TOOLS, CONSTRUCTION, ALTERNATIVE ENERGY > What are you building?
Buy/building home construction opinions and good ideas.
Bigdave_185:
A long time ago I started a journal of things that I would like to put into my home when I have a chance to build my a home. The journal comes from a age old wisdom of "you had better write that down" so I bought a nice leather bound book and started writing. As experienced before you always get there and forget what that "one idea" was and can't remember it when needed then the follow up of "o yeah that's what it was" way after the fact.
I know most of you have had to come across things like this in your life and my hope is we can all learn from this fountain of knowledge and share?
I will come back and start typing my ideas and the cause for the idea when I have a moment but please feel free to post your opinion and ideas
Please follow this example:
LED Can lights instead of light fixtures for exterior lighting.
One less hole in the exterior of the home for heat and cool air to escape and pests to get inside, one less thing to keep clean and looking nice, light bulbs are harder to shoot out in a can light.
WINDOW Shutters
Shutters have a place in the world for sure, I don't like when the shutter isn't actually useable when if it where to block a window it would only block a small portion. Again you are putting holes in the outside of your home for little to no purpose. I veto window shutters mostly as A look issues but take it as you will
Mud Room
If you have ever lived in a home where you can sit down after 18 hours of work to take off your boots you don't understand. But your kids need a place to dump stuff, most of us have lots of coats and things that come in from outside wet. This is where this should be stored.
Laundry Room
Lots of machines have the pedestal bases, those can be built in and built to handle the vibration of the washer and so on. Plus drawers that can be custom built to store all types of cleaning things. If you have and prefer top load washers you can simply build cabinets above. As far as a place to hang cloths. Dump dirty cloths in a hidden pull out drawer.
Also a good location to store and keep Go-bags or 72 hour kit.
Power outlets
In my current home there never seems to be enough in the right location.
Ladies want shelves to put decorations and stuff, those things sometimes require power.
Think where you want home security things add power.
Where do you want electronics plugged in? Charging stations for gps units or flashlights. I prefer that stuff to be hidden from people's view.
Closet space.
Pay close attention to build prints is there a place you can put a half closet. A place to store all the winter coats hanging out of view.
Hot/cold water
In the garage Weather you use a sink in the garage or just add some faucets is up to you. I recommend a large wash basin in the garage so you can clean hands, boots, tools, or even as an eye wash station if need be. Many things can be contained in a plugged sink also.
Insulation
This goes in many direction very quickly. I suggest you insulate all exterior walls but also the walls inside the home. For instance your master bedroom can be insulated to aid in sound transfer, bathrooms for well you know why there, and also it provides a layer of fire protection depending on the insulation if I am not mistaken
Picture cubes
Many ladies like to hang photos. I like to not patch holes in the walls. So if you build in specific locations to place photos you don't have holes to patch later. A other location that is popular to hang a photo is next a entryway by the front door. It is also a very convenient spot for a stash gun or short shotty behind a large picture. So build a pocket and a hinged picture to cover said hole and you have a very non noticeable place to put a fast reaching protection device that is up away from most kids and if you don't tell them they will never know its there
Built in wall safe
Build a safe into the master bedroom wall. This way you have a safe spot to store the important documents, NOT HAnd GUNS and stuff.
Exterior Windows
There are lots of window options but a less expensive fix is to simply tint your household windows with window film. You can get mirror for privacy or just simply black. Either way it provides UV protection and doesn't cost a lot
Microwave oven!!
I hate this device. It takes up valuable space on my counter. It ugly no matter what you get and they are prone to damage and break all the time. I suggest you add a plug in a pantry and use it in there. That way you have space on the counter, you can buy the cheapo at the Walmart and hide it from the beautiful kitchen. It also leaves room for a nice hood over the stove.
HV/AC
Another topic that can be really large I'll stay with simple basics. Two furnaces are better then one, simulate with the cold side.
Place a cold air return in every room. You can't have to many but you can have to little. Up high has its benefits as does down low. The more you have the quieter the system will run.
Insulate all large runs if you have the $
Always run pipe under a cabinet don't just leave it open to heat or cool what's behind the closed cabinet door.
Have sufficient room in the service room to expand as needed.
Talk the hvac guy into building your plenum so you can slide your cooling coil out to clean. ( yes it needs cleaned)
Pour a concrete pad to place the outside condenser on, foundation attachment it a bonus if possible.
Pre wire for everything
You might want power here or there, low voltage, speaker wire, you never know bet it's better to have it then want to instal it later.
Think multi power source also. Like s back up generator and solar grid or depending on your location wind is a very good source of power also water generators. ( I have installed a spring water generator before. It pays well)
Floor Drain
Every year at least once I have a garage door that freezes to my floor from ice melting in the garage and the cold blowing outside. It can really damage the door when it's froze to the ground. If I have a drain and a slope to allow water to run I would never have this issue. I like the idea of a drain that runs across each door threshold so water in or out of the door has to pass the drain ( may not be so legal in some areas as the garage is a dirty water area)
Suspended slab garage
The cost to have suspended concrete is coming down a lot each year. The storage under a garage is great and you can make a even better movie room that is surrounded by concrete to keep the sound in.
Rough in basement
Even if budget is low run all plumbing before concrete goes in
Attic Storage
Install heavy duty plywood during framing process, it's hard to install after and makes a great storage place
Floor reinforcement
Gun safes can be very heavy plan according for framing in the floor. Think of a manner to bolt to the floor and to a back wall and frame for it
Garage floor:
Reference to the shed idea,
Mount a plate under/in your concrete in the garage to use as an attachment point for tools via the hitch mount plate from or even a foundation wall in the garage could use similar, mount a winch point, hold a trailer in the garage, attach other tools to the wall also
Pic for reference
Raising boys into RealMen!!
Dawg25385:
Run sleeves under all concrete
You never know what you might want to run under it. Power, irrigation, etc
Hot Cold hose bibs
Because washing your car in the middle of winter is so much more pleasant with warm water.
Generator plug
Cheap to add when new, more expensive to retrofit. Just add it if building
Network closet with home runs
Run all your network, phone, coax to a central location, so you can easily configure your communications equipment. Need power, and telecom services. Preferably centrally located in the home, and somewhat concealed
Just a few ;)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Bigdave_185:
Added a bunch more to the first post if that sparks any more ideas
Raising boys into RealMen!!
cudakidd53:
Good stuff Dave!
Rough in basement bathroom plumbing - even if you can't finish the basement $ wise at construction, saves big on hassle of cutting holes etc. into concrete later!
TexasRedNeck:
Put good flooring in attic for storage. Hard to get full sheets of plywood up the fold up attic stairs. For those of you who put xmas lights, put electrical outlets on the eaves of the house. It's been said before but plan for wire runs to all areas and instead of just putting in today's flavor of wiring, plan for the fufure and use flexible conduit and boxes that comes with pull tape in it. Consider a hidden room with access behind a built in shelf unit or other means. Plan for a safe, including floor reinforcement. Reinforce exterior door jambs during construction.
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