How do you tell you have found a good floor plan?

Well…the topic can be complex. It takes years of practice and a lot of systematic approaches to achieve good design, but there are a few general rules of thumb for a quick assessment. Let’s talk about those.

First: Make a list of all the furniture that you plan to move into your house. Then ask yourself “where in this plan can I fit all this furniture?” Let’s say you find a place for everything. Then look again. Are you putting beds or couches or up in front of windows? If so, it’s a bad plan, or you might want to think about smaller windows with higher sills that clear the furniture. After all, why loose heat through a window through which you cannot see anyway. I encourage high window sills throughout the house in smaller homes to allow a wider variety of furniture arrangements and a lower heat loss.

Second: How much wasted space is there in the house? Is there a lot of hallway? Bad idea and not necessary. Are there nooks and crannies that really can’t be used for anything truly useful? Those could have employed as more floor area in a room. Some could become built in desks or shelves, but frequently they are just signs of poor planning. If a hallway doesn’t have a lot of doors in it, then it is probably just wasted space that could have been in a room.

Third: How much space is devoted to circulation related to the staircase? A common mistake in design is to choose the wrong type of staircase for the design. This results in a bad use of the space around the staircase. Of course, if you decide to change staircases, the whole plan will change. If you sense that the staircase style is not the best choice for the house, you need a new plan. Move on to another one.

Forth: What about closets? Do you have enough of them? Do the positions of the closets look like afterthoughts? What I mean is that a closet does not have to stick out in the middle of a room, ruining the squareness and spacious feeling of a room. A good designer incorporates the closets in ways that keep the rooms shaped nicely. A well shaped room will also accommodate more furniture.

More later.

written by pencilman \\ tags: floor planning, good design, how to design floor plans

written by pencilman \\ tags: LVL Laminated Veneer Lumber

It is my opinion that the most cost efficient and practical clean energy puchase for you here in my region is to put a photovoltaic solar panel on the south roof, and wire that electricity back to the power company for credit. This is called a “grid-tied PV solar” system. I know the best installer in the state for this job.

Wind is a terrific source of energy, but not as much in the case of wooded lots. You’d need at least a 150 foot tower, (tough to get approved lakeside) and a study of the wind patterns over the course of the year above your land. Then there is the problem of icing. Geothermal might not ammortize well for you. It can only offset your heating needs by an unpredictable percentage and does nothing for offsetting electricity.

Energy conservation is the best strategy that offers, by far, the greatest cost savings and positive environmental impact and the lightest investment. Conservation will ensure that you get the most for your money when purchasing a clean energy supplimentary system. One cannot always accomodate for this entire checklist, but it is best to try to do most of them.

Energy Conservation Strategy Checklist

·    flourescent light bulbs througout the house
·    low comsumption appliances approved by Energy-Star or better.
·    an exterior wall insulated to a continuous R-25 or better
·    roof and attic combined insulation of R-35 or better
·    insulate well around receptacles, doors, windows, and plumbing exits
·    insulation around rim joists and sometimes the ceiling of the basement
·    install an insulating blanket around your water heating tank and hot water pipes
·    do not exceed 10 or 12 percent of glass area to floor area in your house
·    75 percent of the glass should face the sun some time during the day
·    when possible, install rigid foam insulation underground against the foundation wall
·    purchase the heating furnace with the highest efficiency rating
·    install insulated cellular shades or insulated curtains at most windows and close them at night
·    always shut off all lights and fans that are not being directly used at the time.
·    don’t let appliances or standby lights stay on all night when not being used
·    if you are a little hot, take off some clothes and get over it
·    if you are a little cold, wear a sweater or get some exercise
·    when you can get away without an electrical appliance, don’t buy it

written by pencilman \\ tags: energy conservation

This is a clever, state of the art, solution for venting the roof rafters. It is a whole system carefully thought out and tested and well worth installing. The beauty of this idea is that it doubles as excellent insulation that will save you thousands in heating or air conditioning costs. It provides cross ventilation between rafters and around openings and seals that air from the rest of the rafter bays until it reaches the ridge vent. In addition, the components are made from recycled material. The best ideas are so simple. The website needs work, but all the information is there if you read it through. It is a much better idea than the flimsy foam solution most architects are using right now. Here is the link to Tom’s website, and a few photos of the products involved in the system.

Click Here : Corwin Industries Roof Rafter Ventilation & Insulation System

written by pencilman \\ tags: roof rafter venting