I am interested in getting feedback on general tips and hints about home design. Specifically, what aspects of a home that you find particularly useful and valuable.
For example, a suggestion was made to me to put outlets near the roof to facilitate Christmas lights. Another suggestion was to put a piece of PVC pipe under your concrete driveway when it is poured to allow electrical or sprinkers to be run at a later date without demolition of the the drive. A friend designed a large closet specifically to put his entire Christmas tree in each year without having to dismantle it. Automatic lights in the pantry is another that I have heard often.
I would very much appreciate any other tips and hints that you particularly appreciate in your home or one that you know of. Thanks in advance.
Replies
Doors wide enough for wheelchair access, just had to redo my folks house for dads new chair
A raised dishwasher so that you don't have to bend and stoop to empty/fill it. Even better - two dishwashers, with one being small enough to hold just a day's accumulation of small stuff - coffee cups, sandwich plates, a pot or two. and the second big enough to hold a standard load.
"All of life's big problems include the words "indictment" or "inoperable." Everything else is small stuff." Alton Brown
http://costofwar.com/
with one being small enough ... and the second big enough
That's what the Fisher & Paykle "dishdrawer" concept is supposed to address. The idea works, it's just the sticker shock that takes some getting over. The single Dishdrawer is about $4-500, the double is down to only $7-800 (from $1200 a couple of years ago).
Used to be the "condo/apartment" 18" size DW's were more common--that addresses what you are expressing. What seems to happen for me is that the clients wind up with two standard units, at slightly less fancy than the one they started out wanting. That's life; that's construction. I've only ever heard one complaint about having a second DW; The other DW is always where you favorite glass or the nieghbor's fancy plate is sitting, unwashed.
Now, raising the DW is very "hip" in the big builder's model homes--I know the hoops we went through as cabinet builders to accomdate those intsallations. That's my only beef with doing it--no one really seems to think through integrating the 42" tall countertop into the rest of the kitchen, and the space under the DW always seems to be inelegantly handled (saw a model home with 1" deep drawer sides --about 1/2" of actual depth to the 1/8' drawer bottom--did not seem very useful).Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Really good idea. ADA is not something I would really have put much thought into. May help with eventual resale value I bet. In that same theme, lots to lights with seperate controls would be nice. My father is constantly complaining about the room not being bright enough at his home.
" Doors wide enough for wheelchair access, just had to redo my folks house for dads new chair"4' wide hallways for same reason, maybe pocket doors too, or at least leave room (wiring / space) to install them if needed.
Favorite things about a home.....No common wallsNow days your lot may be worth more than your home(if an older home)The most important thing (IMHO)ChristmasThanksgivingGarden
I just finished my house and did put oultets in the eves back to a timer in the garage. Works wonderful. I also put a hot and cold water spigot outside the garage for washing cars or whatever. We use it a lot. There is a company out there that makes one with built in anti-siphon valves built in just for this type of application. I'll get the name off mine tonight if your interested. Good luck, Mike.
Nice thought about the hot outdoor water tap, but wouldn't it be better to use a tankless h/w system and run a single water supply?
The Christmas tree idea stinks. Mine's usually dead right after it's cut.....
timers for swithces in passage ways. or the more current motion detectors. in floor radiant heat. stairless entry. built in recycle center. corner huth cabinet in kitchen. switch in garage for aforementioned awning outlet. Great Big Trees. power vent for garage. contractor entry lock.
centeral vac, sprinklers ,and compressed air piping.
desk area in the kitchen. Everyone always piles their mail on the counter.
Alcoves, niches, places that people can kind of sit away from the crowd, within a room. Window seats I dig.
A separate room. I'd say office, but the use is up to the HO. Susanka would say away room. Like the idea. Place separate from common areas, not a BR, you go there to get away. Do your thing, your hobby, whatever.
Bigger garages. It's the SUV age. Nobody has enough room, esp after we put in the lawnmower, snowblower, shelving, yard tools, paint cans, . . . I'd have a 2 stall at least 32 wide. I'm seeing more interest in taller doors as well.
Clean mechanicals. If you've been through a multitude of new homes, you've probably seen examples on both ends of the spectrum. When the panel, water, furnace, is all orderly and set up right with the structured wiring box off to the side, it just looks to the potential customer like you have a clue. The stuff where pipes just randomly come out of the ground or wall and the whole place is just one big trip hazard, what a pain to live with.
Plan for the future. Leave empty slots in the panel. Enough vent to add a bath. If you rough in a bath in an unfinished basement, don't drop the sewer line out of the ceiling in the middle of it. (yes, I've seen that) Ditto on a basement BR, put an egress window in so they can at least finish it without chucking 3500 for something that would have cost far less when the place was built.
Longevity in materials. Theres a cost benefit analysis you have to do there, and yes, I understand what you can do is dependent on what you're building and at what price, but my argument is going to be against almost anything vinyl, whether that be the siding, windows, railings . . . just an opinion.
Be picky when it comes to subs. Sure there are hacks, but there's excellent people who care what they do. It shows, dramatically. If you're paying the bill, you get to decide. The lowest bid usually isn't the right answer. That is likely, as a GC, the one thing you have the most control over. You pick who does the work based on work they've done elsewhere. Unless you plan on standing looking over their shoulder while they frame, drywall, trim, paint, etc, you need to be able to sleep at night with the confidence that you're not going to get torpedoed.
"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man." - Mark Twain
Pull a few extra wires up to the attic for future use and leave a note on the breaker box. Take lots of pictures of ur framing and particulairly electric and plumbing before insulating...it can save alot of "exploratory digs" later.Think about pets needs .Think about where trash receptacles go..often overlooked in kitchens and baths.Electric heat mats under tile baths.Run thru diffrent and bizarre natural catastrophes and think about how u and the house will react.....safe rooms?..generators?safes?.
if its a 2 story run an empty 2" conduit from the unknown technology you may want installed on the second floor. a full out chase next to the laundry chute would be better. Laundry room on second floor is gaining popularity, cloths dont leave the second floor unless theyre on a yooman.
oh yea ultimat dreem shot for an unnessisary. pocket baby gates. my sons grand parents have custom removeable ones. they said that theyve had em 20 years cause they have needed them on and off most of their adult life. if i ever build new this will be #1 on my to do list.
Edited 4/1/2005 9:21 pm ET by Brian
I did pocket gates in a house I did two years ago... those were WAY cool. They had them at the stairs and the kitchen entries.
Other ideas that fit my tastes...
Door activated switches in the closets.
Built in night lights in the stairways and hallways.
Aforementioned soffit outlets
Also aforementioned hot and cold spigots in the garage.
You can never overdo the raceways and conduits.
In bedrooms with obvious TV placements... built-in alcoves for the TV at viewing height.
Motion exterior walkway lighting.
Emergency light at the electric box. In some circumstances... emergency lighting in other areas of the house. While I am at it... I am a BIG fan of back-up power generators.
From an aesthitic... I like ledge up-lighting. Much better than fixtures, IMO.
One of the obvious... but many times overlooked... deduct meters for outside water fixtures.
I'm a fan of energy management systems... but they only make sense in certain circumstances.
Well-hidden area for installation of a safe.
One of the best things I saw installed for gun-owners... a finger-print access door for storage of guns and supplies.
Some people like mud rooms... some don't. But if one is going to be designed into the house.. make sure there is a floor drain and/or a slop-sink.
Laundry room off master closet.... preferably accessible to master bath.
Walk-in pantry
A laundry that is convienient. Say on the same level of the house that the laundry is generated...where the bedrooms are. No more hauling laundry up the stairs. Nice for a two story. Or a second laundry location...one by the bedrooms and one by the kitchen. Let the HO decide which or both to use.
Raceways and chases for future updating, maintainance, and changing of electrical and mechanical systems.
My dream house will be two story with a basement and will have hall closets stacked to form an elevator shaft in case I beat up my body bad enough in trade work that I need one when I'm old.
French Maid.
"French Maid"
Remember to use 2x4s or smaller. You will find that over time the "French Maid" option tends to swell to 2x8 or 2x12 frame size. Dont get too attached to this option either as they typically only come with a 5 year warranty. Consider leasing so you can trade in on the newest model every few years.
Some things are strictly luifestyle issues.
My wuifelikes to do laundry and cook at the same time. most women are good multitaskers. So we put the laundry right next to the kitchen and it is large enough and has shelves enough that it is a pantry too.
My biggest thing is to design a roof line so it looks good but also drains water in a controlled manner, ie a dormer or cross gable centered over the font door so you don't have to walk in under a rainline to get inside.
Gutters are a coverup for poor design.
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
Hey Pif.
I like your thoughts on 'gutters are an excuse....' but how do you manage the drip line of long roof pitches? I've got a house built, with 2'6" overhangs everywhere, but with no siding yet. I'm shocked at the amount and the distance that water bounces from the ground on to the house. Of course tar paper and siding will make a huge difference, but should I really forget about gutters?
Thanks,
Scott.
Long overhangs like you have.
Use cross gables to keep drip lines off entries.
build with floor 18" above grade
use shrubbery to break up the waterfall
Then and only then, use gutters where necessary, like in the attached...
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Conduit for computer network cabling. Expect to have to rewire every few years. CAT6 today, fiber tomorrow. TV, radio, telephone, all will run on it eventually.
#1 rule is to not make the place too big. Big, dramatic rooms look good in the magazines, but aren't that compatible with living.
2) Design for access. Things that make a house moderately WC-accessible (even though they may not meet ADA standards) can be convenient for everyone. Wide doors and short hallways make for easy furniture moving, eg. Minimizing steps into the house makes carrying goceries in easier, etc.
3) Design for update. Conduits/raceways in the house, decent access to the major plumbing areas, etc.
4) Space in the kitchen that can be used for recycling is a good idea.
5) Things like the Christmas light outlets are nice, but don't go overboard with "cutsie" things. Skip the intercom and built-in sound system, think twice about the built-in vac. (Some people love the vac, some hate it.)
6) Go back to rule #1.
Have a gas cook stove and gas fireplaces, if they don't allow you to use wood. You don't say in your profile where in Texas you live so I am only guessing. If you live in north Texas where they get some snow and a lot of ice this will be necessary to keep some heat in the house when the power goes out. Even if they light with electric you can still use a torch to light them when the power is out. My sister even has a couple of gas lamps mounted on the walls for light.
Dane
I will always be a beginner as I am always learning.
Thank you everyone for your responses. There are some really great ideas that most people would not think of while in the design phase. It is very interesting how many recommendations focus on electrical outlets, cabinet height, entry ways (mud rooms), lighting control convenience, hidden electrical and cable accessibility for the future and laundry room placement. Strange how it was not the expensive and fancy items that seem to make the list. I saw no " I love my exotic hardwood floors" or " I love my huge hand
Regarding the laundry room location issue, has anyone installed a Dumb Waiter to facilitate movement of laundry from 1st to 2nd floor. Is it cost effective and worth wild? I sure dont see very many of them so it kind of scares me away.
I want to offer a few suggestions of my own to the thread.
First, have a light switch at the front door that turns on lights all the way to your typical end destination. For me, my first stop is always the master bedroom to empty pockets and get comfortable.
Second, as a child growing up, I always loved cold days when we had a fire but most importantly the bench that was built into the fire place. I seemed to always find myself sitting there in front of the fire.
Again, thanks to all for your input.
In '76, we moved to Long Island for a job that lasted almost three years. We rented a two story house with the bedrooms on the second floor and the washing machine/dryer in the basement. For most of the time we were there, I was the "dumb waiter". - lol
One last thing I always push is to design and build with future maintenance, repair, or replacement in mind. There's a special corner in hell for the idiots who installed dark walnut paneling with adhesive.
Our house has candles in every front window (12) all wired into one switch.
First floor master bed and bath
gas fireplace master
drop zone at garage entry (ie:message board,cell phones, keys, mail etc.
separate 1st. floor laundry and pantry room located at garage entry
central vac and alarm prewire
laundry shute if applicable
bath with shower basement if applicable
3car garage with curb backwall & floor drain
if large house add some in floor outlets
keyless entry
instant hot water at kit.
no bifolds
just a few thoughts
I like to do an inset area in a wall whereever there will be a wall phone. Less chance of it getting knocked off the wall. Phone jacks and power outlet there too. Plaenty of three way switches. Wide doorways. Hot H20 recirc loop. All home runs on elec.
>> All home runs on elec.Really? Every outlet? Every light circuit?
Every room has it's own discrete light and outlet circuit.
Note that some versions of the code require that lights and outlets be on separate circuits, the theory being that you can trip one circuit and still have light in the room.
I know that, but no room shares any circuit with any other room.
For outlets in bedrooms, use double duplex. Bedrooms seems to have lots of things to plug in, all of which need to be near the bed.For water supplies to dishwashers, humdifiers, ice makers, etc use solder or compression valves, not saddle piercing valves. I've heard some areas are outlawing piercing valves, and some manufacturers (like sub-zero) don't want them used on their appliances.
Brick, You can never have to many!
Here's the definitive bachelor geek chick magnet house wish list:
http://www.dilbert.com/comics/dilbert/duh/
DUH - Dilbert's Ultimate House. Check out the dining table/pool table - among other gems!
A closet under the stairs that you can hide in with the kids to read stories on a rainy day.
A wide handrail on a strong bannister to make sliding down comfy.
A front porch big enough for a gliding bench and something to put your feet up on.
A gable window with a windowseat upstairs that overlooks the street.
An unbroken inside wall in the living room for the piano.
Two closets in the master bedroom to keep the peace.
Dimmer switches all over.
Skylights in dark hallways.
A very big kitchen bar or counter with barstools, because no matter how nice the living room is everyone ends up in the kitchen anyway.
"A completed home is a listed home."
Wow, what a list. I will use it if I am ever fortunate enough to build my own house!
One thing I love and haven't seen on the list, very small but useful: use lots of dimmers. I love them in almost every room including bathrooms (soft light in the morning when I'm slow to wake up or late in the evening when having a soak in the tub, or as a night light) and hallways (can be used instead of a night light).
Think about zoning for heat. We have 4 zones in our house:
ground floor living room, FWH baseboard heat, we don't use the living room much and in the winter when we do use the room we usually have a roaring fire in the fireplace, so this thermostat is usually set very low
remainder of ground floor: radiant heat in the bathroom, open kitchen/dining/family room, this thermostat is set at comfortable living temp, since radiant is slow to respond to changes we don't touch it.
upstairs bathroom, radiant, fantastic!, no baseboard, nice warm floor tiles
remainder of upstairs, all bedrooms, FHW baseboards, I didn't want radiant in the bedrooms because I like to turn the thermostats down very low at night and turn them up during the day since I have 2 teenagers who spend lots of time in their rooms
I put motion switches along the route to the laundry area. Wife loves it.
My next house I will think more about the basement layout. 9 foot walls and less columns.
The only thing I miss about our last house is the screened in 3 season porch. Man that got a lot of use.
put motion switches along the route to the laundry area
Best use (of four) for fancy "scene" lighting controls I ever did involved some cool programming. Four scene switches. First was bedroom hall to kitchen. Second was bedroom area to laundry. Third was hall to all exits (as in how to exgress the house). Fourth was all lights, everywhere, on.
Since the switches all home run to the controller, it was fairly neat, and allowed three & four way switching without travelers everywhere. Which was real cool. If somebody turned out the lights while you were ironing, the switch oustide the laundry got you back to where you wanted to go.
Kitchen, dining, living, library, & entertainment areas all got their own lighting scenes & programs--the light control programmer was there for a good stretch.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Attractive architectural features showing good workmanship rather than wretched excess. Use space well rather than waste it. The garage door must not be the feature of focus on the front elevation.
Make entries as relaxing and welcoming as possible. Things that let you live your life with bad habits intact, like places to kick off/drop shoes, gloves, briefcases, flyers, mail, keys, cellphones etc at the front door and still not be too cluttered when someone drops by unexpected. Ditto at side or back door with benches and hooks for kids. A big hook in front hall for drycleaning. A proper weather shelter over entries -- ideally a massive front porch, but you can't always have everything.
Lots of storage, especially if not just deep caverns in which stuff languishes deep at the back unseen. Some tall closets for sports equipment, large luggage, etc. Broom closet in kitchen (often gets chucked for 'design' priorities). Closets in bedrooms in which you can reach everything - but not wasted space (can be achieved with extra large doors on mega-hardware). Pull out trays in kitchen, lots of drawers. Cookbook cupboard with glass doors (keeps grease off). 'sheds' for recyclables just outside a door, rather than inside. Conditioned storage space in attic for furniture yet to be refinished, boxes of cherished crap - with access ladder.
Showers with elbow room. Soaker tubs. Finishes on counters and bathroom floors that aren't cold to the touch. Powder room on main floor (even if house is very small) for elderly visitors.
Antique HW rads and at least one place to enjoy coffee and paper with toes stuck between the rods watching the world go by.
Wood-burning fireplace - open or closed, but I don't like stove styles except in historical structures. If you can't have a furniture-like cherry mantel, then let it be a sleek Finnish soapstone firebox.
NOT on my (personal) list:
- walk-in closets
- ridiculously large master bedrooms
- extra large, showy or too many bathrooms (they are for business not pleasure)
- vaulted and cathedral ceilings unless it is a vacation property
- tv room/den connected to kitchen
Kevin, Viewability from all three entry doors, the kitchen, frig, dining room, grill and toilet to the tv in case the team makes it to the playoffs.
yeah right.Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
extra deep medicine cabinets that hold a roll of toilet paper.
An electrical outlet in a closet to plug in rechargable flashlights, one built into cabinet next to vanity for hairdryer, and one at kitchen desk inside cabinet for charging up the cell phone.
A really nice mud room entry instead of going in thru the laundry.
good access to an outside patio without going down steps.
A seat in the shower.
Pull out trash and recyling drawers in the kitchen. LOTS of drawers in the kitchen. A built in drain board next to the sink.
A big closet near the living room/family room for kids toys, big barbie houses, etc. Make it so you can convert it to a bath if you ever need to use the family room for a first floor bedroom.
A closet accessible from the outside near the main door to keep a shovel and bag of salt, broom, etc.
>> - extra large, showy or too many bathrooms (they are for business not pleasure)I designed it to be decadent, Justin. Good plumbing is the finest flower of decadence and one I have always enjoyed when I could get it.
--
Lazarus Long, in
Time Enough for Love
Robert A. Heinlein
Good quote. Hey, I'm not knocking a luxurious soak, it's just that I don't get the chance often. I'd rather spend the space I can afford (in urban core) to make my actual life as pleasurable as possible. Even if I did have the dream palace and the neck-deep Japanese soaker (mmmm), it wouldn't feel right to have it sitting in the middle of an airport hangar. But to each his own.
My least favourite bath ever (shown off by the proud owner): a huge waste of prime space. It hogged access to a balcony that would have been wonderful off the kitchen - pretty hard to share that balcony with guests and be relaxed about it. And the necessary window covering destroyed a great vista and source of light. Monster jaccuzi tub, but the separate shower (used daily) was like a telephone booth.
That's the thing that bothers me the most about these kinds of "bling" homes... attention being paid to things you don't need/use vs. the infrastructure that actually makes a difference. Here are some of my requirements for our home:1) Every bedroom has it's own circuit breaker for the electrical service to the receptacles. All receptacle circuits are wired with 12AWG wire. Receptacles are spaced something like 6' apart and set into the baseboard. I hate extension cords, consider them a hazard. Lighting circuits can be shared across rooms. That way, any screwups are limited to the rooms that they happened in, and the lights will still work.2) Fire sprinklers... hard to get now in MA due to the insurance companies. The folk on the commercial side make too much money to come and do a residential job, the plumbers that used to stopped offering that service because insurance rates have doubled, then tripled last year alone. It took us 4 months to finally find a residential installer that had a less than astronomical bid. On the other hand, I sleep better at night considering there is only one way to egress from the third floor.3) If you live in a high-radon area, install a sub-slab evac system before you pour the slab. It's cheap insurance. Run the pipe through the house but not through the roof... use it for something else if Radon testing shows you are OK (i.e. can cap the sub-slab system).4) Laundries near living spaces are a must. There is no point in carrying load after load of stuff around. Ensure that the laundry infrastructure (esp. the vent) are high quality and serviceable. You will be rewarded with lower energy costs and faster drying times.5) Cast iron vertical risers in the sewer stack are hard to beat for quietness. PVC that is not encased in polyurethane foam gives you a "live and direct" second-by-second account of whta is going on in the DWV system.6) GFX heat exchanger. For the right house, this could reduce your water heating bills significantly, and with no additional maintenance later.7) Attention to solar detail. Keep the sun out in the summertime, let it in during the winter and watch your respective bills go down a lot. 8) Foamed walls. There is no better way to stop infiltration, maintain a tight shell, and to lower energy costs within the confines of traditional construction. Yes, thicker walls do allow other materials to approach the overall R-value of a closed-cell polyurethane foamed wall, but why have 12" thick walls when 6" can do it too? Plus, you get a free vapor barrier...9) HRV's/ERVs... keep the IAQ up. I have mine wired to act as the exhaust fans for the bathrooms. A motion sensor (meant for lights at Leviton) then kicks them into high gear whenever they get occupied. KISS.10) A high-efficiency heating system. On the gas side, that's usually a modulating, condensing oil boiler coupled with radiant floor/ceiling heat or TRVs on panel rads. If a air-based system has to be used, it should be insulated and only run through the conditioned space. 11) Access to critical infrastructure. We put a lot of thought into the locations of shutoffs, panels, etc. to be as close to the point of use as possible. There is a panel box for the 2nd and 3rd floor rooms right on the stair landing. The hydronic circuit manifolds are hidden inside closets, but quite accessible, if needed. Ditto for water shutoff valves, etc. 12) Documentation... I expect every valve, breaker, etc. to describe what it does WITHOUT resorting to using family names. The third buyer won't know who "maureen" is... Instead, I draw a floor plan of the house and indicate how everything relates back to the panel box. Simple, easy, and quite effective unless people can't read a floorplan.
Edited 4/25/2005 8:11 am ET by Constantin
One of the first things I added was a laundry type sink in the garage. It can be anywhere, but is needed. Where do you wash out your mop, clean paint brushes, etc etc etc ? In the kitchen sink ???
Bill Koustenis
Advanced Automotive Machine
Waldorf Md
Great thread. I have little to add to the interior stuff, but little has been offered on exterior. I second the vote for motion lighting on walkways. Outdoor lights should be chosen that do not blind you (take away night vision.) Down sconces that cast pools of light do this very well.
Generous roof overhangs are so much more welcoming and they protect the structure from rain, too. Attached garden shed, not too deep, for storing the dirty tools like shovels you don't want in the garage, and they are accessed from where you use them: outside.
Give thought to desired privacy levels when planning balcony railings. Partially opaque is so often better than either fully open or fully opaque. Same principle applies to window beltlines, and depends on the site conditions, too.
Kitchens need a traffic pattern where the cook can work without being caught in a traffic corridor. Also, it is vital that the cook have a commanding view of the adjacent social areas from the stove, with somewhere for guests to congregate and visit with them without being underfoot.
Bill
with somewhere for guests to congregate and visit with them without being underfoot
Not sure that can actually happen from mere design--I know most visitors in my kitchen want to help out. The cure I usually have is to put them to work--stirring the roux, simmering things, heating the torrillas on the comal, chopping vegetables, that sort of thing. <g>
So, maybe, what's needed is a spot for the chef/cook to retreat to, the better to stop a moment for a sip of refreshing beverage and conduct, maestro-like, the bedlam in the kitchen <g> . . . Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
We're solving this in the new house by having several places for visitors to congregate and even help, but still be out of my way ;-):
The overall shape is basically a U-shaped kitchen with a dining area partially open to one side and a peninsula between the two spaces where they join
There will be several work spaces in the kitchen:
4'x6' island with sink for prep so people could work on either side and at one end
range at the closed end of the U--near but not too close to the clean up sink
baking area in one corner with lowered counter
BIG sink along one wall for major cleanup
2 dishwashers (standard size) with one next to the big sink and one on the other side of the room in the island.
Island in the middle of the U with main prep area on one side (prep sink, etc.), stool on the other side for visitors or the cook to sit and look at a cookbook.
Peninsula with table-height counter section between the kitchen and dining area (room for kids and visitors to sit and chat or help)
Main kitchen traffic pattern is OUT of the cook's way--it passes through the open end of the kitchen, outside the U
I even have 2 fridges in the kitchen: one full-sized one on the open end of the U for snacks, drinks, leftovers, etc., and another full-size one on the wall behind the prep area for meats, staples, veggies, etc. DH and I jokingly refer to these as his-and-her fridges. In the current kitchen, when we have company (and everyone inevitably ends up in the kitchen), you have to use a bucket brigade to get anything out of the fridge without shooing everyone out.
As we like to say, we're having a little house with our kitchen. The whole house will be 2400 sq ft, so it's not huge, but we're making every single bit of space count.
This thread has been interesting and helpful. They're working on the foundation as we speak, so there's still time to incorporate some of the ideas we hadn't considered. I'm still trying to figure out how to get a laundry chute from the second floor into the 1st floor laundry room (off the master bath). With two teenagers and a baby on the way, I just think this would really be a good idea.
Leigh
Terrific thread.
When I get home, I'm all about being comfortable after a long day. Here's my thoughts along that line:
I would second the radiant heat. Anybody that has it is saying Amen right now.
Put the radiant under the shower. In the shower walls. Below the tub deck etc, in the towel warmer, etc.
Also, do thermostatic valves in all the showers, and then use separate volume controls to on/off the shower head(s). Saves you fiddling with the water temps everytime you take a shower. Set it and forget it.
If you're a tub person, buy the tub of your dreams. If a shower person, go all out, steam shower, benches, rain heads, etc.
Out of the bathroom:
Spray foam entire house (or use sips or icfs) Not only saves money energy wise, but as it relates to this thread, makes the house quiet.
Bite the bullet and buy nicer hardware for door handles, hinges, undermount drawer slides, pocket door hardware, etc. These items get used daily and shouldn't be scrimped on. Buying cheap hardware is like buying a car with no a/c-it comes back to haunt ya.
If you have to make a choice between two items, and if you can strech the budget, buy the one that's better made. Think value before cost.
And lastly, hire people that actually care about building your new house, and who make a career out of it. The results will show up in hundreds of subtle ways throughout the years.
The one thing we'd most like to have in our house is a larger front entry that had more of a mudroom character, with a bench and storage for shoes.
All good ideas here so I'll just toss in a few my own - even if they've already been mentioned.
I think when designing a house, most people are focused on their present tastes and needs.Everyone assumes they will remain physically hale and hearty, and mobile. Most people are driven out of their house because of some infirmity or loss of mobility. I'm not saying you should design a kitchen for smeone in a wheel chair, but using 36" interior doors is easy enough to do at the onset. And there are other things you can do with no intrusion on your present lifestyle:... if the house is multistory, design it so one could live on the first floor if necessary. Have a strategy for dealing with any steps/stairs.... That would mean a larger first floor bathroom that could accommodate a shower. You could, for instance, have a space for a built-in linen closet, that you could take out for a shower stall. I would even rough out the plumbing during the construction. ... Designing a room (or space) on the first floor that could be converted to a sleeping area if needed. Aside from this kind of stuff, I would say it would be very smart to run conduit and/or raceways all over the place for snaking future wires.
Nikkiwood -
Your post jogged my memory and I'm adding one more thing to the list I posted yesterday - lol.
Put the laundry room on the same floor as the bedrooms.
In '64, I designed my parents new home (a one story ranch) as a project for my college architecture class. My Mom was adament about having the laundry room on the main floor even though everyone else put the washing machine in the basement (not many people had dryers then). Forty years later, she still mentions how glad she is that she insisted on that. She hasn't had to schlep laundry up and down steps since they moved there in '65. - lol
Higher. Everything higher. The counter tops, shower heads, toilet, wall outlets. Everything. I hate bending over, reaching down, stooping.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Have you seen my baseball?"
You'd like my kitchen, everything is about 3 inches higher than standard - the drop in range is on a 3 inch platform and the counters are another half inch above that. I assume that the original owners were tall - my 6' tall mom thinks it is the most comfortable kitchen she's ever worked in. At 5'4", it took some adjustment for me, though I admit to liking the deeper drawers.
I think it is interesting that so many people are mentioning disability accessibility, which is great, but I'd counter that with childproofing/childrearing needs. Kitchen cabinets that don't have handles require drilling to install childproof locks on them, while handles (and even cabinet doors altogether) are an impediment if you have a wheelchair. And if you are going for true ADA requirements, there will be NO cabinets that are out of reach of children - that's a problem. The open doorways that are so nice with ADA are a pain to install gates on - they're too wide for the pressure ones to work well so you end up drilling again to get effective protection. Stairs are not the only place that parents like to have gates - kitchen entries, and in our case the sunroom (hard tile and poisonous plants when ingested) are two rooms where protection is useful. Having a shower on the main floor is nice, but children need a bathtub. If the only tub is through the master bedroom, then the parents will have no space to call their own - it all becomes kid territory. If you have a multifloor home, having the master bedroom on the main floor and kids rooms on a second floor is not practical when your children are young - unless you want a serious workout going up and down the stairs. I could go on - the point is that one approach is to make everything accessible, the other needs to make things inaccessible. I think it makes sense to look at the use of the house. If you are building now and have children, build towards that end - statistics say you won't be in that house when you retire anyway. Sure it's nice to have wide doorways and such, but don't give up a major convenience now for something that COULD happen 30 years from now.
Higher can be better but that's not always the case. I'm doing a kitchen for a short lady and have lowered the upper cabinets so she doesn't always need a footstool to reach above the bottom shelf. We won't go into the wiring work that was necessary to accomodate the lower cabinets - lol.
If I'm doing a home office, I like to put some outlets at about 40" or so above the floor.
In showers, I like to install either adjustable shower heads or use those gooseneck extensions that raise the head by about 10".
For the past few years, I've been building bathroom vanities with 36" counters v.s. the "standard" 30". EVERYONE likes them - except small kids - lol. I've also worked out a design for bottom drawers that use most of that "standard" 4" toe-kick that usually goes to waste. The drawers have two drawer fronts - one about 4" deeper than the others. When the drawers are closed, the cabinet has a toe-kick but when opened, the drawers are deeper than normal.
We're a mixed height family, so I can't vote for taller. For flexibility, let's collectively suggest some minimum amount of cupboard space at eye level to people from 3' through 6'5 - such as full-height shallow pantry near work triangle. A mix of cupboard heights could accommodate tall appliances, and storage, and be a design plus. Family members can choose the shelf that suits for everyday items.
If everything is high, then someone always has to reach stuff down for kids -- who gain from being self-sufficient. If mom has to use a stepstool each time - ugh.
Pull out drawers work for everyone in lower cabs.
Edited 4/4/2005 2:23 pm ET by hacknhope
I cap the ends and make an as-built drawing
My preference (when I get one) is to use a regular valve box over one or both of the ends and turn the PVC up into it. Writing "no glue" on the fitting is a nice thing to do, too, when you make up the elbow.
The valve box looks "finished" so it's part and parcel of the work. It also doesn't get a really big, covered in thorns and stinging insects, plant put in on top of it, either.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
I really love having natural gas plumbed to the patio for the grill. Never having to lug around an LP tank is so nice.
Larry
1. Put your wall plugs in your garage at 4' in the event you want a work bench.
2. Wire in for a satellite dish.
3. Rough in plumbing, stove vent, stove 220, etc. for a future in-law suite.
4. If you heat with propane and barbecue with it run a feed to your barbecue area, no more propane tanks.
5. Wire every room for computer, tv and phone (except the loo, but you never know!!)
6. If you have switches for pumps, thaw lines etc. put them where you can easily get at them, without having to crawling through crawl spaces etc.
7. I always use my garage for a snow/mud room so put a man door on the garage.
8. Sound proof bathrooms, laundry room and noisy areas from other parts of the house. Batt insulation is ok for residential sound proofing and proves effective.
9. If you need a cat or dog flap door put them in now. If you need a horse door then build a barn.
10. Put in motion activated backyard lights.
11. Plumb in for an ice cube maker on the fridge.
12. If you have light fixtures in difficult to reach areas put in 5 year bulbs. 100 year if you can find them.
Good luck with your new home, asking this question was a good idea lots of good answers.
5 Year Light bulbs? Do they really exist? If so, appreciate your identifying make, etc.
Replacing light bulbs is a true "nit" at this house.
Yes, this subject "Favorite things about a home" has provided some excellent ideas as we move forward to building a new home!
They are actually called 10,000 hour bulbs, the idea being that a light burns for about 2000 hours per year. When I bought them my electrician rattled off a bunch of information that basically said that the brightness of the bulb was compromised by it's longevity. So before you buy them check with a sales person about brightness.I found some spiral florescent type long lasting bulbs and put them on the wall over the stair well. I made a point to point that out to the buyer, they seemed to appreciate the idea that the bulbs would last and they wouldn't have to haul in a ladder to change them, to often anyway.
The long life bulbs have more supports holding up the filament which increases the life of the bulb. However, the extra supports also make the filament run a little cooler which decreases the light output.
There are also some LED replacements for incadescent bulbs on the market which will probably last a decade or more. However, they are several hundred dollars each.
There are long-life incandescent lightbulbs, but they have significantly reduced light output vs standard bulbs. LED bulbs are just becoming available but are quite expensive. In 5-10 years they'll probably be the hands-down choice.The current best choice for long life is compact fluorescent (CFL). Other than cold starting and dimmability issues, CFLs are by far better than incandescents in terms of operating life and light out per dollar.Dimmable CFLs are available but they tend to be too large for common fixtures, so incandescents remain the most practical choice for dimmable fixtures (unless you invest in a special-purpose fixture).
Concrete walls, stainless built-ins and a drain in every room....makes cleaning easy!
I haven't read the entire thread so sorry if it's been mentioned: residential fire sprinklers. Can't imagine it'd be terribly expensive and maybe also reduce insurance costs.
i didn't read through all the posts, so there might be some overlap, but i came across this a couple years back...
the author and source is noted..
From: Ken Schumm <[email protected]>
Newsgroups: alt.home.repair
Subject: Re: New Construction? What would do that you didn't??
Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2002 11:29:54 -0800
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:
Appliances -----------------------------------------------------------------
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.
Attic ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Heavy-duty (not cheap) fold-down attic access ladder from garage (Bessler)
3/4" Plywood subfloor in attic
Audio/Video/Security -------------------------------------------------------
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
Basement -------------------------------------------------------------------
8' minimum ceiling
Cabinets -------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
Exterior Siding ------------------------------------------------------------
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
Closets --------------------------------------------------------------------
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
Concrete -------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
Decks ----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
Electrical -----------------------------------------------------------------
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.
Finish Carpentry -----------------------------------------------------------
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.
Flooring -------------------------------------------------------------------
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
Framing --------------------------------------------------------------------
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
Foundation -----------------------------------------------------------------
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
Garage Doors ---------------------------------------------------------------
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.
Generator ------------------------------------------------------------------
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
Hardwood Floors ------------------------------------------------------------
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.
HVAC -----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
In-Floor Tile Heat ---------------------------------------------------------
In-floor electric heat in master bath area. Controls TBD
Insulation -----------------------------------------------------------------
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
Misc -----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
Painting -------------------------------------------------------------------
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
Plumbing -------------------------------------------------------------------
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
Propane --------------------------------------------------------------------
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)
Roofing --------------------------------------------------------------------
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
Septic ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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
Tile -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Master to be wired with in-floor heating system
tile floors to have solid mortar bed (no nail-in concrete fiber board)
Well -----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
Windows --------------------------------------------------------------------
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
Vacuum (built-in) ----------------------------------------------------------
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!
What a great post! I really appreciate it.
I made the mistake of showing my wife one of the small gas fireplace inserts for the bathroom. Now I have no choice but to install it. Be warned.
View Image
Many thanks for your comprehensive listing. Anyone contemplating building a house should take a moment to review this list to ensure all specs identified to builder.
Though I must edit for our future home (downloaded to Word), the list does include many items which we may have overlooked. Again, thanks!
Sadie
bump up
Why bump up?
bump
http://grantlogan.net/
I'm a big fan of "air-lock" entries. ie: you close a an exterior door behind you before you can open the final door into the house proper. Limits the amount of conditioned air lost each time the house is entered/exited. (Large Dept. stores have these types of entrances for a reason, I surmise!) (An attached garage can serve this purpose.)
Along the same lines: a removable, grating-type floor insert at the entrance most used by the family. (Not the entrance to be used by guests, that is.)
Space in the attached garage for food freezers. In climates such as mine, the freezers have much shorter run times to maintain low temps during the winter months. During power outages (during the winter, that is), loss of frozen foods due to thawing is rarely a worry.
A cold cellar, (like my grand parents had, well lit, & outfitted with numerous shelves of well-planned spacings. We buy in case lots and keep lots on hand. Makes the major shopping trips more efficient, and less frequent. With non-perishables available at fire-sale pricing I've been known to lay in enough stock for 1 year +.
Regards,
STAINLESS
A house designed within the neighborhood context. Successful houses are a result of design created out of relationships in lieu of one created out of objects.
Runnerguy