A roof is the covering of your home. It is what makes your home a haven. And what’s more, is that you get the opportunity to select the type of roof for your home.

And there are so many choices available. Depending on the type of structure, weather, and planning permissions, your home can boast a strong roof. The work becomes easy with some inputs from a residential architect.

Each roof type serves different functions. When choosing a roofing style, you need to think about the visual impact as well. While appearance matter, so does utility and the service life.

Let’s learn about the most commonly-used roofs in New Jersey and check out which serves what functions!

Hip Roof

Source: Houzz

The primary physical attribute of a hip roof is that all the sides slope down towards the walls without any vertical sides. The pyramid-shaped roof exhibits four faces with a symmetrical pitch. Hip roofs often exhibit a continuous fascia board, which makes it easy to place gutters all around them.

The construction process for a hipped roof could be more complex and tedious. It consists of a detailed system of trusses or rafters. Hip roofs can be constructed on a variety of shapes. Each ridge holds a central position on the rectangle below it.

The triangular faces are named hip ends. The rafters are placed on an external corner of the structure and rise towards the ridge. Towards the internal corner, a joint is formed between the sloping surfaces by a valley. Hipped roofs are most found in bungalows but can be utilized in other architectural styles as well.

Hip roofs are much more resistant to winds and are more stable than gable roofs. But, in regions prone to hurricanes hip roofs need to have a steep slope of 35 degrees. Few cons of the hip roof are that there isn’t enough space for maintenance, and they are hard to ventilate.

Pros

• They are more resilient than gable roofs.
• They are studier.
• They are useful for windy and snowy areas.

Cons

• They are more expensive to construct.
• They have a more complex design.
• They require more building materials.

Gable Roof

Gable roofs, also known as pitched roofs seem to be one of the most popular types of roofs in the United States of America. They exhibit a striking triangular shape. Gable roofs are most used in places with cold temperatures. The construction consists of purlins or rafters. In a gable roof, the height of the gutters can vary a lot.

A gable roof exhibits three vital components. The two sides, also known as the pitch, the central ridge, and the gable itself. The gables are what give this roof style its name. Residential architects can alter and regulate the design of the gable roof according to the requirements.

However, there are a few primary types of gable roofs that you should know about. The first one is the front-gable house in which the primary entrance to the structure lies on the wall which it shares with the gable.

The other is the side gable in which the main entrance or the visual focus is on the side, which it doesn’t share with the gable. Many residential architects like to experiment with gable roofs to add more character and dynamism. It usually consists of two rooflines with a supporting pitch and gable. This is known as a cross-gable roof.

Pros

• Gable roofs allow for more ventilation.
• They provide more access to the attic.
• Gable roofs allow for the structure to have vaulted ceilings.
• They are easier and cheaper to build.

Cons

• Gable roofs aren’t useful in hurricane-prone areas.
• If not secured properly, gable roofs tend to collapse during strong winds.

Mansard Roof

Source: Houzz

A mansard roof is a type of roof that exhibits two slopes on each side. Out of these slopes, the lower slope is generally steeper than the upper slope. This style of roofs was widely used in the early fifteenth to sixteenth-century Italy and England.

The mansard roof is named after the famous architect Francois Mansart who used this roof style in townhouses in Paris and the chateaus in France. In earlier times, the mansard roof gained popularity because its profile was more on par with the classical roofs that were prevalent.

The mansard roof falls under the classification of curb roofs. However, it is a curb hip roof, with slopes on all sides of the structure. For water drainage, mansard roofs depict a rectangular-shaped crease, bordered by curb beams, and a low-pitched roof inside the rectangle.

Pros

• The mansard roof makes maximum use of the attic space.
• The roof offers a way to add a new story to a structure without requiring any masonry.
• It often exhibits elaborate dormer windows for aesthetic purposes.

Cons

• The cost of installation is high.
• It can be complex to get permits for the construction process.
• Mansard roofs are hard to maintain.

Flat Roof

Source: Houzz

Flat roofs are a feature of Persian, Arabian, and Egyptian architectural styles. A roof can be designated as a flat roof if it has less than 10 degrees incline. Flat roofs could be highly beneficial if you’re extending your structure. Flat roofs are most used in arid climates and allow the space to be utilized as a green roof as well.

In warmer climates, flat roofs are built of concrete or masonry, which keeps out the heat from the sun and is cheap to construct. In areas that are prone to rain, flat roofs may become saturated and leak.

Several types of flat roof covering are available in the market. One of the most popular flat roof covering is asphalt. High-quality asphalt is produced for long-lasting built-up roofs (BUR). There are four classifications of asphalt roof coverings, and all are made by heating oxygen.

EPDM rubber is generally used in single-ply roofing because it is easy to apply and readily available. Modified bitumen membrane is a hybrid roofing system that combines the benefits of single-ply with the authentic roofing installation used in built-up roofing.

Other materials include CPE and CSPE, cold-applied liquid membranes, PVC (vinyl) membrane roofing, flexible thermopolyolefin, TPO, glass-reinforced plastic, coal-tar pitch built-up roof, and metal flat roofing.

Pros

• Flat roofs are highly cost-efficient.
• Flat roofs have a small surface area.
• They require less material.
• Flat roofs are stronger than pitched roofs.

Cons

• Flat roofs require more maintenance than pitched roofs.
• These roofs absorb heat faster than sloped roofs as they are exposed to the sun during the day.

Saltbox

A saltbox house is a traditional housing style with a pitched roof that hangs down to the back, with timber framing. This type of roof covers one story in the back and two stories in the front. Some of the most recognizable attributes of this type of roof are the chimney and the flat front.

However, the most distinctive features are the asymmetry of the sides and the rear roofline. This roof gets its name from the resemblance to the wooden box in which salt was once stored.

The saltbox traces its roots back to New England and is a part of American Colonial Architecture. The roofing style is also known as a catslide roof.

Pros

• Saltbox roofs work well in climates with mild to heavy snowfall.
• They prevent the snow from settling on the roof.
• Saltbox roofs are easier to maintain.
• They can endure stronger winds than gable roofs.

Cons

• Saltbox roofs possess interior ceilings that might reduce attic space.
• The roofing style is complex to design in comparison to the gable roof.

Gambrel Roof

Source: Houzz

A gambrel, also known as a Dutch roof, is a symmetrical two-sided roof with two slopes on each side. The lower slope is steep while the upper slope is at a shallow level. The primary advantage of this design is that it maximizes the headroom in the structure’s upper level.

This roof is like a mansard roof but is not hipped. Instead, it possesses vertical gable ends. It also overhangs the building facade. Gambrel roofs are most used for domestic roofs and barns across the United States of America.

The roof offers a stylish design along with an aesthetic appeal. One of the reasons for its popularity is that it can be constructed within limited financial resources. The lifespan of gambrel roofs depends upon factors such as design, climate, construction materials, and installation.

Pros

• The installation is affordable.
• It increases the headroom space in comparison to other roofing styles.

Cons

• Gambrel roofs are hard to maintain.
• It requires constant care.

So, today you’ve learned new information about several types of roofs that you can utilize for your house. Some focus on aesthetics, while other highlights structural support. In all cases, it is highly recommended that you consult a residential architect to find the best options for your dream home.

And what’s more, you have a plethora of choices to choose from! So, let’s get roofing!!!

Your home is your sanctuary, a haven for all your wishes and whims. Knowledge about the aspects of your home could go a long way in letting you stay in peace in your home.

Sometime down the line, if a house requires a makeover, knowing the type and its aspects could come in handy. In addition, with some assistance from a residential architect, you will be good to go.

Structurally speaking, several types of houses can be built based on the area, geography, weather, and general styles. These differing architectural styles have variations, and some might even share features.

Out of the various styles and typologies, we’ll look at some of the most used and you might get to know what type of home you live in if you don’t already.

Ranch-Style House

The ranch-style house, popularly known as American Ranch is a type of architectural style that has its roots in the United States of America. Famous for its open layout, the ranch-style house exhibits a close-to-the-ground profile.

The style is a fusion of Western American ideas that results in a casual living style. It appeared as a residential style in the early 1920s and gained popularity in the 1940s to 1960s.

The style is often related to tract housing, which was quite popular in the Southwest United States. Additionally, the housing demand played a critical role in its popularity as well.

The ranch-style house is generally single-storied, but some variations and newer models include two stories as well. The most prominent ranch-style house features include a pitched roof, asymmetrical design, open floor plans, vaulted ceilings, and mixed material exteriors.

The style’s popularity also made it work as a commercial version. The concept of drive-in shopping worked well with the ranch-style house as it was the most convenient to fit into the large tracts of ranch homes being built.

The late 1970s led to the decline of the ranch-style houses due to the neo-eclectic styles’ popularity. Additionally, the increase in land prices gave rise to the development of two-storied houses with more contemporary designs.

Ranch-style houses are still built in Western America, but it mainly has traditional and historical values.

Raised-Ranch-Style House

A raised ranch is a type of ranch-style house that is set on a foundation that allows habitable space below the main level of the house, usually in the form of a basement. Usually, the front door opens to a landing between the two floors where half a flight of stairs goes up and half go down.

The raised-ranch style gained popularity from the early 1960s onwards when the growing families required more space than what a typical ranch-style house offered.

The raised-ranch-style house exhibits two major benefits. It solves the issue of space without having to upgrade to a bigger house while offering more privacy since the main level of the house is above eye level.

Raised-ranch-style homes usually exhibit shallow rooflines and overhanging eaves. Few other features include vaulted ceilings, sliding doors that open to a deck, and stucco or masonry decorating the front exterior.

Raised-ranch-style houses might also offer walkout doors to the backside and if the property has a slope, the lower side of the basement could be useful as a drive-under garage. This reason added to the style’s popularity as a drive-under garage is cheaper to construct than an attached garage.

Split-Level House

A split-level house is a type of house that that exhibits staggered floor levels. Usually, it has two sets of stairs, with one running towards the upper level and the other going down to the basement area.

The split-level house style amassed popularity in the mid-twentieth century as the suburbs started to expand post-World War II and continue to remain so.

There are several types of Split-Level Houses:

Split-Entry

The split-entry possesses two short sets of stairs and a basement. The basement level is a “walk-out” type. A split-entry house has a different look than the raised ranch style from the outside as the front entry door aligns with the front windows separately.

Stacked Split-Level

The stacked split-level house possesses four to five short sets of stairs and five to six levels. The front door generally opens into a foyer, and one set of stairs leads into the basement while another goes into the living area.

Additionally, another set of stairs leads into one bedroom, located at the top of the first habitable area. More bedrooms are “stacked” on top of the second floor, which gives it the name stacked split-level.

Back Split

A back split is a type where the split level is visible from the side elevation only. The front elevation will display a single story and two stories are usually in the backside.

Bi-Level

A bi-level consists of two short sets of stairs and two levels. The front entry opens to a landing. Usually, one flight of stairs leads to the top floor and other leads down.

The top-level exhibits full height ceilings and consists of the living room, kitchen, and bedrooms. The lower floor possesses low ceilings and is below ground (partially).

Modern bi-level homes have a garage attached at the front of the bi-level and not under it. Bi-level homes boast a large front entryway with enough space for groups of people and a storage closet.

The terms split-level and bi-level are often used interchangeably wherein a split level defines a bi-level house with a split entry. This style is also termed a split foyer. It is a two-story house that exhibits an entrance foyer with a set of stairs that goes up to the living room, kitchen, and bedrooms and another flight of stairs that go down to the family room, garage, or storage area.

What Works Best?

These styles now incorporate contemporary designs to keep up with the current trends and a few of them such as the ranch-style homes are out of date. Practically speaking, a residential architect could be the best assistance for you in understanding what kind of home you have or what kind you want to build/purchase.

These homes consider space, orientation, and usability among other aspects to stand the test of time and provide utmost comfort. So, knowing what type of home you live in could be beneficial for you in the longer run.

For these types of homes, a residential architect could suggest making changes to suit your needs (pending permissions) and accommodate yourself in the best possible way.

If considering gathering information about the type of home you live in, it’s best to get in touch with your local residential architect.

There’s a famous architectural saying that “a house is as good as its foundation. Every house stands on a foundation, but not every house will have the same type. Residential foundations are dependent on drivers such as the design of your house, site location, soil conditions, and most importantly, your budget!

But these drivers are like a residential architect’s best friends. A residential architect and foundations are like PB&J. They go hand in hand and bring out the best for your home.

The types of foundations vary, but most likely your house or addition will have a basement or crawlspace. These are practical and flexible and seem to work for thousands of homeowners across the globe.

Today, we’ll compare these two types and see which ones could work the best for your addition. And remember that your architect for renovation has done his background study and knows his foundations.

So, it’s best to stick with the man/woman with the plan!

Basements

A basement foundation is one of the primary types of foundations. It matches either most or all the floor space above it and is generally 7 to 9 feet high. With changing times, residential architects and council rules have also changed. These days newer homes exhibit taller basements to accommodate future living space.

The preliminary advantage of a basement is the extra space it provides for living or storage. Finishing a basement could increase your living area by a high percentage. To add to it, you could also be increasing the value of your house.

Several of you have unfinished basements under your home but forget to harness the advantages that come along with it. It might not be the most ideal place to stay due to the lack of natural light and headroom, but it’s an asset that could transform into a functional space with some assistance from an architect for the renovation.

You can find some great ceiling options located at “Happy DIY Home”, these folks put together a list of 15 types of basement ceilings!

Another creative yet functional type is the daylight basement. This variation is also known as the partial basement. Usually built against a slope, daylight basements possess one or more sides that are embedded in the ground from the floor level to the ceiling level.

But, as the slope subsides, one side of the foundation is exposed and can bring in natural light through windows and doors. These types of basements are more convenient for conversions into a living space rather than full basements.

Daylight basements might even offer the possibility of adding a separate entrance, which becomes a necessity if you decide to rent out the newly-converted living space.

Why Dig at all?

In winters, the ground can freeze to several feet below the surface. When this happens, the soil will expand force itself upwards. This condition is called frost heaving. Frost heaving can damage building foundations and even contribute to the formation of potholes and cracked roads.

If the foundation of your home sits atop the heaving soil, it will also get pushed up, causing damage to itself and the superstructure. One way to prevent damage from heaving soil is to dig the foundation below the frost line where the soil is too warm to freeze at all.

In New Jersey, the rules for frost-protected foundations are listed in the Residential Code 2018. The depth of your foundation depends on the frost depth calculated for your area. Click here for more information about frost depth calculations.

A residential architect might suggest going with a basement for your addition if the soil conditions and climate are in your favor. If you’re undecided here’s something that might speed up the process: you can’t go back and add a basement later once the addition is finished!

Financially, a basement is going to cost more to construct than a crawl space. But you must realize that since most of the materials, manpower, and equipment are already on the site, so might as well take advantage of these resources.

Upside

• There’s a possibility of constructing more living space in the future.
• There’s an increment in the storage space.
• The value of your property increases if you ever decide to sell.
• More living space means you could rent it out.

Downside

• Constructing a basement more expensive.
• A basement requires consistent maintenance.
• There might be issues with pipelines and leaks.

Crawl Space

A crawl space is a narrow space within a building that gets its name because there is ideally only enough space to crawl rather than stand. A crawl space is usually built when constructing a basement would be too expensive or impractical.

Its functions include providing a passage to repair plumbing, heating, and cooling systems, and electrical wiring without the need for excavation. Crawl space could even act as a buffer between the damp ground and the wooden floors of your home.

One of the advantages of having a crawl space foundation to your addition is that it might be useful to elevate the lowest floors of residential buildings located in the Special Flood Hazard Area.

Crawl spaces can be vented actively, passively, or even be closed. An advantage of a vented crawl space is that harmful gases such as carbon monoxide (from heaters or gas furnaces) can escape before they enter the living space.

But, in regions with humidity, the outside vents could also allow the moisture to come in, which could result in condensation. This would then create a damp environment, which could foster the growth of mold. Many a time, humidity in sealed crawl spaces is controlled with a dehumidifier.

To avoid the passage of air from the crawl space to the living environment and improve indoor air quality, encapsulation is utilized. The process involves the addition of a vapor barrier to the floor, which seals off all outdoor openings and adding thermal insulation to the walls, to shut any remaining cracks or gaps between the crawl space and the floor of the residence.

Cold temperatures in a crawl space could travel through the floor joists to the above living space, which means the owners of homes with crawl spaces will end up spending more to keep their homes comfortable. Even though insulation reduces the cold transfer, it doesn’t eliminate it.

In cold regions, plumbing lines that lie in crawl spaces also need to be insulated to keep the pipes from freezing and cracking.

Sometimes, crawl space doors are located inside the home, or an insulated access entryway is constructed in the perimeter boundary. A crawl space is less expensive than full basements as it requires less excavation. The materials usually consist of concrete masonry units or solid concrete.

A crawl space requires more maintenance to prevent mold infestations. That’s why crawl spaces are better suited to regions with dry climates.

Crawl space walls are also more likely to require structural repairs if located in regions where the clay content in the soil is high. When saturated, clay-type soil can swell and put lateral pressure on the foundation walls, which leads to shifts and cracks.

Upside

• A crawl space is less expensive to construct.
• A crawl space allows for convenient access to beneath-the-floor services such as pipelines.

Downside

• A crawl space is hard to crawl through.
• Crawl space could easily get infested with mold.
• It increases the costs of thermal insulation in homes.
• Crawl space could be susceptible to flooding.
• Air in the crawl space might rise due to the stack effect.
• Humidity in the crawl space could rot the wooden floor joists.
• Crawl spaces offer less protection against earthquakes and hurricanes.
• Crawl spaces are more expensive than slab foundations.

This or That?

After reading through, it’s quite clear that basements hold more weight over crawl spaces. However, this discussion is quite subjective. If a basement works in New Jersey, it might not be so successful in Florida and the same for crawl spaces.

Both options have their upsides and downsides. However, the job of a residential architect is to perceive what would work best for your addition following the building codes and regulations along with the soil and climate type.

If you’re looking for a long-term investment, then a basement would be an ideal choice for the addition. With a basement, you’re looking at more storage space and possibly more living space prospects in the future. The sacrifice of a sum today, could get you benefits in the future and for more years ahead.

If you don’t have the money to spend on a basement, then a crawl space would suit your needs provided the soil conditions allow for it. However, remember that you would have to invest in thermal insulation and protection against mold infestation.

Either way, an architect for the renovation is your best bet. You get to deal with reason and logic and even a bit of creativity. Get in touch to find out how your addition can accommodate not only what it needs, but what might work for it most conveniently.

Gone are the days of living in a plain and boring house. Welcome to the new age. The age of vibrant color palettes, varied shapes, and sizes, positive and negative spaces, and so much more. A new look for your old house awaits just around the corner.

And the hero of this story could be a residential architect. The know-it-all. With an accumulation of your ideas and the architect’s vision, your house might flaunt a new look that always feels fresh and unique. So, let’s get going!

Painting

You’re reading about one of the ways to give a new look to your home that doesn’t significantly empty your bank account. Selecting a color palette can become an even more interesting activity with ideas from a residential architect. The architect might suggest a complete cleaning of the outer walls to create a blank canvas for the new paint. If you’re looking for a minimalistic look, you could go with pastel shades with darker shades in some areas to highlight the features of your house.

New Siding

New siding can transform the look of a house drastically. Sidings can be of different types like vinyl, fiber cement, or composite siding. Vinyl siding comes in strips and has interlocking edges. Fiber Cement Siding comes pre-finished or primed and is available in stucco-panel styles, shingles, or beveled planks. It is extremely durable and is also resource-efficient as it is made up of recyclable materials. A siding also increases the value of the property. While replacing the old siding, the residential architect could also check for any cracks or damages and suggest consultants for repair.

Stone Accent Veneer

Stone Veneer can be used inside the house as well as outside it. Light stone accents in contrast with a dark exterior make the house stand out in the neighborhood. They come in different shapes and give modern, classic, and bold touches to space. It is a very appealing look at a fireplace mantel as well. Stone accents along with beautiful siding can give a great look to the exterior of the house. Doorways can be made dramatic by giving them an earthy look using the natural stone veneer. Dark stone accents for doorways are preferable when they lead into dark media rooms or bedrooms. This can also be added to the bathroom to give a spa-like feeling. Natural Stone Accent along with bamboo and some flowers in the bathroom gives it an appealing look. These days architects for additions seem to use a lot of stone accent veneer. Both inside and outside!

New Style of Windows

Windows are a predominant feature of any house. They add on reflections, positive and negative highlights, and an authentic outlook. Many factors are taken into account while choosing windows for example styling and ease to use. There are different types of windows like awning, casement, double-hung, bay and bow, etc. Double Hung windows are widely used due to a variety of reasons like easy to clean, proper ventilation, etc. These windows are versatile and look good in almost all types of houses. Double Hung windows are energy efficient and keep the rooms warmer in winter and cooler in summer. Casement windows open like doors and are very popularly used in Europe. Awning Window has a hinge at the top that makes it vertically mounted. Bay windows are widely popular in English homes. Along with being a predominant feature in castles, they also bring in natural light.

Roof Shape

A roof is a frontrunner when it comes to styling houses. There are different types of roofs such as the gable roof, hip roof, pyramid roof, flat roof, etc. Replacing a roof is quite expensive and it requires a lot of labor and therefore, people usually do it in the process of improving home efficiency. Low pitched and flat roofs are going out of style and people are preferring steeped roofs as it also gives space for storage. Steeped roofs also offer natural drainage in colder regions which allows snow to fall off the house and prevents any further problems. There are a variety of roofing materials and the architect for renovation chooses the material according to different factors like the roof type, the budget, etc. Some examples of roof materials are tile shingles, wood shingles, asphalt shingles, slate shingles, etc. The architects also keep in mind that the roof has a certain degree of slope for the snow to drain off. Regardless of the roof type, you will have to get the roof of your house repaired at some point in time.

Dormers

Dormer is a structure on the roofs containing a window. These are projected vertically outwards from the plane of the roof. These are usually constructed to create extra space in the roof and to let natural light enter the house. Dormers can be of different shapes like arched, flat, pointed, hipped, etc. These can also give room for an additional bathroom on the top floor. The windows used in a dormer can be the same as those used in the other rooms of a house. Dormers add detail to the house and increase the home value. An architect for renovation could give you a couple of ideas to add more detail to the dormer on your home. The architect could also suggest an appropriate gutter for the dormer as leaving it without a gutter can damage the roof below it.

New Entrance

Your house’s facade can be improved by choosing a new front door or refurbishing it. If you are living in a uniform house colony, you should try to match the door with the door’s houses around you to maintain uniformity. There are different types of front doors like:

• PVC front door
• The glass-reinforced plastic composite front door
• Timber core composite front door
• Veneered timber front door
• Solid hardwood front door

You can choose the color of your front door from a variety of colors. Some colors that are the most appealing to visitors are purple, blue, and lilac. Some of the colors that you could avoid while choosing the color of your front door are bright pink, brown, bright yellow, orange, and green. You could also pay attention to details like the keyhole. External Lighting could also be added at the front door to improve the surrounding. This lighting should also direct a person safely down the stairs.

Shutters and Trim

Shutters cover the windows for a variety of reasons. They protect against storms or hot sun. Shutters and Trim are essential for styling your house and help to make your house stand out. Shutters should be made up of materials that can withstand different weather conditions like rain, snow, etc. These materials can be fiberglass, wood composites, or PVC. A residential architect might even have some pointers on the color scheme for the shutters and trim.

Porch Addition

A porch is a single-story structure that projects outwards from the house or any other building. Adding a porch to your house will transform the looks and provide extra space for storage. It is worth considering when the front door of your house opens into the living room instead of the hallway. The size of the porch should be proportional to the size of the house. The architect for the renovation should make sure the design of the porch does not block the natural light from entering through the front door. Adding a porch can create a draft lobby and help in reducing the heat loss from the building. When constructing the porch, an architect should use appropriate materials according to the building. Adding a porch also increases the home value.

Creating an Addition

Adding on to your house can increase the value and give a different appearance. The residential architect could suggest a side, rear, wraparound, or two storied additions. Side extensions are usually preferred when there is limited space for extension. It can be created as an extra space for an existing kitchen or living room. A rear extension is used for an easier flow from a house’s interior to the exterior. This is also used to extend spaces in the kitchen or living rooms. By using bi-fold doors in rear extensions, a continuous effect can be created. A wraparound extension is a combination of rear and side extensions. They usually result in an L-shaped extension depending upon the choice of wraparound extension. Storied extensions give extra space to both the stories of a building. This is the most efficient extension in terms of space. In this case, there can be an addition on the ground floor and a room on the next floor. Of course Zoning can impact the location of such work and must be explored while diving into this type of project.

Conclusion

So, how does it feel being bombarded with not 1, 2, or 3, but 10 ways to give your house a new look?

You could make your house look livelier and welcoming by choosing appropriate colors, new features, or go for a whole new makeover.

And if that’s what’s on your mind, contact your local architect today!

Enhancements in living standards have led people to pay more attention to their quality of life and comfort. When it comes to these, the design requirements are quite demanding.

These aspects come together to make a more accessible environment that meets the prerequisites of your physical and behavioral needs. As such, the home environment becomes more people oriented.

Several parameters come to life when you want to make your house more accessible. It is not just the door but what leads to the door, the height of the handle, and the opening width.

A residential architect is the best way to move forward when it comes to a more accessible home environment. An architect can guide you through these features for your additions to your home. A professional architect must be knowing of all the determinants that come along with such construction.

What’s a User-Friendly Home?

Easy movement and convenience keep everyone happy. A user-friendly physical environment might even improve the efficiency of how your home functions.

A more accessible home design means analyzing the attributes, physical properties, and other relevant information. The impending design will be the result of these needs.

Principles to Follow

When it comes to a more accessible home, you must consider some crucial principles. A residential architect might suggest some useful ideas to make your house more accessible.

Consider the Core!

User-friendly homes generally cater to the needs of all the family members. A more accessible home should create a safe, comfortable, and healthy living environment that will cultivate their personality while providing easement.

These aspects must display the conditions people require. That’s the primary consideration a residential architect may consider.

Psychological Security

Safety should also reflect in the design of the home as well. You must pay attention to the selection of materials to avoid a sharp design. The color palette and materials could play a crucial role in determining your mood for the day.

Even though many people choose to ignore this critical aspect, a residential architect might enhance it so that you understand all the versatile parameters that come along with a more accessible home.

Conform to The Living Habits

The residential design of a more accessible home should be following the habits of its inhabitants. It’s so that they feel comfortable.

For instance, your home could have easy access to chairs for comfortable seating and a wide passage so that the people could walk conveniently. It could be the most unnoticeable of things.

Take the light switches, which you could place at a more convenient height, or even some grab bars near the toilet for support. The best quality of a more accessible home is that it conforms to the requirements of the elderly and specially-abled.

So, as a result, your house becomes a haven for all the family members. (Talk about taking family comes first to heart!)

Codes and Regulations

In New Jersey residential projects are not required to follow any guidelines in regards to making it barrier free however there are guides out there that guide your architect as they make suggestions to you if this is your concern.

General Elements

Stairways

Stairways are one aspect of your home that you can easily make more accessible for your home. By making it uniform and wider, you’ll have a convenient and comfortable space.

• All the steps in the flight of stairs must have a uniform height for the riser and a uniform depth for the tread.
• The height of the risers should be considered if you have trouble going up and down stairs as well as the tread depth.

Handrails

The provision of handrails is only required on one side but it maybe to your advantage to install a handrail on both sides of the staircase.

• The handrails must have a consistent height concerning the nosing of the steps and walking surfaces.

Wider Doorways

If your home exhibits wider doorways, you’re in for an accessible home. Wider doorways not only allow for free movement but also accommodate wheelchairs.

• A 3 foot doorway is generous enough for easy access.

Stairlift

Photo by: Priva Mobility

The mechanical device functions as a lift for people to move up and down the stairs. A stairlift is convenient, easy to use, and a heavy-hitter in the league of more accessible homes.

• Modern stairlifts boast a variety of attractive features such as battery isolation switches, adjustable seat height, seat belt, key switch, etc.
• The straight-rail stairlifts are the most common type in residential use. These exhibit a straight track attached to the steps of the staircase. These are the least expensive type of stairlifts.

Home Lift / Residential Elevator

Photo by: Contemporary Entry

A residential elevator is a product that transports people in private homes and dwellings with multiple stories. These are quite compact and usually fit up to four people.

• A home lift doesn’t need additional space for the machine room or the pit, thereby making it highly suitable for domestic use. Sometimes, the maintenance costs are also lesser in comparison to regular lifts.
• With a home lift, you’re not only allowing for more access to your home, but you also get to flaunt your private lift! Talk about making your friends jealous.

Plumbing Elements

Grab Bars

Photo by: Bestbath

Grab Bars are a decent way to make your washroom more accessible. They act as a support system and are a must for homes with the elderly and specially-abled.

• The space between the grab bar and the wall should be 1 ½ inch.
• The grab bars should be installed in a horizontal position. It must be 33 inches minimum and 36 inches maximum above the floor to the top of the gripping surface.
• For children, the grab bars must be 18 inches minimum and 27 inches maximum above the floor to the top of the gripping surface in a horizontal position.
• The grab bars must have rounded edges and be free of sharp elements. The bars mustn’t rotate within their fittings.

Touchless Faucets

Touchless faucets in the bathroom and kitchen sinks could be useful for people with grip problems or arthritis.

• A useful upgrade to faucets is installing anti-scale faucets in the washrooms. These prevent sudden bursts of hot water in case the cold-water flow is temporarily redirected.

Bathroom Heat Lamp

A bathroom heat lamp could be one of the most useful objects in your washroom when it comes to making your house more accessible. With this technology, you’re doing the best in making your washroom more accessible.

• If you replace the overhead light fixture above the tub and toilet with one that has an infrared bulb along with a regular bulb, it’ll help keep your washroom comfortable and warm in the cold months.

Roll-In Showers

Photo by: Bestbath

Roll-in showers are an alternate for the specially-abled and the elderly and form a part of more accessible washrooms. The shower exhibits a rimless design which allows the users to experience some independence when bathing.

Usually, the shower can be a pre-made unit or custom-built.

• In standard roll-in showers, the hand shower and controls must be located on the back wall above the grab bar. It must be a maximum of 48 inches above the shower floor. It also needs to be 16 inches minimum and 27 inches maximum from the end wall which is behind the seat.
• In alternate roll-in showers, the hand shower and controls shall be located 38 inches minimum and 48 inches maximum from the floor.
• If the controls and hand shower are located at the end wall adjacent to the seat, they must be 27 inches maximum from that wall.
• If the controls and hand shower are located on the wall opposite the seat, then they must be within 15 inches of the centerline of the seat.

Are You Ready?

Now that you’ve found so much information about more accessible homes, what’s your take going to be? If you get a residential architect to look at the plans of your home, they may be able to come up with intricate details in which you can have a more accessible home.

And why not go ahead with it? A private lift, wider doorways, and more space. That’s a more accessible home.

Residential architects always try to come up with a blend of creative and functional ideas to make their clients’ homes more accommodating to their needs. And that’s your way to go.

So, to answer your question of how you can make your house more accessible, there you have it. A plethora of ways to integrate them into your home and present it with convenience and ease.

Contact your local architect, discuss the drawings, and find out how you can make your house more accessible.

Mudrooms are a big deal in the United States of America and for genuine reasons. Families and communities have been embracing this concept with open arms and doors.

Let’s answer the primary question, which calls for what’s a mudroom. Mudrooms function as entryways at the front or back entrance of a house while providing a transition between the interior and exterior.

Suburban American houses possess a rear entrance that works as a substitute entrance with the intent of removing and storing wet clothes, footwear, and other outerwear before entering the focal areas. These old school rear entrances lead into the kitchen or the laundry room.

A mudroom carries the potential to be one of the most convenient and practical design choices for your home as it promises cleanliness and an organized environment. Now, who would want to say no to that?!

Mudroom, More Like (Must)Room!

Source: Houzz

Is your front door a land of mismatched shoes lying around paired with a pile of coats? The children think of it as a dumping ground for their bags after school? Doesn’t the floor remind you of a hiking trail borne thanks to the soil from the shoes and the water droplets from the wet umbrellas?

These unwelcoming attributes could vanish if you had a mudroom. A mudroom is “the” place for shoes and wet outdoor clothes to live and thrive without having to drag them through the rest of your house.

It allows your home to stay relatively clean and reduces your time spent with the vacuum cleaner cleaning afterward. And the homeowners of the world do need for themselves a clean house, don’t they?! (Friends, if you know it, you know it!).

Residential architects know very well that a well-planned and efficiently designed mudroom is a bonus to keep houses tidy. In most cases, mudrooms are the entryways to homes; that the inhabitants will use regularly, it needs to create a functional impact.

So, it seems that your home MUST have a mudroom.

Benefits of A Mudroom

If you’re planning a new home, consider all the aspects that could tap into the maximum potential. A mudroom provides you with an area that could remain concealed from the guests while keeping the rest of the house clutter-free.

Freedom to Customize

Mudrooms are probably the most versatile spaces in a house. How you use it is detrimental to the size of your family and lifestyle. So, here’s how your mudroom will shape up and take on its layout and design.

Another exciting quality about these spaces is that you can customize them according to your will. Consider your spaces through the parameters such as the flooring, cabinets, plumbing, and the layout of the laundry area.

If your mudroom might be frequent to moisture from the shoes or the wet outerwear, this should be a primary factor when you finalize on the flooring. A residential architect could help you steer in the right direction.

Containment Zone

An efficient mudroom will act as a buffer to the clutter and dirt and contain it right there. Mudrooms are one of the best ways to curtail the amount of dirt and clutter around your home.

Homes that have young children or pets could highly benefit from mudrooms because they serve the purpose of being a containment zone to collect all the dirt from the shoes and other outerwear.

Now whether your children play around in the garden treehouse or your dog comes back from its playtime covered in mud, your main house is going to be a no-go zone.

Saves You Some Money

You may not think over this much, but cleaning products take out a lot of money from your wallets. With a mudroom in your house, you’ll add years to the service life of your flooring and carpets.

Additionally, you’ll save yourself the hassle of regular dusting and cleaning.

Extra Storage and More Organization

Source: Houzz

Mudrooms are a great way to incorporate additional storage in your homes. It’s such a benefit that could add more functional value as well.

Typically, mudrooms witness a greater traffic flow from the guests and family members. As such, their design prioritizes efficiency over charm. Efficiency makes your life much easier and saves you precious time.

The Perfect Mudroom

Several pointers come into action when talking about the perfect mudroom. So, let’s get reading!

Storage Needs

When you’re thinking about a perfect mudroom for your home, it’s critical to consider the current and upcoming storage needs. Conceiving the correct blend of storage choices could be a necessary mudroom tip.

Why would you want to deal with the needless dirt and clutter or trip over wet shoes when you could store them most conveniently? When it comes to storage solutions for your mudroom, most people consider hooks for coats or umbrellas and drawers for their hats and other trinkets.

Parents could benefit by creating a small niche for their young ones to dump their bags after school. And your pets don’t need to roam around the house searching for the perfect spot anymore. They could get themselves a cozy and clean space right in your mudroom.

Designate the Spaces

To avoid the early morning screaming matches between your kids, it could be a fun idea to designate the hooks to each family member. Your kids could use the hooks for their bags while others could hang up their briefcases, handbags, and such.

Don’t shy away from creativity. If you and your family enjoy outdoor activities such as sports or hiking, you could use the mudroom to store your gear. So, when the next adventure calls, you know where the necessary equipment is.

It’s A Bench, It’s A Cubby, It’s Both

A bench with in-built storage could be an ideal way for you to sit to put on or take off your shoes. Additionally, it’ll also provide you with temporary storage space for the stuff you’re carrying.

It’s the proper way to allow for the room to grow while taking maximum advantage of your mudroom.

Extra Features

Once you nail down the storage requirements, you can think about how to add features to enhance the efficiency of your mudroom. It’s a platform where your ideas could be functional yet creative.

Lighting

Some natural light in your mudroom could help create a pleasant atmosphere along with providing it with an airy appearance. The use of windows or a skylight in your mudroom could be a great way to harness the natural sunlight during the day.

However, you could also play with some artificial lighting to accommodate night time. Recessed lighting could be useful as it provides sufficient light without eating away at the space.

Flooring

The flooring is probably the most crucial aspect when it comes to designing a mudroom. Tile or vinyl are acceptable materials when considering a durable and sturdy mudroom floor.

Your residential architect may even suggest a drain inside the floor to help with the cleaning. Durability and low maintenance are two parameters to consider when choosing the materials.

You want something that will withstand years of wear and tear in one of the busiest places in your home.

Point of Entry

Most homeowners prefer a side entrance for their mudrooms for comfortable access while concealing it from the guests on their arrival. The transition space works to create a balance between the interior and exterior of your house.

A lot of families prefer keeping their mudrooms at the rear of their houses for more practical utilization. The back entrance allows for more freedom and a convenient passage to the main house through the kitchen without the hassle of carrying your shoes, coats, or other outdoor material.

Should You Have A Mudroom?

All through the article, you’ve looked at why you should have a mudroom. Now the question remains should you have a mudroom?

YES! You should have a mudroom.

As an individual in modern times, it makes sense to acclimate your house with today’s functional and essential trends. If you speak with any residential architect, you’ll get the same answers with more technical backing and proof.

Over the year’s mudrooms have become necessary features of new and upcoming homes with even traditional homeowners accommodating them with open arms. After all, who wants muddy shoes and wet umbrellas inside their main house?!

Time for A Change

The best mudrooms have an almost grand feel to them with loads of light, space, efficiency, and versatility. You could make it into a room that feels welcoming to you and brings with itself the comfort of a clean and spotless home.

If you’re geared up to get started on a mudroom, contact a residential architect for the best guidance along with serviceable yet expressive ideas.

The next time you come back to your home on a rainy day, with muddy shoes, a wet umbrella, and a drenching trench coat, the mudroom will cater to its share of the work.

And that’s why we say Mudroom, More Like “Must” Room!

Who doesn’t love the extra space? Whether it’s the extra legroom when you upgrade your seat to business class on a long flight or a king-sized bed in a hotel just for you, that additional space has a worldly charm.

Why stop there? You’re the proud owner of a sizable house with four bedrooms and two baths, along with an open kitchen and a lively living space.

Come to think of it; your garage is out there, vacant, longing for some thrill. Your average 1500 to 2000 sq. ft. range might begin to seem less now.

And that’s where the idea of converting your garage into a living space sprawls into action.

Man, with a Plan

For the average Joe, residential design isn’t child’s play. There are scores of parameters to factor in and a list of permissions and contractors to indulge.

Enter your local architect, the man with the plan! (Plan being quite literal!)

The architect you hire for the renovation could be a changing point for the transformation of your garage into a living space. A reliable residential architect could take your ideas and convert them into reality in the form of beautiful habitable space.

The garage could result in anything from a spare bedroom to an activity space. All this with guidance from a residential architect.

Regulations and Permissions

Regulations and codes are a must when it comes to constructions, be it internal or external. Over the years, New Jersey has come up with a set of required regulations that make the job easier.

Garage conversions also require individuals to obtain a building permit from the Building Department who review your construction documents to insure all regulations have been conformed to. They look into factors such as area, the height of the garage, flooring, ventilation, fire safety, insulation and much more.

Now, these are some factors that your local architect must know before you start with the design.

Know Thy Garage

Before you hire an architect for renovation, understand the feasibility and the structure of your garage. Ask yourself what kind of a garage do you own, and is it possible to convert it into a living space?

A single garage may add around 150 sq. ft. of extra floor space to your residence. In the case of a double garage, you could either convert the entire area or the nearest side associated with your house.

If you’re the owner of a detached garage, zoning approval might be necessary to alter its primary use.

How to Convert Your Garage into A Living Space?

You have your garage, you have your trustworthy architect for your alteration, and you possess the research and resources, so what’s next?

Before you give ignition to your let’s get a working attitude, have a look at some crucial features that form a part of residential garage conversion.

In-fill Garage Door

Your current garage door possesses the ease of accessibility for automobiles, but it may not be sufficient for your new habitable space. This door seems to be inconvenient when it comes to practical usage and aesthetics.

In simple terms, the old garage door will witness a brand-new wall to accommodate the door and window. The foundation of the garage will probably be a shallow slab and hence inadequate for the wall. So, your answer lies in replacing it with a deep foundation.

Your residential architect and site engineer must assess the soil type, neighboring structures, drainage conditions, trees, and vegetation to estimate the type of foundation suitable for your garage.

Ventilation

Ventilation is necessary for the provision of outside air, eradication of airborne pollutants, and as a provision for fuel-burning appliances.

If you’re in the process of renovating your garage into a living space, your residential architect must be well-read or bring in a consultant to determine the necessary designation for natural and mechanical ventilation.

Many times, you might want to save on expenses by cutting costs for ventilation, but that’s something you must avoid. Habitable spaces require a specific amount of ventilation that is set by the Building Department and is critical for a smooth internal environment.

Garage Roof

Unless there’s a room above your existing garage, the roof will also require an upgrade in the renovation. There are two ways you could incorporate a new roof into the converted living space.

Your architect may recommend a 5-inch gap between the insulation and the bottom side of the roof in case of a flat roofing system. In the case of pitch roofs, additional insulation could be between the ceiling and the roof.

Flooring

The original flooring of your garage will probably be unsuitable for a habitable space. Your architect might propose strengthening the concrete floor and prolonging its service life through thermal insulation, or damp-proofing, or you could construct a new timber floor on the existing one.

A floor with a layer of Damp Proof Membrane in liquid form could turn out to be a decent alternative to the original concrete flooring. Your residential architect may also suggest thermal insulation on top of the membrane and finish it with a layer of screed or wood, otherwise known as a floating floor.

If the floor of your residence is relatively high above the ground, you could go with a suspended timber flooring for your garage to match them. The gap between the original and the new floor could ideally be 5 to 6 inches.

Utilize a Damp Proof Course or DPC underneath the new suspended timber floor to avoid dampness due to moisture.

External Walls

It may so happen that one entirely new external wall will be the need for your garage renovation, as is in the case of in-fill garage doors. These walls could either be in masonry or timber.

The external wall should exhibit construction that will repel moisture from the ground and sustain weather conditions. Fire resistance must also be under consideration.

Your architect for the addition must look into parameters such as the construction meets the minimum requirements, proximity to nearby structures, among others. Another critical detail to look into is that the wall must be able to bear self-weight, the weight of other walls, the roof, and openings (including doorways, windows, or skylights if any).

Ideas for A New Living Space

If a garage conversion is on your mind, then you must have some ideas thought out. The placement of the door, new windows for more light, or an open plan, it’s your ideas and the architect’s design.

Here are some more to add to your list.

For a Single Car Garage, you could choose to do the following:

Art Studio

For the artist in you, a working space free from disturbances could prove to be peaceful. With help from wooden flooring, and beams, and minimalistic walls, you’ll be bringing in heaps of natural light and openness.

Small Bedroom

If an extra bedroom is your requirement, don’t jump to extensions. Instead, make use of your empty garage and transform it into a cozy bedroom for yourself or your guests.

Private Living Space

Bring out the old coffee table and a few chairs or a couch from the flea market. Set up a reading area and bask in the comfort of privacy and books.

For a Double Garage, you could go the following ways:

Home Office

If you’re someone who works from home most days of the week, working from the kitchen table can get exhausting. Instead, transform your empty garage into a home office with features such as natural light, comfortable furniture, and relaxation.

If you’re one of the smart ones, you could also set up a futon and turn the office space into an additional guest room.

Guest Room

A double garage opens up the opportunity for a full-fledged transformation into a private guest suite with an attached washroom and a small kitchen. Keep your guests happy with their private space in your garage.

Additionally, if you’re looking for some extra income, you could rent out your extra living space on Airbnb and earn a quick buck.

Children’s Playroom

Get ready for some fun playtime with your young ones in the converted playroom. Childproof your newly-converted space and turn it into an entertainment zone for your kids.

So, there you have it, a garage, an idea, a local architect, and a residential design. You won’t have to look much further if your architect matches your wavelength.

Instead of letting your empty garage stand still and become a wasted space, bring out your creative side and partner up with an architect to transform it into a lively and light-filled habitable space.

Whether it’s a makeshift bedroom for a guest, a mini library for all your books, a bakery for the baker in you, or a simple living room, there are many ideas to try out that conform to the rules and building codes.

After all, residential design has never been so easily accommodating!

Trying to build a new house from the ground up can be a daunting but rewarding task. One of the biggest advantages of building new is the ability to design everything to your exact specifications. However, sometimes design plans are hindered by the amount of space you have to work with. When building on a restrictive plot of land it can be difficult to ensure that you are getting the most out of your home and your land. That’s why we’ve reached out to the experts in home design from Portland to Philadelphia to provide you with ways to optimize the design and layout of your home when working with limited space. 

Have an architectural program ready   

Right-sized homes don’t happen by accident. They come about through thoughtful planning and design. To fully realize the potential of a small plot of land it’s important to begin with a careful study of your space requirements. In the world of architectural design, this is commonly referred to as an “Architectural Program”. It’s a specific and complete list of your space requirements. In the hands of a skilled architect, this list will form the foundation of a design that’s both space-efficient and inspirational. – Harry Hunt Architects 

Make your home work smarter with dual-purpose spaces 

 When you are confronted with the dilemma of limited space it requires you to be more creative with circulation and room usage. You may need to provide rooms that will provide a dual purpose such as a study/family room or kitchen with island seating which would be your breakfast area. If your kitchen is very tight you may consider a corner banquette seating. It takes some squeezing to get situated but it saves floor space. Furniture may need to be oriented to allow circulation through a room eliminating hall space. Bedroom furniture such as bunk beds or raised beds with a desk below are also space savers. An office can also serve as a guest room by providing a pull-out couch. – Aric Gitomer Architect 

 To make the most of your limited space, design with a dual purpose. Most homeowners seldom use their foyer as the main entry. Instead of leaving the space unused, turn it into a functional area such as a home office. Staircases are also prime real estate that can serve multifunctions. Consider a stacked, exposed staircase, and tuck a wine cellar or reading corner beneath the stairwell, for total optimization. – John Lum Architecture 

To make your home work smarter due to space constraints, design your bathroom as a spa-experience versus a utilitarian space. Rain head showers and deep soak tubs can turn a bath into a spa. Also, rethink the sink. Ask yourself, do I really need two sinks and all that plumbing? Negative space can make a bathroom feel bigger. Combined with an open plan kitchen which extends the room while removing the boxed-in feeling, a small footprint can have maximum living (and resale) value. – Studio SHK 

 First, minimize the impact of vehicles on the square footage of the lot.  Limit area devoted to circulation and combine uses when possible.  Bring in views with expansive floor to ceiling glass to increase the perception of the area by leading the eye beyond the walls. – Mark A Silva Architect 

Circulation is key 

It’s all about circulation. Old houses tend to be compartmentalized; the easiest thing is to remove doors that remain open most of the time. When I remodel an old house I look at space that is eaten by pathways. By opening the dining to the kitchen will make your kitchen more useful and bigger. – De Meza + Architecture Team 

Narrow or constrained lot sizes can be a challenge when designing a new home, but can also result in unique, carefully designed and beautiful spaces.  H2D Architecture + Design approaches space constraints with thinking about a design that flows efficiently and graciously between the spaces horizontally and also vertically between the floors.  Open floor plans which combine uses, such as living, dining and kitchen areas, help to reduce the need for extra circulation spaces, as well as utilizing open stairs between floors in the design can help create the feel of a larger space. – H2D Architects 

Let there be light 

Light is essential when dealing with smaller spaces. A well-lit space can give the impression of largeness without the actual footprint size.  Large glass walls taken from floor to ceiling to adjacent walls can allow for small spaces to open up visually and connect to the outside.  Accordion doors are a favorite product to physically open up the interior space to exterior living.  On restrictive lots, tall garden walls provide privacy and intimacy even in the face of density. – Tomecek Studio Architecture 

Natural light is key when it comes to small spaces. Pairing light colors with big windows can make a small space feel huge. Adding a mirror or two will also help reflect light and add depth, visually. – Carbon Architects 

Optimize unused space for storage 

Many times issues of space ultimately affect precious home storage. As a result, consider clever ways to maximize the space often allocated to essential design features. For example, a staircase’s rise and run create a unique storage opportunity that is often wasted. In the past, I have made each stair act as a drawer. – Larry E. Boerder Architects 

 Avoid double-height rooms 

First, avoid double-height rooms, it takes up a large portion of your buildable area. Instead, go with taller ceilings throughout. Second, carve out exterior basement rooms, it creates more unique spaces and extends the basement space for those beautiful warm nights. They’re also great for direct access to and from the backyard if you plan on having a pool. – RS Mannino 

Fluid indoor and outdoor spaces 

Designing beautiful and useful homes while optimizing limited space is our core strength at D3 Architects. We always talk to clients about making sensible, connected spaces and not throwing away money on finishing wasted space. This thought process begins with the site or the outside.  Consider two things in particular: the orientation of your spaces to daylight (the qualities of daylight are different from the N, S, E, and W) and the connections to the outdoor spaces you will use. After that, the most important thing is thinking about flows of movement.  Consider how you will move around your house, say from the entry to the kitchen, and then the movement within each space, for example, how you would ideally like to prepare a meal in the kitchen, moving from the stove to the refrigerator to the sink, all while being able to keep an eye on the kids playing outside. If you map these relationships out thinking about your own family’s priorities, living in your home will always be a pleasure. – D3 Architecture 

Large covered porches, accessed by quad-slider doors (which open up 6ft in the center) can make a small home live dramatically larger.  An open floor plan with high ceilings (9-10ft) can also help make a house feel larger than its square footage.  Lastly, if we’re constrained in size, we emphasize quality over quantity – this shows up in “Not So Big House” ideas such as extra built-ins to keep everything organized and uncluttered. – Rodwin Architecture and Skycastle Construction 

Less is more  

As the partner of an architectural practice in London for many years, high property costs meant space was always a premium and forced us to become experts in designing homes with limited space both inside and out. Since returning to the US, I often rely on this knowledge. Limit material selections and the rooms will flow as one. Keep spaces flexible – double or triple their function and always design them to accommodate change in the future. Design houses with seamless transitions from inside to out, utilizing large floor-to-ceiling doors and windows and importantly if the same floor finish inside continues out to open-air spaces, i.e. patios or covered porches, the room will effortlessly extend out and feel much bigger. There are many great tricks a good designer can and will use to make limited space feel grand. – Architecture Joyce Owens 

When working with small spaces keep materials to a minimum, using the same materials on the floor throughout your rooms.  When choosing wall colors, pick colors that reflect light. Your furniture should have multiple uses and be lighter in weight where they can be easily moved from space to space when needed. – Streamline Architects 

Take advantage of 3D modeling 

 It’s hard to optimize the rooms in your home without being able to visualize the spaces beforehand. By modeling in SketchUp, you can get a good sense of space in 3D, rearrange furniture to test different layouts, experiment with different materials & textures, and design for the space you have. You can also go up! See what your small footprint would look like as a two or three-story building! – SketchUp 

Build Vertically 

Build vertically! It’s not unusual to see three, or even 4-level homes that make great use of interior glass, open staircases and strategic layouts. Many companies now offer residential elevators that take up surprisingly little square footage, and the breezes and views from that top floor can be amazing! Don’t be afraid of a nontraditional floorplan. A talented designer or architect can even make a triangular room work for your lifestyle. Additionally, be sure to shop for appliances and furnishings carefully. Many top-tier brands now offer down-sized ranges, refrigerators, and furniture that fit a more compact, urban lifestyle without having to sacrifice quality. – Modern Architecture + Design Society 

Read between the studs  

It’s standard to recess a medicine cabinet between wall studs, but why not take advantage of that “free” space elsewhere? For small bathrooms, we’ll often put a tall cabinet recessed in the wall that’s great not just for medicine, but for all those other small items you want in the bathroom, or the six bottles of shampoo you bought on Amazon, but don’t have space to store elsewhere in your small house. And if your wall is framed with 2×6 studs rather than 2×4, that cabinet can even hold rolls of toilet paper. – Mikiten Architecture 

Know exactly what you want  

When designing a house with limited space, a conversation on a homeowner’s vision for efficient living needs to be had with the architect before starting the design process. This is so appropriate design goals that support this vision can be organized. A designer can use the wall cavities for storage, raise the ceilings to provide clerestory light, fabricate custom built-in furniture fit to small dimensions and employ other design tricks but if there is not the preexisting appetite for simplicity and efficiency by the homeowner then it will not be possible for the architect to turn a house’s limited space into unique design opportunities. Rooms tend to get bigger with each design review by the homeowner in a residential project if the homeowner does not hold onto a succinct vision supported by specific efficiency goals. An architect experienced in energy efficiency, construction and interior design will be able to organize appropriate design goals with a homeowner’s vision for living with less. Nick Dean Architect 

Originally published on Redfin 

Home improvement, to me, includes not only painting, updating finishes and changing some fixtures or redoing your kitchen. I am thinking bigger picture, such as; additions, renovations and interior alterations. I am going to focus on an actual renovation project where you will be required to enroll the services of an architect. Perhaps you need more space or you want to open up some areas of your home. The following are some tips to drive you to your final destination.

Time

Take your time! There is no rush to make such a major financial decision. Do not rush into this process without asking yourself what the end game will be. It will cost you more later to change your mind. So make a list of important must haves and a separate list of minor haves. When you meet with your architect it will allow for a great start to communicating your home improvement project.

Selection

 Photo by Jenny Kennedy-Olsen 

Prior to hiring an architect, have them come to your home to discuss your home improvement ideas. Find out how the architect works and discover how his/her process will make your visions a reality. Make sure you are comfortable with the architect and have a sense that he/she will work hard to make your renovation project a successful one. How are you going to find these architects to come out and talk to you? If you have a neighbor, coworker or friend worked with an architect perhaps they will recommend them to you. Ask them what they liked and did not like. If they had a negative experience it might help you in what to look for in your own search. Other great ways to seek out these professionals is to perform an internet search via Google, which provides a list of firms in your area. from there you can go directly to the architect’s website and learn so much more about them. Google is also an excellent place to read reviews from past clients. An additional site to go to is Houzz. Houzz is an excellent resource to discover architects in your area, read reviews and see their work.

Observe

Keep a mental or physical notebook documenting features you like around you. Whether you are at a friend’s house, driving around, looking through magazines or scouring the web, create a log of items you enjoy. Be prepared to share this with your architect so he/she understands your tastes and is able to reinterpret then into the design. Once again a great resource for images include Houzz and Pinterest as well.

Coordinate/Compromise

Are you a married couple? Then make sure you and your spouse see eye to eye on the direction you want your home improvement project to take. This is critical in progressing with your architect! Your architect is not necessarily a mediator or marriage counselor, but if needed he/she will help you in your decision making by offering a compromising suggestion to accommodate both ideas into a single solution. It is not unusual for this to happen and a fresh set of eyes can bring your ideas together and make everyone happy.

Ask Questions

If you do not understand a decision your architect made then ask “why?” Perhaps the idea stemmed from a structural issue, or maybe it was just a whimsical idea he/she had. The architect wants your input and is happy to clarify any confusion. After all you are the one who is going to live with those decisions once the project is complete.

Scope

Identify what you are going to do and stick to it. This will define the scope of the project and allow for a streamlined design process. Have a clear vision of your end goal. Do you want to add more space (an addition) or do your want more openness (alteration)? Those are to major different ideas and deciding what you need will help your architect guide you in what makes the most sense.

Dialogue

Dialogue is probably the most important tool you have in making a healthy home improvement project successful. Always keep a steady flow of communication between you and your architect. This allows for an efficient development of your renovation plans.

End User

Always remember, this is your house to live in! Make decisions based on your tastes and lifestyle. The architect will provide input with his/her  personal ideas and solutions. However, in the end it is important to express your will since your are the end user. Unsure of which way to go, then let your architect give you the pros and cons of each decision, maybe this will help in determining the proper answer. Is sleeping one of your favorite activities? Then check out these Zen bedroom idea here!

Be Prepared

Be prepared because renovation is tricky! Without a doubt when a general contractor goes to open a wall he may find something totally unexpected. With years of experience an architect can make educated guesses as to what is hidden within your ceilings and walls. However, this is never a 100% guarantee. Regardless, the unknown nature of this process certainly leaves room for miscalculation, so it is important to be prepared for the possibility of a surprise or two and an associated additional cost.

Alternative Living Location

If this is a major renovation, you may be displaced during construction. Whether it’s because you will be without plumbing and heat or the dust and noise becomes unbearable or it is just too dangerous, plan on making alternative living arrangements during construction. This makes everyone’s life easier and safer.

Good luck with you future home improvements and I hope it is a successful one!

What does Tennessee, Nepal and the Philippines have in common this week? They are all recovering from earthquakes with the Philippines suffering the most devastation and fatalities.

Every day close to 70,000 earthquakes a day throughout the world. They are not usually mentioned because they are considered microearthquakes, which are rarely felt and register as a 2 or less on the intensity scale. Tennessee, Nepal and the Philippines all felt tremors of 3.6 to 6.4! These numbers represent the magnitude that is referred to as the Richter scale, which was developed from an earlier scale know as the Mercalli Intensity Scale which was subjective and measured intensity by actual visual impact. The Richter scale is a more quantifiable measurement.

Architects in New Jersey are always thinking of earthquakes in regards to designing structures since New Jersey is considered to be in a “B” Seismic Design Category, (categories range from A to E), according to the International Residential Code 2015, New Jersey Edition Figure R301.2(2). In accordance with Section R301.2.2 this zone exempts residential structures such as detached 1 and 2 family houses as well as townhouses from seismic design. Wait, what? My house is not designed for an earthquake? Maybe I should move to an apartment building.

Scientists are predicting a major event is imminent. New Jersey is considered overdue for a moderate earthquake of a magnitude of 5 or greater. A DEP study says intense earthquakes are likely to happen every 100 years or less. The east coast is harder to predict such an event relative to the west coast due to the geological make up of the region. In the east an earthquake’s movement is transmitted much greater distances therefore impacts a larger area. An earthquake in 1783 had a magnitude of 4.9 was located just west of New York City and as recent as 1927 Asbury Park/Long Branch had an event measuring 3.9. Luckily no one was hurt on either of these occasions but had someone been standing near a chimney it could have been a different story!

New Jersey is home to the Ramapo Fault which is an ancient crack in the earth’s crust (my daughter loves pie but we are talking about a different kind of crust here). It is the longest fault in the northeast running from Pennsylvania through New Jersey and ends up in Westchester County, New York. It even runs right through my home county of Morris! Scientists believe it is approximately 200 million years old and extends up to 9 miles deeps! Another interesting fact is that New Jersey is made up of four geological regions; the Valley and Ridge, the Coastal Plain, the Highlands and the Piedmont (home of Morris County). Going back before I was born those last two regions where connected to Africa so you could have had an exit off the Garden State Parkway take you directly to Morocco! One of the cracks that eventually made this exit just a past dream is the Ramapo Fault.

Even though New Jersey’s Residential Code does not require seismic design for certain residential structures the IBC NJ Edition which covers all the other building types will keep you safe!

So the next time you are out for a walk in the neighborhood stay clear of anyone’s brick chimney, you never know when the next big one is going to hit. If you need to have that extra protection in your house be sure to ask your architect about what features can be designed into the structure to give you a little more security.

Every once in awhile I will go into an older home and notice the lack of smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. It is a little frightening to see the absence of this minor fire prevention device that can save you and your family. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has statistic from 2009 thru 2013 which found that 3 out of every 5 home fire deaths occurred in homes without smoke detectors and 1 out of every 5 homes that had a nonfunctioning detector and almost half of those were due to disconnected batteries or dead batteries. When you hear that annoying chirping sound don’t just disconnect the wires and batteries! Replace the battery it could end up saving your life. The actual death rate per 100 is doubled for those in homes without detectors. The average death rate because of this comes in around 940/year and 510/year for homes with non-functioning devices. Some people discover their smoke detector is too close to the kitchen and will go off every time they cook. This doesn’t mean you should just disconnect it! You can relocate it or get a different type of smoke detector such as a photoelectric alarm or one with a hush button.

What do these devices actually do? There are two types of detectors; ionization and photoelectric detectors. The ionization detector has a pair of plates inside that have a constant current acting within them. When smoke infiltrates the plates it disrupts the current causing the alarm to sound. The photoelectric detector has a beam of light and when that gets interrupted it disperses the light and this activates the alarm. The photoelectric type is not as sensitive as the ionization type and is designed to go off during slow smokier, smoldering types of fires. The International Residential Code requires ionization smoke detectors to be a minimum of twenty feet from a cooking appliance and only six feet for photoelectric detectors.

Construction Codes that cover the requirements of such detectors can be found in NFPA72 National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code and NFPA 101 Life Safety Code which require all new single-family homes to have a smoke detector in each bedroom, outside of each sleeping area and on every level of the home. The most effective system will have all the devices interconnected so that when one sounds they all sound. This can be accomplished with battery operated wireless devices as well as hardwired devices. The code has changed in recent years allowing for technology to play its role, however, the primary source of power for these devices must come from the house wiring. In addition, you can combine smoke and carbon monoxide detectors into one combo unit as long as they are an approved device as per Underwriters Laboratories requirements UL 268 and UL 2075. The Uniform Fire Code (UFC) requires all homes that contain a fuel-fired appliance or have an attached garage, have a carbon monoxide alarm in the vicinity of the bedrooms and all rooms adjacent to such appliances.

Final notes: The United States Fire Administration (USFA) recommends for homeowners to test their detectors once a month and change your batteries once a year. In addition, once your unit is ten years old it is time to replace it. Keep your loved ones safe! I am not blowing smoke up your ***.

To be more specific I am referring to fireblocking. The definition for fireblocking given by the International Residential Code is as follows: building materials or materials approved for use as fireblocking, (yes, the IRC uses the word in the definition- circular definition!), installed to resist the free passage of flame to other areas of the building through concealed spaces. As you dig deeper into the IRC specifically Section R302.11 Fireblocking will give a more in-depth answer in regards to this important fire safety requirement. Typically you see the fireblocking between floors, soffits, between stair stringers and floor penetrations for pipes, ducts etc. Materials allowed to stop the free passage do not need to be fireproof! Some examples are two-inch nominal lumber, one half inch gypsum wallboard (not required to be fire coded), batts of fiberglass insulation and several other materials are permitted.

Fireblocking is essentially starving a fire of oxygen and prevents it from spreading and is not a recent addition to the building codes. There are references dating back to the 1905 National Building Code at that time it was referred to as a fire stop (I am going to guess it was defined as something that stopped the fire, but these were the days before codes had a definition section). It was not until the 1990’s when the term fireblocking became the proper terminology.

I have seen many people decide to finish their basements without seeking an architect’s advice which is an acceptable approach however, some of these people bypass getting a building permit as well. This is a definite no-no! When you take the proper route your local building official comes out and does inspections to make sure you are conforming to the construction codes and keeps you safe in your home. If you have some handyman or perhaps you even personally finish the basement you may have missed some key components to the International Residential Code one of them being fireblocking! It doesn’t take much for fire to spread quickly throughout your house if you do not construct your walls soffits and stairs correctly. It can take 30 seconds to a minute for a fire to engulf your entire home! I have seen General Contractors that even ignore drawings showing the proper detail for fireblocking. Sometimes they will pop in half-inch plywood or some other material they have handy and call it a day. Guess what, this is not an approved method and your building official will catch it almost every time and have the contractor remediate and do it properly.

So if you plan on doing some home projects on your own seek some professional advice and save yourself some headaches and sleep soundly at night knowing you did the right thing in protecting your loved ones! Give your local architect a call or set up a meeting with the local building department and see what you need to do to complete your vision.

The EPA is considering allowing for American manufacturing of asbestos products under its Significant New Use Rule (SNUR). This rule will allow manufacturers to petition for approval of asbestos-containing products through the federal government.

I think most people would have thought asbestos was banned many years ago when in fact it was not. Despite the health hazards and the knowledge that 40,000 U.S. citizens die yearly from asbestos related reasons such as lung cancer and mesothelioma, asbestos is still legal (that’s 20,000 more than die from radon/year!). Asbestos has not been produced in the United States since 2002 which means all of it has been imported. Three hundred metric tons were imported last year alone, which is equivalent to approximately 100,000 bricks! Some of the major producers include Russia and China, and China is the leading consumer. So does that mean asbestos is legal everywhere? It is not and in fact, it is banned in over 55 countries, the US happens to be one of the only developed countries that have not banned it. In the US, corporate profits outweigh the health of its citizens. The US shares the inability to ban asbestos with Russia, China, India, Brazil and Canada.

It is possible in the future, with the Significant New Use Rule, that new building products could be reintroduced into your home if the manufacturer can be persuasive enough! It’s possible.

I have read that a 2011 inventory recorded 60,000 asbestos containing products existed worldwide being produced by 600 companies. Wow!

Asbestos has been around a long time and was praised when first introduced into the building world because of its fire-retardant qualities, its insulative values as well as ease of maintenance and strength. It was first being used in building products in the mid-1800’s but it has been known to have a history going back 4,500 years where it was used in Finland to strengthen earthenware!

The American Institute of Architects responded by issuing a statement in strong opposition to SNUR, here is a snippet:

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is committed to protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the public. Since 1857, this concern is central to all that we, as architects, do. AIA writes to raise our concern and strong opposition with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed Significant New Use Rule for asbestos. The asserted goal of the proposed rule is to create a pathway to consider new uses of asbestos. The AIA opposes this goal, even if on a case by case basis, and feels the EPA should use their existing regulatory authority to establish a blanket ban on the use of asbestos. (You can read the entire statement here).

Architects will have to be extra careful when specifying any products for your home should the SNUR go into effect. It is crazy to think this is an actual concern when it is such a problem when one discovers existing asbestos in an existing building!

One of an architect’s strongest tool is a roll of tracing paper and a marker. The simplest and quickest way to explore options is to continuously tear off pieces of tracing paper from a roll and modify the plan with each layer. Each sketch evolves a little bit more until you find the right solution. I do this for every project no matter what size. If I’m not successful initially I can always go back to a previous version I liked and try modifying it until I get it just right. Once I’ve completed this I move on to the computer and draw it up in AutoCAD create a PDF and send it off to the client for their review.

Have you ever thought about how many people you can have in your home for a party? How about a holiday gathering? Sleepover for the kids? Well, the International Residential Code 2015 New Jersey Edition does not limit you, so, have at it! The IBC (International Building Code) sets guidelines for other non-single family residential structures such as assembly spaces to dormitories but not for your home. By the way, dormitories are calculated at 50 square feet per person so you college kids out there in a 100 square foot dorm room that’s a limit of two people in your room to have a safe partying experience! The IBC standards help determine hall widths and door sizes however in the IRC the only requirement is a minimum of one means of egress from your home with a clear width of 32 inches measured from the face of the door to the stop, so that door ends up being 36 inches. There is also a clear height requirement of 78 inches and this door must be side-hinged and exit directly to the exterior. So don’t try and make your front door a slider or an overhead door.

So if you have a 3,750 square foot home and you decide to throw a party with 75 of your friends, (I personally do not have that many friends), that will give everyone 50 square feet to enjoy the party… right? Not exactly don’t forget to deduct out all of the furniture, walls, appliances, closets etc. In addition, the IBC differs from the IRC in regards to the direction of the door swing. When space exceeds an occupant load of over 50 the door must swing out however in your home this requirement does not exist and typically a residential dwelling unit’s front door swings in to make sure you don’t get snowed in!

How about those bedrooms? No requirements there except the additional requirement of an “emergency escape and rescue opening” which is a window with a required minimum size determined by its location (5 square feet first floor and 5.7 square feet second floor) that is considerably smaller than the required approximate 18 square foot door opening out of your house. This requirement is actually not for getting out but for firemen getting in. Funny how the code has no requirements for the door out of the bedroom to the living spaces of your home. However, if you want to get furniture in there your architect is going to give you at a minimum of a 30 inch wide door but as long as space allows you will most likely have a 32 inch wide door and for those concerned about being in a wheelchair a 36 inch door would be the appropriate choice. Stair widths, hall widths and one door exiting your house are the basic requirements for single-family residential homes in accordance with the IRC. Does this concern you? If it does be sure to go over these requirements with your architect, but typically even if the code doesn’t require it, since its deals in the minimal requirements, your architect will always be looking out for your health welfare and safety!

So get out and have a happy egress day!

Are you thinking about adding on to your house? Building a new house? Are you going up or out? Where should you start? One of your starting points should be to consider the zoning requirements for your property.

Let’s start by giving a brief description and history of what zoning is. Zoning is the most critical approach to land use a municipality controls. In Morris County, each municipality creates its own zoning regulations. Each town’s structure of zones seems to be broken down into 25 to 35 different categories. Within these areas, the town regulates what you can build, how big and tall you can build and where on your property you can build. It is to protect your interest in your property and its value as well as create a harmonious planning to approach the town’s growth. All of these are considered for health, safety and welfare of each citizen.

The United States took the concept of zoning from Germany which initiated its own ordinances as far back as 1870. First signs of zoning appeared in the area of San Francisco in 1885 when the city banished the erections of public laundries. This approach was considered to be illegal one year later by the Supreme Court since it was prejudicial against the Chinese immigrants. Zoning spread widely throughout the U.S. in 1909 following the First National Conference on Planning and Congestion held in Washington, D.C. Topics discussed back then are still discussed today such as congestion in housing and adequate parks and playgrounds. You can click on the link and read the entire transcript!

Today when homeowners are thinking of a project they are required to have a current site plan to delineate their property lines and all features on the property and their location. This list includes the main structure, walks, decks, landscape features such as a pool, fencing and accessory structures such as a shed. With the site plan, your architect can determine the scope of the project by reviewing the local town’s ordinance and schedule of area requirements. Typically the schedule will determine the setbacks (this feature was created to protect your neighbors from a potential fire and being too close to their property as well as privacy), height requirements and lot coverage. Lot coverage is looked at in many different forms such as just for building and again for all impervious coverage such as walks, driveways, patios and decks. Generally, these are looked in terms of percentage of the lot and help with drainage quality of your property.

Height makes sense because you certainly don’t want a high rise built next to your single story home. There is certainly logic to all the madness in these verbose land ordinances but sometimes it seems oppressive to make a homeowner seek a variance for relief from the requirements when their impact is minimal. It creates a greater cost on their project as well as sacrificing a tremendous amount of time if the town’s schedule is backed up by months of other projects. You would think by this point a town could come up with a method for projects that are diminutive in nature. Especially when a home is already non-conforming and the owner’s addition doesn’t change the already pre-existing non-conformance, such as a second-floor addition over a pre-existing non-conforming first floor in terms of the required setback.

I believe town wants to work with the homeowner to get them the additional space they need and at times if the project is just too burdensome on the property they will request you to go back and redesign the project to make it more in conformance with the required regulations. But in the meantime, you are adding more time to your project.

The ordinances sometimes will have requirements buried deep and do not become evident until you submit your drawings and the Zoning Officer discovers it, such as an additional kitchen or converting your garage into living space can be frowned upon in some zones. The only way to make this happen is to apply for a variance, get in line and state your case.

So when you consider your next project ask your architect if he thinks it’s feasible or set up a meeting with your local Zoning Officer and discuss your thoughts to understand what might be a red flag.

In addition if you are looking for additional information regarding New Jersey’s Zoning and the process on getting approvals take a look at this terrific article penned by fellow architect William J. Martin titled:

What to expect when applying for a Building Permit. What to expect from the Building Department. What to expect from the Zoning Board.

Have you ever looked up at your home’s roof edge and wondered about the history of the gutter? I am going to guess most likely not! Did you know that little feature was first being thought about way back between 1500 – 3000 B.C.E.? It started in the area we know today as Pakistan and Northwest India. At the time this was the Indus Valley. Gutters were being created out of burnt clay. It took many years to start to see more familiar features that we still see today, such as the gargoyle, that would spit or discharge the water away from a building. The London Tower, which was constructed around 1240, was the first structure to use a downspout.

When the colonist of America and started constructing homes in the 1700’s they created wood planks in a “V” shape to create their gutters. They attached them to the roof edge with wood pins or cast iron brackets.

Throughout the years gutter have been created with many materials such as; cast iron, wood, asbestos cement, UPVC, aluminum and bamboo. In the early 1900’s a metal rolling machine was invented which was the start of half round steel gutters. In the 1960’s seamless aluminum gutter machines were developed and are responsible for 70% of today’s gutters.

The popular residential gutter of today is a 5” K gutter. You would think since it is called a “K” gutter it would be shaped like a “K”. Well, you would have thought wrong. The Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association(SMACNA) has a list of 12 gutter types each corresponding to a letter. The eleventh type is K (first type is A, second B and so on) which happens to have the most decorative shape and since most people like decorative things this style became the most popular.

The function of the gutter is to collect the water from your roof during a rainfall and send it to the downspouts which ultimately carry the rainwater away from your home. The gutter and downspouts are sized based on the area of roof and rainfall intensity in the location you live. Does the International Residential Code 2015, New Jersey Edition (IRC) ensure that you have gutters on your home to protect your property? It is a little vague but the intent is there. Section R801.3 Roof Drainage discusses the requirement of a “controlled method of water disposal from roofs, that will collect and discharge roof drainage to the ground surface not less than five feet from the foundation walls”. The IRC never uses the word gutter but it’s clear that they want you to use one!

Make sure your architect sizes your gutter appropriately.

The International Residential Code 2015, New Jersey Edition does not address any sound transmission requirements as the IBC does. So if you live in a townhouse or an apartment you may get a better night’s sleep than in your single family home. There are no requirements for air borne sound to be reduced between rooms such as bathrooms, bedrooms or for sleeping areas above or adjacent to a garage. Maybe it’s a good idea to address these if you are building a new home, doing some alteration work or creating an addition. The late Surgeon General Dr. William H. Stewart once said “calling noise a nuisance is like calling smog an inconvenience; noise must be considered a hazard to the health of people everywhere.” This is the same man who initiated health warnings on cigarette boxes!

Noise is around us every day and impacts our health in a multitude of ways. Some known effects are; hearing impairment, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, annoyance and sleep disturbance. For children, noise can impact language and learning development.

How can you keep your house a little quieter for studying or sleeping? There are ways to dampen sound with softer materials such as carpeting and drapes but between rooms you would really want to address the construction of your partitions. Your typical partition in a home is a 2×4 stud wall with a single ply of ½” gypsum wallboard on each side. This partition will give you an STC (sound transmission class) of approximately 34. STC of 34, what does that mean? The following is a guide of STC Values and how they correspond to what you can hear from loud talking in an adjacent room:

STC                 Audibility from a loud speech in an adjacent room

25                   Easily understood

30                   Fairly audible

35                   Audible but not intelligible

45                   Must strain to hear

48                   Barely audible

50                   Inaudible (loud music can be faintly heard)

So that STC of 34 is not bad but it’s not going help you if your teenager decides to play music while you are trying to go to sleep! So what can you do? There are many assemblies to give you a quieter wall. Adding a 3 ½” batt of fiberglass insulation in the wall will help but only give you a value of 36 so, in reality something else must be done if you believe this is a concern for your home. Adding a resilient clip to one side under the wallboard can increase the value to 50 which also happens to be the minimum requirement between attached dwelling units. Other methods are to add layers of gypsum wallboard or create a staggered stud wall.

Another point of noise entry is going to be doors and windows. Your typical interior hollow core door units have an STC rating of approximately 24 – 27 and a solid core door can get you up to and STC value of 35. Of course, you would have to have a seal at the bottom edge to get a true separation which would be very unusual in a house. In general, the windows that AGA specifies fall between 30 and 35 depending on the configuration and type.

Floor assemblies can also be addressed if you have a room below your bedroom that you are hoping to isolate. Your architect can add features into their design to accommodate a quieter separation. Be sure to let your architect know if you have noisy kids, if someone likes to stay up later than you watching television or you have a musician in your home.

New Jersey Architects use the International Residential Code2015 New Jersey Edition on a daily basis. It guides them in many decisions made during the design and construction document phases to get their client’s end result. Chapter 3 Building Planning is especially useful for determining many design requirements for your home. I have to believe that this chapter alone out of the other 43 chapters must have over a thousand requirements! I have not counted but I think my fellow architects would agree.

Vertical measurement by itself can probably account for hundreds. This section deals with 3/8” up to 60 feet! The following are a varied sampling of some:

3/8” is the maximum amount of difference between the smallest and largest riser height in a set of stairs.

1 ½” is the landing height below a threshold when the door swings out over the landing (8 ¼” is acceptable if the door swings in the opposite direction).

8 ¼” is the maximum riser height for a stair riser.

9 ½” is the maximum riser height for a ships ladder.

<18” is the height above the finished floor that makes glazing hazardous.

24” is the minimum height above the finished floor for a window opening that opens up to grade that is greater than 72” below. (That’s a double height requirement!)

30” – 38” is the allowable handrail height above the nosing on a stair, which also applies to a ramp surface (30” – 36” for a ships ladder)

36” is the minimum height for a guard rail at an open-sided walking surface.

6’-4” is the minimum beam height (or duct height) in a basement.

6’-6” is the minimum clear height for an egress door.

6’-8” is the minimum headroom height in a stairway (so if you can get through a 6’-6” height for a door why the need for an extra 2” for the stair?).

7’-0” is the minimum clear height for a habitable room (non-habitable rooms such as the powder room, bathroom and laundry room can be 6’-8”). They may want to rethink that bathroom height I have seen people spend an incredible amount of time in there to the point where they can claim squatter’s rights!

12’-3” is the maximum run for a stair before a landing is required (in case you were wondering if you used the maximum riser that would be 18 steps until you are required to rest)

60’-0” is covered in Table R302.2(3) Height and Exposure and Adjustment coefficients for Table R301.2(2), just in case if you thought I made that number up!

This is just a small sampling of the vertical dimensions in this 44 page long chapter and does not even consider width or thickness. I wonder why the IRC is 674 pages long. Have you been “enheightened”?

Have an old home that you have been thinking of renovating but just can’t get around to making the decisions necessary to make that happen? Are your heating bills high and wondering how you can save a few dollars until that dream project happens? Try some of these inexpensive cost reducing tips for your old drafty home to improve the looks of your monthly energy bill;

1. 1. Check your attic and see if it can use another layer of insulation and make sure the access panel or pull-down stair is fully insulated. Many times that access opening is neglected and you can have heat escaping up and out of your home.
2. 2. Another popular escape route for heat is your wood burning fireplace. Are you using it or is it just there for decoration. If the latter look into methods of making it more leak proof by using something like a “fireplace draft stopper”.
3. 3. Are you like me and enjoy a nice long hot shower? Open that bathroom door while you are showering rather than turning on your ceiling fan. This will add humidity to your home which heat loves to cling to.
4. 4. Check your exterior wall outlets! Do you feel a draft coming through them? Easy enough to unscrew the cover plate and fill the voids with an acrylic latex or a foam sealant and then add a foam gasket to the back of the plate cover and screw back on!
5. 5. Open up your blinds covering your southern exposure windows during the day. The natural warmth of the sun will fill your home.
6. 6. Are your windows and doors drafty? Take a trip to Home Depot, Loews or your favorite local hardware store and see what great gaskets and air seals you can get to cut down on those drafts.
7. 7. Do any of your rooms have fans? Flip the switch and reverse the direction of the fan to blow up at a gentle speed. This will move the warm air trapped at the ceiling down to your feet making you more comfortable without turning up the thermostat.
8. 8. Speaking of thermostats TURN THEM DOWN if you are able to tolerate a room with a little less warmth you will save yourself some green! If you have multiple zones in your home and rooms are unused double check what setting your thermostat is at. Especially at night when you can get under a warm down blanket and sleep on some flannel sheets turn down the thermostat. You might even sleep better!
9. 9. Bundling up! Do you have a nice pair of warm socks and a sweater? Put them on so when you do turn down that thermostat it won’t even impact your day.
10. 10. If you have a room you spend most of your time in why not just invest in a low energy space heater to keep you comfortable without heating the whole house.

These items should hold you over until you get started on the big renovation project where you will eventually get a more energy efficient heating system, brand new insulated windows and more insulation on in those exterior walls! Just because spring starts March 20^th doesn’t mean the heat gets turned off!

Thinking of adding on to your home? Many potential clients call knowing they need more space but are not quite sure what the best approach is. This is where your architect can be a valuable instrument in deciding which direction may be appropriate for your unique situation. That’s right each client is unique and your architect should treat you as such.

Your architect will first identify your spatial needs and what makes sense in terms of adjacencies by discovering about your family and how you use your existing rooms. Your architect will discuss with you what currently works and what doesn’t in terms of circulation and interaction. Then the next step is to survey your home and property to aid in determining what makes the most sense. Do you have a large enough property that will even permit a first-floor addition? At times zoning regulations will cause hurdles for you to add on (sometimes even adding up). Are the rooms you are trying to create makes sense on a second floor? Obviously, if you are thinking of a large kitchen expansion it will be on the first floor, but how about a master bedroom suite? Are you thinking of those years down the road when those stairs might be harder to manage? Is there a budget consideration? Are you okay being displaced from your home during the construction? There are many factors to be considered and an architect is your best bet to get to the ideal end vision.

Is your existing home already two stories or maybe it’s a split level and you are trying to figure out how all three levels are going to come together to give you the ideal space. Through the design process you will see your home transform into various options of which ultimately you will need to make a decision but it will be easier to see what makes sense for your family.

Some pros of just adding on to the existing house:

Most likely you will not be displaced during construction, so minimal impact on family life during the duration of the project.

If you have an existing ranch and addition will not change your existing floor plan unless you opt to make changes to the existing rooms to open up your home or reconfigure existing rooms.

Most likely your home addition would be at the rear of your house unless you have a wide lot, therefore your house may look the same. This could be a pro or a con!

Some cons of just adding on to the existing house:

You will need to do excavation and most likely re-grading of your property.

You will lose some of your backyards and if you have a deck or patio that would need to be rebuilt.

Depending on how much you open up your existing house to the new structure will determine whether or not you need a large beam which if not sized properly will drop down into the opening.

Some pros of just adding a second floor:

You do not need to do any excavation saving you money on a new foundation, which includes footings, slab on grade, masonry foundation wall, waterproofing, regrading, etc.

Your home will get a new look!

You will almost double your space.

Some cons of just adding a second floor:

You will be displaced during construction.

Your first floor will need to be reconfigured to allow for a stair.

Of course, there is no one solution but working with your architect will most likely give the best result for your unique situation! Also, don’t forget you can always do both with a two-story addition! Call AGA and see how we can help you!

HDD, what is that? Hot Diggity Dog? Hard Disk Drive? Well, those are definitions of that acronym along with a couple dozen more but this post refers to Heating Degree Days. Heating Degree Days is a measurement that is generated from the outdoor air temperature throughout the year for a given location. Annual figures vary from approximately 20,000 in Alaska to 500 in Florida and even near 100 in Hawaii. So by those figures, you can safely assume a warmer climate is going to have a lower HDD. Morris County NJ the HDD value falls in around 6,039 according to the ResCheck software. This is the software architects use to make sure your house or addition conforms with the most current energy code and guides them as to how much insulation to provide in your floors, ceilings and walls after inputting exterior surface areas, ceiling areas, floor areas along with windows and doors. According to the US Department of Energy Heating Degree Day is calculated as follows: A unit, based upon temperature difference and time, used in estimating fuel consumption and specifying the nominal heating load of a building in winter. For any one day, when the mean temperature is less than 65 degrees there exists as many degree days as there is Fahrenheit degrees difference in temperature between the mean temperature for the day and 65 degrees. So with that in mind you can understand how Florida’s calculation is so low! Not too many days below 65 degrees and not that much need for heat. In the past 20 years, the average heating degrees days have decreased but I have got to believe after this recent cold spell that calculation has changed! If you take a look at the National Weather Service you will see that in the past week alone Newark, NJ was 147 HDD which is 14% higher than last year’s norm. Brrrrrrrr!

What are they?

Ice dams, you want to know how to avoid them but let’s first look at what they are! Ice dams are typically built-up areas of ice at your home’s roof edge which prevents the melting snow from draining off your roof, just like a beaver’s dam but on your roof. This dam causes havoc in your home by allowing the water to infiltrate into the interior and cause damage to your walls, ceilings and insulation which can lead to mold and other headaches. If there are no beavers on your roof how are these dams being created? Weather! Yes, actually it is related to the exterior temperature and the differences in temperature between the edge of your roof and the roof’s upper portion.

A temperature difference can make quite an impact. If the temperature outside is 32 degrees or below and you have snow on your roof watch out. If warm interior air leaks to the upper portion of your roof to start to melt the snow and the lower portion down by your eave is 32 degrees or lower that melted snow ends up becoming ice at the edge causing the start of an ice dam and eventually builds up enough to give you problems. The area above the ice stays in the state of melted snow (water) and will find ways to sneak into your home.

Where are they?

In an existing home, you can identify areas of potential trouble by looking at your roof after a snowstorm. Identify areas that are melting faster than the eave. This is most likely an area where heat is escaping into the attic causing a more rapid melt than at the eave. The goal is to create a uniform temperature throughout your attic.

The 7 techniques…

1. Provide a properly vented attic. This is enforced in New Jersey by the International Residential Code 2015 and you should make sure your general contractor pays close attention to it. In addition make sure your architect notes them on his/her drawings.
2. Make sure you have enough insulation in your attic! If you have room to exceed the minimum do so. The prescriptive package in accordance with the International Energy Conservation Code requires R-49 in attics for homes in North Jersey. However using a software called ResCheck can cut this number down by adding insulation elsewhere to help you save money but may end up costing you more down the road in repairs.
3. Exhausts from all appliances, such as dryers, hoods and bathrooms should all vent through a side wall or roof never though a soffit.
4. All recessed lights that are penetrating into attic space shall be IC (insulation contact) fixtures which can have insulation placed right over them.
5. All attic ductwork shall be sealed and insulated with a minimum value of R-8.
6. Caulk and seal all penetrations such as wiring, vent pipes et al.
7. Have an ice and water shield installed under your roof shingles in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions. Locations to be addressed are roof edges and valleys. A quality job will include all the penetrations as well! This shield does not prevent ice dams but it can help protect your home if it should occur.

If you see on your existing home that ice dams are forming the best thing to do is broom off the snow at the roof edge and try and melt the ice to allow the water to flow down and off the roof. Travelers, insurance company, recommend putting sodium chloride ice melt product in a stocking and laying it over the source of build up. I’m not 100% sold on this method but it looks like it could be a short-term remedy in a pinch.

Enjoy the winter and be careful!

Are you having an architect prepare construction documents for your house renovation/addition/alteration? Your architect’s drawing will have a certain order to them as well as many symbols and line types as well as abbreviations and hatches. The following are some quick tips on reviewing and understanding the documents.

The Drawing Order:

The First Drawing

The first drawing in the set will have all the building data information which includes the square footage of existing and new. It will also have the volume calculation of your project. This is provided for the town to calculate your permit costs. Other key data includes Construction Codes that have been followed to create the documents as well as construction type

A drawing list will be on the first page to help you navigate the set.

General notes, which speaks for itself, which gives your general contractor some guidelines.

Depending on the scope of your project some of the following items could also appear on the first sheet; site plan which will show an overall plan of your property as well as the structure and how any addition is impacting the site by delineating the distances from front, side and rear yards which are dictated by local zoning regulations, demolition plans can be present to indicate what existing structure and utilities are being removed.

The Second Drawing

There is some debate out there as to what comes next but traditionally for my office it is the foundation plan. My drawings start from the ground (in this case below the ground) up. This is your basement plan or crawlspace depending on what route you go (https://www.aricgitomerarchitect.com/watch-your-footing/)

These drawing will typically have foundation details as well and structural notes.

The Following Drawings

The set follows with the floor plans, details, sections and elevations.

The Final Drawing

The last drawing in my typical set is the MPE which is your mechanical/plumbing/electrical drawing showing lighting and outlets as well as general notes regarding mechanical/plumbing/electrical work.

If your job is large enough and complicated a set of structural drawings maybe found towards the back of the set as well. But many times the structural information can be found directly on the floor plans.

Symbols/Hatches and More

Each set of drawing has many components to help the reader understand and navigate the project. The following is an abbreviated list of what you may find:

Section symbols and call-outs are a standard navigational tool architects use. This is basically a circle that is divided in 2 with a line and has a number or letter in the top half referring to the actual detail number and the bottom has the sheet number this detail is found. Sometimes these symbols also have an arrow associated with them indicating which direction the detail is drawn. You can sometimes find a symbols legend on the first drawing to guide you in understanding each symbol which could be for an interior elevation, details or a section.

Each individual drawing in a set, which could be hundreds, has a unique name and numbers (or letter) which helps you identify what you are discussing if you need to talk over the phone or communicate via email. In addition directly below the drawing name, you will find a drawing scale. The architect’s drawings are always drawn to scale (even though a general contractor is not permitted to scale a drawing – written dimensions rule!). This scale varies but typically a floor plan is drawn at ¼” = 1’-0” and details vary depending on the complexity and how much information needs to be conveyed. Architects use a triangular scale which has 6 different scales on it!

Lines types also vary throughout the drawings and depending on what drawing you are viewing the same line type may have a different purpose. For instance a hidden line (which is a dashed line) shown on a demolition plan will indicate an item removed, on a foundation plan it will typically refer to the footings, on the floor plan that hidden line could be referring to something above such as a soffit and on the elevation it could be indicating something behind. The architect will typically have a note to help guide the reader. Common line types on a set of drawings are; continuous, hidden, phantom, and center line.

Hatching (shading and architects refer to this as poche) is another method for architects to help clarify what is going on. In renovation work, if you see some form of hatching on a floor plan you can assume that is new work and un-hatched would be an existing condition. Typically in a foundation plan, you will see a cross hatch for new masonry walls, a speckled and free-form shaped hatch indicating concrete. Each plan will most likely have its own unique hatches indicating a typical condition. Look for the notes telling you what they are or a legend.

Dimensions are in every drawing. This is a critical component informing the user of sizes and spacing. Sometimes you will see a continuous string of dimensions or when not necessary and individual dimension may be found. In renovation work instead of cluttering up the drawings with an abundance of drawings, the architect will indicate a note align with existing. In addition, architects vary on how they dimension plans. Some will dimension to the centerline of a wall, others will dimension to the face of stud within the wall and then some will be in the camp of dimensioning to the actual finish wall surface.

Orientation is indicated on the floor plans with a north arrow which can be referred back the site plan to orient yourself to the project. Don’t assume on a set of documents that north is up.

Notes are needed to explain the details and plans. Each note has an arrow associated (unless it is a general note standing by itself) pointing to the item it is referring to aid the reader in a deeper understanding of the drawing.

Abbreviations are frequent and numerous (https://www.aricgitomerarchitect.com/omg-architects-natural-texters-not). This helps keep the drawing uncluttered. Architects use many abbreviations in their work and many are industry standards and some are made up. A set of drawings may have a legend of all the abbreviations. Some typical ones are; CMU, GWB, CONC, GALV, O.C., MIN, VIF, THK, WC and the list goes on and on! LOL

Doors are shown typically with a double thin line with an arc indicating the way the door swings and a dimension of the door are within that symbol. Some architects will indicate the size in feet and other in inches. For instance, a door could be 32×80 which is the same as 2⁸x6⁸ so be careful when checking door size.

This is a brief overview just to get you acquainted with the documents. There are much more components of the drawings but as you go through them you will understand them a little better and the more you review them the clearer they will be. They are created to allow the Building Official to review them and your contractor to construct your project so there will be some type of order to them and navigational tools will be there to guide them. Architects have been trained in many different offices with many different formats and styles and types that will follow an architect throughout his/her life so each individual architect’s sets may be slightly different in style and format but they are all going to get you to the ultimate result – your home!

Do you own a home with a brick veneer? Did you ever notice along the bottom edge of the brick near grade you have holes? Why would the mason leave all those holes in my wall? Because brick is actually porous and since it is exposed to the elements moisture gets in behind the brick. It gets behind the brick you want it to get out! My home on the other hand which was built in the early nineties didn’t seem to get the memo! My home is not alone all the development homes I’ve seen built over 25 years ago seem to be missing this feature. So why is that? I did a little snooping and discovered New Jersey’s adopted building code back at that time was the CABO One and Two Family Dwelling Code. If you go back to the 1992 Edition there is one reference to weeps and it is not in the body of any code citing. It is actually depicted in one diagram; Figure R503.4 which is in Section R-503 Exterior Covering. Section R-503.4 Masonry veneer- general references this diagram as to how all masonry veneer structures should be constructed. The above-mentioned figure notes that weeps shall be provided at 4’-0” o.c. It does not describe what an acceptable weep is, how to construct it, where it should be located or having any type of flashing requirement behind it. Hmmm, maybe the code officials at the time just figured it was nothing to be concerned with.

Several years later New Jersey updated its enforcement to CABO 1995 Edition and guess what… the diagram on weeps got a little more detailed and actually referred back to a citing (703.7.3 Flashing & 703.7.4 Weepholes) describing it a with a little more detail. It included the information about flashing, it described the minimum size and it lessened the spacing to 33 inches on center versus the previous 48 inches on center. Many years have passed since the adoption of the CABO 1995 and New Jersey has updated four times since then. We are now using the International Residential Code 2015 NJ Edition and in all those years (over 20) that section has not changed a bit! I guess that a pretty solid endorsement of weeps being 33 inches on center! However, the Brick Institute of America thinks 24” on center is better and maybe 16” on center is even ideal. The bottom line is you want to make sure you get the moisture out of the wall to the exterior before it gets on the inside of your home. If this happens your wall will be the only one weeping!

Have you ever taken a look at the foundation of your home where the siding ends and the earth starts? A typical foundation in this area is constructed with concrete masonry units. A mason will make that above grade exposed blockwork look good by parging it. Parging is the act of creating a covering on a vertical surface. The word parging derives from pargeting which is a technique for waterproofing or decorative plastering to a building’s walls dating back to the 16^th century. However, it may have started way before then and lost favor.

The ideal parging for your foundation will be a mortar based product typically “Type N” or “Type S” mortar. Type N is a general purpose mortar and can be used above grade and Type S is a stronger product and typically used below grade. The mason will clean the wall thoroughly prior to painting on a bonding agent and then will trowel on two coats of mortar. He will wait for the first coat to cure prior to applying the second coat. Each coat is required to be 1/8 inch thick but a 1/4 inch per coat is recommended.

Not only does the parging enhance the look of your foundation it will fill any voids created during erection as well as create a weather barrier from rain and snow. It is not a dampproofing product but it does inherently give you some protection. You do not typically want to paint the parged surface because paint can crack and moisture could get in and have trouble getting out. This trapped moisture can give you problems over time. This trapped moisture could end up creating structural damage to your home’s foundation. If are going to coat with something be sure to understand the properties of the product you intend to use and how weather can impact it.

In addition, the masonry wall below grade shall be parged and then the contractor is required to provide waterproofing or dampproofing as per The International Residential Code Section R406. The type of “proofing” required will be determined by whether or not groundwater is present on your property. So this should cover your bases!

What I use most in my practice is the pencil. It is great for creating quick layouts and easily erasable. As I work through my plans and elevations the pencil gives the most flexibility and freedom to change and manipulate my schemes. I prefer the 2B pencil which gives me the ability to lay down a dark line or a light line and shade easily. What is the history of this great tool?

First, let’s start out with why is it called a lead pencil? Is there lead in there? Should I be worried about any little ones putting it in their mouths? Rest at ease no lead is used in your pencil it is actually a mixture of finely ground graphite and clay, so why “lead” pencil? The original writing instrument goes way back to ancient Rome when scribes would use a stylus formed from lead to writing on papyrus. The soft metal would rub off on the writing surface.

In the 1560’s shepherds discovered a black substance on the roots of an uprooted tree following a storm. They found this substance ideal for marking their sheep. This substance turned out to be graphite, which is a crystallized form of carbon and was referred to lead because of its similar appearance. It became a very popular writing substance due to its versatility of ease of erasing as well as the ability to draw over it with ink. I do this as well, if I sketch something out I will then go over it with a marker to create a crisp bold image.

1662 was the year pencils finally started mass production as a graphite stick encased in wood. Prior to this string was the preferred encasement. Pencil companies that followed soon after are still in existence today such as Faber-Castell and Steadtler.

The word pencil derives from the Latin word penicillus which means small tail or a fine brush and old French pincel. Some fun facts that I have gathered from the web are; an average pencil can draw a line 35 miles long and before the eraser was developed people used bread crumbs to erase. That drawing was toast if it ever saw bread! 15 t 20 billion pencils are made each year and half of them come from China. The longest pencil in the world happens to be a colored pencil and is 1,509 ft 1.05 inch long. Check out the video here; https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=cIj6LjQIDC0

The following link is to the largest pencil weighing in at 18,000 pounds making it very difficult to draw with!

https://vimeo.com/64984221

I prefer the weight of my pencil to be under a third of an ounce. So the next time you pick up your pencil realize that if it were not for some sheep herders you may have been picking up something else!

After you have decided to take on a project whether it is an addition or a new house, what is one of the first things you need to help guide you in your decisions? The survey! What’s a survey and how do I get one? The type of survey you will need is a boundary survey that includes all current improvements and the actual boundary lines of your property. The survey graphically maps out all of the features of the property in question. It can include fences, driveways, walks, easements, utilities and structures on the property as it exists. In New Jersey, this service must be performed by a licensed Professional Land Surveyor. According to the New Jersey Society of Professional Land Surveyors to obtain a license an individual must have a four-year college degree in surveying, three years or more of practical experience, and pass a 16 hour written examination administered by the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs. Once licensed, the Professional Land Surveyor must obtain 24 hours of continuing education credits every two years to maintain active status. Those are some serious qualifications! I think this justifies the cost which can be in the range of $1,500.00.

Your architect will use this drawing prepared by the Land Surveyor to determine what can and cannot be done on your property without seeking a variance. Your architect will look up your property’s zone and the corresponding restrictions unique to that zone within your community. Townships typically have a zoning schedule indicating various restrictions such as; front/rear/side yard setbacks, building height, minimum lot size, required frontage, allowable building coverage, impervious coverage and the list goes on depending on each communities standards. With this information the architect can set your workable footprint and work within those limits to create your addition or new home. Many people always think it’s no problem to just put a second floor on their house, but zoning-wise that is not necessarily the case. Your existing home could be non-conforming thus you would need to seek a variance to continue with that not conformity upwards.

If people have the time and don’t mind taking the gamble they can go forward with a design that does not conform to the zoning restrictions. It’s just a costlier and more time consuming process until you stick your shovel in the ground. Locally, I was told they rarely (like never) deny an applicant of a request. But you still need to go through the entire process, which includes notifying your neighbors (hopefully you don’t have any neighbors that dislike you), pay miscellaneous fees, submit proper documents, prepare construction drawings and plea your case to the Zoning Board of Adjustments.

Whether you decide to conform or not you need that survey completed to know what you are getting yourself into. So before you get started with your next project make sure you have a current survey of your property or dig into your files and look for an old one and see if it will do the trick.

Architects are just like everyone else. They love a shortcut or a trick to have in their tool belt to help complete a task, whether on the fly or in the office. Take a look at some popular methods architects use daily…

1.Use of the architect’s triangular scale is not just for measuring objects that are drawn at different scales, which is the intended purpose of this wonderful tool. It gives you the inherent ability to easily ascertain measurement of 6 different scales. In addition, to this required possession of an architect, it is also used to cleanly and quickly rip off a sheet of tracing paper from its roll which is also referred to as bumwad by all my fellow architects. Why bumwad? Well that’s right it happens to look just like another roll of paper, (which is softer), that appears to look very similar but bumwad comes in varying lengths.

2.Another great use of the triangular scale is to divide a space into equal parts. Let’s say you have a drawing of a room that is 10’-7” and you want to divide it into 5 equal areas, sure it is a little bit over 2 feet for each section. But if you want your sketch a little more accurate, just lay your scale at an angle so that 0 is at one end and an easily divided unit of 5 is on the other and tick off your division marks!

3.Same trick as number two but your scale was misplaced on your messy desk… grab a rubber band tick off five equal division and stretch it out over the plan and tick a way.

4.Overlays! That bumwad is such a critical resource as you brainstorm through your designs. Constantly layering sheets of tracing paper to finally get at that perfect plan that will make your client happy! (of course this is for architects that still draw by hand!)

5.Know your math. My favorite number to know is 43,560… this is the number you divide into the square footage of your property to determine how many acres you are working with. (https://www.aricgitomerarchitect.com/do-you-measure-up/). In addition my favorite decimal numbers to know are; .125, .25, .375, .5, .625, .75 and .875! Those are the decimal equivalents to ^1/₈, ¼, ^3/₈, ½, ^5/₈, ¾ and ^7/₈. We use them every day!

6.Are you ever in a large space, and in awe, and wonder “how big is this room?” Architects do it all the time and they look for a unit of measure in the ceiling to make a quick calculation. For instance if the ceiling is made up of ceiling tiles you can typically assume they are 2ft x 4ft or a 2ft x 2ft ceiling tiles and quickly count the tiles and come up with a fairly accurate room size! Knowing your body parts also gives you the ability to do some rough measurements. Whether it is your stride, your foot size or the span of your arms!

7.Some other measurement tricks to know is to take advantage of items you have handy such as an 8 ½” x 11” sheet of paper. At ¼” = 1’ – 0” that comes out to 34 feet by 44 feet. Or a dollar bill at 1/8” scale is equivalent to 49 feet by 21 feet. One architect told me he carried around an index card with fingertip to fingertip spread-eagled, thumb tip to index fingertip, height, stride length, elbow to middle finger tip and a few other! Many architects use grid pads that are divided into ¼ inch segments making them great for drawing sketches to scale as well as creating in the field plans!

8.How about the height of a building? Architects will look for key elements that will help calculate the height. Some easy ones to detect are buildings constructed with a brick veneer or a concrete masonry unit. A typical brick will be 8” every three courses and a cmu will typically be 2 feet every three courses. Count away! Even siding will be easily counted once you know the weathered exposure. Back in the day, before my laser and spike gadgets, I would photograph the exterior and back at the office would count the courses! That’s 40 courses below…

9.Architects also try to create foundations in length that end in 0”, 4” or 8” because this will create a full or half course of concrete masonry unit making it easy for the mason. However, it seems whenever I do my additions on existing houses, this never seems to work out!

10.In regards to elevations a site engineer’s drawings will usually indicate feet and inches into a decimal number such as; first floor elevation 232.33’ a simple way to convert this from your existing feet and inch dimensions is to multiply the inch component by .0833333. So for instance a 4” measurement x .083333333 will come out to .33. This makes sense since 1/3 of a foot is four inches! And of course if you want to convert it the other way decimal to inches simply divide by .08333333. You might ask why is a surveyor creating all this work for architects? Well it is certainly easier for them to do their mathematical calculations. I hold no grudges against these people.

If you like these “hacks” please feel free to share on social media and if you have some of your own that you want others to know about send me an email and I’ll add them to the list!

I always find it amusing when someone needs to know what the square footage of a home is. I would think if you are in the house and it suits your needs it’s big enough. However, some people just don’t think like that. They need to know the square footage before they purchase. Do they really even know what that number means? If someone told you their home is 3,200 square feet and you know your home is 3,300 square feet, does that mean your home actually has 100 more square feet more of living space? I can assure you that the actual living space is not dependent upon that figure that people throw around loosely. Are you scratching your head and asking how can that be?

There are a couple of major factors that could impact the computation of the area of your home. The exterior finish of your home and how many outside corners your home has or maybe the size of your foyer and stair could also greatly impact the calculation. How does the exterior finish matter? The area of a house is measured to the outside face of the exterior finish. So if your home is constructed with 2×6 wall construction and you have ½” wall sheathing and 1” of airspace and then a 4” depth of brick veneer you have a wall that is approximately 11 ½” thick versus let’s say a home with 2×4 wall construction with ½” sheathing and 1” of rigid insulation and then vinyl siding your wall thickness comes in around 5 ¾”. That is almost a 6” difference included in your calculation. Considering this fact, if two homes where each 60 feet x 30 feet the area equals 1,800 square feet. But now consider the interior area of the home. The area you actually live in the difference between the two homes of different construction comes in at about an 87 square foot difference. Then multiply that by 2 for a two story home both equal size on the perimeter and one ends up with approximately 150 more area (that’s equivalent to a 12’-0” x 12’-6” rooms!). In addition, (no pun intended), let’s say someone has a large two story space in that same shell of a structure, well then obviously you are going to have a substantial difference in interior floor area.

In New Jersey, architects calculate the gross square footage based on the exterior face of the wall and from that number the architect can generate the volume of the structure which will dictate the cost of the permit for construction. So when you ask your architect to design you a 4,000 square foot home or you see a figure on the construction documents be aware that this is not the actual living space you are getting.

Houses may seem larger if they are an open floor plan and have higher than average ceilings which will give a more voluminous feel. So my advice to you is to not get hung up on the square footage of a home but to be more concerned about how the house makes you feel. Do you enjoy the space, does it give you a sense of freedom or do you feel constrained and closed in? What makes you comfortable?

Bigger is not always better and bigger is not always bigger!

Did you know that there are close to 70,000 earthquakes a day throughout the world? They are not usually mentioned because they are considered microearthquakes, which are rarely felt and register as a 2 or less on the intensity scale. This scale is the Richter scale, which was developed from an earlier scale know as the Mercalli Intensity Scale which was subjective and measured intensity by the actual visual impact. The Richter scale is a more quantifiable measurement.

New Jersey is considered to be in a “B” Seismic Design Category, (categories range from A to E), according to the International Residential Code 2015, New Jersey Edition Figure R301.2(2). In accordance with Section R301.2.2 this zone exempts residential structures such as detached 1 and 2 family houses as well as townhouses from seismic design. I guess that means we are all safe! Well maybe not.

Scientists are predicting a major event is imminent. New Jersey is considered overdue for a moderate earthquake of a magnitude of 5 or greater. A DEP study says intense earthquakes are likely to happen every 100 years or less. The east coast is harder to predict such an event relative to the west coast due to the geological makeup of the region. In the east, an earthquake’s movement is transmitted much greater distances, therefore, impacts a larger area. An earthquake in 1783 had a magnitude of 4.9 was located just west of New York City and as recent as 1927 Asbury Park/Long Branch had an event measuring 3.9. Luckily no one was hurt on either of these occasions but had someone been standing near a chimney it could have been a different story!

New Jersey is home to the Ramapo Fault which is an ancient crack in the earth’s crust (my daughter loves pie but we are talking about a different kind of crust here). It is the longest fault in the northeast running from Pennsylvania through New Jersey and ends up in Westchester County, New York. It even runs right through my home county of Morris! Scientists believe it is approximately 200 million years old and extends up to 9 miles deeps! Another interesting fact is that New Jersey is made up of four geological regions; the Valley and Ridge, the Coastal Plain, the Highlands and the Piedmont (home of Morris County). Going back before I was born those last two regions were connected to Africa so you could have had an exit off the Garden State Parkway take you directly to Morocco! One of the cracks that eventually made this exit just a past dream is the Ramapo Fault.

Even though New Jersey’s Residential Code does not require seismic design for certain residential structures the IBC NJ Edition which covers all the other building types will keep you safe!

So the next time you are out for a walk in the neighborhood stay clear of anyone’s brick chimney, you never know when the next big one is going to hit.

Many potential clients I meet with discuss their desire for an addition and in their minds, they always seem to think they will save some money by creating a crawl space under the addition. When we walk around the property it seems that about 80% of the time the rear yard slopes downward and is usually greater than three feet below the existing finished floor. Why would that matter? Well, it matters because in North Jersey the required depth for the bottom of a footing is 42”. The footing is at the base of your foundation wall and is typically a widened portion at the bottom of the wall that transfers the load over a wider area helping to avoid settling. So, in reality, the foundation wall of your addition needs to be at approximately the same level as your existing basement! So for a few more shekels, you can get yourself a nice area for additional storage or future living space. Depending on how much your property slopes could end up determining how to use this unpredicted additional space.

Why does the footing need to be so deep? It helps to prevent heaving caused by ice lensing. Most people are familiar with this phenomenon as frost heave. In the winter the soil gets very cold and frozen closer to the surface. Water is drawn from the unfrozen soil below as it is drawn upward the water turns into layers of ice which in turn force the soil particles to separate as it pushes upward. This ultimately pushes up your footing if it is not deep enough and wreaks havoc on your home. That is some strong ice! It could cause cracking in your foundation wall, as well as crack windows and pipes. So if you have your footing deep enough are you safe from ice lensing? One would think so but actually one would be wrong! Ice lensing can also occur adjacent to your foundation wall. This is known as adfreezing and can be as harmful to the foundation wall as a misplaced footing. This can be avoided also by placing a well draining granular backfill.

Three key elements must be present for adfreezing and ice lensing to occur;

1. The soil adjacent to the foundation is vulnerable to frost such as a soil with heavy concentrates in silt and clay
2. Water needs to be present in the earth adjacent to the structure
3. Freeze thaw cycling adjacent to the structure.

All three elements must be present for this problem to occur.

So if you are considering that addition, a basement might sound like a great idea!

When you decide it’s time to do some work on your home you may not think of everything. But make sure you understand whether or not you need a building permit from your local construction department. Let’s take a look at when you may or may not need a permit to perform the work required…

Ordinary maintenance does not require a permit. What is considered “ordinary maintenance?”

Painting, wall papering, wall repair as long as it is less than 25% of the wall area in a given room (so if you are re-drywalling an entire room you need a permit!) is all considered ordinary maintenance as is exterior and interior trim, but guess what? Paneling is not considered ordinary maintenance!

Windows, doors and garage doors are all considered ordinary maintenance but have some caveats with them. The glass in the windows and doors need to conform to the building codes and window replacement cannot reduce the existing opening size of the pre-existing unit. The same rule applies if the door you are replacing is an egress door, the width cannot be reduced.

Flooring replacement also considered ordinary maintenance however roofing and siding are not unless it is less than 25% of the entire structure. Other exterior work includes gutter replacement, porch repair (as long as it is not supporting a roof structure) and window screens (you probably thought I would have forgotten about that).

If you are doing any plumbing work, make sure your plumber knows when and when it is considered ordinary work. Even if you do not need a permit you are still required to replace certain fixture with code compliant ones. Same goes for any electrical work, make sure your electrician is familiar with what is considered ordinary maintenance!

Fire and smoke detectors no permit required and many heating and cooling repairs are considered ordinary maintenance. Wow, you can do a lot of work in your home without going through the process of obtaining a permit!

So what does need a permit? Everything else!! The New Jersey Administrative Code Section 5:23-2.14 explains in details when a permit is required. The following is a brief summary for those who are not interested in reading all of it…

If you plan to construct, enlarge, repair (unless it is an ordinary maintenance repair), renovate, alter, reconstruct or demolish a structure then you need a permit. So any work you plan on hiring an architect will most likely need a permit. What do you need to obtain the permit? The New Jersey Administrative Code Section 5:23-2.15A Construction permit of a single-family residence will cover this. Basically you need a minimum of two signed a sealed sets of documents from your architect (should you decide to go the route of using a design professional – I highly recommend this!) conforming with all the plans and details conforming to the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code along with all additional applicable codes. The above-referenced section lists all the required documentation required to submit. Your architect is not required to provide all the information required. The state allows your sub-contractors to submit information. Item permitted are Plumbing plans, electrical plans and mechanical plans which may be prepared by licensed plumbers, licensed electrical contractors and mechanical contractors, respectively, in accordance with these regulations. In addition, Energy subcode compliance documentation may be submitted by your mechanical contractor.

If the work is minor the Code Official can waive some of these requirements.

After you get all the required documentation into the town they have 20 business days to review and grant the permit. If they see any deficiencies in the submission they shall notify you in writing citing the appropriate code sections they are concerned with. You shall then address those concerns with a letter or revised drawings and then the town official will have another 7 business days to review and issue your permit. Grab your hammer and get started!

So that is, in general, the “deal” regarding permits!

I’ll give you a hint it is on top of your house… that’s right. Many houses have some form of asphalt shingles on their roof. That’s a pretty strong showing if roofing was in a popularity contest. Asphalt shingles in general consist of two types; fiberglass shingle and organic. The shingles are similar on the surface since they both have an asphalt surface, however, the base is different. The base of organic shingles is sometimes made from a paper product and a fiberglass shingle has a fiberglass matt.

So what is the difference, which is better? They both have their unique advantages and disadvantages.

Fiberglass shingles are more fire resistant than organic shingles and they are lighter so easier to handle and therefore less expensive to install. But since they are lighter they do not hold up as well as an organic asphalt shingle, which is heavier (because they have more asphalt) and will hold up better in extremely cold winter regions. However, despite its durability, it comes with a drawback. The organic shingles are more prone to warping due to wet weather conditions because they actually absorb water! Wow for a minute there I was thinking I should go with the organic but for this region, it seems to make sense to stick to fiberglass shingles.

Not only do the roofing shingles differ in the actual composite of materials they also differ in durability and styles. These shingles are typically broken down into two types; three-tab (or strip) and architectural. Three-tab shingles are the least expensive and most likely the least popular. They don’t have much style and are used as an inexpensive way to get a new roof that may not last as long as you would like. Developers who are building spec homes may sometimes use these to cut costs. The architectural shingle is a heavier grade of roofing product giving you a more durable roof. In addition, it has style! They are dimensional giving them the look of a shake shingle which is the name for a wood shingle that has been sawn and has a unique appearance or a slate look.

So when I specify a roof shingle it is typically an architectural fiberglass shingle. Times, when that is not the case, if the roof does not have enough pitch (slope) or if the owner wants a metal roof (the other 20%). You may be wondering about the torfbær roof. Sadly I never get that request.

Hurricane season is here again! It comes every year and this year it started June 1^st and doesn’t end until November 30^th. Being an annual event it may cause some concerns for homeowners. My top concern would be will I end up with an indoor swimming pool in my basement? There are many reasons for such a catastrophic event and here are my top 11 (not in any particular order):

1. Basement location: It’s below grade (ground level) and that is where groundwater naturally occurs. Depending on your home’s location the depth of the water table could be below or even above our basement floor. Given hydrostatic pressures, this could give you troubles.
2. Lot Grading: Is the earth around your home properly graded? Make sure the top surface of your yard slopes away from your foundation wall. If it is not, water will sit on the foundation and seep into the earth and possibly penetrate your basement walls.
3. Foundation Drains: Typically a home has a perforated drain pipe installed adjacent to the footing of your foundation wall. If the drain was not installed properly it could become clogged and ineffective. Its main purpose is to catch water coming down the foundation wall and carry it away from your home, or to a sump pit with a pump. So if it is not doing its job you will have a problem.
4. Clogged Gutters: Your roof catches all the rainwater coming down over your home and diverts it to the gutters. If the gutters are clogged the rainwater will come off the edge of your roof in a sheet and will drive down into the earth adjacent to your foundation. It will be too strong to be carried away by a properly graded home. Make sure you check your gutters during a storm to ensure they are working properly. In addition to flooding, this type of water saturation could erode the earth under your foundation’s footings leading to structural cracking of your foundation wall.
5. Downspout: If the gutter is working well then make sure the downspout is also functioning and installed properly. The downspout should be piped away from your home a minimum of 10 feet from the foundation wall.
6. Pavement: Do you have a paved driveway? Make sure it has not settled by your home’s foundation. If it has it could reverse the water to flow directly against your home’s foundation.
7. Sewer Back-up: We don’t even want to think about this but I think it speaks for itself!
8. Sump Pump Failure: If you have a sump pit in your basement that is equipped with a sump pump make sure it is operating properly. Also, it’s a good idea to have a battery back-up type of pump for those times when the electricity goes out.
9. Underground Utilities: Water supply lines or even a lawn irrigation system could become penetrated and fail to cause water to keep pumping into your foundation wall without you even knowing it until it’s too late.
10. Heavy Rain: Ground saturation is just going to get you if Mother Nature wants it to!
11. Burst Pipe: Maybe sometime during the winter your exterior hose bib froze and you were not even aware of it. Then summer comes and someone goes to grab some water from the hose bib and for some reason you see mold growing in one of your finished rooms in the basement! It’s not until you open the wall and Voilà you discover your copper pipe has been compromised!

Did you know the second leading cause of lung cancer is radon! It could be lurking in your house. It is actually the number one cause if you do not smoke so that puts it at the top of my list. According to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas which is released in rock, soil and water and takes approximately 20,000 lives annually in the U.S. It can build up in your home, whether it is new construction or old. No home is immune to the potential of radon gas exposure. Radon is colorless and odorless, so the only way to know if you have it creeping around your home is to test for it. You can check Consumer Reports for the quality of the different available test kits but in general, they run around $25.00 and long term kits are recommended (they take 90 days). They measure how many picoCuries per liter are in the air (named after French scientists Marie and Pierre Curie). A picoCurie is one trillionth of a curie and if you are interested, a curie equals the radioactivity of one gram of radium. If you find the results to be between 2 and 4 the EPA recommends remediation. The cost of remediation can run close to $2,500.00 but it’s worth it to stay healthy! You really need to test your own home even if your neighbor doesn’t have high levels because radon levels vary greatly.

Morris County is in Radon Zone 1 (the highest potential) and Essex County falls in Zone 2 (moderate potential). There are 3 zones total. Being in Zone 1 indicates the average is greater than 4.0 pCi/L. The national average is only 1.3.

You might be asking why doesn’t the building code take care of this. Well as a matter of fact it does! New Jersey Administrative Code Title 5 Community Affairs Chapter 23 Uniform Construction Code Sub Chapter 10 Radon Hazard Subcode has got you covered. If you look at Appendix 10-A you will find all the municipalities listed as Tier 1. Tier 1 is the threshold for communities required to conform to the code requirements. Also the EPA recommends the RRNC (Radon Resistant New Construction) as a guide. The items addressed in the code are briefly as follows;

Provide a continuous 6 mil. Vapor barrier with 12” overlapped seams under your basement or crawlspace concrete slabs. Under the vapor barrier should be a minimum depth of 4” crushed stone. If you have an interior pipe drain you are required to install a minimum of 3” diameter vent that pipes to the exterior. If you do not have an interior pipe drain you are required to have one 3” minimum solid vent with a “T” fitting placed in sub-slab aggregate. The vertical pipe is required to be run to the exterior.

All joints between slab and foundation walls are to be filled with non-cracking polyurethane or similar calk.

Many people have sump pits and these need to have a cover.

At the top of your foundation, the contractor is required to fill all voids in hollow masonry wall cavities. This is just a general guideline of items required.

As of today, Parsippany is not listed as Tier 1, which requires the above-referenced techniques. However surrounding areas such as Morristown, Morris Plains, Randolph and Roxbury are considered Tier 1. All of Essex County is exempt from these requirements, but it is still a smart practice to put your mind at ease and get your home tested!

This is a sequel to What‘s your Threshold of Pain post.

How many of you like taxes? I would guess most of you do not, but see it as a necessary evil. Did you know that in 1696 England imposed a window tax on its citizens? It did not go over well! Some people decided to brick up some of their windows to either lower their taxes or eliminate them all together. They always assumed they would go back and reglaze them at a later date. Well, they had a long wait because that tax lasted until 1845! The tax system that was put into effect was essentially two parts: a flat tax rate on your house of 2 shillings and then an additional tax for the number of windows exceeding 10. Properties with 10 to 20 windows were subject to a 4 shilling tax and for those fancy properties with over 20 windows, an 8 shilling tax was imposed. It is hard to calculate what that converts to in today’s dollar but I imagine the shilling is valued at less than ten dollars. Despite the fact it was nowhere near what you pay for your residential taxes today; people were angered and considered it a tax on light and air. France had a similar tax that lasted until 1926! Those French are always looking to outdo everyone. There were some exceptions to the tax. All cheese rooms, dairies and milk houses were exempt. I would have labeled my dining room a cheese room and my kitchen a milk house, which should have done the trick! Relabeling and repurposing room names are a topic for a future blog.

Before the tax, windows were a rare sight. Many years prior windows were just openings in an exterior wall and had shutters or animal hides to cover them when it was needed. As time went on translucent animal horns, thinly sliced marble and in the Far East paper was used as a window material. Eventually, Romans developed the glass window pane around the time of the first century. This was when windows, as we are more familiar with today started to evolve.

I hope this gives you a clear understanding as to the title of this blog!

Sorry for the belated greetings but I am still in the month of June! June has been declared American Housing Month by the trade association American Bankers Association(ABA). Let’s enjoy the celebration with some interesting facts about residential living. I have discovered that the U.S. Census Bureau not only performs a census every ten years but creates and carries out over 130 surveys per year. One such survey is the 2015 American Housing Survey. They surveyed approximately 133 million residential units and came up with some of the following facts:

1. The average residential unit size is 1,500 square feet.
2. The median space per occupant is 700 square feet.
3. The following chart shows in thousands how many rooms a residential structure has (these numbers are approximate and do not include non-habitable spaces such as bathrooms and closets):

4. The survey breaks it down a little further if you are interested in how many bathrooms and bedrooms people have (also in thousands)…

5. Did you notice that 1,179,000 units had no bedrooms? That reminds me of when I walked into a client’s house and two kids were sleeping on the living room floor. That was addressed in our renovation solution and I am happy to report these kids now have a room!
6. You can calculate from the tables that in 2006 of all new single family homes constructed, 1.6% had 3 or more bathrooms as compared to 2016 which had a whopping 5%. That’s a 312% increase in toilets! No water conservation going on there. The bathroom seems to be becoming the most important room in the house. Similarly, in that same time period, 4 bedrooms or more in houses increased by 260%. I wonder how big these houses are going to be in another ten years.
7. Curious about the Laundry Room trend in the Northeast? In that same ten year period in new home construction, the laundry rooms have been elevated in status. 156% more laundry rooms are moving up to the second floor! Way to go laundry rooms! I find that almost all of my renovation projects homeowners are very anxious to get that laundry room out of the basement and up to the second floor where all that dirty stuff is being accumulated.

The next time they put out a survey they should check out the use of the master bath spa tub versus the soaking tub. I am a firm believer that the soaking tub is going to win!

If any of these facts fascinate you be sure to go to the U.S. Census Bureau and see what other endless goodies they have.

Once again Happy American Housing Month, be sure to send your favorite house something nice.

Just got back from Iceland and despite its name, it is truly a great source of heat. This little island which is approximately the size of Pennsylvania is formed at the intersection of two tectonic plates, the Eurasian and North American plates. This makes it a geological hot bed for volcanic action and geothermal energy. Because of its limited size and a population of approximately 334,000 people which is about 150,000 fewer people than living in Morris County, NJ they are able to provide 90% of its residents with heat via geothermal energy! Despite the fact that the United States produces the most energy via geothermal energy in the world, it cannot benefit the areas where most of the population lives. This geothermal activity takes place in the west and all the people live in the east.

Not only does Iceland benefit from its supply of geothermal energy it also taps into its tremendous source of water with hydropower.

This country has an endless supply of waterfalls. As you drive around the country it seems like everyone has one in their backyard! In addition to the geothermal and hydropower, they are now tapping into wind as a resource for energy. So if you want to experience a country using 100% renewable energy venture on over to Iceland and see what’s cooking. The funny thing is that heat is probably the best deal in Iceland. Power is about 40% cheaper in Iceland but watch out because everything else is through the roof! A doughnut and a cup of coffee can cost over $7.00!

Did you know that residential structures emit more greenhouse gases than cars? If you combined all building types inclusive of commercial, institutional, industrial and residential you come up with almost 50% of all greenhouse gases emitted! Vehicles which always seem to get the focus of our problems only make up for approximately 10% of all greenhouse gases.

What is a greenhouse gas? It is any gas contributing to the greenhouse effect. Oh, that clears it up! Wait what is the greenhouse effect? It is actually a naturally occurring process that helps warm the earth. Then what is so bad about it? It’s not bad if we were not enhancing the effect. With the abundance of greenhouse gases being emitted, we are causing more heat to be trapped in our atmosphere than would naturally be occurring which in turn is heating up the planet.

So if you live in a home, which I assume everyone reading this does, there are simple things you can do to make an impact. Some of the obvious ones are; buy energy efficient appliances, use less hot water – wash your clothes in warm or cold water rather than hot water, turn up the thermostat in the summer a few degrees and down a few in the winter to use less energy and always turn off the lights, computers and electrical devices when not in use.

You can have a major impact by changing your light bulbs to LED bulbs. According to the EPA, there are about four billion sockets in the United States with old inefficient light bulbs. If they were all changed to LED we could save 1.5 billion dollars annually in energy costs. Not only do we get the cost savings we would prevent 17 billion pounds of annual carbon pollution. On average a car emits 6 tons of carbon pollution per year so that 17 billion is the equivalent of getting rid 1.4 million cars in the United States alone. The government required the lighting industry to make their incandescent bulbs more energy efficient but they still do not come anywhere near the lifespan and efficiency of a CFL (compact fluorescent lighting) or a LED (light-emitting diode). In general, today’s incandescent bulb will last 2,500 hours, but a CFL will last 10,000 hours and LED lasts 25,000 hours! Sounds like a one-time switch to me! So how many people does it take to change a light bulb and make a difference? One and that’s you!

(Image taken & altered from Virginia Tech:

http://www.archdesign.vt.edu/home/images/home-1.jpg )

Ever wonder what it would have been like to have gone to architecture school? It seems like 75% of the time someone asks me what I do, their response is, really? I always thought about being an architect. What did you miss out on? What would that first day of architecture school have been like if you chose that career path? I am sure every school is completely different and each individual experience is unique, so I can only tell you about my personal experience. I attended Virginia Tech which has a rich tradition of problem solving through experimental as well as trial and error methods. You are required to do a lot of internal reflection and independent analysis in seeking your personal architectural expression by creating and inventing your own architectural problem/solution. From the very first day you begin your journey which will continue for five years of school, (five years is how long it takes to acquire a Bachelor of Architecture degree), and then carry on throughout the rest of your professional career. So what is that initial project that gets your senses prepared for this lifelong journey and does it work? The following is my personal experience as well as some memories of my peers who were kind enough to share along with some architecture schools’ professors.

On my first day all the first year architecture students are sitting at long rows of tables on stools waiting for the professor to walk in. No one has any idea what to expect. The professor finally walks in late, (I think it was intentional to build up the suspense) and hands everyone a single sheet of a heavy stock paper approximately 18 inches by 24 inches and some balsa wood sticks. We were instructed to create beautiful curves only using those two items. We all looked at each other wondering what is going on. But who were we to question such a request, so we all started manipulating the paper about the stick to create our beautiful curves.

What makes a curve beautiful? In my opinion, all curves are beautiful. Once we completed the task we had to take out our sketch books and draw the beautiful curves and then the negative space the curves formed. This was the warm up exercise to get us ready for the next critical step. We were instructed to go outside and find ourselves a nice twig (not too big) lying about on campus. Once we had the twig we had to rotate it and draw the space formed as we rotated the twig, not the twig the actual volume of space formed. The next step was to make it three dimensional with limiting your model to two sources and no glue. Quite a few people took a beating from the professor on the dimensionality of their model. Until this day I am unclear on the aspect of their criticism. Maybe they just wanted to belittle people.

That first day had an incredible influence on me because it unlocked my perception of common items and my understanding of them in different ways. The exercise gave me another dimension of appreciation for an object and how it impacts its surroundings. How did the light affect the space via highlights and shadows? What spaces did solids create? Negatives and positives coming together. Spatial relationships and how can I make a connection without any bonding agent. I think about that simple twig until this day. So for me, my introduction to architecture via the design studio was quite impactful.

Peers and professors memories:

For my friends who went to other schools the following is what they could remember;

I drew my hand.

I did a technical drawing of an exacto knife.

I created a guest house for an existing modernist house.

Our professor had us design a “regeneration unit” another term for a bathroom an exercise in rethinking a common place.

The prompt was when is a box not a box… we had three days to respond.

Had to drop my keys on my desk and explore the patterns.

We took a piece of famous art and made a square, rectilinear representation of it.  Then, from that, we developed a 3-d representation, in the form of a cube.

We had to read Louis Kahn’s “Between Silence and Light” then go out and photographically capture concepts within the book such as Order, Joy, Touch, Site, Wonder et al. (Grad School)

We were required to do sketches of everyday objects (10 a day) for about a week. Then chose one sketch, abstract it, and create a 3D model of the abstraction. I made a “beautiful” abstract 20oz coke bottle out of cardboard.

We had to walk for an hour through town sketching as we walked never letting the pencil leave the paper.

We were given a sheet of paper and instructed to create depth by scoring, cutting or folding.

We were asked to create a model of an object whose “differential was the resultant of a tetrahedron.”

We were called over to a large work table; the professor placed a sweet onion on it. With a grin the professor said something to the effect of, “I’ll be back in 20 minutes and we will discuss the onion and how it can teach you about architecture.”

A bag full of unshelled peanuts was emptied from a sack and then asked “what are these?”

We had to take 10 strips of paper approximately 1” x 18” each and a box of paper clips and construct a tower. No other items could be used.

We had to create a single unit into many and that many would become a new unit.

Professor walk into studio presents a box of computer cards and a bundle of piano wire and tells us to make something architectural

We created a sloped and a flat platform out of chipboard and then with just toothpicks and glue we had to create structures to support bricks.

Take a simple object and make it complex… I turned in a crumpled up piece of paper.

We were handed a hunk of heavy gage copper wire and instructed to make something beautiful.

We give a very complex multiple day project involving the manipulating of two 4”x4” cubes and their intersections to create one object. The assignment involves a two dimension (cruciform) pattern which is to be folded creating a transformation from the abstract to the concrete. Three terms considered are: superposition, twinning and interpenetration.

Students get into small groups of 5-6, and on a large piece of paper (6’ square) draw a series of concentric, freehand circles. One student begins by drawing a circle in graphite, about the size of a fist. The next student attempts to correct the imperfections in that circle by drawing one around it, also in graphite (1” bar of soft graphite). They continue on this way for a few days until the circle is about 4-5 ft. in diameter. We discuss the idea of circle, of what makes a circle, and the tension between the relative and absolute, between the idea of a thing and the forces acting on something coming into the physical world. The project is simple in that everyone knows a circle, but most haven’t spent much time thinking about them. In just a few days, large questions about the role of media, tools, drawing, ideas, geometry, history, and context have been introduced, and these are returned to throughout the year.

Design a model of visual opposites. “Begin”!!!!

We were given a Pink Pearl Eraser and sheet of sand paper. I proudly carved mine into what resembled a F-1 race car. He picked it up, laughed, and said I should consider industrial design instead of architecture. Then he announced to the studio not to do what I had done, gave me a new one, told me to start over and try harder not to make it not to replicate other objects. He also instructed me to switch from my dominant right hand to my left…

Assignment: do five translations of your hand.

We were all given an add/drop form. You know, the forms to add and drop classes from your schedule for the semester. We were asked to build a model from this form, or was it in response to this form, without using any glue or tape. If we were unable to do this, then we could fill out the form and leave.

We were either given, or told to go out and get, a bar of soap and a nail. We were told to make something for our hand.

First project was to show the difference between positive and negative, but you could not ask any questions of anyone.

We were left alone with a white onion for three hours and told to write about it.

Conclusion:

So if you thought you were going to walk in on your first day and start designing buildings you would have been sadly mistaken, but the journey they take you on to get there is magical!

With summer approaching a lot of outdoor time is about to overtake our lives. Whether you are going to the beach, lake, mountains or just hanging in your backyard, you want to be outside enjoying the elements! But when you are home how can you seek relief from the brutal heat on those blazing sun filled days. Well, it will depend on your home’s orientation. My rear yard happens to face south, which means I have the hot sun cooking my deck all day long! Despite the fact I have a light colored deck with the belief this would have reflected the heat as opposed to a dark colored deck absorbing the heat it just is not the case! My deck gets so hot I truly believe I could fry an egg on it on those scorching days. So how am I still able to enjoy my deck? I had considered a retractable awning since those commercials make them look so great and everyone is enjoying a nice piña colada in the shade. However, when you actually take a look at the sun path for New Jersey it is never directly overhead. However, if you are in Florida it is pretty close to directly overhead! In New Jersey, the sun reaches a peak angle of about 72 degrees on June 21 (the summer solstice) and then in spring and fall, we are down to 49 degrees. So let’s say you purchase a retractable awning that projects out ten feet, at peak time in the summer you will get at most five feet of shade on your deck and when we get closer to the brutal month of august you are practically getting no shade! It does shade the exterior wall of your home so you will benefit on the inside, but don’t you want to be outside sipping that piña colada?

So what other options do you have? If you are lucky enough to have some very mature trees in the backyard they will definitely provide some relief giving you shade throughout the day as long as they are tall enough (plant early!). Another option would be to build yourself a large gazebo with a fan. The gazebo should be constructed away from your exterior wall so you can take advantage of the shade it provides throughout the day. The shade will be moving but so can you without the restraint of your home’s exterior wall! If you do not have the funds to take on this structure you can buy a temporary gazebo at a big box store and assemble it at home with quite a bit of ease. But if you want to enjoy your outdoor living in a permanent style think about building a deck with a gazebo! It will give you enjoyment throughout the years. You can go out in a rainstorm in the morning and enjoy a cup of coffee as you read the paper and then later have some of your peeps over, fire up your blender and enjoy!

According to an article written in Applied Ergonomics titled “Stairways risers and treads: acceptable and preferred dimensions”, it was discovered that the ideal riser was in fact 7.2 inches and a tread depth of 11 inches (or 12 inches). There are many rules out there to guide you in creating your treads and risers and they all seem to conflict with each other just a bit. Back in the late 1600’s Nicolas-Francois Blondel also known as “The Great Blondel” and French architect determined the ideal stair would follow the equation of 2xR + T = step length. It was determined that average step length, according to Arizona State University Extension, was 30 inches for a man and 26.4 inches for a woman. Sounds like we need his and her stairs! In 1675 this equation, created by The Great Blondel, was approved by the Royal Academy of Architecture (I am not a member because it is has been defunct for over 200 years). The Academy was a leader of influencing architectural theory and education back in the day. They determined 2R + T = 2 Paris feet was the appropriate proportion. Here we go again some strange measurement that was not covered in my previous blog “Do You Measure Up”. A “Paris Foot” going back to the Carolingian system of measurement is based on the “royal foot” coming in at approximately (in today’s measurements) 1.066 feet. Therefore according to this formula, the end product should be a touch over 25 ½ inches! So approximately 315 years later this equation still holds up. I wonder how much money and time they spent on the Applied Ergonomic study.

A stairway is a common place for injury for young and old alike. So if these are the ideal ratios, why does the IRC NJ Edition only require a maximum riser height and a minimum tread depth? According to Section R311.7.5 Stairs treads and risers, a riser can be a maximum of 8 ¼ inches and a tread depth shall not be less than 9 inches. These dimensions ironically fall pretty close to the ratio, however, the code does not maintain any requirement as such. So a riser could 8 inches and a tread 12” and bam we are not even close! I believe many states have adopted ratios and lower maximum riser dimensions; however, this is not the case for NJ. What about that 8 1/4 inch number? That is quite odd. Well, I believe the builders once again dictated the code back in the day so they could get away with just 12 risers in a house with 8 foot ceilings. However the houses I work on today rarely have 8 foot ceilings, they have grown to 9 and 10 feet. Maybe it’s time for New Jersey to add a little more safety into their residential code. Sounds like the convenience of “7-Eleven” is not so convenient!

This seems to be a topic on many peoples’ minds… what direction does your house face? When buying a home you typically do not get to choose if the front of your house gets southern or northern exposure. You generally look for a house available in a particular town, neighborhood or near a desirable school. Many times the orientation of your home is not even considered. You walk through and look at all the possibilities of your potential purchase and you may just not even think that the driveway on the north face of your house in the winter is going to be a continuous sheet of ice or the southern exposure deck is going to be so hot in the summer with the sun blazing down on it. Some cultures, on the other hand, are very in tune with their homes orientation.

The Chinese philosophical system of Feng Shui places emphasis on energy based on living in China. This system places emphasis on positioning your front door on the south or southeast side of your home. The reasoning is because in China the north side is where sand and cold winds of Mongolia come from. In contrast, Vastu Shastra, a Hindu system of architecture, believes the front entry should be on the north face, the source of the magnetic field or the east face where you receive the good energy from the sun! The north face will draw in positive energy into the mouth, the front door, of your home. I don’t think you want to know about your home if that front door is facing southwest! Well, it happens to be the gateway for the devil bringing struggles and misfortune. Is this is your home? Don’t worry, Amazon has items to keep you safe!

What’s the ideal orientation for your home in New Jersey? I guess it depends on your preferences and how you lay out your home. If you live mostly in the back of your home and you like lots of daylight, then the back should be facing south. Do you like getting up at the crack of dawn by the morning sun? Then put your bedroom windows on the east side. Do you paint and you want a nice even light in your art studio then definitely go with the north side with large windows. Each room in your house has a unique function and uses the natural light in different ways.

In addition to the sun, you may want to consider where the prevailing winds come from to take advantage of a nice breeze through your home.

If you are looking for energy savings, then most likely you are going to want plenty of glass on the south side to absorb rays of sun throughout the cold winter days and provide a decent overhang to avoid the summer sun. That’s called passive solar! Here is a great link to more information on orientation from down under: http://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/orientation.

There are many things to consider when it comes to orientation; I guess that’s why it’s in the news so much.

As I sit here with a bandage on my pinky toe, I realize my threshold of pain is the transition from my master bedroom to my master bath. That’s right the marble threshold between floor finishes. Why do we have those pesky thresholds also know as saddles? There are multiple reasons. They are a transition from one-floor finish to another, they protect your interior from the exterior elements, but the main reason you have one typically between the bathroom and adjacent room is that the tile in your bathroom needs a firm substrate to prevent cracking. To get that firm substrate a tile layer will install a mortar bed which is referred to as a thick-bed installation or thick-set installation. The mortar bed aids in leveling out the existing sub-floor. It reinforces the subfloor that could be subject to vibration, allows for radiant flooring if this is your chosen form of comfort as well as enables the floor to be sloped if for some reason you require a drain in your floor. So in creating this full bed, it raises up the floor from the adjacent floor finish creating the need for a transition. The tile could not just end without the threshold because not only does the threshold create the transition it protects the tile edge which is not as durable as the marble slab.

Sometimes you will see a tile layer install on a thin-set which is a more economical method of installing the tile, however, you will not benefit from the soundness of a full bed and possibly you will regret it later down the road when the tile cracks.

What else do we know about the threshold? Well, they have been using them for a long time! There is history of them going back to the time of King Solomon’s Temple, which is over 2,500 years ago! It was noted that the temple had thresholds 6 cubits wide. Go back to my blog “Do You Measure up” to discover how big that is.

Different cultures look at the doorsill in terms of symbolism. For example, the Chinese believe the sill creates a boundary between one’s property and the outside world. They also view the sill as a symbol of status. The higher your class the higher your sill height. I guess if you are physically challenged and rich you are going to have a tough time getting into your home. In the USA we have the Americans with Disabilities Act and New Jersey conforms to their own barrier free code. Of course, this does not apply to residential but the IRC does have a restriction regarding the threshold Section R311.3.1.

The threshold even inspires traditions and superstitions. We all know the groom carrying the bride over the threshold. I’ve read a couple of reasons for this, one is to bring good luck and keep away evil spirits and the other is actually the groom forcing the bride into the home to take her virginity giving the illusion that she is not too anxious. Russian and Polish cultures have similar superstitions of not greeting a visitor at the threshold and Romans always made sure to cross the threshold with their left foot.

So next time you walk through a doorway take notice of what is underfoot!

Friedrich Froebel invented the word kindergarten (garden for the children) and he also created “Froebel Gifts”. We all know about kindergarten since we have all gone there, but who knows about the Froebel Gifts? I would say most architects know! Frank Lloyd Wright received this influential toy from his mother who purchased the toy at the 1876 World’s Fair in Philadelphia. It influenced his entire future. So what is it? They are a series of the first educational toys that were created to educate kindergartners. The influential “gift” on Frank would have been the building blocks, but other toys consisted of yarn and colorful elements. Frank was not the only one influenced by Froebel; Buckminster Fuller, the founder of the geodesic dome, also spent his fair share of playtime with the blocks. And guess what? It was not limited to architects, artists Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky managed to find pleasure in making their own creations. Albert Einstein got his kicks from an offshoot of the Froebel blocks that were created out of faux stone.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s son, John Lloyd, felt that by 1916 it was time for something new. After being influenced by one of his pop’s designs, The Imperial Hotel, he created Lincoln Logs. How many of you people had Lincoln Logs? I did, and loved them! This was before I had any idea what an architect was.

When you were in kindergarten do you remember those giant building blocks that were arches and rectangles and ramps? Well, those were influenced by Froebel as well. They are Pratt Unit Blocks, created by whom else… Caroline Pratt! Another influential teacher was Patty Hill who created… you guessed it the Patty Hill Blocks! Much larger blocks, making it a two child job to manipulate them. Not only did Patty create these block, she is the founder of the modern-day kindergarten. But her biggest achievement was co-composing with her sister the tune to “Happy Birthday to You”!

Many variations on these toys have followed throughout the years introducing colors and shapes. Some of the unique ones are Meccano (mechanical model building set) 1901, Tinker Toys (inspired by watching kids play with pencils and spools) 1914, and the Erector Set (metal construction) 1913. The most recent entry is the Lego 1949. The Lego has even inspired a New Jersey Architect to create an entire program of influencing young as well as old people to create structures on a grand scale. In addition, a new Legoland Discovery Center opened in the Philadelphia area just this past month! Planning my trip!

I have to admit I still love playing with blocks if the opportunity arises. I have my own arsenal of wood blocks and toys. My favorites are my Swiss made Naef toys purchased in Switzerland back in 1982. I keep them hidden so my girls don’t play with them! I hope my wife is not reading this.

Play on!

We all go through them every day but have you ever thought about them? Doors are a welcoming element to your home and maybe one of the most important elements. A red door in the past was a symbol for a safe stop for travelers. If you go back over 3,450 years ago and your doorpost and lintel had red blood painted on it, you were spared a heinous event which corresponds to a celebration taking place this week (Passover). It seems many of us think a doorway is the safest place during an earthquake, but disappointingly it’s not.

It seems people always had doorways, even the opening to a cave would be considered a doorway! Today’s doors swing (some swing in two directions that’s a Mead door), slide, pivot, rotate, fold, and even go up and over. Sounds like a great exercise routine. The door provides an introduction to one’s home. It can provide light and ventilation. It is also there for protection from the elements and people you want to keep out.

Your front door can make a statement about your home through color. Feng Shui has recommendations for the color of your front door depending on your home’s orientation. For example, a north facing front door should be blue, black, white or grey and never green, brown, yellow, red, purple, orange, and deep pink. So I guess if your home faces north you will not be welcoming any travelers into your home! Psychology studies link the color of your door to your personality so if you have an orange colored door you are considered a social butterfly whereas if you have a grey colored door you are indecisive (you could not choose between black or white). I think the facade of your home should be a balanced palette and the door just being one element that harmonizes with all the other finishes which include your home’s exterior siding/brick/stone/stucco, windows, trim work, roofing shingles, gutters etc.

What does the code have to say about the front door? It requires the door to resist wind loads; they are required to be a certain width to provide clear egress passage as well a minimum height. They also need to be insulated to conform to Energy Code standards. They are required to be side hinged and easily opened from the interior without a key. In addition, they require testing by independently approved laboratories to ensure the safety standards are met.

Exterior doors today are typically made from wood, fiberglass or steel. Wood is usually the most expensive and the most maintenance. Steel being an economical choice but be sure to get a 22 gauge door rather than an economic 24 gauge. It will hold up much better. Fiberglass is a great option for low maintenance and you can get a wood grain finish to mimic the wood door. Whichever you choose make sure you make a statement about who is behind that door!

What is that stuff in my walls that has brown paper on it? That is fiberglass batt insulation. The brown kraft paper is a vital part of it. It creates a vapor retarder. The vapor retarder helps reduce water vapor transferring from the interior of your home (the warm side) to the exterior (the cold side) where moisture could build up and create havoc in your home. There is debate as to its functionality but it is required as per International Residential Code 2015 NJ Edition Section R702.7 Vapor retarders.

Insulation has a history going back to ancient Egyptian days when mud bricks were used to control interior temperatures. The insulation in your walls today, the pink stuff (most common color), is just that, insulation and is classified by R-value. It is composed of resin and very fine glass woven strands. It is a material to resist heat flow and in simplistic terms the bigger the number the better the insulating power. It used to be enough to have a 2×4 stud wall exterior and fill it solid with R-13 batt insulation; however, with the International Energy Code in effect, it is not possible anymore to have such an exterior wall for your home. New Jersey switched to the IECC back in 2007 and has adopted updates along the way. If you build with 2×4’s you will be required to also wrap the exterior with a continuous rigid insulation (with a value of R-5) or you can go with a 2×6 exterior wall and get R-19 or R-21 batt insulation and be able to conform to the governing code requirements without wrapping the outside. There are many other factors that impact these numbers but as a baseline, this is a good rule of thumb. The US Department of Energy notified New Jersey that by the year 2030 due to this and other techniques will save nearly $195 million annually in energy costs.

You may ask yourself how much R-value my winter coat has. Well, clothing has a different method of calculating warmth. The clothing industry uses the “clo” unit of measurement for warmth. This standard is based upon the insulation required to keep a resting person warm in a windless room at 70°F which is equal to one clo (the value of 0 clo equals being naked!). Guess what? You can convert “clo” units into R-value by multiplying by .88. To keep yourself warm outside on a cold winter day you typically layer your clothes and if you are sporting about a 4 in clo you are probably warm.

I am glad spring is here!

Why do I have to vent my attic? Well for one reason it is required by code, but the reason for the code is to yield the benefits that come with venting. In the cold months it allows your home to maintain a cold roof temperature helping avoid ice dam from occurring. An ice dam is a ridge of ice that is created at the edge of a roof and prevents melting snow (water) from draining off the roof edge. The water that collects and backs up behind the dam can infiltrate into a home and cause damage to walls, ceilings, insulation, and surrounding areas. In the warm months venting helps alleviate heat build-up in your attic, lowering your cooling requirements for your home which lowers your energy costs. Other benefits include prevention against mold and rot.

IRC 2015 New Jersey Edition Section 806 describes requirements to vent your unconditioned attic. Unconditioned is the key word in this article. Unconditioned is when the attic is insulated in the floor (just above your ceiling). Typically you will have a kraft paper faced batt insulation installed above your ceiling. The kraft paper is considered a Type II vapor barrier which will allow you to vent your attic based on the ratio of 1/300. This ratio refers to the square footage of your attic which is the determining factor in calculating your ventilation requirements. Let’s say your home’s roof footprint is 35 feet by 60 feet, therefore the total square footage is 2,100 square feet. You take this area and divide by 300 which equals 7 square feet. You have to keep going because ventilation free area is based on square inches. Seven square feet is multiplied by 144 (the factor used to convert to s.i.) to give you 1,008 square inches. Am I done yet? Not quite but we are getting there. When the air comes into your attic it needs to leave and the best way to do this is to allow air to flow into your eaves and out the top via a ridge vent or vents on the roof close to the top. Should you just split it up half and half? Studies have shown that you actually want to pressurize your attic and to do so the ideal method is to create 60% venting in the eaves and 40% at the ridge. So 1008 x 60% = 605 square inches of free area in eaves and 1008 x 40% = 403 square inches up top! It is also important; to determine how much free area the vent specified has, to make sure your venting is working appropriately. Also make sure all penetrations in your ceiling are sealed up tight to avoid any air leakage. Penetration could be recessed light fixtures and air grilles.

Now you know!

United States of America, Liberia and Myanmar – what do these three countries have in common? If you guessed that they all use imperial measurements you are 100% correct. What is imperial measurement? That is feet and inches. Everyone else uses the metric system. Where did these strange forms of measurement come from? Way back when, body parts were the way people measured… a man’s foot length, finger width, the king’s pinky knuckle (which equaled an inch) and his stride were all accepted forms of measurement. Recently I was listening to a reading regarding the building of a holy structure and the measurements were in cubits. A cubit is approximately 18 inches in length and comes from the distance of a man’s fingertip to his elbow (cubitum is Latin for forearm). If they used my fingertip and elbow they would have had a much bigger structure! I’m coming in at over 19”. Other units used in ancient times where the foot-hand, which converts to 4 inches. I would imagine this comes from the width of the hand. If so I’m perfect.

In the United States we use the United States Customary System (USCS) and the following is a review of how some of these units relate to the world of architecture and construction.

In architecture we use a variety of measurement terms; the most used of course are feet and inches. However as you delve further into a set of construction documents you are going to find an array of terms. Let’s start out with the site plan. Your property is based on an acre which is equivalent to 43,560 square feet. Well, that is such an unusual amount to you and me but it comes from early farming days and was the equivalent of the amount of land one man and one horse could plow in a day. If we look even closer into this number we discover the dimension is based on an area of one chain by ten chains. What? What’s a “chain”? A “chain is a system of measurement that gets broken down even further into links! One link equals 7.92 inches (that’s a lot of king’s pinky knuckles!). And for those into horseracing 10 chains equals a furlong. The chain was a popular method of taking land measurements going back to the early 1600’s. Another method is the rod unit in which an acre is equal to 40 rods by 4 rods.

Now let’s move to our architectural framing plans and details where we see items like 2×4’s, 2×6’s etc. Does this mean the framing member is actually 2 inches by 4 inches? No it does not but at one time in its life that 2×4, for example, was 2 inches by 4 inches but then it went through a drying process and became approximately 1 ½” x 3 ½” hence we came up with a nominal system. The nominal system is commonly found in wood and masonry products. Dive a little further into the framing and you may see the nomenclature “d” on some nails. D comes from a roman penny which is a denarius and a 2d (or 2 penny) nail is equivalent to an inch long nail. Each 1d increase will add another ¼” to the nail length.

Now take a look at the building elevations and you see some fiberglass shingles for your roofing material that may be called out by its length of warranty perhaps 30 year but the contractor is going to have to figure out how many squares he will need. A square is the amount required to cover one hundred square feet. At the roof edge you might see the gutters or fascia indicated by gauge. Gauge is a unit of measure used for sheet metal and is determined by an average weight per square foot per inch! The funny thing about gauge is the bigger the number the thinner the metal. Do you think this is what Mies van der Rohe meant by “less is more”.

The U.S. has discussed many times about converting to metric which would be so much easier in terms of calculating since everything is based on units of 10 but the impact would be monumental. I love the eclectic nature of the imperial system and being in the second half of my career I hope it does not happen during my time!

If you enjoyed these interesting facts you might enjoy this wonderful site dealing with all things math! Check it out: Abakcus

Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library. (1935 – 1945). Federal Housing Administration – Houses – Construction – Group looks at plan at construction site Retrieved from http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/5e66b3e8-85c9-d471-e040-e00a180654d7

Recently I received a lead from Homeadvisor and initiated the process by reaching out to the potential client. We scheduled a time for me to come to the home of the proposed project. All I knew about the project was the location and description I received:

Project Description:

Design – Create architectural drawings

I thought since the project was so close to my office I should respond… Prior to my visit the homeowner decided to share some drawings with me. I initially believed he was going to share his ideas and sketches. However it turned out to be Construction Documents of an addition at the proposed property. I contacted the homeowner to discuss his actual needs since these documents were completed within the last month. It raised my suspicion as to what this person actually needed. It turned out that he was looking for a builder, mystery solved!

After hearing this I decided to take a look at the drawings he had sent for his addition. What architect doesn’t like to look at someone else’s work? Well it was quite shocking to see the quality of work and realized how some architects are able to provide potential clients with incredibly low fees. The drawings referenced outdated codes, had details that had nothing to do with the project, structural members were not coordinated between plans and details, proposed concrete footing was not dimensioned to the correct depth below grade for the project location, insulation specified was inadequate to conform with the current energy code, and the list went on and on. I felt an obligation to let the homeowner know what I saw within just a 5 minute review of his documents. Most likely the local Construction Official will catch all these errors and notify the general contractor to have the architect correct or clarify. The problem will be that the general contractor gave you a price on the documents you originally presented to him, so guess what? That’s right he will end up charging you more. In renovation work there is always a factor of unknowns, especially hidden conditions within walls or below grade such as the size of your existing footings. These extras are sometimes unavoidable however a bad set of documents is avoidable! If you are considering a few architects in your search and one’s fee is much lower, maybe you should request a sample of each architect’s work to get an idea of the quality of drawings they will be providing to you. In your review take into consideration the following: do the documents seem to be complete, are references on the drawings accurate, does one architect show more detail than the other? A homeowner is not necessarily going to know what is missing but I believe you will notice a quality difference in documents. Quality is a priority at AGA so if you are considering a renovation project please reach out and see how AGA can help.

                                                                                                                                                                                              image courtesy freeimages.com

1. How much will it cost to design an addition?

I would say 75% of potential clients call and ask this. Every job is unique so it is impossible to quote a fee without seeing the property and meeting the client. It is important for an Architect to visit the physical property to acquire an idea of the scope of services required to complete the project. It is also an opportunity to discuss the project with the potential client and discover how focused they are on what they want. After this initial visit I can determine a fee.

2. Do you work on small jobs?

The simple answer is yes! Whether it is as small as roof rafter damaged by a tree falling on it or a two foot addition to create a larger kitchen (I have done both of these), I have happily accepted these jobs. I enjoy meeting new people and helping them to solve their problems.

3. What is your design process?

It is typically a four step process:

1) Initial consult: to gain an understanding of the project.

2) Survey: measuring your home to generate accurate drawings to use as a base to create designs

3) Schematic Design/Design Development: this is the actual designing portion of determining the layout and sizes of spaces and what your home will look like on the outside. Some firms break this down into two separate phases however given the scope of services I combine them, streamlining the process.

4) Construction Documents: The production of the drawings your general contractor will use to secure a building permit and construct your project from.

4. What style of architecture do you do?

I am not bound by any “style” but if you had to pin me down I would say contextual, which to me means I want to work with physical properties of the surrounding architecture and compliment it whether that be heights, openings, angles, lines etc. I will use those items to influence the end product.

5. How long will it take to get a set of drawings?

That is a very tricky question! Some people know right up front exactly what they want and do not waiver in their commitment to a design. In these rare instances the design process is very quick however this is generally not the case. Once we start to look at spaces and options new thoughts are generated as the plan evolves. This can take a week, weeks or months depending on how often you change your mind. Obviously my goal is not to take more than a few weeks by discussing your desires up front and getting a solid handle on what you expect. After the design has been finalized the Construction Documents generally take 3 to 6 weeks depending on the scope of the project.

6. Will I be working directly with an Architect or some draftsman in your office?

I am a sole practitioner so you will only be working with me throughout the process. You will be getting over 30 years of architectural experience in your project as opposed to a large firm where your project may just be handed down to an intern or young professional.

7. I want to design a new kitchen can you help me?

Kitchens are very specialized and I would recommend you go to a kitchen designer; however that does not mean I cannot help you in other ways. If you are thinking of reconfiguring your floor plan by opening walls or moving the kitchen or adding on, this is where I can help discuss space planning and provide final documents to get your permits. So if it is more than just replacing cabinets give me a call.

8. How are you able to be so economical?

There are different methods of creating a set of construction documents to get your project built. I have found over the years that not everyone wants to spend 10% of the construction cost on architectural fees to get a full set of documents and specifications (this fee includes a very detailed set of documents which detail down to how many hinges each door should have as well as construction administration). This is why my business model is based on creating what is called a builder’s set which is a minimum set required to get you out of the ground. This takes some additional effort on the owner’s part to communicate with the Contractor as to what he shall be providing. This method does not sacrifice anything in the designing of your project. Each project is unique and treated as such taking as much time as needed to create your vision.

9. Will I have a say in my design?

Absolutely! I believe in a team approach. It’s your home and you know what works for you best. I will bring my expertise to the table by interpreting your thoughts into what I think makes the most sense and is aesthetically pleasing and hope that my experience is a valued asset in the process. But ultimately I will respect each client’s personal desires if they do not correspond with my thoughts.

10. When can you start?

After the initial consult and review of my proposal… I require a signed proposal along with a retainer. Then I set up a date to survey your home, typically within one week, in order to get started. Once the survey is completed I get to work on the initial designs for you to review. This characteristically initiates additional ideas or questions in designing your home.

   Image courtesy stocksnap.io

Time
Take your time, do not rush into your decision making, it will cost more later to change your mind.

Selection
Prior to hiring an Architect, have them come to your home to discuss your renovation plans. Find out how the Architect works and discover how his process will make your visions a reality. Make sure you are comfortable with the architect and sense a trust that he will work hard to make your renovation successful.

Observe
Keep a mental or physical notebook documenting features you like around you, whether at a friend’s home, magazine or on the web. Be prepared to share this with the Architect so he understands your tastes and is able to reinterpret them into your project. (more…)