Building
By now, you know the drill. Fuel and food and energy costs have skyrocketed. Bikes are hot. SUVs are not. Green is, most definitely, the new black. And as you grow more aware of managing energy and other expenses, don't discount what is likely your biggest expense—your home.
Sure, we all know to unplug unused appliances or opt for ceiling fans and closed blinds instead of frigid air conditioner settings. For a true investment, however, consider taking your home off-grid—defined as places or buildings that work without reliance on public utilities, as written in everyone's favorite encyclopedia. And if you're not ready to commit to the large-scale project in your primary residence, this story demonstrates that it's a popular choice for vacation homes or any secondary dwellings.
There are various types of roofs but they mainly fall into two categories: sloped roofs many of which are tied closely to a particular house style or geographic region; and flat roofs which are all very similar and mostly found in modern architecture and throughout the Southwest.
Continue for photo gallery.
The Kitchen Designer has been an avid reader of the New York Time's blog the Dream House Diary which chronicles a couples experiences while building their dream house on Anna Maria Island in Florida.
Kathy Price-Robinson is the editor of a great blog called Pardon our Dust from the L.A. Times. She recently opened a discussion comparing standard framing techniques (2x4's 16-inch on center) vs. advanced techniques (2x6's 24-inch on center) that are generally considered more environmentally friendly.
She polled two professional builders who have differing opinions that we feel are derived from the philosophies of their firms.
Since hurricane Katrina a new architectural style has emerged in New Orleans that can only be described as Defensive (houses on pillars), Defiant (pristine homes surrounded by devastation), and Do Good (affordable housing built by non-profits) as opposed to Greek Revival, Italianate, and Creole.
Many are concerned that the lack of urban planning in New Orleans since the "storm" has resulted in a haphazard form of housing that will have a long-term detrimental effect on the city. Unfortunately the fact that it has been difficult to get any construction project started leads to homeowners building with abandon once a project is financed and green-lighted.
Rebuilding New Orleans, Post-Katrina Style [New York Times]
Tiki bars are fun but the island style isn't for everyone or every house. Here are some plans to build other indoor and outdoor bars.
The folks at Inhabitat have found a prefab cabana that has a 10x10 footprint and comes pre-built and only requires common tools to fully assemble. They start at $12,500 and you'll have to wire or plumb as necessary. You can change the siding, roofing, and windows to match your home.
A few commenters have mentioned a similar and more cost-effective solution from Readymade as well as making a visit to Home Depot in the true DIY spirit. But the redwood siding and cedar shingles that are available would be costly to replicate from a big box.
Modern Cabana [Inhabitat]
One of our most popular entries is "Build an Interior Wall". We noticed it was a bit sparse so we have decided to revisit this subject as well as provide insight into "Tearing Down Interior Walls", which is much more fun.
Breaking up larger spaces is a common remodeling project and this usually includes building smaller rooms or installing bathrooms or storage closets. Opening up spaces and creating "great rooms" is another popular DIY project that can increase light and add grandeur to an otherwise small space.
Here are some fine resources that will provide you with the details on tools, materials, time, and knowledge required to build or tear down an interior wall.
Build a Wall
Is My Wall Load Bearing? [Yahoo! Answers]
Identifying a Bearing Wall [Bobvila.com]
Interior Wall Structure [Hometips]
How to Build an Interior Wall [Hometips]
Building a Wall: Step-by-Step [Better Homes and Gardens]
Framing Interior Details [Hometime]
Framing an Interior Wall [Black & Decker]
Dividing a Room [Lowes]
Wall Repair [Home Depot]
Demolish a Wall
Remodeling Errors to Avoid [AZ Central]
Demolition Checklist [Bobvila.com]
Wall Demolition [DIYnet]
Demolition [Home Humor]
Types of Sawing Demo [Cutting Technologies]
You've made the investment in nice tools, gardening equipment, outdoor furniture, and BBQ's, so don't let the elements destroy them. Here's a good start to selecting what type of shed you need and where to buy them.
Build Your Own [Buildeazy.com]
Choosing Outdoor Storage [Lowes]
How to buy a storage shed [EHow]
Sheds for the garden [Gardensheds]
The Builder's Show was bigger than ever this year with over 100,000 industry professionals and at least 1,600 exhibitors. This year's show was kicked off by Colin Powell who brought a bit more press than what we normally see.
Some of the products and materials to look out for this year are; Northwest Manufacturings line of outdoor wood and corn pellet furnaces, the Inclinator Company of America will debut its range of home elevators without the necessity of a machine room, Warmboard Inc. will showcase its Warmboard Radiant Subfloor, the only radiant system that combines a structural and radiant panel in one, and JELD-WEN will showcase its variety of hurricane resistant products—both windows and doors, including some available with ImpactGard, an optional glass package.
June 12, 2008 | Comments ()
