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Started By
Message
re: Building a house: what are some things you don’t like about yours/things to avoid
Posted on 7/16/18 at 9:12 am to TigerstuckinMS
Posted on 7/16/18 at 9:12 am to TigerstuckinMS
I used 6 inch studs on all exterior walls, then wrap, then foam board, then 3/4 inch plywood before finishing the exterior with 1 x 12 treated rough pine in sort of a ship lap design. I insulated every wall inside as well as the exterior walls with 6 inch insulation.
I skipped the foam insulation and in the attic rolled in 10 inches and blew another foot atop that.
Two A/C units. On runs when only the wife and I are there and it covers our bedroom, kitchen and living area. Second unit covers upstairs bedroom and two downstair bedrooms rarely used.
In a 3500 square foot home my highest utility bill has been $125; lowest $44. This is over a two year period.
Also, sink the concrete about an inch in the utility room and put in a drain so when the water heater springs a leak when you're gone or when the washing machine starts leaking, you won't be in a bind.
On the eaves, rather than a 18 inch to 2 foot overhang, I went three like you see in old style homes. I attribute the low utility bill partially to this.
Not sure how large a carport you want or need, but add two feet to the width so your wife can get the groceries, etc. out without banging up your truck!
I skipped the foam insulation and in the attic rolled in 10 inches and blew another foot atop that.
Two A/C units. On runs when only the wife and I are there and it covers our bedroom, kitchen and living area. Second unit covers upstairs bedroom and two downstair bedrooms rarely used.
In a 3500 square foot home my highest utility bill has been $125; lowest $44. This is over a two year period.
Also, sink the concrete about an inch in the utility room and put in a drain so when the water heater springs a leak when you're gone or when the washing machine starts leaking, you won't be in a bind.
On the eaves, rather than a 18 inch to 2 foot overhang, I went three like you see in old style homes. I attribute the low utility bill partially to this.
Not sure how large a carport you want or need, but add two feet to the width so your wife can get the groceries, etc. out without banging up your truck!
This post was edited on 7/16/18 at 9:16 am
2
Posted on 7/16/18 at 9:48 am to FreeState
Any reason in particular for the 6” ext walls?
Posted on 7/16/18 at 10:07 am to poochie
Dining rooms are useless. Also make room for a deep freezer
This post was edited on 7/16/18 at 10:17 am
Posted on 7/16/18 at 10:32 am to CajunDoc
ditto
Posted on 7/16/18 at 10:33 am to poochie
Don’t do the pot filler over the stove. Sounds nice, the couple people I know that have them have had them leak and mess up their stoves.
Posted on 7/17/18 at 7:51 pm to ourkansastigah
quote:
Hire an independent inspector every damn week....trust me
this
Posted on 7/17/18 at 9:17 pm to poochie
I designed mine, so it’s darn close to perfect for me and my wife. A bigger patio would be nice.
Some must haves IMO.
A big enough garage, and by that I mean big enough to put you lawnmower, some enclosed storage and big enough for 2 SUV’s. You’ll be amazed how fast a garage can junk up if you don’t.
Floor out over the garage for storage and add an attic lift. They’re not expensive and they help a LOT. This is the cheapest way to add useful storage and you will need it.
Minimize Hall space, it costs you a lot for little gain which is one the big drivers of open concept.
Most of the rest really boils down to family size and preferences. For me the big must haves were a great living room to watch games together, with a nice kitchen to handle the food for the crew.
Keep a close eye on the construction and even though I know a lot about it and had a great builder, stay on top of it every day. Little things can come up that are cheap easy fixes if you catch it in construction and expensive as hell if you don’t. I had a few that could have been bad down the road if I hadn’t caught it, and he had a couple suggestions to change the build a bit that made sense.
Some must haves IMO.
A big enough garage, and by that I mean big enough to put you lawnmower, some enclosed storage and big enough for 2 SUV’s. You’ll be amazed how fast a garage can junk up if you don’t.
Floor out over the garage for storage and add an attic lift. They’re not expensive and they help a LOT. This is the cheapest way to add useful storage and you will need it.
Minimize Hall space, it costs you a lot for little gain which is one the big drivers of open concept.
Most of the rest really boils down to family size and preferences. For me the big must haves were a great living room to watch games together, with a nice kitchen to handle the food for the crew.
Keep a close eye on the construction and even though I know a lot about it and had a great builder, stay on top of it every day. Little things can come up that are cheap easy fixes if you catch it in construction and expensive as hell if you don’t. I had a few that could have been bad down the road if I hadn’t caught it, and he had a couple suggestions to change the build a bit that made sense.
Posted on 7/17/18 at 9:29 pm to poochie
quote:We put the wood look tile in.
What about wood floors? We love the look of cypress or heart pine floors but know they are soft and will dent and scratch easily. We want real wood floors, not laminate or tile that looks like wood.
After you’ve cleaned that wood floor a few times you’ll be wishing you’d have gotten the tile. Especially if you have pets. It’s also easily replaceable if there’s ever a problem, just get a few extra boxes of tile and a bag of grout.
Posted on 7/17/18 at 9:49 pm to poochie
Make sure they at least take the tires off the axles when they finish. Gives it that finished look.
Posted on 7/17/18 at 10:22 pm to dragginass
No, keep the tires on and have em install that short screen. You never know when you might have to leave really quickly.
How is it out there in SG?
How is it out there in SG?
Posted on 7/17/18 at 10:37 pm to FreeState
quote:
I insulated every wall inside as well as the exterior walls with 6 inch insulation
Why?
Posted on 7/17/18 at 10:55 pm to PokerPastime
Epoxy paint the floor in garage, not too expensive, looks nice and oil, spills, etc clean up with ease
Posted on 7/18/18 at 12:00 am to LSUFootballLover
Not a fan of the open concept, we like walls and doors. If you build 6' cased openings with pocket doors between rooms you can still have that open feel and flow with the ability to shut them off. We actually use our formal dining room 3-4 times a week for dinner but also like an eat-in kitchen. We are about to renovate a house we just bought and are replacing the water heaters with tankless. I agree with others about the manifold for waterlines, we don't have it but it would be nice. Jacuzzi tubs are not worth it, neither is a pool. We are replacing all carpet with wood (not sure yet if solid or engineered). If it gets a ding or scratched that just adds character to the floor IMHO. Large closets are a must. If 2-story have walk-in attic space. As others have mentioned large laundry/mud room and if 2-story add a laundry shoot.
Posted on 7/18/18 at 7:29 am to doubleb
quote:
How is it out there in SG?
I only visit now. I made good on my promise to take care of my family first, like tens of thousands of others. I hope to come back permanently some day in the not-so-distant future.
Posted on 7/18/18 at 8:28 am to poochie
Have more storage areas than what you think you need. You will accumulate things.
Good insulation package, doors, windows. Make the rooms you spend the most time in the biggest.
On the outside I ran a hot water line. We boil a lot of seafood. Fill the pot with water, comes to a boil quick. Also hot water good for clean up after boils, BBQs cookouts or other get togethers.
Good insulation package, doors, windows. Make the rooms you spend the most time in the biggest.
On the outside I ran a hot water line. We boil a lot of seafood. Fill the pot with water, comes to a boil quick. Also hot water good for clean up after boils, BBQs cookouts or other get togethers.
This post was edited on 7/18/18 at 10:28 am
Posted on 7/18/18 at 8:35 am to dragginass
1. Solid sheet all walls. It allows you to hang up a picture wherever you want plus helps with sound.
2. Avoid carpet on floors. I replaced carpet in my previous house and although it was cleaned regularly it was disgusting.
3. Go to a lighting store for fixtures instead of big box store. The advice you will get is invaluable.
4. We went with delta faucet and shower fixtures. Parts are easy to get and replace. They have tempassure feature where you turn on the water and after 15-20 seconds the water is at a perfect preset temperature. It has a second handle to so it can be adjusted but there is no more fumbling back and forth with hot and cold handles to adjust temp plus no more hot and cold burst when toilet is flushed. If you have a walk in shower design it where you turn on from the side, similar to a bathtub shower.
5. Raised bathroom counter tops a few inches over standard to make it easier to brush teeth.
6. Bathroom doors extra wide in case one of us wind up handicapped.
7. Google Doug Rye an architect in Arkansas. He discusses building an energy efficient house. I used about 80% of his suggestions and it works.
8. Installed a three way switch in bed room. Turn on lights with entering and with switches at headboard to turn off.
2. Avoid carpet on floors. I replaced carpet in my previous house and although it was cleaned regularly it was disgusting.
3. Go to a lighting store for fixtures instead of big box store. The advice you will get is invaluable.
4. We went with delta faucet and shower fixtures. Parts are easy to get and replace. They have tempassure feature where you turn on the water and after 15-20 seconds the water is at a perfect preset temperature. It has a second handle to so it can be adjusted but there is no more fumbling back and forth with hot and cold handles to adjust temp plus no more hot and cold burst when toilet is flushed. If you have a walk in shower design it where you turn on from the side, similar to a bathtub shower.
5. Raised bathroom counter tops a few inches over standard to make it easier to brush teeth.
6. Bathroom doors extra wide in case one of us wind up handicapped.
7. Google Doug Rye an architect in Arkansas. He discusses building an energy efficient house. I used about 80% of his suggestions and it works.
8. Installed a three way switch in bed room. Turn on lights with entering and with switches at headboard to turn off.
Posted on 7/18/18 at 8:46 am to poochie
Doing it over...here are things I would change about the house I built 2 years ago:
Extend the garage...it would have been easy enough to do, and another 2-3 feet would have been nice.
Light cabinets instead of dark in the kitchen. We thought dark would go better with everything...but they are actually a pain in the arse and make the kitchen look like a black hole.
Pour the extra concrete...I have a deck on the back of the house, and thought I would hold off on pouring an extra pad for a patio. If you think you might want extra patio, sidewalk or driveway loop...plan and do it when you build.
Put in the extra spigot...we have spigots on the back and one side of the house...doing it over, I would have done one on the other side as well.
Soft close drawers in the kitchen...wish I would have done it when I built.
Oversize the communications box and make sure you have at least two electrical outlets in it. I wish mine was 50% bigger than what I got.
Extend the garage...it would have been easy enough to do, and another 2-3 feet would have been nice.
Light cabinets instead of dark in the kitchen. We thought dark would go better with everything...but they are actually a pain in the arse and make the kitchen look like a black hole.
Pour the extra concrete...I have a deck on the back of the house, and thought I would hold off on pouring an extra pad for a patio. If you think you might want extra patio, sidewalk or driveway loop...plan and do it when you build.
Put in the extra spigot...we have spigots on the back and one side of the house...doing it over, I would have done one on the other side as well.
Soft close drawers in the kitchen...wish I would have done it when I built.
Oversize the communications box and make sure you have at least two electrical outlets in it. I wish mine was 50% bigger than what I got.
Posted on 7/18/18 at 8:57 pm to madmaxvol
Any proponents of laundry near the garage or side entrance? I understand the thought of having it by the bedrooms but I also like the idea of a utility room near that side entry. Torn here.
Posted on 7/18/18 at 10:07 pm to poochie
Make sure the dryer vent is on an outside wall. I don’t think I’d want the laundry room close to my bedroom. The noise would get aggravating.
Posted on 7/18/18 at 10:36 pm to poochie
I’ve had both and really like the utility room near side entry. It was set-up as a “mud room”/ utility room.
It was move to be able to come in if I was dirty and just drop my clothes right there. We didn’t have a huge house so it wasn’t much of a walk to the other areas of the house to drop laundry.
Also, it was away from any floors that could be easily damaged should the machine over flow, or a waterline but. We also never heard the machines running.
Either way I’d definitely put a sink in there. Depending on where it is, it’s also a good spot to put and extra fridge or freezer.
It was move to be able to come in if I was dirty and just drop my clothes right there. We didn’t have a huge house so it wasn’t much of a walk to the other areas of the house to drop laundry.
Also, it was away from any floors that could be easily damaged should the machine over flow, or a waterline but. We also never heard the machines running.
Either way I’d definitely put a sink in there. Depending on where it is, it’s also a good spot to put and extra fridge or freezer.
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