during outages
: Whatever is necessary to run refrigerator/freezer during outages
: Whatever is necessary to run heat pump fan during outages
: Whatever is necessary to run minimal lighting during power outages
: Whatever is necessary to run minimal computers/phone during outages
: Whatever is necessary to run sewage pumps
Need wiring/conduit to generator location installed under foundation
Plan for generator to be installed in outbuilding
Gutters
Non-clog gutters (LeafGuard or similar due to pine-needle problem)
Downspout locations TBD
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Hardwood Floors
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Put builders felt under wood floor to reduce squeaks
In kitchen, wood flooring to be installed underneath cabinets and
cabinet bases to set on wood floor.
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HVAC
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Supply registers in MBath closet.
All registers on outside walls close to floor wherever possible.
Where drapes are installed install registers in floor.
Consider furniture arrangement when locating supply/return registers
Floor outlets in wood floor to be matching wood outlets of sufficient
strength to stand on
Floor outlets in carpeted areas to be brass.
Bathroom ventilation to exhaust through HRV
WaterFurnace brand (or equivalent) geothermal heat-pump with zoned
HVAC Contractor to follow-up a couple of weeks after startup
to purge air from underground pipes.
HAI communicating thermostats and zone controller. Zones s/b
:Upper floor
:Main floor
:Basement
Desuperheater for hot-water pre-heating
Heat recovery ventilator for fresh air intake, must be model
that filters out 5-micron pollens from intake air stream
(RecoupAerator, vanEE brands, or similar)
Electronic air filter
All sheetmetal ducts, except for register connections
Building cavities shall not be used as ducts
All ducts in unheated spaces to be insulated.
Fan unit shall be isolated from ductwork with flexible boot
Flex-duct to connect registers
Dampers to be installed for each zone
Duct seams shall be lock formed and mastic filled
Use mesh tape under the mastic for seams that are greater then 1/8"
Tape-applied-mastic may be acceptable on clean seams if it applies
butyl sealent at least 15 mils thick.
Metal support straps to be spaced at a minimum of 3 feet apart.
Install plastic saddles between metal duct hangers and the duct
for expansion/contraction noise abatement.
Plan a pressure-balanced system, with adequate return flow when
doors are closed.
Barometric pressure relief bypass, if required
Duct sizing calculated using manual-J technique, or similar. No
SWAG methods are acceptable.
No fiberglass shall be exposed on interior of ductwork. Airborne
fiber concerns.
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In-Floor Tile Heat
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In-floor electric heat in master bath area. Controls TBD
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Insulation
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Sound insulation in all floors
Sound insulation in all interior walls
Stuff insulation around window, door frames. No exanding foam.
Rim joist to be insulated (gasket between rim joist and sill plate
around perimeter of house) Example at
http://www.shelter-mn.com/catalog/buildingproducts/jointgaskets.html
Wrap tubs, shower stalls with insulation for sound suppression
and heat retention
Use unfaced insulation in attic to allow moisture to escape
R-19 minimum in exterior walls
R-40 in ceilings (no blown-in cellulose)
R-30 in floors
Basement walls to be fully insulated on exterior
6-mil minimum interior vapor barrier
Bid by bag-count, not inches
Install vapour-boxes around each switch and receptacle box.
(vapour-form inc., etc) Example at
http://www.shelter-mn.com/catalog/buildingproducts/barrierboxes.html
sill gasket between foundation walls and sill plates
I think we want blown-in cellulose installation instead of
fiberglass.
Soffit vents ducted to ridge vent
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Misc
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Garage to be insulated w/vapor barrier, & finished
Oil base paint in kitchen, bathroom, doors, trim
Enamel (latex or oil-base) under any wallpaper for easier removal
Doorbell to be tied into phone system.
Do we need a lightening rod where we are located?
PVC under driveway for detection sensor
PVC under driveway for sprinkler water lines
Need wiring/conduit to generator location installed under foundation
Plan for generator to be installed in outbuilding
Make sure patio under deck drains away from house. Deck boards will
drain onto patio, and this must have positive drainage.
We want to retain a full copy of the blueprints for our own
future reference
Either the door into daylight basement must be large enough to
allow the eventual tub-shower unit to be moved into the basement,
or the tub-shower unit should be purchased and stored in the basement
before the basement is closed up.
Open soffits are fine. There is no need that I can see to close them.
Make sure all horizontal exterior trim (windows, belt line between
lap & shingle siding) is sloped to drain water.
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Painting
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All surfaces to be primed prior to painting
Hardie plank/shingle siding to be primed with Duron Bond and Seal
Siding to be painted with 100% acrylic latex
Paint used shall be premium brands with the highest amounts of titanium
dioxide available
Get bid on using new Sherwin Williams Duration paint w/7mil film build
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Plumbing
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All copper supply lines.
One inch water supply from pressure tank
One inch water supply for main distribution backbone
3/4" supply lines to sinks, tubs, showers.
Propane water heater. May need two tanks. Will be fed by heat pump
desuperheater. Need lots of hot water to whirlpool tub. Perhaps it
would be best to have a tankless heater in the master bath for the
whirlpool supply and have a tanked unit for the rest of the plumbing.
Recirculating hot-water loop system. The pump for this should
have a timer, or at least plug into a socket that can be controlled
via X-10. The recirc rate should be sized properly. A ten foot
section of 3/4" pipe holds about 1 quart (.025 gallons/foot for 3/4"
and .043 gallons/foot for 1"). Measure the distance from the pump
to the master bath, in feet. Call the resulting value LEN. Compute
the number of gallons this pipe can hold (GALLONS = LEN * .025).
Assuming that hot water will stay hot for 15 minutes in in a well
insulated pipe, we need the pump sized to move GALLONS of water in
fifteen minutes. So, if GALLONS = 4, we need to move 4 gallons every
15 minutes, or 4/15 = ~.26 gallons/min. Recirculating at a faster
rate will waste energy and erode the copper pipe at the ells (water
hits ells head-on) within 5-6 years. Also, we want to run the pump
on a timer so we can turn it off during the daytime and during the
dead of night.
Floor drain in laundry area
Floor drains in garage
Floor drains in mechanical room in basement
Sound-suppressed DWV drains. Cast-iron (preferred) or PVC wrapped in
R-11 sound suppression insulation. We don't want to hear bathroom
drainage between floors.
Plumb for future dehumidifier in mechanical room
Water softener (Fleck brand valves with demand-based regeneration)
Valve metering mechanism must be mechanical, not electronic
Test water for other required treatments.
Whirlpool tub, Kohler K-1418-H
Pressure balanced valves in all showers, brand TBD
Icemaker water (copper supply) to be fed from output of faucet
filtration unit.
Metal ball or gate style shutoff valves on all toilets & faucets
All supply lines to toilets, faucets, dishwasher to be stainless steel
braided or solid chrome-plated copper type.
Garbage disposall Franke 1-HP
Anti-freeze hose bib inside garage door (location TBD)
Access to hot-water via hose inside garage (maybe utility sink)
Anti-freeze hose bib on North side of house
Stub out sprinkler water supply (location TBD)
Do we need anti-backflow device on septic drain line?
Plumb drain, supply for basement bathroom
Wrap tubs, shower stalls with insulation for sound suppression
and heat retention
All shower head heights to be 75" above shower floors
True 3/4" valves for showers, tubs
Insulate every inch of hot-water supply lines
All tubs to be adult sized
Shock absorbing water-hammer prevention devices on dishwasher
and washer supply lines.
All showers/tubs to have fully supported bases so they don't flex,
fatigue, and crack.
Make sure that each sink, tub, shower, and toilet has it's own
vent, regardless of codes that allow otherwise.
I don't know what is available, but I'd like some sort of lint
filter on the washing machine discharge drain to keep lint from
entering the septic system and clogging the drain field.
Metal ball valves on Washer water supplies
Utility sinks in Garage, Basement mechanical room
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Propane
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Suffient tank surface area for simultaneous generator/stove operation
in 20-degree weather.
Ideally, like to have two-week supply of propane to power generator
8 hours/day during outages. Generator requires 11 lbs/hour at 3/4
load.
Piped to the following locations:
:Basement water heater(s)
:Generator
:Cooktop
:Dryer
:Basement woodstove alcove (stubbed out)
:Main floor woodstove alcove (stubbed out)
:Deck (stubbed out for BBQ, location TBD)
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Roofing
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Class-A fire rating
Class-A wind rating
Fungal resistant
Architecture dictates material (concrete tiles, 40-year architectural
shingles, or metal)
Copper flashing
45-lb or two layers of 30-lb felt
Moss/Mildew prevention strips
Roofing nails only, no staples.
Roofing to be applied using manufacturers requirements. If they
say to use 4 nails per shingle, use 4. Also, if a nail gun is
used, make sure it is adjusted properly so it doesn't cut through
the shingle fibers.
First choice for shingles - Certainteed Grand Manor Shangle (~140/sq)
Second choice for shingles - Tamko Heritage 40 (~52/sq)
Shingles to be GAF Grand Sequoia 40-year architectural in Sage Green
Blend color
At this elevation, with the increased snow load, do we need ice dam
protection?
Install drip-edge
Install ridge vent
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Septic
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Tank & field oversized for five bedrooms
Concrete tank
All gravity feed if possible, no pump requirement
Heavy tank cover, so vehicles can drive over it
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Tile
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Master to be wired with in-floor heating system
tile floors to have solid mortar bed (no nail-in concrete fiber board)
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Well
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Large capacity holding tank (terminology?)
lots of pressure, 65 psi
Look into hand-pump or gasoline-powered-pump for emergency water
Submersible pump ground wired back to house ground. No ground loops.
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Windows
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Double-insulated vinyl, Low-E, argon on south/east/west exposures
Not sure what it's called, but there is an adhesive type of seal
that covers the seam between the window flashing and the housewrap,
and we want it installed.
Need 99% UV filtering windows on South & West sides of house
Consider UV filtering on East side
Consider wind load resistance - very important
U factor of .30 or less
Solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of .30-.55
Visible Transmittance (VT) of .48-.52
Air Leakage (AL) of .30 or below
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Vacuum (built-in)
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Generously sized for size of house
Sufficient outlets so an outlet is within 20-ft of any point in the
house (to reach all areas of house with 25-foot hose)
Electric, not air-powered, beater
"Super" type of outlet (supplies vacuum & electric with one connection)
Non-corrugated inner liner on hoses (airflow reduction)
Cyclonic motor mounted in garage & vented to outdoors
Adequate dustpans to serve all hard-surface floors in house
including litter box area
Install a single outlet in garage for vacuuming vehicles
All pipes to be glued - no tape!
Edited 10/28/2004 3:11 pm ET by oak
One thing caught my eye - floor drains in the garage. If we do that here, it has to have an oil/water separator etc etc; we just slope the garage floor so all the melted snow runs out under the door.
The guy doesn't mention in there how he's gonna pay for all that stuff.
(-:
2 items on your list would not be on mine, besides sq D QO breakers only vs as listed.
All gfci's in panel -- one of the biggest oversold gimmicks, the only gfci's in my own house are in the parts bins, big nuisance.
bathroom blocking -- you will always miss a spot, better to sheath the studs in 3/4 ply then you can always attach more grab bars anywhere in your old age.