Home Building 101 Where To Start

O.K. – You Are Building a Home.

Now What?

Summary:

Resale Matters

Find a Good Builder

Be There!

Another Delay?!!

Know Your Budget

Understanding Home Building is very important prior to starting your new home building process.

You Are Building a Home.

Now What?

Resale Matters

No matter how long you intend to stay in the house you build, it will have to be sold at some point. Avoid building strictly for your own needs. A one or two bedroom house with one bathroom may be perfect for you, but it will be almost impossible to sell.

Build the Right Size Home for the Neighborhood.

Find a Good Builder

When building a house, quality is usually more important than quantity. Finding a Contractor who may take a little while longer than others to build your home because of a focus on quality and understanding your needs may be in your best interest.

Be There!

During construction a lot happens in a short amount of time. This is the most visible during the framing stage. Catching mistakes early saves a lot of extra work later.

Another Delay?!!

Building a house is a complicated project and utilizes dozens of subcontractors, workers and suppliers. Delays can and most likely will happen. This will back up your entire process. A delay in the framing stage stops your home building project: HVAC technicians, electricians, plumbers, drywall hangers and finishers as well as the finish crew are all not able to do their work until the framing is completed. It is best to forget locking in your move in date. Often it is weeks later.

Know Your Budget

When building a house you are given allowances.

Hardware, Cabinets, flooring (carpeting, vinyl, tile), light fixtures, plumbing fixtures, etc may be included in your personal spending allowances. Make certain that you can actually get the materials you want within the allowance amount allotted to you. If Your Appliance allowance is 00 and the fixtures you want are 00 you have ,500 that you will need to come up with. If you upgrade on your countertop selection you may run into the same scenario.

Understanding the Home Building Process is very important prior to engaging in your new home building process.

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o Build a New 10′x20′ Deck

1 Determine if the Deck Size Blends Your Home

Refer to our deck planning article to size your deck correctly. Use a deck plan approved in your area or have a building designer or architect to design your deck.

2 Who will Build the Deck?

Do you have the skills needed for the deck construction or will you contact a contractor for this project? If you choose a contractor working with a quality deck builder is recommended. Ask for a list of references. Your deck builder may take care of the below requirements and your job is over after you select a builder. If you are building the deck continue to read.

3 Contact Your Local Building Inspector

Most areas require building permits for deck construction so be sure to review requirements with your local building inspector. You may need your plot/site plan with the new deck design drawn onto the plan.

Apply for the required building permits. You may also be required to submit a deck building material list to the inspector.

4 Deck Building Materials

To ensure an accurate material list for your area and also obtain the best possible pricing consider contacting three local building material suppliers or lumberyards for your deck pricing. Note the height above ground for your new deck as this will change the stairway materials and your post length. We live in Michigan and build our decks with 12″ – 16″ footings 42″ below grade. With the 20′ wide deck three posts may be sufficient although four posts will keep the spacing under 8′ which may be required for two story decks. You may need to update your post and stairway materials.

Note: Use good quality treated or equivalent materials.

4 8′ 4×6 Support Posts

6 12″ Concrete Foundation Cookies (Two for Bottom of Stairway)

4 Bags of Concrete Gravel Mix

24′ J Channel matching the home siding color

24′ Deck Z Flashing

24′ Deck Waterproofing/ Termite Shield

21 10′ 2×10 or equivalent Deck and Rim Joists

60′ 2×12 Double support beam and stairway stringers

440′ 5/4 Decking Materials

40′ Decking Materials for Stairway

Decking Fasteners

12 5/8″ x 8″ Carriage Bolts for Beam

30 Lag ***** Fasteners to fasten rim joist to the home

2 Corner Support Brackets

16 Exterior Grade 2×10/ Equivalent Joist Hangers

5 4×4x8 Posts – Handrail Supports

36′ Hand-railing

8′ Stairway handrail (May flex pending on your height above grade)

Grass seed or landscaping plantings to repair around your support posts.

5 Deck Footing & Foundation

There are various deck footing options. The most common method in the northern country here in Michigan is the post and beam method. We keep our beam 16″ from the front of the deck and our side posts 16″ in from the left and right deck edges. With the 10′ deep deck the measurement to the center of the deck footing is 100″. Dig and place the two outside footings 42″ below grade with concrete mix placed under the footings. Set and brace the two support posts and then run a string line to set the additional intermediate posts. An good alternative option is to install temporary supports and place your footing and support posts after your deck frame is constructed.

6 Attach Your 2×10 Rim Joists To the Home

Cut away the siding where your deck will be attached. Place ice guard or termite shield behind the area where the rim joist will be attached. Cutting the siding 1 1/2″ above the rim joist will leave a 1/2″ recommended gap with 1″ decking material. Install your J channel at this point.

7 Build the Deck Frame

With a single rim joist on each end your joists will be cut to a 117″ length. Level and attach the two outside joists with an L metal hanger. Be sure to square the outside corners. Then install and support the intermediate joists with joist hangers.

8 Install the Decking Boards

Install the decking leaving around a 1/8″ gap between the deck boards. If the material is treated and is very wet the boards may be installed tight as they will dry leaving a sufficient gap. Be sure the frame is installed square prior to installing the decking.

9 Construct your Staircase

10 Install the Railing Support Posts and Railing

Remember: Check with your building inspector about required inspections. They may require a footing inspection prior to back-fill of soil.

Tip: To help settle the soil around the posts consider using a garden hose after compaction. When the soil is completely settled add grass seed or decorative landscaping to complete a finishing touch to your new deck.

Home Building 101: Building Like a Woodsman

Log Cabin Homes

Log Cabin Homes are generally sought after for their rustic appeal. The raw material blends in with natureâ??s landscape and gives a feeling of being one with your surroundings. The great outdoors are the main inspiration for the overall design of log home plans.

To truly capture the connection between nature and your log home, your plan will need a few key features.

A Log Home Floor Plan may have what you need to create your natural environment.

Designers follow these guideline:

Key 1: Blendation

Your land is a valuable asset and should be enjoyed by your family and friends. To take full advantage of your very own outdoor home, create a blendation between your house and your lot. A covered wrap-around porch is a great example of this. Patios are great as well, and plenty of windows help.

Key 2: Lighting

The sun is the most abundant resource we have, and the best way to light your home. Take advantage of this resource with large windows. Wrap-around porches are nice, still they create shade. Place windows above these porches to distribute and light up your house. Dormers are great for this. Skylights are also a great feature to include whenever convenient.

Key 3: Plan Openness

A tight floor plan makes you feel like you are a bird in a cage inside without an escape. An open area lets you be indoors without this feeling of being closed in. High ceilings help accomplish this open effect. Make your kitchen a centerpiece with a beautiful open home plan design and plenty of storage space. The open home plan lets people be together, improves air circulation, and creates a friendly atmosphere.

Key 4: Enjoyment

Log house plans and cabins should be large and roomy enough for enjoyment. Open rooms should allow a social ambiance that extends beyond the walls to the great outdoors and the exterior porches and patios. An upper loft can make room for an escape from the hustle and bustle, and a good place to chaperone a party if your kids are nearing the teenage years. Even without this party you still have a peaceful blendation of your outdoor surroundings.

Log home plans should provide a unique integration with nature.

Examples:

Covered wrap-around porch

Patios

Plenty of windows

Windows above porches

Skylights

Open rooms

Raw material blends: Logs, stonework, Rustic Fireplaces…

Let us know what you think about Www.HomePlansForFree.com, what you can not find, and if there is additional information about your dream home floor plan or log cabin home plan you would like to be included.

Blendation = Author Personal Word which perhaps should be included in the dictionary !

Definition is Blending or a smooth transition of home plans and the surrounding environment

Log Cabin Homes

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What Do I Need to Know Before Building My New Garage?

Garage sizes must characterize the backyard setting. In various locations even a small shed may not be allowed so be sure to review your shed or garage building plans with your local building inspector. The inspector may require detailed garage plans and may also require a material list. How do I obtain a material list you ask? If you are not familiar with the process consider working with a local garage builder. Another excellent source to investigate also gives material lists free of charge. This is your local building material suppliers.

Your garage building contractor will determine with you the foundation style that is right for your soils and budget.

Determine before building your new garage if electrical will be added in the future. Running conduit ahead of time is much easier if your power supply is to be located underground. Have an electrical plan or draw the desired lighting and outlets onto your garage’s floor plan.

Determining your garage building features requires a few questions to be answered. Lets demonstrate an example for you.

Your garage plans size?

The roof style?

The roof slope?

The roof overhang?

The gable roof overhang distance?

Your wall height?

The wall thickness?

Quantity of windows?

Window locations?

Window Size?

Quantity of doors?

Door Size?

Glass lites in door?

Quantity of garage doors?

Overhead door size(s)?

Also configure notes including any specific desires here for your garage building contractor.

Remember: Your garage plan should implement features specific to your needs.

OBC’s Green Builders in Bromley and the UK

Being a building and construction company in the UK, it is important for us at OBC Building in Bromley and Tunbridge Wells to stay up to date with news and innovations that concern the building industry and environment. In order to live up to our reputation as green home builders, it is important for us at our OBC builders in Tunbridge Wells and Bromley to know about current green building and environmentally friendly construction techniques that can shape the future of the home building market.

Eco-Towns: A showcase of green home building:

We are living in unprecedented times where technology and inventory ideas are concerned and the concept of creating eco-towns in the UK might at first sounded unrealistic and far-fetched. However, this new project promises to epitomise greener home building and could inspire the global construction industry along with our Bromley builders to take on a greener approach to home building.

Eco-Towns: Inspiring greener home building techniques:

To OBC Builders in Tunbridge Wells, the development of the new Eco-Towns in the UK could be of special interest. It is important for our OBC builders in Bromley to foresee what effect these Eco-Towns will have on the local construction and building industry and to adapt a similar green home building approach where possible.

The Local Government Association is in the process of allocating £60million as start-up funding for the local infrastructure of these eco-towns. With thousands of people still on the waiting list for affordable housing in the UK, the government realises the need for new settlements that offer green buildings and low-cost housing alternatives. The state of the environment has received ample international attention during the past few years and people are realising the importance of acting out their concern in a practical way. Our planet is currently facing resource depletion and a sustainable housing alternative could advance the combat against climate change while solving the current housing dilemma.

What will these Eco-towns look like?

These Eco-communities will consist of approximately 5000-15000 carbon neutral homes, developed through green building techniques. Each eco-town will have sufficient biodiversity and 40 % percent of the town’s space will be made up of green space while half the space will be allocated to the community. 30 % percent of the homes in this eco-town will be low-cost housing and the plan is to have and average of one job per house within close proximity of the eco-town itself. The objective of these Eco-towns is to combat climate change by creating a functional living space where the immediate environment will promote sustainable living through its green buildings and environmentally friendly facilities. Each town will incorporate the latest technology to ensure that these towns are carbon neutral. This unique green building project will incorporate the following:

Water efficiency An increased waste recycling system Rain collectors Zero carbon emissions Solar energy panels

These towns will contain all the necessary facilities such as schools, shops and healthcare centres. Each eco-town will also have a good transport infrastructure.

Eco-towns: Inspiring local builders to build greener:

The government has already initiated the first consultation phase with prospective developers of these eco-towns and the public has raised concern about whether or not these eco-towns will detract from local planning and regeneration objectives. It might be that these towns will motivate local UK developers and builders such OBC Builder in Tunbridge Wells to implement greener building techniques in order to stay ahead of the competition. These carbon neutral communities could easily increase local awareness of the environment and motivate local homeowners to seek out greener living alternatives.

As a smaller building and construction company, OBC builders in Bromley have incorporated various green building techniques into our home building approach. Not everyone will be able to relocate to one of these eco-towns and it is therefore important to implement an environmental building strategy that can easily be implemented on a commercial front, outside of these eco-towns. The biggest environmental challenges still concern our local suburbs and cities and it is therefore important that green building alternatives are promoted and implemented by local builders such OBC Building in Bromley, Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks.