Friday, May 20, 2011
Garage Portal Framed Walls
In light of recent events, I will discuss proper framing and tie downs for high wind zones. While proper framing methods cannot stop all structural damage to homes, doing so can help. Properly anchoring down the roof system to the foundation is imperative to help maintain the building integrity and increase the safety to the residents. It is all of our responsibilities, from the designer, to the roof truss manufacturer, to the code inspector, and to the builder, to see that the load paths of the building are properly secured. By cutting corners or ignoring code issues discredits our industry and puts the homeowner at risk. One topic that code officials are starting to ensure gets done properly are garage portal walls. Attached is a technical bulletin by the American Plywood Association which covers narrow shear walls. ALL walls that do not meet the minimum code requirements for the braced wall method should be framed in this manner. Below is a link to the APA website. You need to be a member, but membership is free and APA provides many technical bulletins and information concerning high-wind zones. APA Portal Frame Walls for Garages
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Good Design - Creating Outdoor Spaces
Positive outdoor spaces are areas which are defined. Having a defined out space is as important as defining your living room or kitchen. Vary rarely will someone grab an outdoor chair and sit in the middle of an open space. They tend to sit near a tree or a stone wall, if one is available. A negative space is open and undefined. I observed many positive outdoor spaces when I visited Charleston, SC. Most of the downtown homes near the Battery Park had well defined positive outdoor spaces. This was done by stone or brick walls, manicured bushes, and even stone pavers that defined an area. A space can be defined by an L-shape in the house at the back yard with a small out building to complete the space. Anything that gives definition or boundaries can create this type of space. Below is a positive outdoor space on a grand scale vs. a smaller scale. The first example is Oak Alley in Louisiana and the second example is a home in Charleston. Oak Alley is created by the massive oaks. The second example uses an out building and wrought iron fence lined with plants.
Oak Alley
Charleston Home with Entrance into back yard
Think of positive outdoor spaces as an extension to your house. It is an outdoor room that provides comfort and enjoyment. You feel safe with defined boundaries and a place for the family to gather.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Good Design - The Site
One of my favorite books is A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander, Oxford University Press, Copyright 1977. The book defines a language of good design with respect from one's individual home to defining townships and communities. It attempts to provide solutions with problems from natrual lighting to city street planning. I will be focusing on the individual home since that is what concerns most people...what do I want in my home.
The first step deals with the site of the home. Most people live in some type of community or subdivision. Some of the points that I make might not be able to apply because lots have already been determined by the developer. But, a potential home owner may be able to exclude certain lots that do not follow the simple rules found in A Pattern Language.
If the lot is big enough, where do you build the home? Most people would think, "Build it on the nicest part of the lot." But in fact, that is the opposite of what needs to be done. You want to build the house on the least attractive spot, saving the more pristine areas for you to enjoy once the home is built. The details are covered in Ch. 104 and 105. If the lot has been predetermined by the developer, you are limited to where to place the house since most lots only support a small building envelope.
Most homes today, have the main family areas in the back of the house. You usually walk in and have a foyer, with stairs and maybe a formal area that gets used on rare occasions. The kitchen & eat-in area and great room are located in the back. Beyond that is the back yard. Therefore, select a lot where the back of the house will be South-facing. People will use the outdoors if the space is sunny. Areas that are dark will be left alone. By placing the back yard toward the South, it gives a place of warmth and invites people to use it. If the lot's frontage faces the south, then select a plan that provides for an open terrace as well as a covered porch. The open terrace could be off of a small den or family room.
The book goes into great detail about the site of a home. I encourage anyone that is considering building or buying a new home to seek the wisdom of this book. Next week I will cover positive outdoor spaces and allowing natural light into your home.
The first step deals with the site of the home. Most people live in some type of community or subdivision. Some of the points that I make might not be able to apply because lots have already been determined by the developer. But, a potential home owner may be able to exclude certain lots that do not follow the simple rules found in A Pattern Language.
If the lot is big enough, where do you build the home? Most people would think, "Build it on the nicest part of the lot." But in fact, that is the opposite of what needs to be done. You want to build the house on the least attractive spot, saving the more pristine areas for you to enjoy once the home is built. The details are covered in Ch. 104 and 105. If the lot has been predetermined by the developer, you are limited to where to place the house since most lots only support a small building envelope.
Most homes today, have the main family areas in the back of the house. You usually walk in and have a foyer, with stairs and maybe a formal area that gets used on rare occasions. The kitchen & eat-in area and great room are located in the back. Beyond that is the back yard. Therefore, select a lot where the back of the house will be South-facing. People will use the outdoors if the space is sunny. Areas that are dark will be left alone. By placing the back yard toward the South, it gives a place of warmth and invites people to use it. If the lot's frontage faces the south, then select a plan that provides for an open terrace as well as a covered porch. The open terrace could be off of a small den or family room.
The book goes into great detail about the site of a home. I encourage anyone that is considering building or buying a new home to seek the wisdom of this book. Next week I will cover positive outdoor spaces and allowing natural light into your home.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Green Building - Solar Photovoltaics
Solar photovoltaics, or solar panels, have come a long way. Unsightly panels on the tops of roofs and fields are still around, but there are companies out there that have products that blend into the roof shingles. Some even have the metal roof look. There are several websites out there on the subject and I will list a few, but essentially, the home owner would install a system that converts the suns rays into DC power, or battery power, and stores it for later use. The battery power must then be inverted from DC power to AC power to run lights and appliances within the home. Again, with most newer technologies, this one is not cheap. The only way to make the solar system work is with credits from federal and state government programs, so again, check with your local tax expert. The class that I attended several weeks ago covered a system that is very expensive. On average, the cost was $30 per square foot and each foot gathered about 5 watts per hour. So for a 600 square foot 3kW hour system, the cost is around $18,000. And this example does not take you off the grid, but rather it supplements your monthly usage. The positive side to this is if you have an electrical provider that will buy it back from you, you could sell your power during the day when your home is in a low-usage state. Most solar photovoltaic (SPV) companies advertise a 15-30% savings. I will use my own power bill as an example. I used the Texas Solar Power Company's website to roughly calculate my monthly savings.
My average power bill runs about $200 per month. I pay about 9.5 cents per kW hour. That means my average electrical consumption is about 2100kW hours per month. A kW hour is 1000 watts per hour. A 100w light bulb uses 1/10 kW hour if left on for one hour. So it would take the same bulb 10 hours to use one kW hour of power. If I installed 600 square feet of SPV on my roof, it would cost me $18,000 for the initial cost of this system. And the panels would have to face South in order to get the full benefit. The Texas Solar Power Company says that on average, I can collect about 5.4 hours of sunlight per day (providing it is not overcast). I collect 5 watts per square foot per hour. So in one hour, I can store about 3kW hour of energy. On an average day, I will have stored 16kw hours. If I store it to use at a later time, I will need an inverter to convert from DC to AC. The Texas Solar Power Company (TSPC) says that there is a loss of about 23% at the inverter. When I tap into that 16kW hour, it now becomes 12.5kW hour once it has been inverted to AC power. On average, I use about 70kW hours a day (2100kw hours divided by 30 days). So now, I will only be using 58kW hours per day, or a savings of 17% on my power bill. That is a savings of about $35 per month or $416 per year. Now if I qualified for the government credits and only paid $7200 for the system vs. the $18,000, it would still take me over 17 years to break even. The TSPC states that with a rebate program, their panels will pay for themselves in 4-9 years. The product I used as an example looks like shingles and metal roofs vs. actual panels, which cost more than the traditional products. In any case, it will be an investment up front, and with patience, will pay for itself over time. It should be considered with the way that energy costs continue to rise.
A less expensive approach would be to consider a solar water heater. Up to 25% of your power bill may be used to heat the water in your home. A solar water heater is less expensive and would take less time to pay back the initial investment. The TSPC website has a checklist of what a home owner should do before investing in a SPV system. you can do a lot to your home with a limited amount of money to save on energy costs. Examples are investing in Energy-Star appliances, adding insulation to your home, and having an expert close-seal your crawl space and/or attic for a tighter building envelope.
Advanced Energy
Solar Power Rocks in NC
My average power bill runs about $200 per month. I pay about 9.5 cents per kW hour. That means my average electrical consumption is about 2100kW hours per month. A kW hour is 1000 watts per hour. A 100w light bulb uses 1/10 kW hour if left on for one hour. So it would take the same bulb 10 hours to use one kW hour of power. If I installed 600 square feet of SPV on my roof, it would cost me $18,000 for the initial cost of this system. And the panels would have to face South in order to get the full benefit. The Texas Solar Power Company says that on average, I can collect about 5.4 hours of sunlight per day (providing it is not overcast). I collect 5 watts per square foot per hour. So in one hour, I can store about 3kW hour of energy. On an average day, I will have stored 16kw hours. If I store it to use at a later time, I will need an inverter to convert from DC to AC. The Texas Solar Power Company (TSPC) says that there is a loss of about 23% at the inverter. When I tap into that 16kW hour, it now becomes 12.5kW hour once it has been inverted to AC power. On average, I use about 70kW hours a day (2100kw hours divided by 30 days). So now, I will only be using 58kW hours per day, or a savings of 17% on my power bill. That is a savings of about $35 per month or $416 per year. Now if I qualified for the government credits and only paid $7200 for the system vs. the $18,000, it would still take me over 17 years to break even. The TSPC states that with a rebate program, their panels will pay for themselves in 4-9 years. The product I used as an example looks like shingles and metal roofs vs. actual panels, which cost more than the traditional products. In any case, it will be an investment up front, and with patience, will pay for itself over time. It should be considered with the way that energy costs continue to rise.
A less expensive approach would be to consider a solar water heater. Up to 25% of your power bill may be used to heat the water in your home. A solar water heater is less expensive and would take less time to pay back the initial investment. The TSPC website has a checklist of what a home owner should do before investing in a SPV system. you can do a lot to your home with a limited amount of money to save on energy costs. Examples are investing in Energy-Star appliances, adding insulation to your home, and having an expert close-seal your crawl space and/or attic for a tighter building envelope.
Advanced Energy
Solar Power Rocks in NC
Monday, March 14, 2011
Green Building-Smart Framing
Several years ago, I started working with a local builder on some new plans he wanted to develop. He had some ideas from fellow builders and asked me to take a look at some sketches he had worked up. The main problem I saw with the plans were dimensions were not "material friendly" and second story walls were not aligned with the first story walls. In fact, many of the plans had second story walls over the garage...the worst place to have this occur. Just in beams alone, each house would cost hundreds of dollars more than they needed to be. We worked on each layout and eliminated as many beams as we could and I talked the builder into trying to get to the dimensions to work out on two-foot increments. All-in-all, we were able to save the builder a substancial amount in structural and framing costs alone.
Several years later, I ran across this article in a Fine Homebuilding magazine, which took the concept further. It was entitled Advanced Framing Techniques. The author took it to a point, where if emplemented in the field, could save the builder a substancial amount of money, but required some forethought and planning on the designer, builder and framing crew's part. Lack of planning, however, could slow down production and cost money if the house wasn't framed properly. The key would be communication. Most homes today are framed with truss systems. Trusses are less forgiving than stick-framing, but with the framer, truss supplier, and contractor staying in constant communication, the project would go up without any issues.
I will touch on some of the article's issues, but will leave most of explanations and techniques to the article. One thing I do like is the 2x6 framing walls. A 2x6 stud has a little over 50% more material than a 2x4 wall, yet is almost twice as strong. When framing an exterior wall which is also loading-bearing, the spacing can go to 24" on center vs. 16" o.c. The savings from going from a 2x4 to a 2x6 wall will be marginal if the framing crew erects the 2x6 walls with current practices. That is why it is not just a change in materials used but framing techniques which must be emplemented...framing with 2x6 walls is just but one of those techniques. If the framer frames the walls with standard practices using 2x6's, no savings will be realized on the house.
The article also points out to frame windows and doors where studs naturally fall. This works if the window or door placement is not critical. Obviously, this would not work where windows or doors needed to be aligned for aesthetic reasons.
The last two points I want to touch on in the article are the header hangers and single top plate. The header hangers are metal-connected hangers which replace the jack studs at a door or window. Unless someone is just wanting to use as little wood as possible, these are not practical to me. The hangers are more costly than the lumber, and with metal prices on the rise, are not economical. The author also points out using a single top plate vs. the traditional double top plate. With stricter building codes, this is not practical either. Framers use the double top plates to splice walls together. With a single top plate, builders will need to use metal strapping to splice top plates together. Also, with single top plates, roof loads have to align with studs. If trusses are used, and don't exactly align with the stud below, the framer would have to come back and place a stud under each truss location, adding material and labor costs. The single top plate is more ideal where floors and roofs will be stick-framed.
Something that I have tried to talk builders into doing is getting away from factory-mulled windows. This is especially true with the triple windows. Most houses I see going up are two-story homes. Every builder I talk to says it is cheaper to "go up" rather than "go out". This places additional loads on the first story walls. With some double windows and almost all triple windows, an engineered beam must be used as the header. This adds cost to the home. Engineered lumber runs about six times more than its solid sawn counterpart. And factory-mulled windows cost more, as well. So why not frame the windows using stud pockets between the units vs. providing one big opening? If the windows are trimmed, this will add some cost back into the unit, but most houses I have seen in the field are not being trimmed on the outside and are minimally trimmed on the inside. With smaller header spans, and depending on the roof and floor loads, some window and door headers could be single 2x10's. This would reduce overall costs and would allow for insulation to be placed above the window in the header pocket, increasing the thermal envelope of the building. Wood is a poor insulator, and any opportunity to increase the wall insulation helps. Designers should provide standard header legends in the plans and check all sizes required for the fenestrations. This will reduce costs, as most framers typically go with a standard sized header regardless if the opening needs it or not. Framing a double 2x10 header for a 32" window on an end gable wall is wasteful.
The main idea of advanced framing techniques is to frame a house, keeping in mind to save money, time and energy, while providing a superior structure. It requires planning with the designer, and communicating with your framer and vendors. Once the practice is implemented and refined, the builder will start seeing savings in all houses constructed.
Several years later, I ran across this article in a Fine Homebuilding magazine, which took the concept further. It was entitled Advanced Framing Techniques. The author took it to a point, where if emplemented in the field, could save the builder a substancial amount of money, but required some forethought and planning on the designer, builder and framing crew's part. Lack of planning, however, could slow down production and cost money if the house wasn't framed properly. The key would be communication. Most homes today are framed with truss systems. Trusses are less forgiving than stick-framing, but with the framer, truss supplier, and contractor staying in constant communication, the project would go up without any issues.
I will touch on some of the article's issues, but will leave most of explanations and techniques to the article. One thing I do like is the 2x6 framing walls. A 2x6 stud has a little over 50% more material than a 2x4 wall, yet is almost twice as strong. When framing an exterior wall which is also loading-bearing, the spacing can go to 24" on center vs. 16" o.c. The savings from going from a 2x4 to a 2x6 wall will be marginal if the framing crew erects the 2x6 walls with current practices. That is why it is not just a change in materials used but framing techniques which must be emplemented...framing with 2x6 walls is just but one of those techniques. If the framer frames the walls with standard practices using 2x6's, no savings will be realized on the house.
The article also points out to frame windows and doors where studs naturally fall. This works if the window or door placement is not critical. Obviously, this would not work where windows or doors needed to be aligned for aesthetic reasons.
The last two points I want to touch on in the article are the header hangers and single top plate. The header hangers are metal-connected hangers which replace the jack studs at a door or window. Unless someone is just wanting to use as little wood as possible, these are not practical to me. The hangers are more costly than the lumber, and with metal prices on the rise, are not economical. The author also points out using a single top plate vs. the traditional double top plate. With stricter building codes, this is not practical either. Framers use the double top plates to splice walls together. With a single top plate, builders will need to use metal strapping to splice top plates together. Also, with single top plates, roof loads have to align with studs. If trusses are used, and don't exactly align with the stud below, the framer would have to come back and place a stud under each truss location, adding material and labor costs. The single top plate is more ideal where floors and roofs will be stick-framed.
Something that I have tried to talk builders into doing is getting away from factory-mulled windows. This is especially true with the triple windows. Most houses I see going up are two-story homes. Every builder I talk to says it is cheaper to "go up" rather than "go out". This places additional loads on the first story walls. With some double windows and almost all triple windows, an engineered beam must be used as the header. This adds cost to the home. Engineered lumber runs about six times more than its solid sawn counterpart. And factory-mulled windows cost more, as well. So why not frame the windows using stud pockets between the units vs. providing one big opening? If the windows are trimmed, this will add some cost back into the unit, but most houses I have seen in the field are not being trimmed on the outside and are minimally trimmed on the inside. With smaller header spans, and depending on the roof and floor loads, some window and door headers could be single 2x10's. This would reduce overall costs and would allow for insulation to be placed above the window in the header pocket, increasing the thermal envelope of the building. Wood is a poor insulator, and any opportunity to increase the wall insulation helps. Designers should provide standard header legends in the plans and check all sizes required for the fenestrations. This will reduce costs, as most framers typically go with a standard sized header regardless if the opening needs it or not. Framing a double 2x10 header for a 32" window on an end gable wall is wasteful.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Green Building - Geothermal
This weekend, I attended the annual North / South Carolina AIBD conference in Myrtle Beach, SC. For the past several meetings and conferences, I have noticed a theme: Green Building Concepts. Love it or hate it, Green is here to stay. I have always tried to approach "Green" design and building from a simple approach; similar to how our past builders constructed homes over 100 years ago. They did not have all of the bells and whistles that we now have today, such as auto-sensing light fixtures, geothermal, solar voltaics, et cetera. While some of these new approaches can save the home owner money on a monthly basis, others are more for home owners who like the idea of going green and are willing to pay more to do so. I tend to focus on the former. I want to try and save the home owner money in the long run. Implementing green technology to a home that does not pay dividends, ultimately saving money over time, does not make sense to me. Also, the home owner has to look at the timespan the house will be occupied. If it is a starter home, and the plan is to live in it for a short amount of time (less than 10 years), then the home owner needs to look if the initial investment will be recouped once the house is sold. If not, then the up-front cost is not worth it.
Over several weeks, I will talk about Green design, and green technology. Some concepts are very simple and have been around for awhile, but seemed to have been lost over time. Other concepts are fairly new and promising. One such concept that is fairly new to the residential construction industry is geothermal heating and cooling. The concept is very easy and has been around for years in commercial applications. Rather than explain the process in this blog, I am providing a link produced by Water Furnace, which introduces the concept in a short five minute video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbiq_yd-znM&autoplay=1&fs=1
The reason that geothermal is so attractive is that there are Federal and NC incentives that make it affordable for new home construction. In North Carolina, up to 65% of the cost of the system can be recouped by the home owner. So for example, a geothermal system costing $25,000, will cost around $9,000. It is always good to check with a tax consultant to assess your actual savings. But considering a standard heating and cooling unit can run around $7000, the homeowner will be spending an additional $2,000 for the geothermal system. The primary energy cost of a home is the heating and cooling cost. A geothermal system can reduce a home's power bill by up to 60-70%. One home owner that I have talked to cut his monthly power bill from $200 to $70. For a conservative estimate, let's say a homeowner can reduce the power bill by $100 per month, on average. That is an annual savings of $1200. It will take the homeowner less than two years to recoup the additional $2000 investment. From that point on, it is money in the bank. Now realize, that this quick savings can only be done through the incentive programs offered by the Federal and NC government. Over time, as this technology gains a foothold, and becomes more mainstream, hopefully the cost of the system will decrease. Not all states offer incentives, so again, check with your tax consultant.
Over several weeks, I will talk about Green design, and green technology. Some concepts are very simple and have been around for awhile, but seemed to have been lost over time. Other concepts are fairly new and promising. One such concept that is fairly new to the residential construction industry is geothermal heating and cooling. The concept is very easy and has been around for years in commercial applications. Rather than explain the process in this blog, I am providing a link produced by Water Furnace, which introduces the concept in a short five minute video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbiq_yd-znM&autoplay=1&fs=1
The reason that geothermal is so attractive is that there are Federal and NC incentives that make it affordable for new home construction. In North Carolina, up to 65% of the cost of the system can be recouped by the home owner. So for example, a geothermal system costing $25,000, will cost around $9,000. It is always good to check with a tax consultant to assess your actual savings. But considering a standard heating and cooling unit can run around $7000, the homeowner will be spending an additional $2,000 for the geothermal system. The primary energy cost of a home is the heating and cooling cost. A geothermal system can reduce a home's power bill by up to 60-70%. One home owner that I have talked to cut his monthly power bill from $200 to $70. For a conservative estimate, let's say a homeowner can reduce the power bill by $100 per month, on average. That is an annual savings of $1200. It will take the homeowner less than two years to recoup the additional $2000 investment. From that point on, it is money in the bank. Now realize, that this quick savings can only be done through the incentive programs offered by the Federal and NC government. Over time, as this technology gains a foothold, and becomes more mainstream, hopefully the cost of the system will decrease. Not all states offer incentives, so again, check with your tax consultant.
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