Protecting Your House & Plumbing in Winter

January 4th, 2012

Your house is like a big toddler.  It needs guidance from the experienced adult: you.  You can’t just leave it in the middle of winter and expect for everything to be alright when you return.  These preparations are simple; you just need to think about them to protect your investment in your house and in its plumbing.  Protecting your house and its plumbing in winter just takes a few quick steps.  Rand Soellner Architect wants his clients to be able to prepare for winter and protect their houses and the plumbing.  Step one: if you are not familiar with Winterizing houses, obtain the services of a licensed contractor experienced with this special service and have him or her supervise or perform all of the following…

Protecting Your House & Plumbing in Winter

protecting your house and plumbing in winterTHERMOSTATS: first, what Not to do: do Not turn your thermostats off or to such a low level that you will have frost inside your house.  That will eventually melt and saturate the wall and floor and ceiling finish materials which is sure to grow mold.  What to do: turn your thermostats down to perhaps 60 degrees F.  In reality, the low limit switches in your AHUs (Air Handling Units) will turn on when the thermometer in the thermostat reaches about 58 degrees.  The high limit switch in the AHUs will probably turn off the heat source and related distribution fans when the temperature at the thermostat reaches about 62 degrees.  Why is this important?  Because there are water pipes running through your walls, ceilings and floors.  These pipes are heated typically by the water itself, if it is running through them, and/or from the heat inside your house.  If you turn down your heat to an extremely low level or turn it off, you will have a Cold Structure that will not be able to provide any heat to the piping in structural spaces, thereby allowing the pipes to freeze.

DEHUMIDIFIERS: many people think that just because they are not present to smell any moldy odors that they can turn off their dehumidifiers when they leave.  That is Not a correct assumption.  If you have dehumidifiers in your crawlspace or other location in your house that would otherwise have dampness you really need to keep your dehumidifiers on.  They do not use much electricity and can prevent the building materials and furnishings in these area from growing a green, fuzzy coat.  That is not an exaggeration.  Rand Soellner Architect’s wife is a real estate broker in the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Some of her clients turn off their dehumidifiers to “save” when they leave.  Invariably, their houses smell like an 1820 root cellar.  You must keep your dehumidifiers on at all times.  Dehumidifiers have a humidistat setting that you can typically adjust to whatever level of dehumidification you desire.  The Soellner’s set theirs at 35% to 40%.

PLUMBING “WINTERIZATION”: if you are going to be gone for more than a few days, like weeks or months and you  expect that there may be freezing temperatures during that time period, you would do well to engage a residential licensed contractor who is experienced in “Winterizing” houses.  This mainly involves draining all of the water from your house.  First, turn off your hot water heaters.  When all the water is gone from them the elements can burn out or other damage can occur if they are left on.  Have your local gas company advise you about turning off a gas-heated device and have them come to your house to do this.  Now, to drain your house piping of water, typically, the exterior valve at the street is turned off first.  This valve box and all the other subsurface valve boxes should be filled with bundles of plastic bags (like what people at your grocery store bag your food purchases inside for you to carry to your car).  This advice is actually given by Utilities, Inc., a large water and sewer provider serving communities in the SouthEastern to MidCentral United States.  The bundled plastic bags serve to insulate the valve and pipe.  Even though the water inside this piping is very cold, it still retains some heat and the bags serve to insulate them from the even harsher temperatures above the valveboxes.

Now, drain all of the water out of your house, by first connecting hoses to the lowest point of water piping in your residence, which often will be the bottom of your hot water heaters in your crawlspace.  Have the hose drain ends lead to the outside before opening their drain valve.  Okay, open these low point drain valves, then proceed around your house and open up all the other water valves in all the kitchens and bathrooms and anywhere else.  Flush all the toilets, several times.  Your Winterization contractor should look for other possible low points in your piping, which can also occur in horizontal runs of piping that is inadequately supported, causing low spots.  When all of the water has been drained from your house, make sure that all of the water valves inside your house and crawlspace are turned back off.  Otherwise you will get a big surprise when you turn on the Main when you return.  Your contractor may also feel it is prudent to pour in non-freezing fluids into toilets, which is based on his or her experience in your climate.

GARAGE: First of all, Close all the garage doors and windows completely.  If you do not have weatherstripping around your garage doors (all the garage doors of all types and sizes), then take this precaution.  Stop infiltration (infiltration is the entrance of unwanted exterior air blowing into your house from outside).  You do Not want to leave your garage interior to freeze.  More than likely there are some water pipes flowing through the structure of this area and you do not want them to freeze.  Your plumber may have installed a special shutoff valve in your garage that allows you to turn off water to any exterior hose bibbs on the exterior garage wall.  You should have turned this shut off valve off, then opened the hose bibb connected to it.  Also, provide at least a small heater in your garage set to a low temperature and if you know where water piping is in your garage walls, ceilings and other areas, you might want to direct the heater in that direction.  Even if you believe you have drained all the water from your house, there still could be some low spots with water remaining in them and you do not want these to freeze.  Why?  Because water expands 10% of its volume when it freezes.  This is why if water is contained within a fixed volume, like a closed pipe, the pipe is doomed.  The freezing water inside will become rock hard as it expands, and can easily split and break even metal piping.

EXTERIOR HOSE BIBBS: not many people do this.  They really should.  First, remove all of your exterior hoses that are connected to your exterior hose bibbs.  If you do not remove the hose from the hose bibb, water can be backed up in the hose bibb, causing it to freeze.  If you have Frost Proof hose bibbs, that is great; they will hopefully be safe, however, even these will need to have any hoses connected to them removed.  If you are not sure if your hose bibbs are frost proof, you may want to insulate them with something like flexible rubber or plastic hose bibb protectors that you may be able to find at Lowes or Home Depot, or use what you have as scrap material in your house, if you know that harsh weather is on the way, or if you will be gone.  Drain the hose bibbs of all water before doing this, if you are winterizing your house for an extended period.  Oh, if you’d like to have your hoses continue to function, drain them as well, after you disconnect them.  The best way to do this is to pull them out straight, then pick up one end, and keeping a continuous high point, walk along the length of the hose, constantly draining the water out of it.  Otherwise, water left inside the hose can expand, freeze and rupture the walls of the hose, ruining it.  If you do not remove hoses from even frost free hose bibbs, the faucet can be ruptured inside the wall, and you will not even know it, until you turn on the faucet in warm weather and water starts spurting inside your wall, causing much more water damage than if you took these simple precautions.

IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO WINTERIZE: if you are not going to drain all the water out of your house and turn off your main water valve, then consider this precaution: on each floor of your house, turn on a faucet just enough to allow it to slowly drip.  Perhaps even do this at all fixtures in your house, if you will be leaving for several days and you know that the pipes in your house are susceptible to freezing.  The idea is to keep the water flowing (even just a little) so that it does not have the chance to freeze.  Open under cabinet doors where you know plumbing lies behind it so that the warm air in your house can better warm the walls where the piping is located.  If you expose anything not suitable for infants and small children, take necessary precautions.

IF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO YOUR PLUMBING: Rand Soellner Architect specifies that ALL plumbing piping be insulated with synthetic insulation.  The reason is to protect the piping from freezing and from losing heat (in the case of hot water piping) and from have moisture condense on them (in the case of cold water piping) to prevent mold from growing.  If you see any plumbing distribution piping without insulation, then call a plumber and pay him or her to insulate the piping with a quality pipe insulation like Armaflex.  This will also help avoid freezing.   If you have the ability to do so, install additional insulation between the outside surfaces of areas in walls and ceilings and your plumbing piping.  Never allow water bearing pipe to be installed in areas where cold weather can directly contact it.

DOORS & WINDOWS: Doors and windows are often responsible for a great deal of infiltration in a house.  Infiltration is the unwanted and uncontrolled entrance of exterior air entering your house.  Wet your fingers and run them around the perimeter of your exterior doors.  If you feel a cold chill coming onto your fingers from the exterior side of the door gap, then you have infiltration.  You want to stop the infiltration.  First: have a tradesman that is experienced at installing and repairing doors make sure that your door is square and level and not warping and seated properly into the door frame.  Second: if you don’t have proper weatherstripping firmly contacting your door when you close it, provide and/or adjust the weatherstripping until you do.  Third: if you still experience some remaining infiltration, especially with warping wood doors, you may need to have your handyman install another thin strip of wood trim around the top and side of your door to further block the door gap.  Fourth: make sure you have a proper threshold and that your door bottom is level and completely horizontal and engaging weatherstripping along the exterior bottom door face.  Rand Soellner has actually seen exterior doors in some houses that have a bottom gap through which you can see the outside!  Obviously, any air outside can easily slide under such an improper opening and into your house, along with a host of creepy-crawlies.  Fifth: if you have a non-insulated or non-solid core door, you may want to consider replacing your exterior doors with a better quality new entrance.

Windows can have a tremendous amount of infiltration and you should think about replacing older windows that leak a lot of air into and out of your home.  Newer windows are also double pane with Low-E coatings that help dampen heat transfer from inside to outside and vice-versa.  You want windows that have low infiltration levels and low heat transfer frames.  If you don’t want to spend money to upgrade them now, you may want to consider temporary measures like sealants and other insulation to make them perform better.  Such measure may render the windows inoperable, however, depending on how you have installed the fixes.

For additional information on how your house can be designed to deal with the winter and other seasons and conditions, please click here —> Contact Rand Soellner Architect .  Home Architects website

tags: protecting your house & plumbing in winter, custom, residential design, cashiers, atlanta, newnan, hendersonville, asheville, murphy, chicago, los altos, orlando

 

 

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Aligning Home Design Wish Lists and Costs

December 29th, 2011

Hey, why do you have to align anything?  Can’t people just have in their residential designs what they want?  Sure!  If what their contractor charges them to build it doesn’t matter to them …

If, on the other hand, you do care what your proposed house design will cost to build, then you may find this article interesting.  Many designers just do what they are asked to do and give their documents to the owners, then run for cover.  Why?  Because anyone knowledgeable with construction has some idea of what is more expensive than something else.  When clients come to Rand Soellner Architect with their file folders full of cutouts from design magazines (featuring houses costing $500+ per square foot), Soellner normally considers what the client wants, then asks them: “And how much do you expect to pay your contractor to build your house?”

That’s when things start to get interesting.  Many clients may say things like: $200,000 or whatever, for a house of 3,000+ HSF (Heated Square Feet).  This = less than $100/HSF.  Costs like that are difficult to achieve, especially with high-end features torn from design magazines.  Soellner is quick to point out that he will gladly design clients’ houses however they desire; he just wants them to have some appreciation for the economic implications of what they are asking for in their houses and what the builder will charge to build it.  Most people have unrealistically low expectations of what their high-end wishes will actually cost to build.

Many people have in mind complex plans with curves and angles and tall commercial glass window walls, high-end flooring, tall widow-walk towers above their roofs, and big-big-big square footages with 3 and 4 car garages.  All that for just a few bucks a square foot!  Wouldn’t that be great, if that was actually possible?  The reality is: you get what you pay for.  Maybe in these down economic times, you get a little more.  But builders cannot lose money.  They already did that in the Great Bust.  They lost money in the spec houses they had sitting on the market that they had to sell for 50 cents on the dollar, just to dump them.  And that was for a built house on which they hoped to earn a profit.

What some clients imagine is that pre-built houses that have sold at distressed prices is what they can now have their new, custom built house constructed for.  No, you cannot.  Why?  Because you are asking a builder to create something new for you.  He is under no pressure to do this.  You are asking and he is considering.  Sure he will give you a good deal; he wants the work.  But can he build your high-end featured house with all your wished-for goodies for half of what is will cost him?  No.  And he will not.

So, understanding all of this, Rand Soellner Architect strives to ALIGN HOME WISH LISTS WITH COSTS right at the beginning of his projects.  The choice is the clients, and Soellner’s objective is to create the design his clients want for as close to the construction cost they would like to pay their builder as possible.  Soellner is not responsible for what your builder decides to charge you.  That cost is largely based on the features you have asked him to include, along with the size you have requested.  Soellner lets you make the choice.  He is there to inform you when what you have requested clearly exceeds the cost desired.

So what’s to be done?  Well, for one, Soellner tries to simplify his clients’ desires for complicated geometry.  Contractors charge extra for each additional corner and more for curves and angles.  If you want them, fine, just realize that you will pay extra for them.  Soellner also advises his clients on how certain spaces can have multiple uses, avoiding over-building space that really isn’t necessary.  This savings in “footprint” can have huge paybacks when you have more than one level.

Often, Soellner will ask his clients if they would like to see some examples of how to accomplish their desired space program with some of his existing designs.  They invariably agree.  Then, Soellner overlays the existing design with tracing paper and sketches the client’s new desired organization, understanding that this is simplifying the client’s wish list into something that will likely be built for much less construction cost.

If you are concerned about how to align your home design wish list with your cost, you may want to schedule an appointment with Rand Soellner Architect: Contact Us . 1-828-269-9046.

tags: custom, house design wish lists and costs, atlanta, orlando, sanfranciso, chicago

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Features People Want in Their House Designs

December 22nd, 2011

You may think that people want features that are exotic or expensive or complicated in their house designs.  Some people do.  However, most people want simpler, more practical things.  Like durability, low maintenance, energy efficiency, good looks, efficient use of space, logical arrangement of rooms, logic and practicality.

Some people may not think that sounds very exciting, but sometimes you just need Dependability from your house.  Sometimes good old fashioned peace and quiet and reliability is what you want.  Many people take for granted that architect will make their house design look good.  And that is true.  You should expect that.  No architect worth his salt should talk too much about that, because it is expected.

What is meant by RELIABILITY in a residential design?  That it works.  That it will be there after high winds blow or after modest ground tremors, or heavy rains.  That the electrical system provides dependable, constant power.  That things stay put and wear minimally.  That the home’s joints stay tight and keep out the wind, rain and cold.  That the insulation functions properly, keeping your house comfortable during all seasons.  That your roof keeps the inside of your house dry.  That your sealants and other coatings and materials keep wind borne water from entering your house.  That your windows and doors frame outstanding views, have minimal infiltration and are positioned to resist uncontrolled sunlight, heat and cold and water.  That your foundation and other aspects of your structural system stay put on solid ground.  That the very earth around your house conducts rainwater down and away from the structure.  That your sewage system conducts all your waste safely away from your house and deal with it so that you don’t have to think about it.  That your well or water source is clean, flowing, unfrozen and tastes wonderful.

Okay, now how about ENERGY EFFICIENCY?  What exactly does that mean?  Some pie in the sky “Green” thingamajig?  No.  Special sealant and/or insulation first, that seals the majority of the cracks and crevices from the inside out, which is how Rand Soellner Architect specifies it.  Second, special rigid insulation sheeting around the inside of your floor joist bands, preventing condensation that is sure to occur here if you don’t (per Building Sciences Corp.)  Third, mass insulation that fills the wall spaces, floors, ceiling/attics that gives you the most “R” value for the least dollar.   In other words, a lot of bang for your buck.  Fourth, interior vapor barrier that is “smart” that lets moisture through (from inside to outside in summer, and reverses this in winter).  In other words, a tightly construction house that properly controls and treats the air in your house so that it sips energy rather than guzzles it.

And LOW MAINTENANCE?  What does that mean?  It means using materials that last a long time, hopefully forever (as far as your lifetime is concerned), and coatings that last a long time, and hopefully have integral color and finishes as much as possible.  Fasteners also enter into this equation, for instance, Soellner specifies galvanized ring shank nails for just about everything.  If you have never tried to remove a ring shank nail, try it.  You will pull the head off the nail before you will be able to budge the shaft.  It is like a screw.  The added cost?  Pennies.  The effect on your maintenance?  Things stay put because nails on Soellner projects do Not back out.  And those are just for starters.

GOOD LOOKS: take a look at Soellner’s website, and books and magazines featuring his house designs.  Even on Amazon.com, along with some of the leading architects on the planet.  He is one of the top architects in the world under the category of Rustic Elegance.

LOGIC, PRACTICALITY, EFFICIENT USE OF SPACE: Soellner’s designs typically have little to no hallways or corridors.  Every square inch is effectively utilized.  Open Space Planning is prominently featured in public areas.  What is supposed to be close to other spaces are.  For instance, garages are located near to kitchens.  dining and living areas look out the back at your views.  Closets, foyers, stairs and other non-view spaces are located along the front of the houses, buffering the view spaces.  Master suites are located in split plan arrangements, away from guest rooms for privacy and peace and quiet.

For more, please see Rand Soellner’s website: www.HomeArchitects.com

tags: custom residential architecture, atlanta, chicago, las vegas, reno, orlando, new york, aspen, tellride, rocky mountains, blue ridge

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They Come to Us to Get What They Want

December 20th, 2011

On the homepage of Rand Soellner Architect’s website you will see the sentence:
“Clients come to us because they can’t find the residential design they want anywhere else.”

This is not an idle phrase; it is the truth.  For instance, quite often Soellner will pick up his phone and hear a new client say: “I’ve been looking on the Internet for months (sometimes years), and I can’t find what I want…Until I came to your website.  I’m very interested in the look of your house designs and in particular in how the ________ design of yours functions.”  These people are referring to Soellner’s numerous project examples on his website: HomeArchitects.com

Soellner has been at this a long time, since he was 15 years old, starting by taking a drafting course at John Adams High School in South Bend, Indiana, where not only did he draft, he designed, creating several residential projects from his sophomore year through his senior year, that caught the attention of his teachers, who put them on display in the corridor showcases, and encouraged him to graduate and attend a major accredited architectural university, which he did.  Since then, Soellner has become a licensed architect in multiple states, has received multiple awards from prestigious sources such as the American Institute of Architects, a major power utility company, a State Government, a major city, and been featured in books and magazines worldwide.  See House With a View (available from Amazon.com) in which he is one of several famous architects from around the World who designed outstanding residential projects in scenic locations.

Decades later, he now enjoys scenarios like last weekend.  A prominent professional, based in downtown Chicago, made an appointment and came to visit Rand Soellner at his home office.  The professional, let’s call him “Bob,” said that he had already been through two previous architects in past months and years, who either didn’t understand what he wanted or didn’t have the design skills to accomplish his requested house size and still have the imagery he wanted for his unique acreage in the woods on a cliff in the backcountry of a northern state.

Bob wanted a “Fairytale Cottage” of about 2,000 HSF (Heated Square Feet) on the main level, and had an ambitious list of requirements.  The most recent previous design firm had created a design of about 3,500 HSF on the main level, which exceeded Bob’s requested size substantially.  He really didn’t want that much house.  So, he verified with Soellner that Rand could, would, and was interested in designing projects for anyone, regardless of the size and budget, or the location of the land.  Having established that, Bob met with Rand.  Soellner allocated an entire day (at no charge for the first meeting); picked Bob up from his hotel, and met with him in Soellner’s conference room for several hours during the morning, reviewing Bob’s program requirements, “flying” around Bob’s wonderful acreage on a large flatscreen monitor in virtual reality, exploring the view angles, and reviewing several of Rand’s previous designs.

Soellner had only offered to show several previous examples to illustrate what a 2,000 HSF house looked like in several configurations, some of them built.  One of the schemes captured Bob’s imagination: “That’s it!  This is great!  This could work!”  Bob really liked one of Rand’s projects, Rand’s Fairytale Stone Cottage, which had won a design competition for Soellner a while ago.  That happened to be about 2,500 HSF on the main level.  Rand let that issue rest for a while and offered to take Bob around to several of Rand’s built houses in the local community.  Bob consented, so Rand drove them around to see 3 houses in the area: the Falcon Cliff Lodge, the Creekside Cottage, and the Eagle Mountain Aerie.  Bob liked them all and enjoyed seeing what the actual, built projects felt like and looked like in person, and appreciated the interesting materials and details.

Soellner drove back to his home office, where Rand served lunch; an assortment of sandwiches, fruit, diet soft drinks, bottled spring water, fresh cookies and about the tastiest potato chips in the world.  After that, Bob and Rand resumed their design review in the conference room.  They “flew” around Bob’s acreage again, documenting Bob’s favorite view directions.  Then Bob wanted to look at the compact, yet functional Fairytale Cottage design that he had found so interesting during the morning session.  It incorporated Soellner’s Open Plan Home Design concepts, so it felt spacious.  So, Rand and Bob studied that for a while.  Bob said that he would like to have a Loft Level, so Rand sketched in a stairway, and a Loft Level above.  Bob said that Rand could remove the 2nd Bedroom on the main level and press the loft into service in that capacity, which could also serve as his studio when guests where not there.  Now, the main level would be around Bob’s requested 2,000 HSF size.

Soellner noted the walkout basement request from Bob’s program notes and found a way to have the stairway simply go down another level to access that space, which would carve a view right out of the cliffside, overlooking a bend in a major river in that location.  Bob beamed, delighted with the results of their cooperative work session.  Rand Soellner had accomplished, in just a few minutes, what the other design firms had not been able to do during the last several months and years:  The Size.  The Features.  The Functional Plan.  The Look.

“Clients come to us because they can’t find the residential design they want anywhere else.”  All of the above is a completely true reporting of what happened and what continues to happen at Rand Soellner Architect: The HOME ARCHITECTS TM.  Except, of course, the names have been changed to preserve the privacy of Soellner’s clients.  If you are thinking that you want to consider the design of a custom house that meets your family’s objectives, tailored to your lifestyle, your dreams and your land, perhaps you might think it’s about time that you gave Rand Soellner a call, e-mail on online chat:  Contact Us .

tags: Custom residential design, Chicago, Atlanta, Orlando, New York, Perth, Las Vegas, Toronto, Shenzhen, Moscow, Lake Tahoe

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Codes and Residential Design

December 15th, 2011

Some people may believe that designing a house is simple, perhaps easy.  It is not.  The American Institute of Architects has long held that the design of a house is one of the most complex projects an architect can undertake.  Why?  Because there is more happening per square foot than any other type of project in a house.

Rand Soellner used to design laboratories, NASA projects, Air Force electronics facilities, water treatment plants and he agrees that residential design is the most complex type of project.

The 2012 International Residential Code is 904 pages long.  How many people who think that designing a residence is a simple matter have studied that or even know that hefty set of legal requirements even exists?  Licensed architects do know.  Mere residential designers may not.  The difference is: architects have a license.  The State requires that they design their projects in accordance with the State adopted codes.  So, real architect are required to comply with such weighty volumes.

There is also the International Energy Conservation Code.  Each state either fully adopts or amends the IECC and the IRC.  Architects designing project must comply with the full IECC and the IRC or as a minimum, the State modified version.  Many states reduce the requirements of these codes; once in a big while, they might add to them.

These sorts of codes, governing the design of houses covers a vast array of subjects that affect the arrangement, size and operating and performance characteristics of future houses.  Like what, for instance?

Well, let’s look at something small and relatively simple: windows.  If you, a lay person were to set out trying to design a house, you might think: “Hey, this is my house, I will make my windows however I want and that will be that!”  Not so fast… that is not necessarily true.  For instance, how many people have studied the International Residential Code and know that windows on the upper levels of a house, where the floor levels are at least 6 feet above the ground must have their window sills at least 24″ above the floor level?  This change occured during the last decade.  So, if you are planning a house, you must keep your window sills at least 2 feet above the floor where those floors are about the height of a man above the ground.  Okay, now we are ready to resume designing, right?

Once again, not so fast…  You think that now that you have learned one thing.  One thing out of thousands, that you are ready to size your windows?  No.  Not by a long shot.  Here’s another requirement: did you know that in a residence, all bedrooms have to have what is called a “Secondary Means of Egress?”  This means, that in addition to the door through which people normally enter the bedrooms, you must have another emergency way out of that room, leading directly to the outside of the house, in case of fire, smoke, or other emergency.  Why is there such a requirement in the IRC?  Because people have died in the past in catastrophic  and horrific tragedies in which people have burned to death or died of smoke inhalation in their bedrooms when they were trapped in there, because they couldn’t get out small windows or no windows, or windows which did not lead to a safe outdoor area away from the house.  The fire marshals of each state notice when such nasty events happen, then modify the building codes to hopefully prevent such horror from happening in the future.  That is how codes end of being forced to change.  How could anyone not agree: that it is a bad thing for people to be burned to death or inhale smoke until they die in their very homes?  Of course.

Okay, so, what has this got to do with this one aspect that we are examining in this one micro-study of one set of decisions for a house: your windows in your bedrooms?  Well, did you know that all windows serving as a secondary means of egress on the 1st floor or “ground floor” of a house must have a minimum of 5.0 square feet of net clear opening?  And that all upper level windows serving as a secondary means of egress must have at least 5.7 net square feet of opening through which a person can escape?

All right.  Do you now think you know what you need to plan just your bedroom windows?  Nope.  Here’s some more legal requirements that the architects of houses must know: per section R310.1.2 (2012 IRC), the minimum height of this emergency egress clear opening must be a minimum of 24″.  And, per section R310.1.3 (2012 IRC), the width must be at least 20″.  You may infer from this that if you make all your windows have a 24″ wide x 20″ tall egress opening you will meet the requirements, right?  Wrong!  If you multiply 20″ x 24″ you will only get 3.334 square feet!  That does not add up to the required 5.0 or 5.7 NSF required!  So, you have to think about several things here: the actual size of window required that will meet the Minimums, or be greater in width and height, but that also satisfies the Total required NSF size required by code.

And we haven’t even touched the “fun stuff,” like will the windows Look good?  What will you be looking at when you walk around your house or sit near those windows?  This means that when at architect arranges your Site Planning, he or she is also thinking about what aligns with the view directions from inside your house to those exterior features, sometimes miles away, like a distant mountain range!

What a lot to think about!  And we haven’t even addresses such features of only these bedroom windows such as energy efficiency.  Do you think that tinted windows or totally clear windows are the way to go for energy?  No.  Neither.  There are special coatings these days that reduce summer heat gain and minimize winter heat loss.  Not to mention, the number of layers of glass in a sash.  Only a few decades ago, single pane glass was the norm.  Not today.  Anything less that double pane insulated glass will have a hard time meeting the energy codes that reduce the amount of electricity your house will consume as a direct result of the type and arrangement of glass in your residence.

And we haven’t even touched the other types of glass required in your house in other locations, like special safety glass near bathtubs and showers and stairways.  There is so much to know!  And the material of the window frames. That one decisions can impact the cost of your door and window package by tens of thousands of dollars, not to mention how much or how little maintenance you will have in the future.

We hope that just this one, very small example will begin to display how complex designing a house really is, and why licensed architects are the ones trained to do this.  Health, Safety, Welfare are the main requirements of an architect’s design.  He or she takes a sacred vow to uphold these concerns in everything they design for you.  Most architects also make sure that their creations are beautiful, but don’t talk too much about that; they understand that most people take that as a given when they engage an architect.

Rand Soellner Architect  www.HomeArchitects.com  1-828-269-9046

We have not even mentioned all the other vast array of items involved in your house that need to be designed, specified and arranged: roofing, siding, structural systems, plumbing, heating ventilating and air-conditioning, wall materials and finishes inside and outside, fireplaces, colors, textures, stairs, outside living spaces, furniture, appliances, garage, social gatherings and how they will function in the spaces provided, lighting and control switching, computer wiring, cabinetry and other built-ins, closet shelving, pantries, flooring (structural and finish), site slopes, access to the street, vehicular maneuvering on your site, guest parking, sewage system and location, potable water locations and access to your house, electrical and equipment rooms and the gear inside them, storage requirements, the views!, doors, handrails, insulation (thickness, R-value, location, ventilation), hobby rooms, spaces that you can use most of the time then allow guest to occupy occasionally, landscaping, exterior paved areas, views from and to your house, waterproofing your house above and below ground, flashing, sealants and much much more!  And there are code regulations associated with all of them, above and beyond your functional and aesthetic desires.  Your architect keeps it all working together harmoniously.

So, the next time you think that designing your house might be a simple matter, consider just the windows in one bedroom of your house and all the legal, energy, and aesthetic decisions and requirements that went into the decisions affecting their specification, size and arrangement.  Now multiply that by about 10,000 and you might have something near the magnitude of the scope of decisions your residential architect makes on your behalf while designing your new house.

Do what you do best and earn a good living at it.  And consider understanding that what an architect does required decades of training and experience to help you have a wonderful place in which to live.  Enjoy!

tags: custom house design, atlanta, dallas, tacoma, chicago, wisconsin, burbank, orlando, des moines

Posted in 2012 IRC code | No Comments »

Almost Christmas: time for your new house

December 8th, 2011

Time to take the first step to getting a new house: contact your residential architect.  Do it here: Contact House Architect

It is almost Christmas and one of the nicest things you could do for your family is to to give them a card that says: “You’re getting a new house!  I hired the architect!”  We can help you make this dream a reality.

One of Rand Soellner Architects most beloved designs is a concept fairy tale cottage he created and with which he won a design competition.  There is something about it that brings out good cheer, happiness and a warm feeling of being home.  This is just one of dozens of creations conceived by Soellner, who is one of the leading residential architects in the United States.  He also has projects overseas.

christmas house

Rand Soellner Architects Stone Cottage, one of dozens of his projects infused with warmth and charm, for client project sites worldwide.

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“Dude, you’re getting a house!”  What a great holiday sentiment!  Not many other things in your lifetime can be shared and conjure such a profound change for the better in a family.

christmas house

Give your family the gift that keeps on giving: a new house for the holidays!

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If you have questions about how to get started with your new house design, by all means, give Rand Soellner, AIA a call at: 1-828-269-9046, or e-mail at:
Rand@HomeArchitects.com

Think about that Gourmet Kitchen you’ve been wanting, that special Hobby Den in which to tie your fly fishing lures, or edit your computer videos, or sew your custom made creations.  Imagine the big glass areas framing your spectacular views.

christmas house

(C)Copyright 2005-2011 Rand Soellner, All Rights Reserved Worldwide. One of Soellner's holiday houses, with tall glass framing great views of nature.

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Do you own property that has been just sitting there?  You’ve been paying taxes on it and perhaps Home Owners Association dues.  Isn’t it about time you had your dream house designed and built on it?  How much time is there left until your children are grown and starting out their own lives?  Enjoy a great place on your special land while you can.  Get started now; there’s no time left to waste.

tags: custom house design, america, canada, blue ridge, orlando, boulder, aspen, tacoma, chicago, wisconsin, illinois, new york, fairy tale cottage architect

 

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