What Not To Build is a commentary not unlike the beloved TV series “What Not To Wear” of TLC’s Stacy London & Clinton Kelly fame. But What Not To Build concerns aspects of a house project that you may not want to have in your upcoming residence.
Where the “What Not To Wear” tv series commented on more appropriate clothing, fabrics, style and make-up for women and sometimes men, this online architectural article lists items that you really don’t want to have in your house, especially since you may be planning on a new residential construction project or renovation. You don’t want to build-in problems in your house. This particular Licensed Architect firm also has the expertise of a Licensed Home Inspector, who sees, first-hand, the horrible mistakes people have built into their houses, typically, unknowingly, that come back to haunt them. Not all Builders are aware of these problems and certainly not all workers on a jobsite know the consequences of these materials and arrangements.
On the subject of what not to build, here are 5 things that you positively, absolutely do Not want to build into your new house project (things that happen because of the way the house was built, not as a result of other circumstances):
1. BAD FOUNDATIONS
2. SICK BUILDING SYNDROME
3. WATER PENETRATION
4. LACK OF PROPER DESIGN RESPONSE
5. INFERIOR CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS & TECHNIQUES
And now, let’s find out a bit more about each of these issues (which are often built into unsuspecting house owners new and renovated residences):
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1. BAD FOUNDATION
Especially if you’re building in a mountainous region, you really should have an Architect experienced in mountain residential design analyze your land and geology and work with a Structural Engineer to develop proper footings and foundation walls. Otherwise, foundations can move, causing tremendous damage to your house. For instance, if the bedrock of the mountain is too close to the surface, foundations should be pinned to them. Not doing so can result in the entire house sliding down the mountain. Such a horrible circumstance can and does happen at times. And any movement at all can cause cracks and structural failure of house. More than 7′ is often desirable, however, one sure-fire way is to use a special tempered steel probe (usually about 60″ long) and jam it into the ground. If it hits rock (and you’ll know), that means for sure you should be pinning your footing to the bedrock. That’s not the end of this situation, but is one quick and easy preliminary method to saving this heartache.
2. SICK BUILDING SYNDROME
This mountain house Architect has seen that nearly EVERY mountain residence has some degree of “sickness”, unless certain precautions are taken to prevent the spread of mold, wood destroying fungus, water penetration, rot, insect infestation, infiltration (unwanted air entry and escape). If you have a family member with asthma/COPD, you really don’t want a sick building. Legionnaire’s disease began as a result of a sick building, where water sat in a stagnant situation in an AHU (Air Handling Unit), growing Legionella bacteria. Surprisingly, most builders do not actually use what the minimum IRC (International Residential Code) calls for: at least 15# asphaltic felt over building wall sheathing.
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It’s a “smart” vapor barrier, in that it generally keeps out bulk water, but allows interior moisture to vent outward and it does so when you want it to do so. Unfortunately, most Builders use HouseWraps, most of which allow liquid condensing water to become trapped INSIDE the wood side of the wall construction, which can and will allow for mold growth, possible fungus (wood destroying) and wood rot. The way in which most houses are built result in hydrostatic pressure from outside water, driving it into and through the thousands of nail holes at the walls, and into the wall structure. There are typically no provisions for a drainage gap, which would otherwise allow for wind-driven rain and other water to fall harmlessly down and out of the wall system and to the ground. All it requires is an Architect familiar with detailing and specifying economical and practical housewrap materials that do a better job. Architects research the latest developments, which is usually why their houses last longer and with fewer problems.
3. WATER PENETRATION
Through walls. Through roofs. Through windows & doors. All can result in wood rot, structural failure and Sick Building (item 2.), and damage to insulation, interior and exterior materials. Water Penetration is a subset and one of the causes of Sick Building Syndrome. Roof overhangs of the proper length are one of the best ways to keep water out of walls. It is surprising how little of an overhang is usually built into homes in regions having lots of rain and snow. Not sensible. And there are better roofing and wall materials to better resist water penetration. For instance, all roofing edges and intersections should have weather-resistant metal flashings. You’d think this would be second nature to any Builder, but this better practice is not always followed.
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And we see chimneys without crickets behind them (small gable-shaped roof areas to drain water down and away from the vertical walls of a chimney, usually behind them). And windows should be flashing with special flashing tapes (not duct tape) compatible with the materials involved, all around: head, jambs and sills, and the sills in particular, should have a sloping pressure-treated subsill that drains water coming from failed window joints (a chronic problem) down and out of the wall system. And much more, too numerous to list here in this simple article.
4. LACK OF PROPER DESIGN RESPONSE
Merry Soellner, RSPS, Licensed Real Estate Broker in the Cashiers, NC region, sees this all the time: “Here we have spectacular mountain views, which is the main reason people from Atlanta, Orlando, Miami, Houston, New York, Ohio and other eastern USA areas come to this mountainous place. Unfortunately, not all of the houses built here take maximum advantage of the views in the design of their residence. We see houses with the living windows and doors under-sized and not even facing the grand mountains outside. Obviously, those people didn’t hire an Architect to design their house. They should have. Anyone concerned with bringing the great views of this scenic place would have designed large glass areas facing the wonderful views.” There’s a big difference between slapping an existing off-the-shelf Builder plan on a site and instead having an Architect design a house for the great views, as well as your particular Lifestyle. You would be amazed at the countless houses that miss these grand opportunities. And this results in a lower sales price when the house is put up for sale, which financially damages the original owner and all subsequent owners.
And most kitchens have a ridiculously small distance between counters (like 3′ or 4′), which isn’t anywhere near enough to allow for 2 people or more in the kitchen at one time, or for appliance doors and cabinet drawers to be opened at the same time, without bumping into them, or even being able to completely open. Architects usually analyze the required distance for functional spacial needs to insure that you can properly use each space. And there are many other design responses that are typically overlooked in most hastily assembled projects. Better to have a design professional overseeing the effort.
5. INFERIOR CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS & TECHNIQUES
For example, some builders still use T-111 plywood as exterior sheathing and finish cladding. It rots much faster than even white pine or other more durable materials. And wood windows rot, especially metal clad wood windows. There are better options that last much longer and without the problems of the cheaper materials. And “caulk” (typically latex) is mainly for interior applications. “Sealants” are for exterior situations and have more durable compositions, like elastomeric polyurethane, silicones and others. Some builders don’t use any. That’s not wise. Sealants are often your last line of defense in stopping water and air intrusion. And cheap roof shingles (both asphaltic fiberglass and the thinnest wood) don’t last as long as thicker, more durable varieties. And most Builders use code minimums for roofing underlayment, such as 15# asphaltic felt. While that meets code minimum, that no where near as good at stopping water through a roof as a thicker uncured polybutylene self-adhered wide roll material. And roof edge flashing: most Builders use a very thin, cheap 1″ edge metal, that barely covers the roof sheathing… It would be much better to use a custom bent flashing with architectural coating that was larger and overlapped and covered the sheathing and fascia better, down to eave gutters. And while we’re talking about gutters, yes, a house should have those, and about twice the amount of downspouts and most Builders use. And then underground drainage down and away from the house to avoid foundation erosion. And gutter protection to avoid clogged roof drainage, which can also lead to mold growth. On and on. Architects usually have only one main concern: design the best house possible for your requirements.
This list could continue for a long time, concerning many more items. This is only a smattering of the sorts of problems that are built into most houses these days. Stacy & Clinton would be horrified. They would also probably suggest that you consult a Licensed Architect.
tags: what not to build, Cashiers, Lake Toxaway, Sevierville, Highlands, Hendersonville, Aspen, Glenville, Sapphire, post and beam, timber frame, mountain