Saturday, November 2, 2019
A thought for a second floor
I love this idea for a second floor. The only real issue is the eyebrow window. What an expense. My other issue is the wood. I do like the idea of doing all the interior spaces with wood panels...basically just 1/4 inch hardwood veneer plywood. But I could never live with the wood. As I often say, I love wood, but the ambers and browns in a room just suck up the light. I even wonder at natural wood trim. Of course, if you have lovely hardwoods, figured woods etc., it is a shame to cover them, but I always default to Paint in white or pastels when possible.
Saturday, July 20, 2019
A NEW PARADIGM
Do not think that we come up with these ideas out of the blue. Just say that we see a good idea and we pass it on. I am just lucky enough to be readying myself to do this for myself and can apply new ideas.
The "paradigm" or new way of thinking is a replacement for some commonly applied ideas.
1. It has been the practice of framers to frame the studs at 16 inches on center.
2. It is usual to build one of every pair of walls on a corner with a single stud at the left or right, and the matching stud on the next wall will be either tripled(three studs nailed together) or others, it is common to do two studs sandwiching pieces of a third stud together in the middle(I suppose that is what sandwiched means, but best to explain). This tripling meant that there would be a nailing surface on both sides of the inside corner to attach interior wall sheets to at the corner.
3. The third idea is to build headers for doors and windows(especially if they are in load bearing walls) with a double 2x10 or 2x6 etc. with a slab of plywood in between to make a total of 3 1/2 inches thick to match the width of a 2x4.
The New Paradigm:
1. First the studs of a wall have very little insulating value. So, the fewer the studs, the fewer breaks in the insulation and the fewer contacts of interior wall to stud connected directly to the exterior wall to transfer cold. It is now believed that using 24 inches on center will do this, and the wall should be just as strong. I, for one, will be using 2x6 framing rather than 2x4 so pretty strong.
2. The new idea is to make all your corners with a single end stud on each end. On the outside lap of the two studs that meet at the corner at the inside wall flat against the wall. Then a piece of 1x lumber or a wide strip of plywood or CDX etc., is attached on the inside of the overlapped end stud to face the room. This becomes the nailing surface for the interior wall sheets. This leaves plenty of wall cavity in the last pair of studs to fill with insulation and retain the structure. Only the edge of one stud faces the room, so there is little to transfer the cold. This means that the entire cavity behind the corner can be filled with insulation.
.
3. The idea does not change in the basics for the headers. You will still make the doubled 2x stock header with the sheet of ply in between(if you like), but since you are using 2x6 framing there will be room on the inside for rigid foam insulation or if you prefer, other insulation. If you feel as I do, that you may need nailing surface, just make up some of the 5.5 inches of cavity with another piece of plywood on the inside of the cavity and screwed through the foam and into the outside 2x header. You could also use an adhesive that is compatible with the foam to glue the entire sandwich together instead of nailing through the foam.
These are all fixes that are supposed to help create a "net zero" house. Well, these are good tips, but I absolutely do not approve of a net zero house. When I was growing up, it was required that the air inside the house must be completely changed every 8 hours.
Reconciling our desire for energy efficiency with the ability to actually breath inside your house is difficult. There are exchangers to warm up cold outside air so it can come into the house, allowing for combustion of gas, wood and other fuels...also breathing...and to help with moisture inside. However, working off grid, this might be too expensive for most, and it is a little high tech for the typical off gridder. Also using electricity for this is a no go. I do not know if they do consume electric, but it would be a no go for me.
In my case I get around the fresh air thing by using fairly inefficient stained glass on some windows, with only a simple exterior plexi covering to shield the lead from harsh weather. Also, I do little to close the gap under the exterior doors. I can always put a bean-filled draft blocker down if necessary. Still, it is often necessary to leave a window open. You could also do a tiny vent pipe that leads from outdoors directly to the intake of any heating device. It was rare to hear of CO or CO2 poisoning in the 60s.
Also, I should be stressed that wood fires are a renewable resource. At least that is true of responsibly harvested wood. Wood is harvested burned and new trees grow in its place. New growth ties up CO2 as it grows.
The "paradigm" or new way of thinking is a replacement for some commonly applied ideas.
1. It has been the practice of framers to frame the studs at 16 inches on center.
2. It is usual to build one of every pair of walls on a corner with a single stud at the left or right, and the matching stud on the next wall will be either tripled(three studs nailed together) or others, it is common to do two studs sandwiching pieces of a third stud together in the middle(I suppose that is what sandwiched means, but best to explain). This tripling meant that there would be a nailing surface on both sides of the inside corner to attach interior wall sheets to at the corner.
3. The third idea is to build headers for doors and windows(especially if they are in load bearing walls) with a double 2x10 or 2x6 etc. with a slab of plywood in between to make a total of 3 1/2 inches thick to match the width of a 2x4.
The New Paradigm:
1. First the studs of a wall have very little insulating value. So, the fewer the studs, the fewer breaks in the insulation and the fewer contacts of interior wall to stud connected directly to the exterior wall to transfer cold. It is now believed that using 24 inches on center will do this, and the wall should be just as strong. I, for one, will be using 2x6 framing rather than 2x4 so pretty strong.
2. The new idea is to make all your corners with a single end stud on each end. On the outside lap of the two studs that meet at the corner at the inside wall flat against the wall. Then a piece of 1x lumber or a wide strip of plywood or CDX etc., is attached on the inside of the overlapped end stud to face the room. This becomes the nailing surface for the interior wall sheets. This leaves plenty of wall cavity in the last pair of studs to fill with insulation and retain the structure. Only the edge of one stud faces the room, so there is little to transfer the cold. This means that the entire cavity behind the corner can be filled with insulation.
.
3. The idea does not change in the basics for the headers. You will still make the doubled 2x stock header with the sheet of ply in between(if you like), but since you are using 2x6 framing there will be room on the inside for rigid foam insulation or if you prefer, other insulation. If you feel as I do, that you may need nailing surface, just make up some of the 5.5 inches of cavity with another piece of plywood on the inside of the cavity and screwed through the foam and into the outside 2x header. You could also use an adhesive that is compatible with the foam to glue the entire sandwich together instead of nailing through the foam.
These are all fixes that are supposed to help create a "net zero" house. Well, these are good tips, but I absolutely do not approve of a net zero house. When I was growing up, it was required that the air inside the house must be completely changed every 8 hours.
Reconciling our desire for energy efficiency with the ability to actually breath inside your house is difficult. There are exchangers to warm up cold outside air so it can come into the house, allowing for combustion of gas, wood and other fuels...also breathing...and to help with moisture inside. However, working off grid, this might be too expensive for most, and it is a little high tech for the typical off gridder. Also using electricity for this is a no go. I do not know if they do consume electric, but it would be a no go for me.
In my case I get around the fresh air thing by using fairly inefficient stained glass on some windows, with only a simple exterior plexi covering to shield the lead from harsh weather. Also, I do little to close the gap under the exterior doors. I can always put a bean-filled draft blocker down if necessary. Still, it is often necessary to leave a window open. You could also do a tiny vent pipe that leads from outdoors directly to the intake of any heating device. It was rare to hear of CO or CO2 poisoning in the 60s.
Also, I should be stressed that wood fires are a renewable resource. At least that is true of responsibly harvested wood. Wood is harvested burned and new trees grow in its place. New growth ties up CO2 as it grows.
Tuesday, June 11, 2019
Lofts and cathedral ceilings.
I have to admit that I have two lofts and a section of cathedral ceiling in my tiny house. I like the effect, and when you are living in a house that is only 7 feet wide, It might be oppressive to have normal ceilings closing in on you. But even in this space that is so easy to heat, I notice that without ceiling fans(the one thing I will never have in a house...EVER) the floors get chilly, and much heat is wasted in spaces where you just don't live!
Drama is wonderful in a house and beautifully soaring vaulted ceilings with decorative beam work are pretty impressive. But why would anyone with a practical bone in their body build one?
Heat rises, you have spent tons of cash building an envelope that can only be partially used, storage is limited...it just makes no sense.
Lets assume that all these preppers have a point, and society has broken down. How long will it be before you run out of fuel to heat a space like that. It will be a struggle to live, let alone the resources you will be wasting on that space.
Eight foot ceilings are fine for a normal sized house. The tiny house with its limited floor space and tendency toward claustrophobia OK, but use the space you are paying for in all other houses.
Drama is wonderful in a house and beautifully soaring vaulted ceilings with decorative beam work are pretty impressive. But why would anyone with a practical bone in their body build one?
Heat rises, you have spent tons of cash building an envelope that can only be partially used, storage is limited...it just makes no sense.
Lets assume that all these preppers have a point, and society has broken down. How long will it be before you run out of fuel to heat a space like that. It will be a struggle to live, let alone the resources you will be wasting on that space.
Eight foot ceilings are fine for a normal sized house. The tiny house with its limited floor space and tendency toward claustrophobia OK, but use the space you are paying for in all other houses.
Thursday, June 6, 2019
The foundation
The first big hurdle in the planning of the house is what type of foundation to settle on. There are many options as I already stated, but I think I have settled.
I have decided to do posts with a footing under each, but first to consider is how to cover the foundation posts to exclude cold air(as much as possible) from the underside of the house. I will have to put on a skirt. It will be pressure treated plywood. I do not plan to use pressure treated plywood for structural support. But the skirt will last a long time in pressure treated. The skirt must be seamless from the sill of the house to below ground level. This may be a problem if I put posts directly under the walls of the house. There would always be some concrete footing protruding from the plane of the sills, as there has to be good pressure from the weight of the building on the center of the post. So, there is one option to get around the bulge.
If I make the posts(piers) in three or four rows at about 6 inches(just a random number) inside the finished perimeter of the house, then lay three or four beams on top of the three or four rows of posts to the finished length of the house perimeter(rim joists), and the rim joists and floor joists beyond the side beams to the finished width of the house and the ends of the building on the very ends of the beams, then there will be downward pressure of the house's weight from the outside walls that will sort of lever the center of the house upward a bit. Basically I will be building like the old garrison houses where the upper story protruded a few inches and the levering up of the middle made the center of the house less bouncy. Did I explain that well. I will ponder a way to explain better.
Lets just say as a "for instance" that I put a row of posts to a total of 25 feet, a little shorter than the house. Then place heavy beams on top of the posts to a total of 26 feet which is my final length of the house.
The three rows of posts will be a total of 17 feet apart on the width of the house which will eventually be 18 feet total width of the house.
The rim joists at the gable ends will be flush with the ends of the beams, and in the other direction the floor joists will rest across the three beams, protruding 3 or more inches over the beams and the rim joists on the ends of the floor joists will total the 18 foot width of the house. The side rim joists will be almost floating beyond the beams below. The weight of the building would be on the floor joists.
Now, the gable ends are supported by the beams below,
The side walls may have a wooden post scabbed onto the side of the posts and support the floating wall a bit more than just the leverage. This would also become nailing surfaces for the skirt.
Whew.
This may need refining, for instance, I may bring the concrete posts just up to ground level and from there up to the beams use 6x6 or larger pressure treated to support the beams.
In every instance there must be a separation between the top of the concrete and the wooden components. In this instance, the bracket sunk into the concrete does that job.
You could also run the concrete foundation all the way up to the beams, but I am trying to save money, and I believe that the 6x6 post will be cheaper than buying longer Sonotube and filling with concrete.
What is not shown here is a series of diagonal braces that must be put on every 6x6 post bolted from the base of the post to the beam and in the other direction into the rim joist. There are metal strips that can be used for this, but it is common to use short mitered lengths of 6x6.
All instances of use of metal in the foundation assumes that there have been steps taken to assure that moisture will not affect the metal(good drainage and or ventilation in the summer). A door can be put into the skirt and or vent grills(covered in winter).
Diagonal bracing is absolutely necessary because the wind or earth tremors, etc. can easily push the house to the side, and you could find your house sitting on the ground next to your foundation.(Timmmberrrr)
I have decided to do posts with a footing under each, but first to consider is how to cover the foundation posts to exclude cold air(as much as possible) from the underside of the house. I will have to put on a skirt. It will be pressure treated plywood. I do not plan to use pressure treated plywood for structural support. But the skirt will last a long time in pressure treated. The skirt must be seamless from the sill of the house to below ground level. This may be a problem if I put posts directly under the walls of the house. There would always be some concrete footing protruding from the plane of the sills, as there has to be good pressure from the weight of the building on the center of the post. So, there is one option to get around the bulge.
If I make the posts(piers) in three or four rows at about 6 inches(just a random number) inside the finished perimeter of the house, then lay three or four beams on top of the three or four rows of posts to the finished length of the house perimeter(rim joists), and the rim joists and floor joists beyond the side beams to the finished width of the house and the ends of the building on the very ends of the beams, then there will be downward pressure of the house's weight from the outside walls that will sort of lever the center of the house upward a bit. Basically I will be building like the old garrison houses where the upper story protruded a few inches and the levering up of the middle made the center of the house less bouncy. Did I explain that well. I will ponder a way to explain better.
In this image, the rim joist labeled overhangs the beam(coming forward toward you) by several inches.
The three rows of posts will be a total of 17 feet apart on the width of the house which will eventually be 18 feet total width of the house.
The rim joists at the gable ends will be flush with the ends of the beams, and in the other direction the floor joists will rest across the three beams, protruding 3 or more inches over the beams and the rim joists on the ends of the floor joists will total the 18 foot width of the house. The side rim joists will be almost floating beyond the beams below. The weight of the building would be on the floor joists.
Now, the gable ends are supported by the beams below,
The side walls may have a wooden post scabbed onto the side of the posts and support the floating wall a bit more than just the leverage. This would also become nailing surfaces for the skirt.
Whew.
In every instance there must be a separation between the top of the concrete and the wooden components. In this instance, the bracket sunk into the concrete does that job.
You could also run the concrete foundation all the way up to the beams, but I am trying to save money, and I believe that the 6x6 post will be cheaper than buying longer Sonotube and filling with concrete.
What is not shown here is a series of diagonal braces that must be put on every 6x6 post bolted from the base of the post to the beam and in the other direction into the rim joist. There are metal strips that can be used for this, but it is common to use short mitered lengths of 6x6.
All instances of use of metal in the foundation assumes that there have been steps taken to assure that moisture will not affect the metal(good drainage and or ventilation in the summer). A door can be put into the skirt and or vent grills(covered in winter).
Diagonal bracing is absolutely necessary because the wind or earth tremors, etc. can easily push the house to the side, and you could find your house sitting on the ground next to your foundation.(Timmmberrrr)
oil lamps
I have taken the plunge into Solar Electric. I have a small system with
two batteries and an inverter. I will cove the solar later.
In the meantime, I have lived for some time with candles and battery operated
puck style lights at three for 7 dollars at Home Depot.
I have a fabulous oil lamp from the mid 19th century, but I have had little luck finding
a burner for it.
Good for special events on the dining table perhaps. but I just got a nice and very
early lamp and have succeeded in finding the rest of the parts. lo and behold...
with lots of problems leading up to it, I have a working lamp.
This is from somewhere between the mid 1850s and 1864.
Plenty of light and less eye strain.
windows
In order to realize my dreams of matching the watercolor below,
I have realized that buying a customized gang of windows(five no less), I will need a much larger budget. Also, by the time I cut into my 12 foot wide wall, there is not going to be much left to support my roof. So, I looked at my options at Home Depot. The American Craftsman line that they carry will do fine for me. The white is just what I want, so I do not see how I can make a better choice in this situation. They have horizontal glider windows that come in a number of sizes. I looked the sample over in the store, and I fell for that size. They are available at 36 wide by 48 high. Two of them with a couple of 2x6s between will give me some of this effect. If I become desperate, I can add a stationary single window in the center. Not quite the same, but I can live with that.
The rough opening on these is half an inch additional, vertical and horizontal. and at 170 dollars, I can squeeze that out of the budget. 680 for all is not bad. So, both south facing rooms on the first floor can have a set of these windows.
Ideally I might get custom casement windows ganged in the pattern in the picture...but I just don't see that happening.
I love stained glass. It amazes me how much new windows cost for a little extruded PVC and glass. I can, however get antique stained glass panels from churches or homes and build a frame for the house to hinge mount the stained glass for half of the cost of a window, new, and when I am done, I have a work of art to look at in my house.
Both Bill and I wanted this window, but in the end it went for too much money. At the time $200 seemed like too much...then I found out how much a new window costs.
Just one last comment. Always use standard sized windows. You are building from scratch. You can choose anything. If you were retrofitting, you would have to follow the old openings but you can use the less expensive standard sizes that are very likely already in the store and ready for pick up.
Just one last comment. Always use standard sized windows. You are building from scratch. You can choose anything. If you were retrofitting, you would have to follow the old openings but you can use the less expensive standard sizes that are very likely already in the store and ready for pick up.
Why two story or story and a half.
One of the biggest expenses you will have in building a house is the foundation. Building 600 square feet on the ground is quite a bit of foundation. Poured foundation costs would be through the roof and probably more than I would spend on the entire house. Cutting that figure almost in half is a giant savings. If you are doing posts with a concrete footings, it cuts down dramatically on the time you will spend with a Post Hole Digger or a shovel, and on the number of bags of concrete you will have to mix.
Also, with a second story, you get to use your heat twice. In the old days it was not considered necessary to pipe heat up to the second floor, just a grate in the floor works very well as heat rises. I think that we should revive this practice.
As stated earlier, it is better to cut down on the square footage of building skin exposed to the elements, A story and a half, with only a 3 or 4 foot upper side wall cuts down dramatically on the exposed skin of the building. The roof is half the size of one on a sprawling building and heat is conserved.
Also, with a second story, you get to use your heat twice. In the old days it was not considered necessary to pipe heat up to the second floor, just a grate in the floor works very well as heat rises. I think that we should revive this practice.
As stated earlier, it is better to cut down on the square footage of building skin exposed to the elements, A story and a half, with only a 3 or 4 foot upper side wall cuts down dramatically on the exposed skin of the building. The roof is half the size of one on a sprawling building and heat is conserved.
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