Janauray 2005
NEWSLETTER #230
HOUSE-N-HOME PLANS.com Money Saving, Convenience and Healthy House Tips
James Todd.
January, 2005
All past newsletters are archived
online at:
http://www.house-n-home-plans.com/newsletters.html
CONTENTS:
- Finish the Basement now or later
- Attached vs Detached garage
- What are the dangers of building in cold weather?
- Thought for the Day
- Subscription Information
Please forward this newsletter to anyone whom you think
may be interested!
1. Finish
the basement now or later
A frequent question of new home buyers
is "Should I finish my
basement now or later?" The answer depends on your needs. If you
need an extra bedroom, bathroom, or a playroom for the kids, or if
you need an in-law suite, then "need" is the guiding
factor, and now is the time to do it.
If you do not "need" the finished
space now, but are thinking along
the lines of the next few years, we suggest
that you get the
outside walls of the basement properly insulated top to bottom,
vapour barrier applied, and drywall
applied,
followed by a couple of coats
of paint. In many communities, the outside walls of basements
have
to be framed, insulated, and covered with vapour barrier
at the time the house is constructed. So
the
added
cost of the drywall, taping,
and painting is minimal and it will really spruce up the
basement, as well as reduce heating costs.
The best time to do this is
when the basement is still empty. Of
course you will need to make sure that
your building permit covers this, and that your electrical
work gets done, and inspected. The cost
can be
quite nominal, for this extra
drywall work in the average basement.
This brings up another frequent question, "How much will finishing
a basement cost?" Again, personal taste comes into it
a lot but $20 to $25 per square foot is a rough guide, and
should
turn
a typical
basement into a comfortable living area. Remember, the finishing
and the furnishing really impact the appearance of living
space.
From a health perspective, you will really appreciate a properly finished
basement because the house is much easier to keep clean and less prone
to mould, and dampness.
Regardless of timing, finishing a basement is a big project and will
require a great deal of planning. You must decide what will be the
purpose of the rooms, and what will be the layout of the entire area.
Bathrooms and kitchens will require extra consideration. In addition,
you and your contractor will have to address issues such as heating,
cooling, airflow, and dehumidification.
Flooring is an important matter. Ideally, a basement floor should have
a wooden sub floor on top of the concrete, then a healthy flooring
material applied on that. This will ensure a warm and dry floor for
the living area.
Ceilings are another interesting topic for basement finishing. As mentioned,
drywall is the least expensive and most attractive finish. However,
it may not be the right way to go in the basement of your new home.
Once drywall is up, rearrangements of water pipes, electrical wiring,
central vacuum, ductwork, and telephones, all become much more complicated.
A good quality suspended grid system with sound absorbing ceiling tile
is another alternative. Also combinations of drywall and suspended
ceilings in basements, can be attractive as well. Bedrooms under bedrooms
are probably not going to need much rearrangement, so their ceilings
could be done with drywall.
Building material is continuously increasing in cost, as is labour.
If we use a conservative 5% as the year over year average cost increase,
we see that what costs $1000 now will cost about $1276 in 5 years.
So a 1000 square foot basement, at $23/sq.ft. will cost about $23000
to finish today, but $29,348 in 5 years.
Whatever you decide, get 3 to 5 estimates, personally verify numerous
referrals for each contractor, make sure you have a contract, and obtain
all necessary building permits. Finally, be vigilant in your selection
of contractors.
Some Useful Links
Basement Finishing ideas at Eran Building and Remodelling Company
http://www.eranbuilding.com/great-basement-finishing-ideas.htm
Basement Ideas
http://www.basementideas.com/
Wood flooring
http://www.woodfloorsonline.com/
2. Attached vs. Detached
Garage
Consumers building a home have a number of considerations to take into
account when making a decision if they should add an attached garage
to their home or if they should consider a detached garage. Design
specifications, intended use, code requirements, cost, air filtration
from the garage into the home, and city bylaws are some of the major
items to think about. We will explore each of these areas in this short
newsletter. If you would like more information, the web sites listed
at the end of this article can provide you with additional detail.
Design Specifications
If you are planning an attached garage, generally
the exterior design will fit the design
of your home and you need to make decisions
about
the interior of your attached garage. Items such as size
of your garage, single or multiple garage doors,
garage door opener’s, number
and location of electrical outlets, work areas, central vacuum
outlet, telephone outlet, lighting
especially if there is a work area
involved
and amount of storage space that you will require. Detached
garages will have all of the same issues,
in addition to exterior design,
location of the garage relative to
your home and access to the garage
from the
street. Utilities such as electrical and telephone will need
to be connected to your home and placed
in protective
conduit between your
home and the detached garage.
Intended Use
Most garages, attached or detached are used
for parking the owner’s
vehicles, yard storage and sometimes a small work area. If
you plan something more ambitious,
such as
vehicle maintenance, major hobbies,
then these should be taken into account when deciding on
the type of garage you will select
as well
as interior
design.
Code Requirements
The majority of cities and towns in North America have developed code
requirements covering the construction of attached and detached garages.
The reader is strongly encouraged to check with your local officials
for building code requirements and also any permit requirements you
may need. Your local builder can also generally assist you with city
bylaw requirements and all inspections as well.
Cost of your Garage
There are many factors, which will determine the overall cost of your
garage. You may decide to hire a general contractor or manage the construction
yourself. If you have an attached garage, then your house contractor
will likely manage the addition of your garage. If you decide on a
detached garage, you may need quotes for excavation, form setting,
concrete, carpentry, roofing, electrical, bricklaying if applicable,
siding installation etc. Building your attached garage can provide
reduced cost for construction of your garage, since one or perhaps
two of the walls will be interior walls of your home.
Health Considerations
Attached garages have a health consideration that is not generally
found with detached garages. Studies have shown that fumes from various
items stored in the garage can infiltrate the home from an attached
garage. Gasoline for yard tools such as lawn mowers or snow blowers,
chemicals for gardens etc can find their way into your house, both
into the basement as well as into the main living areas of the home.
If you are susceptible to any kind of pollutants, then this may be
a major consideration you will take into account when deciding on a
detached vs. attached garage.
Some useful links to check out
Planning your Garage
http://www.rona.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/rona/
project_chron_guide.jsp?sectionId=15&assetNo=682&storeId=10001&langId=-1
Example of Detached and Attached Garage Requirements
http://ci.marshfield.wi.us/pw/residential_detached_garages_and.htm
Air Infiltration from Attached Garages in Canadian Houses
http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/publications/en/rh-pr/tech/01-122-e.htm
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3. What are the Dangers of Building
in Cold Weather?
Builders and homeowners alike are concerned about construction during
winter months, particularly in cold climates were the temperature
routinely is below freezing for much of the winter. This article
will cover issues surrounding the pouring of concrete foundations
in cold weather.
If the proper building construction techniques are not followed,
concrete will not cure properly causing potential problems later
on such as cracking and dusting to name two concerns. Not only will
you reduce the strength of the concrete, dusting may occur and cause
possible indoor environment problems later for the homeowner. We
also recommend to homeowners to seal any exposed concrete walls with
a good quality concrete sealer to reduce the effect of concrete dust
on household air quality. This article will discuss some of the steps
homeowners should look for when considering having a home constructed
during the cold winter months. We have also have provided a number
of web sites for those who require additional information and detail
as a reference.
The Basics
In order for concrete to cure properly, temperature minimums and
moisture levels must be managed during the curing cycle to ensure
proper 28 day strength characteristics are achieved. Cold weather
concreting requires special steps to ensure that the concrete does
not freeze and also does not dry too rapidly during cold dry winter
months.
Prior to pouring concrete in winter months, builders must plan for
proper equipment, manpower, weather protection, and appropriate concrete
mix with accelerating admixtures and heated mixtures to help develop
early concrete strength. All snow an ice must be removed from concrete
forms and the sub base prior to pouring concrete and all items that
come in contact with concrete should be not be below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
Special Requirements
Concrete pouring and curing must be managed in cold weather situations.
The cost of winter construction with the additional requirements
identified below must be compared to delays until warmer spring or
summer temperatures. Special attention must be given to the following:
-
Ensure concrete has cured and do
not allow concrete to prematurely dry out
-
Keep Ice from forming, which stops
hydration and seriously impairs strength
-
Use insulation blankets or heaters
-
Avoid direct contact with heaters,
that may cause soft dusting
-
Ensure heaters do not run out of
fuel and avoid fire hazards
-
Remove heat protection in a manner
that prevents rapid cooling of concrete
-
Triple insulation at corners and
edges of walls
-
Leave forms in place as long as possible
to prevent rapid drying
-
Ask your builder to explain the step
they will take to ensure a high strength properly
cured concrete foundation and floor for your new home.
Municipal Code Requirements
Many municipalities or state agencies have specified technical requirements
for cold weather masonry construction covering temperature conditions
below specific temperatures, often at 41 degrees F, or 5 degrees
C. Your concrete subcontractor should be well aware of these requirements
and should be able to demonstrate to you the steps they will take
to ensure that these requirements will be met.
For more detailed information, we have provided links to several
web sites that provide addition information about concrete in general
as well as about pouring concrete in cold weather conditions.
Some useful links to check out
NRMCA – About Concrete
http://www.nrmca.org/aboutconcrete/cips/
Cold Weather Curing
http://www.cement.ca/cement.nsf/internetE/34440F8E621CC008852568AA006BAC78?opendocument
Cold Weather Concrete Tips
http://www.deeconcrete.com/coldweatherconcrete.html
Cold Weather Concreting
http://www.maycomix.com/Cold%20Weather%20Concrete.htm
4. Thought For The Day - Generosity
If there be any truer measure of a man
than by what he does, it must be by what he gives.
--Robert South
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