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Welcome and thanks for stopping by! About a year and a half ago, we were asked to take over the Home Matters column in the Essex Fells Magazine. This column talked about issues related to home improvement, repair, additions and maintenance. It seemed to be a perfect match for us and we jumped right in. First on the list was thinking about what topics to cover. What kind of information would our readers be looking for? With over 35 years as a home improvement "General Contractor," we've heard the same comments over and over. That comment usually went something like this. "I don't really understand what's involved." ..... or "Can you just explain what happens?" So, we decided to pick topics for the Home Matters column to help folks understand what really goes into their projects - how to deal with planning, zoning issues, water control, materials selection and what to expect during the actual work. Most of the information is presented in "layman's" terms so that it's easy for pretty much anybody to follow. Since our first round of articles use a imaginary addition project to show the reader what he or she could expect, it made sense to create an archive for past articles. Here is that archive. We hope you enjoy the articles and get a better feel for what your project could be like. Maybe help you make up your mind to get that long put-off project started. We also invite you to email any questions you might have - who knows? They may be a topic for a future article! Thanks again for stopping by! Woody Kamena STILLE AND SONS BUILDING CONTRACTORS, LLC Got a question about an article or related topic? email it here: office@stilleandons.com |
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| Feel Free to jump ahead to a topic that interests you or just pick up where you've left off! | ||
Article 1: The "Fantasy" of reality TV home improvement shows Article 2: Figuring out where to start a home renovation project Article 3: General Contractors and what you'll need to get bids Article 4: Developing your budget Article 5: Creating a Stable Foundation Article 6: Managing Water and Drainage Article 7: Framing your addition Article 8: Moving outside - Roofing and Siding Article 9: Infrastructure - Plumbing, Electric and HVAC Article 10: Infrastructure - Plumbing, Electric and HVAC Article 11: Electrical, Part 1 Article 12: Electrical, Part 2 Article 13: Insulation (part 1) Article 14: Insulation (part 2) Article 15: Windows Article 16: Changes, Additions and Unforeseen Circumstances Article 17 - Front and exterior Doors Article 18 - Porch Doors, French doors and Sliders Article 19 - Interior doors |
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Article 1 - The Fantasy of reality TV home improvement shows |
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They are addictive, these “reality” home improvement shows. When I go home, I find myself watching them, too. But is it “real” reality? I was watching a “gut and re-do” renovation show. The home had a small kitchen, but the owners wanted an eat-in area and expanded bedroom above. Before the first commercial, the owner called a contractor (the show's “host”), who ran right over and listened for about 20 seconds before he “walked” them through a 3-D holograph of their new spaces. It was a special effect Hollywood could have been proud of. Since the owners had zero ideas to add to their own project, the host got a hand shake “go ahead” and told them they'd be enjoying their new space in a few weeks. “Weeks??” I screamed at the TV. “Wait? How much? What's included? Are they licensed and insured? Is there a written agreement anywhere in that hologram?” Apparently these are not important questions in TV land. OK, so let's separate some of the fantasy from reality. The next scene (which TV time warp made seem like was latter that day), showed the gutting work being done in the old kitchen, with cut-in shots of a crew of twenty guys stacking concrete blocks in a hole for the new basement. “Wait a minute.” I yelled at the TV again, totally disgusted. “That's not real! What about permits? Who dug the hole? Who inspected the footings? You skipped a month or three!” Here's reality. Legally you can't build without a permit. Your town rarely issues a permit without plans from a licensed architect. Architects need time to sit with you, discuss what you want and draft plans. This process is typically a few weeks and never involves walk-through holograms. Your architect will also makes sure the project meets the required building codes, zoning and variance requirements. Hmm... Variance requirements? The house on TV was on a small piece of property, but no mention of setbacks or a variances reviews. What might cause the need for a variance ? Lots of things. It can be as simple as too little space between the house and the side or back property line. Typically, you can't be less than 6 feet from a side property line and 10 feet from a back property line. (Numbers may vary by town, but are typical.) Some existing houses don't have this much space. When they were built, they were OK but building codes have since changed. New construction must be to the current building codes. And to be fair, most projects don't require a variance, but lets say you have that shallow side yard like the TV couple. Are you out of luck? No. That's why you hired an architect, who will submit a “variance” request. The town's building department will assess the affects of your plan on water run-off, neighbor privacy, fire fighter's access and the overall look of a neighborhood. Many folks find the variance hearings intimidating, but rarely are reasonable variance requests turned down. The variance meeting goes well and your get the variance. You're already weeks into requirements the TV show didn't even mention, but you're making progress. You need to select a contractor (and we'll cover that process next time), apply for the permit and then you will be ready to go. Next Month: Selecting an General Contractor and securing the permit... (c) 2011 Woody Kamena |
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Article 2: - Figuring out where to start a home renovation project |
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This month I thought I'd talk about what it takes to get a project off the ground. Assuming you don't want to do the work yourself, most folks look to hire a “general contractor.” A “GC” is like a military general – they implement the plans, coordinate with the specialists (subcontractors) and deploy the work crews. (Sub-contractors are typically a specialty trade who often require a license, like an electrician, HVAC specialist or plumber.) Some folks try to act as their own GC, but unless you are very experienced with building codes, running subcontractors and handling the permit process, this can be a nightmare. You see, above all else, the GC makes sure all the trades on the project fit together while at the same time letting no details fall through the cracks. When you consider there are thousands of details that go into a renovation project, you start to grasp the importance of having an experienced GC at the wheel. So how do you pick a GC? Here are a few things to keep in mind. First and foremost, an unlicensed and/or uninsured contractor might seem cheaper, but often turn into a disaster. We've all heard horror stories about work done cheap, only to find the cheap workers have disappeared when problems arise. And if a disaster, like a fire, flood or serious injury does happen, your insurance may not cover the claim and you may find yourself on the wrong end of a lawsuit. The same applies for work done without a permit. You may not get caught right away, but may have to deal with a nasty reminder when you go to sell the property. Plus you don't have the confidence that comes with the town's licensed inspector inspecting the fire codes, electrical work, gas lines and plumbing. What you should look for is a contractor with experience who can show you past work. If possible, ask to speak with previous customers who have done similar projects. Also, larger projects can take several months and it pays to find somebody who you know is in business for the long haul – somebody who's been around a long time has a reputation to protect. So, when do you call the CG? When you first decide to do the project? After you have met with the architect? After you have the permit? The answer is to that is “it depends.” If you have a limited budget but a solid idea of what you want, most GCs will give a general idea if your project and your budget are going to get along. This saves you from spending money on an architect to design an addition you ultimately can't afford. If you need help with design, layout and ideas, you might want an architect first. Most will offer a feasibility (or design) phase, which will let you see some ideas on paper before committing to pay for final construction drawings. A GC can work also with design drawings to estimate budget. As to the permit, it makes sense to let the GC handle that. The GC needs to provide license info for themselves and the subcontractors on the project. They also make sure all the parts of the permit, like the fire code and energy calculation requirements, are covered. Next month we'll talk about getting a bid from a contractor and reviewing cost. (c) 2011 Woody Kamena |
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Article 3: - General Contractors and what you'll need to get bids |
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You've decided you want to go ahead with your dream of expanding your kitchen and adding a “great room” to the back of your home. You've called three General Contractors (“GCs”) for bids. One you found working in the neighborhood and you like the work you see so far. Another was a recommendation from a friend who used and liked them and the third you've seen in the area for years. All are licensed and insured. Now you need bids! In requesting a bid, you need to understand that your project is going to involve multiple trades and needs to tie into existing systems in your house, like the air conditioning or baseboard heating. You can expect that the GC bidders will need to visit your home several times with different trades. This way the electrician can review the existing service, the AC specialist can determine if your current AC unit can handle the new space and so on. More details about the existing site means a more thorough bid (and less surprises later) for you. It's not unusual for a bid to take a two weeks or more for complex projects. It's also not uncommon for a bid to be refined over several passes so that both home owner and GC understand the project the same way. Never be afraid of asking for more information in your bid! So what do you look for in a bid? Can you, and should you, compare them apples-to-apples and just look for the best price? To be honest, probably not. Depending on the level of detail in the plans (and some architects provide more detail than others), different GCs will implement the project differently and you need to determine what “implementation” is best for you. Most GCs will provide a detailed bid that gives you a list of the materials included and the work to be performed, often broken down by trade. More information here is better (see below) and it's not unusual for bidders to include “allowance item” costs along with materials that you will need to supply or pick out. Allowance items are items that have not been picked by you before the bid, but need to be accounted for. For example, if you needed a new garage door, but hadn't picked out a style yet, your contractor would include the installation cost, but might give you an allowance of $500 to purchase the garage door itself. This gives you a budget and if you find a $600 door you like, the contractor treats the difference as an extra. Customer supplied are items you supply. Typically, these are where a “decorative” decision is required. Hanging lighting fixtures are a great example. The bidding contractor includes installation, but it's easier for you to make the purchase when you are shopping. Each bidding contractor should also explain how they will handle changes and additions: Most of us have a hard time taking a 2-dimensional drawing and visualizing the finished project in our head, so changes and improvements happen. For example, say you want to change a swinging door to a sliding door. How will your contractor handle the change. Do you get a credit for the swinging door? Can you make a change after the door is actually installed? Understand how changes are approved, implement and priced for each bidder. Bids should also note work that is not included. For example, if you have added to the foundation of your home, some bushes and landscaping probably got removed. Restoring this after the project is done may be included, or might be something you want your own landscaper to do. Either way, your bid should spell out work that's going to be needed, but is not included. Next month we'll continue to discuss how to turn your bid into a budget you can work with. (c) 2011 Woody Kamena |
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Article 4: - Developing your budget |
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As a homeowner who is contracting a renovation or addition project, your budget is going to be an important concern. For your project, there are going to be four major kinds of costs to budget for. Lets look at them. Construction costs – these are labor and material costs paid to the general contractor (GC), usually in the form of a job deposit and payments by time (i.e., monthly) or milestones (i.e. when concrete is poured). This is the money your contractor will need to run the job, buy materials and pay subcontractors. Allowance costs – these are costs paid to your GC as part of the normal payments, but with a price range or flexible amount. Typically they are for material not selected prior to the bid or for work that needs to be “tied in” to something unseen when the job is quoted (say behind a wall or under dirt). For example, you may not want to select the garage door style until you see how the new siding looks, so your contractor gives you a $500 allowance to select a door. If you go over the budget estimate, the overage is an added cost. Homeowner provided materials –these are costs for things you are going to purchase and supply. Most times these are items like kitchen appliances or something decorative. A great example is floor tile. It's makes sense for you to buy the tile when you are shopping for it and are standing right there. Not included tasks – these tasks are not included in the project but will need to be done. One example is landscape work. Say you put in a new foundation for your addition. Most contractors will fill in dirt and “grade” it smooth, but that's it. To finish this you may need topsoil, grass, bushes, flowers and so on. Some homeowners will do this themselves, while others hire their regular landscaper. As you can see, your budget needs to be more than just the bid from the contractor for construction. There are other costs you need to address, as well. Your contractors' bid will tell you what is and isn't included. To start a budget, determine how much you want to spend for the overall project. Hypothetically, lets say we are doing a kitchen and great room bump out. We allocated $100,000 for the entire project. Our contractor's construction cost bid is $75,000, so we have $25,000 for any other costs. The first step is to make a list of what we will need. Since we are doing a kitchen, we will need appliances. We also want a tile floor in the kitchen (the contractor included hardwood in the great room). Cabinets and counter tops were picked out prior to the bid, so they are included in the contractor's price. We also need to handle painting and curtains. Lets figure tile first. Installation is in the contractors bid, but the tiles themselves are not. We need 200 square feet of tile for the kitchen and back splash,. We shop around and budget for $5/square foot giving us $1000 for tile. Next, take a look at your old kitchen and make a list of the needed appliances you want to replace along with anything new you want to add. Then do some window shopping (in person or online). If you know the fridge you want is $2000, you can allocate that. Use your window shopping to supply real or “budget” numbers for each appliance. (Don't forget sales tax) Think about what else you will need and set a budget. $250 for curtains, $800 for painting and so on and so on. Make your list (or a spreadsheet), but don't “spend” every penny on the list (shoot for 75%) There will always been things that cost more that your budget (or that you want enough to go “over budget” on). Also, keep in mind that if you are like most people, you will see things you want to change as the project develops, so you should keep a budget for those changes and additions, too. Next time: Construction Starts! |
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Article 5: - Creating a Stable Foundation |
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In our past articles (see bottom for a web link if you need to catch up), we've talked about planning and budgeting a home addition project. Now we are going to look at what you can expect when the actual construction begins. For the sake of conversation, let's look at an addition that includes expanding your kitchen to a larger size, with a basement beneath and extra bedroom space above. Your General Contractor (or GC) will handle submitting the permit request for you, which typically takes two weeks or so to get through your town's building department. Once you have that, the first actual construct step will be prepping the site. Since the addition includes a basement, we need to dig the hole for the basement. Anything in the way (a previous deck or patio, for example) will need to be removed. Also, your GC will need to account for any pipes or wiring coming into that wall of the foundation. This could include water supply lines or the home's main sewer line. Since our addition is on the back of the house, we need to be able to get the big earth moving machinery into the back yard. Sometimes this requires taking down a fence or creating some kind of ramp or even a temporary gravel road if the ground is soft. There are many different ways, but a good GC will make every effort to protect the property as these heavy machines make their way into your back yard. So where does the dirt go and how big the will the hole be? Dirt is cheap, but moving it around in big trucks can be costly. In some cases, your excavator (the folks doing the digging) may be able to spread it around somewhere on your property. Otherwise, most of the dirt will have to be trucked away at an added cost. Some of it remains as back fill. More on that in a movement. When the hole is dug, it's actually going to be a bit bigger than the basement. Your GC will need some room to work, so figure it's going to be about three feet further out in each direction. This allows room to work on the foundation. The foundation is your basement, so let's talk about that for a minute. Foundations come in three basic formats. Modular/pre-cast, which are still rare and often used with modular homes. These are concrete panels that are made in a factory. A crane is needed to set them in place and then they are bolted together. Block Walls are made up of concrete block. Many people remember “cinder” blocks but those are no long used. Concrete blocks look similar, but are sturdier and made of concrete. They are stagger stacked like bricks to create the basement walls and skimmed with concrete to create a smooth surface. A Poured Foundation is all concrete. Wood forms are set up with steel reinforcement rods and concrete is poured into the form and allowed to harden. Each foundation type has some pros and cons. Modular foundations are still kind of new and some folks would like see how well the seams hold out ground water over 30-40 years. A block wall is typically a good choice in residential construction, but is labor intensive. A poured foundation is solid concrete and good for areas where water might be a problem, but can look sort of rough and industrial since you may see seams where the forms met during the concrete pour. Best when the foundation will be buried and that won't be seen. Which brings us to that extra dirt, the back fill, we saved a few paragraphs above. When the basement walls are done, we still have that extra three feet all away around to deal with. In most cases, a “foundation drain” will be installed so that rainwater in the soil around the basement will find it's way into the drain and away from the foundation. The “back fill” dirt is used to cover that up and fill in around the basement walls. So, we now have our basement. The actual basement floor may be poured later and our back lawn is now mostly dirt, but we are ready for the next step, which is framing our new 2-story addition! (c) 2011 Woody Kamena Past articles can be found at: http://stilleandsons.com/articles/index.htm |
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Article 6: - Managing Water and Drainage |
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Keep in mind that scenarios like Irene are beyond what most home water proofing can deal with. When water is several feet above ground level, there isn't much you can do. That being said we can deal effectively with wet basements during normal storms. First, let's understand what we are dealing with. Imagine a sponge. In your mind, pour some water on the top of it. The water absorbs and the sponge holds the water. Pour more until you can see the edges of the sponge get wet. Pour more and the sponge leaks from the sides. This is a demonstration of “hydrostatic pressure.” It's a scientific term, but for us builders, its the pressure of water-saturated dirt against the walls of your basement or crawlspace. Just replace the sponge with the dirt. When the dirt around your foundation becomes saturated with water, the pressure will “push” the water until it finds a path, often a crack into your walls or up through your basement floor. But, as your old science teacher told you, the rule is water will follow the path of least resistance and there are two basic methods we can use to make this rule work for us! The first method is to increase the resistance. On the outside of a foundation wall, this is done with a waterproof coating. (Usually it looks like a thick, black tar coating). This prevents the water from getting “to” the basement wall. There is also waterproof paint on the inside of the basement wall. This prevents that water from getting “through” the basement wall. It can keep the basement interior dry, but doesn't really protect the wall itself (which can fill with water). The first method requires the basement wall be exposed on the outside, and often (but not always) is done during building. Interior painting is an inexpensive fix, but will not stand up to the more serious water problems. The second method is about creating an easier path into which the water can flow. This is typically done with gravel (since water fills the space between the stones) and perforated pipe. Often call “French Drains” or “footing drains,” these are an effective way to deal with water at the foundation of your home. Under or outside the basement, gravel is laid at the perimeter of the wall with a “perf-pipe” running through gravel. As the gravel fills with water, the holes in the pipe become the path of least resistance and the water flows into the pipe from the gravel. The pipe, depending on the pitch of your property, either leads outside (referred to as a “pipe to daylight”) or into a sump pump well to be pumped out and away from your home. These kinds of drains can be installed either during construction, or after a home/addition is built. Some may require either cutting into the concrete basement floor or digging outside the foundation. While both seem daunting, neither will be for a contractor who has the right tools for the job and many projects can be done in a span of only a few days. The payoff is a dry basement, a sound foundation and a welcome peace of mind when it rains. OK, next month back to framing our new addition. (c) 2011 Woody Kamena Past articles can be
found at: http://stilleandsons.com/articles/index.htm |
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Article 7: - Framing your addition |
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Except for last month, when we took a detour to talk about waterproofing and drainage issues, our past articles (see bottom for a web link) have discussed about a theoretical home addition project. For the sake of conversation, we've been examining your “new” addition, which includes expanding your kitchen to a larger size, with a basement beneath and more bedroom space above. We've done permits, planning and put in a foundation. Today, we are talk about framing. Framing is the process where the wooden “skeleton” of the house is built. It's the image of men nailing together boards that most of us see when the news talks about construction. It's a fascinating process to watch, where you can see things quickly go from “nothing” to “something.” On top of the new foundation, our framing crew is going to lay floor beams and flooring, creating the new floor and platform your addition will built on. On some projects, that might be the same size as the foundation, but your architect calls for the framers to cantilever out over the foundation wall. This is where the beams that create the “ribs” of the floor hang a few feet over the edge of the basement wall, allowing the first floor to be larger than the basement (plus saving money on the foundation size). On top of the floor, or platform, framing crews will build the outside walls. Most outside walls are made with 2x6's, allowing more thickness (and more insulation) than the standard 2x4 construction used for inside walls. The framers will account for all the windows and doors at just the right height and size and then frame them with a heavier beam over the openings. These beams, referred to as “headers,” provide structural support. On your addition, we are expanding an existing house and need to tie our new building into the existing house. Since we are doubling the size of the kitchen, a 25 foot span of the back wall will be removed. The challenge is that you have a second floor over the existing kitchen. Removing the house's existing back wall will surely cause the second floor to collapse, so we need something needs to hold it up. Since you don't want a support column in the middle of your new kitchen, we are going to need a steel beam. “What a minute?” I hear you ask. “A steel beam? We're not building a skyscraper here.” True, but even home construction sometimes uses steel for strength and your architect has called for a “flitch plate beam.” This is a “sandwich” beam of wood on the outside and a ½ thick steel plate in the inside, all bolted together. It will be supported at each end on support footings we built as part of the new foundation's concrete walls. This steel and wood beam provides great strength compared to wood alone and is what holds up your second floor. Your interior walls are built next, typically with 2x4s, The second floor “platform” is created just like the first and ties it to your existing house. The roof is added at the top and is tied into the existing roof. The outside walls are covered with sheets of plywood, giving your new addition it's basic shape. At this point, the windows and exterior doors are set into place. While we are far from finished, we now can tell the difference between “inside” and “outside.” The last step for our framers is to get the entire house wrapped in “house wrap.” This helps seal the house up will help prevent drafts after the house is sided later down the road. So now you have the rough addition. Next month, we'll look at siding and roofing options. (c) 2011 Woody Kamena Past articles can be found at: http://stilleandsons.com/articles/index.htm |
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Article 8: - Moving outside - Roofing and siding |
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The last few months (link below for past articles) we have discussed a theoretical home project adding your “new” kitchen with a basement beneath and more bedroom space above. Last month we talked about framing. Today we are going to move outside and talk about roofing and siding. While most addition projects will match the roofing and siding currently on the existing house, many folks also take the opportunity to re-roof or re-side the house while the other work is being done. In the West Essex area, most roofs fall into one of three categories By far, the most popular is an asphalt shingle. These are generally rated for 30 years and come in a variety of colors. (GAF's “Timberline” series is probably the best known, but there are many other quality manufacturers). Singles are made of an asphalt material and coated with a granular material for color and surface protection. They can come “sculpted” to add depth and texture to the look of your roof. Asphalt is a petroleum-based product, so these will be more expensive when oil is priced high. The second most popular roofing in this area is slate. Many older homes (70+ years) were built with a roof made out of slate tiles. Less popular now due to the higher cost and effort to work, slate is used mostly to repair or extend existing roofs or on higher-end projects that are after a specific look. Similar to slate, our third roofing material is Cedar Shakes. Individual slabs of weather resistant cedar wood are overlapped to create a roof. This materiel weathers beautifully, but is expensive and tends to be used mostly on projects that want that specific, rustic look. Clay tiles, popular in the Southwest, and metals like aluminum and copper are also used for roofing, but rarely seen on residential renovations projects. (Copper is often used as an accent, though.) On the walls, we have several different materials used for siding, These fall into the categories of wood, synthetic (or composite) or masonry. For wood siding, cedar is again the material of choice, in both shingles or clap-boards (long rows, overlapped horizontally). Cedar is weather resistant, rot resistant and easy to work with, but generally needs to be stained or painted for the best protection. For synthetic siding, vinyl is the best known material. Vinyl is made to look like wood clapboard or shingles. It come molded in the final color, making in more difficult (but not impossible) to change the house color later. There are a wide range of costs and qualities in the vinyl siding field. Composites include materials like Hardie-Plank(tm), from The James Hardie Company. Like vinyl, it comes in a pre-finished (baked on) color and is made of a mixture of cement and wood fibers. Hardie-Plank(tm) is an excellent, very durable and long lasting material (you can smack it with a hammer with little or no damage), but a premium cost over most vinyls. Lastly, there are brick, stone and masonry exterior finishes like stucco. These can be more expensive to install, but can last many lifetimes. The variety of stone finishes is near endless and this type of siding can be used for either the entire house, or just portions of the house to provide a special look or accent. All of the sidings discussed above can be seen by doing a “Google” image search on-line. Next month, we'll look at rough plumbing, electric and HVAC work. (c) 2011 Woody Kamena Past articles can be found at: http://stilleandsons.com/articles/index.htm |
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Article 9: - Infrastructure - Plumbing, Electric and HVAC |
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For the last few months we've been taking a theoretical trip though “your” building project to add to your kitchen and increase bedroom space. This month we move inside your new walls. After your addition is framed and before the sheetrock is installed, the next step is to add in what we call the “infrastructure.” This infrastructure is the wiring, piping, and duct work that brings electricity, water and heated/cooled air into the living space. In most cases, construction crews sequence installation from the largest pipes to the smallest wires. This means that the HVAC (Air Conditioning and forced hot air heat) duct work goes in first. Some installers use a flexible tube (like you see on clothes dryers) because its cheaper to install, but these tubes can pinch and bind restricting the air flow. (Meaning your system has to work harder so you may pay more in energy costs). Also, these flex tubes are sometimes used in attics and “hung” on wire loops slightly thicker than clothes hangers. While they hold up in the beginning, eventually they all seem to sag and restrict air flow. The best way to handle air flow is with metal duct work in preformed pipes and custom formed ducts. Duct pipes (typically about 5-6 inches in diameter) are installed inside the walls so they won't be seen in the finished room. They lead to a register outlet through the wall. Another type of register is a “return.” Returns allows the system to breath. Your system can't keep blowing out air without getting it from somewhere. Your system “inhales” through the return. All these components are attached to a system that includes an air conditioner and, in the case of a forced hot air heating system, a furnace. Since your new system can control what ducts are open or closed, we'll take advantage of this and divide your home into “zones.” A “zone system” is a cost effective to heat and cool your home. Picture a two-story house with bedrooms on the second floor and living room, kitchen, and family rooms on the first. During the day, the bedrooms are empty and we don't need to heat or cool them. That zone is off. At night, when the family is asleep, we swap the zones and lower the heating or cooling required on the first floor (which is empty). While this is a simple “two-zone by floor” example, a system could have more than two zones and “zone” areas on the same floor. In any case, a zoned system for heating and cooling allows you to lower energy costs by not paying for energy to heat/cool areas not in use. Next we move onto plumbing. Plumbing has four main components to deal with. These are fresh (drinkable) water, waste water (from toilets and drains), gas piping and in some homes, steam heat. When you turn on the tap, you get hot or cold water. This water originates at a well water pump (if you have well water) or at the municipal water supply into the house. From there, it splits and some of the water goes into a hot water heater or boiler. The water heater will feed the hot water faucets in the house, while the line connected to the main feed will supply the cold water faucets. Water supplies are run either through copper pipes or a flexible tubing referred to as “Pex.” Copper is the traditional material, but “Pex” has the advantage of being easier to install (since you can wiggle it into place), is color coded red (hot) and blue (cold) and won't split if it gets frozen (it flexes). As we're out of space, next month we'll continue to look at plumbing and then move into electrical wiring. As always, catch up on past articles at: http://stilleandsons.com/articles/index.htm (c) 2012Woody Kamena |
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Article 10: - Infrastructure - Plumbing, Electric and HVAC (continued) |
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During our last few articles, we have been taking a trip through your theoretical home addition project, which adds eat-in space in your kitchen and two new bedrooms above. The project also adds an addition to the current basement, which will act as a foundation for the new rooms above. Last month we started on infrastructure, which includes the wiring, piping, and duct work that brings electricity, water and heated/cooled air into and out of your living space. (There is a “past articles” web link at the bottom in case you need to catch up.) This month we continue with plumbing. Moving past “fresh water,” lets deals with waste water from drains, toilets and washing machines. This is an “open” system, meaning air pressure and gravity move the waste water. We all know the trick where you put a straw a glass of soda and cover the end with your finger. When you lift the straw out, the soda stays in the straw. Release your finger and it spills out. Your waste water drains the same way. You'll see a stubby black pipe protruding through your roof. That's called the vent and it's like the top of our straw. It allows air pressure and gravity to drain the waste water out of the house. In your basement you'll also see a cast iron pipe about 6 inches in diameter. This is your main sewer line and connects your house to the city sewer or your septic system. This is the bottom of the straw where the liquid flows out. When air gets in at the top, the liquids flow freely out the bottom. Next on the plumber's “to do” list is natural gas. Not all houses have gas, but many use it for heating, hot water and, like our new kitchen, for cooking. Gas is run in cast iron pipes (often called “black pipes”) and new, flexible pipe materials. It enters the house underground (or from a propane tank) and is run in sealed pipes. This is a highly flammable gas, so all “black pipe” work should definitely be left to an experienced, licensed plumber. In the Essex Fells area, we also have many older homes that are heated by a steam system and have radiators in each room. These systems, which as any steam owner can tell you, can be temperamental. Adding on to an existing system for our addition will require a plumber experienced with steam since any changes to the system will affect the overall balance in the rest of the house. To envision how a steam system works, think of an octopus. The body is your basement boiler, where the hot water is turned into steam. It then flows upward (since the hot steam rises) into the pipes that lead to the radiators. These are the tentacles. At the end of the tentacles are your radiators, which feed the steam thorough metal loops so heat can transfer to and warm the air. This is also why most radiators are installed below a window to help balance out the colder part of the wall. A steam boiler only makes steam at one location and its all the same temperature. Since some radiators are closer to the boiler, the steam feeding them has had less chance to cool and will still be very hot. For radiators that are further away, the stem vapor has cooled some and will not be as hot. By controlling how much steam enters each radiator, an experienced plumber can “balanced” your newly expanded system so some rooms aren't too hot while others are too cold. Next month we'll continue by moving into electrical needs, including the main house wiring and the “low voltage” wiring needed for TV signals, telephones, alarm systems and computers. As always, catch up on past articles at: http://stilleandsons.com/articles/index.htm (c) 2012 Woody Kamena |
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Article 11 - Electrical, Part 1 |
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| During the last year, these articles have
been taking a trip through our theoretical
home addition project. We started out
with
a desire for a larger kitchen with
eat in
space and making the bedrooms above
larger.
(This is the eleventh article in the
series.
See the link at the bottom for past
articles.) Last month we finished rough plumbing and now we are going to move into the electrical needs of your addition and home. First, lets cover some electrical terms. We have two kinds of wiring to look at: AC wiring, or sometimes just “electrical” or main wiring, is what you use when you plug into a 2 prong (or 3-prong grounded) electrical wall outlet. It generally comes in off the street on a heavy wire (sometimes over head and sometimes underground). You don't want to touch (complete) an AC circuit since you'll get a nasty shock. Low voltage wiring is generally for data. It's generally DC (direct current) like you'd get out of a battery. It doesn't really provide power to run things so much as a signal (data). Some examples of low voltage wiring included telephones, cable TV, internet, audio speakers and many alarm systems. For our addition, the first thing that we will need to do is determine our AC power need and what is currently available. Somewhere in your house, you will have a metal box referred to as the service panel, or the breaker-box. When the main (source) electrical wire comes into your house (from the street), it goes into this box to be connected to outlets and lights. Breakers, those little switches that flip if you overload and “blow a circuit,” are used to protect the lines from being forced to carry too much electricity, which is dangerous and could cause a fire. Your General Contractors and/or his electrician will evaluate this box to see if you have room for more breakers and if you have enough capacity to support your planned expansion. Service panels have “slots” for added connections and breaker switches. Sometimes there are available slots and sometimes there are not. If not, a second, new box, referred to as a “sub-panel” can be added to your system for more room. Your home will also have an electrical capacity rated in “amps,” (short for amperes.) For our discussion, think of it as a measurement of the flow rate of electricity available to your house. Many older homes in the area were built with a “100 Amp” service and back then, this was probably sufficient. However, since today's world is full of appliances, computers, flat-screens and other electricity hungry devices, this may now be insufficient. Since our kitchen will have some new appliances and our home is just plain bigger, we will be upgrading the system to a 200-amp service. Your GC will make the arrangements with the electric utility and his electrician will install the larger service line that's needed, along with an added sub-panel. With capacity addressed, your GC and electrician will handle “rough wiring” first. These are wires that you will want in the wall so they aren't seen. They can lead to overhead lights or wall mounted fixtures, wall switches, wall outlets or a direct wired utility appliance like a furnace, attic fan or your whole-house air conditioner. When the “rough” work is done, it will be inspected by the town before work continues. Next month, we'll look at low-voltage wiring and smoke alarms. As always, catch up on past articles at: http://stilleandsons.com/articles/index.htm (c) 2011 Woody Kamena |
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Article 12 - Electrical, Part 2, smoke detectors and low volt wiring |
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| This is our 12th article in this series,
so welcome to our one year anniversary!
If
you've missed any, there is a link
at the
bottom to the previous editions so
you can
catch up. During the last year, we've been building your theoretical home addition project. We're adding a larger kitchen with eat in space, more bedrooms on the second floor and a full basement below. Last month we got started on the wiring and electricity and found out our homes have both AC wiring, (when you plug into a wall outlet, it's AC) and something referred to as “Low voltage wiring.” Most low-voltage wire carries an electronic signal. Examples include telephones, cable TV, internet, audio speakers and many burglar and fire alarm systems. Since we talked bout AC last month, this month we are going to talk low-voltage. Actually, before we get into that, lets talk about smoke detectors. Almost any time you do a building project, the building department that issues the permit will require that your entire house be “brought up to code” with regard to smoke detectors. This can be confusing since your new project might not be in an area of the house where smoke detectors are required. For example, even if you are doing an outside deck or a garage project, you may be required to update the smoke detectors inside the house. You see, your house was built to the then current building codes, but in some cases the codes have changed. The town can't knock on your door and insist you add smoke detectors just because the code has changed, but when you open a permit for anything else, they will make sure you catch up then. (And let's face it, smoke detectors are a good idea!). Smoke detectors come in two flavors. The first type is an AC unit. Yup, AC like we talked about last month. These sound a siren alert when they are set off and are connected directly into the house's AC wiring so you never have to worry about a battery going dead. The second type, and the reason I've saved them for this conversation, are low voltage smoke detectors. This type of detector would be part of an alarm system or monitoring alarm service, like SMS Security or ADT might provide. The “system” approach has the advantage of tying smoke detection in with burglar and basement flooding alarms. Either type, AC or low voltage detectors, should meet the building code requirement (although a low voltage alarm system provider may need a special license). You will have to tell the town what you plan to do before they will issue the permit for your project. So what about battery powered smoke detectors? Obviously, the are better than nothing, especially if you keep them stocked with fresh batteries, but they won't meet building codes. Other low voltage wiring, TV, internet and the like, can be put into the walls and out of sight at the time of construction. You will want to plan ahead so you know where the appliances that need the wiring are going to be placed in each room. Next month, we'll look at look at some options for insulating your addition along with the energy saving benefits. Thanks for making this a first great year! As always, catch up on past articles at: http://stilleandsons.com/articles/index.htm (c) 2012 Woody Kamena |
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Article 13 - Insulation (part 1) |
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In the last year of this column, we've been talking about a theoretical home addition project. (Please see the web link at bottom if you would like to catch up on past articles). We started with the design, and bidding process and moved into “building” our addition by looking at the major steps and decisions and how they affect what go in the project. Many of us can remember a parent yelling “Close the door! I don't want to heat the whole neighborhood!” This month, we are going to look at insulation. It's an important part of the project, given the rising costs of energy. Insulation is what keeps the outside temperatures out and the inside in. It comes in different forms and we'll look at what's most commonly used in this area. Your house or addition will have insulation in the exterior walls and in the top floor ceiling (attic floor). Typically, interior walls are not insulated, nor are ceilings between floors of living space. Floors are also insulated when there is cold space below, like an unheated crawl space. Basement walls are insulated when the basement is to be finished into living space. Attics are insulated in the floor, leaving the area above “cold” in the winter to help prevent ice damning on the roof. Insulation is rated in R-values and building codes will require minimum “R-values” for certain types of buildings (or parts of the building). The R-value is a measure of thermal resistance and a higher number indicates that less heat is transferred past the insulation. For example, a single sheet of plywood has an R-value of less than 1 (about R-.63). It's not much, so as a wall against the cold winter, it's not very effective. Two sheets of plywood might be just over R-1 (R-1.26), which still isn't very much. In order to get better values, we have to build our wall and look at the pieces. For now, we are going to “build” a wall without a window, but windows effect insulation, too. For a typical, wood framed wall like you might see on our addition, first we frame a wall with 2x4s studs. Then we put our sheet of plywood on the outside (R-.63) and “wrap” the house. You've probably seen houses or additions being framed. After the plywood sheathing goes up, the house is “wrapped” to help prevent air drafts getting in. In the old days, this was done with black tar paper. Today's material of choice is a synthetic. (Tyvec, which is made by duPont, is the best know name but there are others.) Stopping the drafts is important, but Tyvec doesn't do anything to stop the actually cold. For that we need insulation. After the wall is wrapped, we add a layer of cedar shingles (R-.9) on top of that. Next, a layer of fiberglass batt insulation (R-11) goes in the cavity between the 2x4 studs and finally a layer of sheetrock (R-.5) on the inside of the house. This brings our R-total to R-13.03. Often, houses will be framed with larger studs, like 2x6s instead of 2x4s. This leaves a larger cavity so we can put in more (thicker) insulation and would bring our batt insulation value from R-11 to R-17 and our total wall the just under R-20. Given the rising costs of energy, better insulation will pay for itself and there are several different types of insulation materials. Each has it's uses and most homes will use a combination of several materials to insulation. Next month, we'll continue by looking at different types of insulation and how they are best used. As always, catch up on past articles at: http://stilleandsons.com/articles/index.htm (c) 2012 Woody Kamena |
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Article 14 - Insulation (part 2) |
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Welcome back! Last month we started with the important topic of insulation. We learned that insulation is measured in “R-values” and that a higher R- value number meant better insulation. Today, we are going to look at four types of insulation products that are popular in our area. The first is fiberglass batt insulation. Most of us have seen this (it's often cotton candy pink, but that's just one particular brand's color). It's a very effective material for insulation, as well as being cost effective to purchase and install. Batt insulation is meant to be installed in walls as they are being built. Typical construction calls for wall studs to be about 16 inches apart. Batt insulation comes sized to fit between the two wall studs, effectively filling the cavity. In a 2x4 framed wall, the insulation has an R-value of about R-13. Often, outside walls are framed with bigger 2x6 studs to provide more depth for insulation. In a 2x6 wall, you can get an R-value of about R-17. Batt insulation is easy to cut and “fluff” so it's easy to work around wires, pipes and air condition ducts. The trade off is that it's difficult to completely fill a stud cavity, so you may get thermal “thin spots.” The second type is a newer material, referred to as a spray-in or expanding foam insulation. This material requires a special dispenser (big and often truck mounted) and pumps a liquid foam that will expand and harden. These expanding foams are more expensive to install than batt insulation and only offer about the same R-value per inch's depth. The difference is that the material expands to fill in around the pipes and wires more completely, providing a better fill against drafts and thin spots. These spray-in materials are available in Eco-friendly “Green” formulas, too. While more expensive, spray foam is an excellent way to insulate an attic, helping to prevent ice damning in the winter, when leaking heat melts roof snow during the day, allowing melt water to seep into your roofing materials and cause refreezing damage during the cold nites. Our third material is rigid foam insulation. Often used for specific situations, this material is also easy to work with. It can solve insulation retrofitting problems or just give you an easy way to get some “extra” insulation. Rigid foam, which often includes a foil coating on one side as a moisture barrier, is a main stay of basement refinishing. Outside, it easily allows an extra layer of insulation to be installed under vinyl siding. Depending on the material type, you can add between R-3 and R-6.5 per inch of foam and could bring a typical wall from R-13 to R19! The forth type of insulation is blow-in cellulose. This material is also very “Green,” being that it's made with recycled, shredded newspapers treated with chemicals to make it flame retardant. It's blown in with giant fans and hoses. This material is often used to add an extra insulation layer in an attic, but can also be used in wall cavities. It's slightly denser than batt insulation, but may settle over time if used in walls, leaving a cold spot at the top of your wall. It's R-value is between 3.6 and 3.8 per inch. Given the rising cost of energy and heating, insulation is a very important consideration when building or adding on to your home and the most effective insulation systems may be one that uses several materials. Just remember that even though the insulation is not something you'll see every day, the money invested on it during the build will continue to pay you back with cheaper heating costs for the life of the house. As always, we invite you to catch up on past articles at: http://stilleandsons.com/articles/index.htm (c) 2012 Woody Kamena |
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Article 15 - Windows |
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Welcome back! In the past columns, we've been “virtually” doing an addition project and looking at all the pieces that go into it. This month, we are going to talk about windows. (Please see the web link at bottom if you would like to catch up on past articles). In the last fifty years, windows have come a long way and can really contribute to the insulation and energy saving properties of your home. In houses built before the eighties, you typically find “single pane” windows. This means a single piece of glass is all that stands between you and the cold weather outside. Put your hand that piece of glass during a cold day and you'll see just how inefficient glass can be as an insulator! For some added protection, “storm” windows were sometimes installed, but they were not air tight. While they no doubt helped, there was massive room from improvement from an energy standpoint. Today's modern windows have come a long way. They have air tight seals and feature double panes of specially coated glass. This means there are two sheets of glass with a space in between that provides insulation. Window manufacturers fill this space with a clear, dense gas, like Argon, which provides even better insulation than air or a vacuum. Manufacturers coat the glass to help reflect heat and block the sun's UV rays, which fade carpets, drapes and furnishings. With these new windows come some new bonuses and some style trade offs. Most of us expect windows to have “grills.” These wooden grids, originally a work-around when large sheets of glass were very expensive and hard to produce, divide the light. Since modern windows are made of full sheets of glass, grills have become decoration. For people who still want the “divided” light look, today's grills are applied outside or between the glass and come in removable styles for easier cleaning. Some manufactures have added a third pane of glass on a swinging hinge. The first two panes provide your insulation properties. The third creates a space for accessories, like blinds inside the glass that can twist open or raise up. They come in colors and are replaceable if you change your room colors. You can even get them in exterior doors to match. Lets cover two terms related to windows that you might have heard and found confusing. These terms are “replacement window” and “new construction window.” A replacement window, which is often offered cheaply in vinyl instead of wood, is a specially built window without an outside frame. The installer removes an existing window, leaving the original frame in place. Then he puts the replacement window in the same frame. Your window ends up with a frame-within-a-frame, so there is less glass area. The upside is the install is usually quicker, but the downside is that you have an old frame (often subject to weathering, damp rot and poor insulation issues) and slightly less glass. On the other hand, if you had a bathroom with a wall of tile you didn't want to disturb, a replacement window could be a great solution. In contrast, new construction windows have a full frame and are made to go into a wall as it's being built (although they can also be retrofitted). They attached to the wall studs and don't have the “frame in a frame” effect to cut down on the glass area. With the wall open for installation, they also provide the opportunity to correctly insulate the wall around the windows. They require removing and/or replacing the trim on the inside and outside of the house and also take a bit longer to install. They can be more expensive, but generally you get a better job and a better look. As always, we invite you to catch up on past articles at: http://stilleandsons.com/articles/index.htm (c) 2012 Woody Kamena |
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Article 16- Project changes, additions and unforeseen circumstances |
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Welcome back! In the past columns, we've been discussing a home addition project. This month, our home owner has asked us if we could add “replacing his old garage doors” to the project. That brings us to this months topic: Project changes, additions and unforeseen circumstances. First, changes. Let's define a project change as part of the project that has changed. For example, you've decided the front hall should have a tile floor rather than the hardwood shown on the plans. Your contractor cringes and quotes a price that seems kind of high to you. The work doesn't seem like a big deal, and you are wondering if he's making a windfall on your indecision. Maybe, but probably not. Let's see what's really involved in this seemingly simple change. Standard hardwood flooring is ¾ of an inch thick. A tile floor, depending on the tile selected, can be more than an inch thick. On top of the sub floor goes a wire mesh, which holds a thick layer of leveling mortar (often referred to as “mud”). The tile is set on top of this base. Let' s say this comes up to a total of 1 ¼ inches, a full half inch higher than the wood floor that leads to the front hall. If the wood and tile “met” on the original plan, the contractor would “set” the tile's sub floor by lowering the framing or adding a ½ inch layer of added plywood under the hardwood so there were no humps that would be a tripping hazard. After it's in, the sub floor can still be cut back and lowered, but it's considerably more work than it would have been in the beginning. Don't get me wrong – some changes are simple, but others are deceptively complex. More than once I have heard a house described as an onion – layer on top of layer. Working on the top layer is easy – working a few layers down can be hard and doing it incorrectly will definitely show in the final product Addition orders are something at the same home not related to the project. Small projects (“can you put up a towel rack in the bathroom?”) can easily be handled at a “time and materials” price, which your contractors should tell you with his original bid. Other additions, like replacing the old garage doors, require some work to price. Measurements need to be taken, options reviewed (insulated/non-insulated?), doors and openers need to be selected and bid from suppliers, and the electrician may need to put an outlet in for the opener (require a permit addition with the town). All added time and money. Lastly, lets talk about unforeseen circumstances. These fall into two basic categories – nature and previous work. Nature is usually water, critters or termites that got into the walls and compromised the structure (or created mold). Chewed up or rotten wood needs to be removed, re-supported and replaced. If the repair is small, it could often be handled as “time and materials.” If it's larger, your contractor should discuss charges and options with you. Other problem can be with previous work. For example, twenty years before our project, an older house had plumbing retrofitted into a new area. The old plumber (or perhaps previous homeowner) “blind” drilled through the wall for his hot and cold water pipes and waste line. What he didn't know is that he was drilling them through the same beam. The holes were so big they had compromised the strength of the beam, which sagged over the next twenty years. Once we opened up that wall for our work, no building inspector would let us close it up without fixing the beam first. A good contractor won't use changes to inflate his fees, but keep in mind changes are often more work than they might first appear! Talking with your contractor is the best way to understand what needs to be done and what's involved. Catch up on past articles at: http://stilleandsons.com/articles/index.htm . (c) 2012 Woody Kamena |
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Article 17 - Front and Exterior Doors |
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| In the past columns, we've been discussing
a home addition project, and during
this
month's articles, we are going to talk
about
something that will help define the
character
of you home, but to which most people
give
little thought: Doors. Doors can be easily divided into two categories, interior and exterior. Let's talk about exterior doors today. Your front door, or “door-set,” is one of the design elements of your home that people will see from the street. There are many styles of doors in many price ranges, but most front doors (or door sets) that are used in our area are in the range of $1500 to $3500. Above I mentioned “door-sets,” so lets get some terms on the table. A door is a single swinging door. It can be solid or have glass panels (clear glass windows or frosted glass) and can be made of several different materials. A door turns into a door-set when you add panels next to it with glass in them (called “side-lights”). You can have a side light on either side of the door or on both sides, and quite often, the door and the sidelights come attached as one big set. Today's doors are built either of wood or fiberglass (or a similar plastic/vinyl/composite material). Wood is the traditional look and if you want a stained door rather than a painted door, you may want to consider it. You can't beat the look. Wood, however, doesn't fair as well against the elements, which means you will have to do periodic sanding and re-staining to protect your door and keep it looking good. You could also consider a glass storm door for protection (which may partially block the view of your expensive wood door). Wood is also subject to drying and shrinking with age, which means after some years, your door may no longer be a perfect fit. The other option most people consider is a fiberglass door. These have become very popular for a number of reasons. First, they are very weather resistant and don't shrink or dry out. They can be textured too look like a wood finish and they can even be stained to look like wood. (Although it may pass for wood from the street, a close inspection rarely fools anybody). Keep in mind that doors are generally sold separate from the knob and lock set hardware. Since you probably want the knob and the hinges to match, you should have an idea of a knob-set in mind when you order the door. For example, you wouldn't want to get chrome hinges and a brass knob-set. When you look at a knob-set for your front door, you have several considerations. One is, of course, the style. It should match the look of the house (traditional, modern, etc), but it also has to be functional and secure. You can also get just a locking knob-set, or a dead-bolt and knob-set combination. In addition, many manufactures let you “build you own,” by selecting a back knob, a front knob, a dead-bolt knob and so on from a selection of styles. Keep in mind a quality knob-set for a front door could easily be over $200 and some can run as much as $500. Doors have to be drilled to match the spacing for the lock set (and deadbolt) you select, which can be done on site, but is better done in the factory and defined when the door is ordered. Door frames are also sold with frame sizes that need to be matched up to wall thickness for a seamless fit. It's a good idea to have your contractor order or at least review the door specifications before it's ordered Next month we'll look at back doors, including sliding doors for patios and decks. Catch up on past articles at: http://stilleandsons.com/articles/index.htm . (c) 2012 Woody Kamena |
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Article 18 - Porch Doors, French Doors and Sliders |
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Welcome back! In the past columns, we've been working our way though home improvement topics by discussing a theoretical home addition project. Last month, we covered a home's front door, which adds to and defines the character of the house. This month, we are moving around to the back of the house. While planning your addition, you pictured a “double wide door” here that leads to the deck. It will be the perfect solution for summertime entertaining on the deck. You planned for an open wall space of almost 7 feet, so you'll have plenty of room. So lets talk about the doors. These types of door sets come in two main styles – sliders and twin swings. Both styles generally feature insulated, double pane glass, the same as modern windows. A sliding door unit, or a “slider” is a double wide, two door unit where each door panel is set into parallel tracks. One “door” slides over (in front of) the other to create a way in to or out of the house. Generally, the other side remains fixed. These doors are typically glass (with single large pane or a “divided” light look) with wood, plastic or aluminum frames. They are a great way to see the back yard or deck and let lots of light into your home. Since the doors overlap to open, they cannot actually be opened to the full width. Sliders can be heavy since the weight is not supported by a hinge. Also the lock mechanisms are not as secure as one that “dead-bolts” into a door frame. (The lock is basically a rotating “hook” that mates into a receiving catch.) They do work and can be secure, but often people put a “charlie bar” into the sliding pane's track. This prevents the door from being slid open and adds security. Some better designs have a door-stop that drops into the track on the floor. These work well and server the same function as the “charlie bar” but look a little less “make-shift.” Cost wise, a good set of basic sliders will set you back at least $1000 and better ones can approach the $3000 range. Sliders are one set of doors where you get what you pay for. Expect to spend some extra money for quality. With big panels of insulated, double pane glass, they can be heavy and a quality track, roller system and lock will save you many future headaches. Beyond sliders are twin-swings or “French Door” sets. These are two doors that open in the middle with hinges on the left or right. While both doors can be opened, one door typically remains fixed during normal day to day use. This is typically done by locking the door into the jam at the top and floor and latching the “opening” door into the fixed door's frame. These kinds of doors often wood or vinyl, feature divided light (grid) designs and can be a featured design element in your room. Another consideration is screens. A sliding door is easy to fit with a sliding screen, but a twin-swing is more complicated since you have the second door. Some screen sets are like an outward opening twin-swing, but leave you with a “frame” in the middle, meaning you still won't have a “complete” opening. Others slide the screens away on both sides (like curtains opening), which means you will need open space for this frame on the outside of the house. Still others use a rolling mechanism (like a spring wound window shade). If you picture using a screen to allow fresh air in from your deck or patio, it make good sense to investigate which door and screen system works best for you. Most door manufactures also offer a screen system that works with their doors. Next month we'll move back inside and talk about interior doors. Catch up on past articles at: http://stilleandsons.com/articles/index.htm . (c) 2012 Woody Kamena |
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Article 19 - Interior Doors |
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Welcome back! In the past we've been talking about home addition and improvement topics by wrapping them loosely around a theoretical home addition project. Last month, we covered exterior doors. This monthly, we're going to talk about the interior doors that will go into our addition. To get started, there is one interior door that's a bit special. It's the door from your living space to your garage. Per the building code, this needs to be what is called a “fire rated door.” This rating is given as a “time.” For example, a 30-minute or 60-minute rated door and so on. These doors are often metal, but can also be wood, fiberglass or some mix of the three. They can be fitted with sturdy locks to offer protection for the inside of your house should somebody get into your garage. “Fire rated doors” don't have to be plain, however. Many can match the other interior doors you select for your home. Most doors used for interior construction can be broken into two primary types of finish: Smooth and Panel. Smooth is easy – it's just a flat surface of wood or some other painted materiel. This look has a bit of a dated feel (being popular in houses built in the 50's and 60's) and are sometimes called “lauan” doors (for the surface of the door, which was often a sheet of smooth “lauan” plywood). Panel doors are very different. In the old days (when each door was built by hand, from scratch), there were no large, flat sheets of plywood. Carpenters fit doors together from long planks and smaller flat pieces. The long planks created a frame and smaller pieces slotted into the frame. Since temperature and moisture could make the flat pieces expand and shrink, the panels were not nailed and “floated” in the frame. In modern doors, the panel look has been carried forward as a “traditional” looking design element and there are many variations to choose from. Let's talk about door construction for a minute. The hand built, all-wood panel door is still available, but for most projects, it's prohibitively expense. That leaves us with modern, factory-made doors. These come “pre-hung” in a door jam, ready to be installed. You've probably also heard these two terms used regarding interior doors: Hollow core and Solid core. Hollow core is shell, like a door-shaped box with air in the middle. Solid core is a door filled with “foam” (similar to Styrofoam) that gives the door a more solid feel (They may also be called MDF doors, which simply stands for “Medium Density Foam” filled doors). Hollow core doors are slightly less expensive and typically used for closets, while a Solid core door offers better sound insulation and is used for where privacy is desired, like a bedroom or bathroom. The shell of the doors come in wood, Masonite (sort of a cross between wood and heavy cardboard) and fiberglass. If you want to stain your doors so the wood grain shows, you are going to want a wood shell. Doors that are painted can be any material and most can also be ordered primed and ready to paint. Most pre-hung door units do not come with knobs, but do come with hinges. When ordering a pre-hung door, you should know what finish you want you knobs to be (chrome, brass, etc) and order the hinges to match. Knobs and locksets come in many different styles and finishes, so finding one that suits you homes style is easy. Catch up on past articles at: http://stilleandsons.com/articles/index.htm . (c) 2012 Woody Kamena |
