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

The fastest way to determine the cost of construction on a new home is to ask a local general contractor for the latest average cost per square foot of finish floor area. It won’t be accurate, but it is a good starting point. Two years ago, in my region, the answer was $150 per SF for a small, medium quality home, and an average of about $300 to $500 per SF for somewhat larger homes which tended to call for higher quaility as well.  It has risen substantially since then, and it will be different in every region depending upon the availability of certain materials, how much shipping is required, the geological conditions on the land, the cost of living for the builders, and a variety of other factors. Also, one cannot calculate the cost of construction purely based upon the square footage of the floor area. That number is very easily shattered by a simple change such as complicated site preparation, fancy floors, or high end windows, or greater attention to insulation or heating techniques that require state of the art components.

Instead of relying upon square footage to tell me if I have exceeded your budget, I have to make regular overall assessments as I proceed with the planning. Then if you say “granite countertops” and “touch sensitive sink faucet fixtures” then I am going to look around for something else to slice off of the house to make that affordable. It’s a balancing act. If you are wealthy, this topic will seldom arise because luxury will trump cost in most cases. But most people have a limited budget. My obsession has always been to meet that budget the best I can. Then again, many people don’t build the house until 2 years after I design it. When that happens, some bets are off. There is never a better time to build a house than right now. Waiting always costs more. I don’t like to seem pessimistic, but I have never seen prices go down in the 30 years I have been in architecture. They slow down, but they don’t go down.

written by pencilman \\ tags: construction cost

Homes between 500 SF and 2500 SF are designed to a large degree around the stairs. The reason for this is that the stairs tend to dictate much of the circulation pattern in the floor plan, on both floors. If I place the stairs in the wrong place, it seems impossible to find a room plan that works well. A lot of space can be wasted if it is placed poorly.

A linear stair case on a 9 foot climb extends about 11 feet, but it requires a landing which extends that to 14 feet. Then it requires a 14 foot hallway to walk from the top of one flight to the bottom of the next. This hallway is the wasted space. So this 8ft x 14ft space uses 112 square feet.

The switchback stair case, or the switchback with a winder, will only require 84 square feet, saving 28 SF over the Linear stair. You still need the landings, but you don’t need the hallway. There are three walls to the switchback stair that can all be in rooms being useful. If you add the winder at the turn, the switchback will only require 76 SF. These are best used in very small homes when every inch counts.

A “spiral” staircase is usually a grand and decorative object built on the site with extra craftsmanship. Most people use the word “spiral” to refer to a “circular” staircase, and could also be called a helix, which is usually prefabricated in a metal shop and then shipped and installed on the site. The national building codes do not permit a metal “circular” staircase to be a primary staircase, unless it is 36 inches wide and the railing ballasters are no greater than 4 inches apart. This is large and rare.

In larger homes, when space is not an issue, any staircase style can usually be designed to fit well.

written by pencilman \\ tags: Circular Stairs, Linear Stairs, Spiral Stairs, stairs in small homes, Switchback Stairs