An Effective Home Plan

Everybody wants to build a sweet home. But despite having sufficient amount to have a new home, we often fail to reach our goal due to poor planning. Moreover, an apartment may look beautiful from outside, but after living in it sometimes we may face troubles due to faulty shapes. So, a full-proof house plan is the key to open the door of a long lasting house. Having effective architectural plans are the staircase to reach the rooms of a dream home.

In an age when retail business is booming, construction firms have been witnessing rapid growth. With strength of highly qualified civil engineers and architectural professionals these firms come up state-of-the-art house plans. There is a mushrooming of promoters around the world. They offer readymade home plans to millions of helpless persons who have little time to build new homes for themselves. There is no headache in these housing plans. Just pay the money and receive the key of your home.

However, there is one problem in opting for readymade home plans. Suppose you have purchased an apartment, which has 3 bedrooms, 1 kitchen, 1 dining room, 1 washroom and a drawing room. But you have desire to possess an additional balcony. So, in that case you your dream will not be fulfilled completely. On the other hand if you go for custom home plans, the related architectural plan will be able to meet your requirements. You have to decide, which mode suits you best. If you are in a hurry to relocate to a new destination then pre-made plans are best for you.

But before you finalize any house plan, you have to check certain aspects like location and its vicinity like the distance of the main highway from the planned site, markets, community and health centers, police stations, airport and other main hubs. Check the noise level of the neighborhood. Ensure that the land is not in the midst of a legal proceeding and the site plan has not violated green rules. Any house plan needs elaborate preparations. So, you have to gain basic knowledge about the architectural plans of homes like flooring, using of pillars, thickness of the plaster, the advantage or disadvantage of underground basements and other key aspects. It is applicable for pre-made homes as well as custom home plans. In the age of cyber revolution, there is hardly any trouble to gain knowledge on any topic.

In the age of advanced science, modern technology has entered every aspect. Construction firms are no exceptions. Today, you can avail both 2D and 3D blueprints of your future home. You will get a firsthand experience about the real home, which is yet to take shape. Space is becoming dearer day-by-day. So, it is high time to book a space or a home plan right now.

Related posts

Craftsman Home Plans – Basic Fireplace Design Elements

Craftsman Home Plans usually call for at least one if not several fireplaces. In the design stages of planning your new home – you will need to know the recommended measurements for chimney, flue and mantel.

In the construction of the masonry for any craftsman home fireplace or chimney it is important that the foundation start from solid ground and as far down as the lowest part of the foundation wall of the house itself.

All woodwork must be excluded from inside the chimney and the beams should be framed around the brick work. A fireproof hearth should be constructed with a distance of 12 inches or more from the face of the chimney wherever there is to be an open fireplace.

The best placement for the opening for the fireplace is in the center of the chimney. If a flue passes up on only one side then balance to the chimney can be made by running up studs on the other side to give an equal width without a waste of brick work.

Designing The Flue

It is a safe rule to make the height of the fireplace rather less than the width of the opening and the depth should be at least one-half the height. The average size of fireplaces is made 30 in. wide, 30 in. high, 12 in. deep in the rough brickwork. To this is added the mantel facing giving a depth of about 15 inches.

The smoke flue, in cross section, should be about 1/2 the area of the fireplace opening. That would for the above mentioned size, 30×30, give a cross section of about 75 sq. in. and for this the flue is usually built about  8in. x 8in.

The flue itself should be uniform in size from the throat of fireplace to the extreme top of chimney and sharp turns and unnecessary bends should be avoided.

It is desirable to use terra cotta flue lining as they insure a smooth surface in the flue and also give protection against possibility of a spark going through an open joint of the firebrick work.

The flue linings should be carried a little above the top of the chimney so as to permit a beveled shoulder of cement to run down to meet the brick work. This also leaves a nice clean look to the exterior chimney top.

Make sure that the flue lining is sufficient so that you will have eight inches of brick around the chimney. Around the open fireplaces there should be at least 12 inches of brick work, or 8 inches of brick work with 4 inches of air space, between the fire and any woodwork.

What Is A Chimney Throat?

The space immediately above the fireplace is termed the “throat” and the sides of  a chimney throat should run at an angle of about 45 degrees starting at the sides of the fireplace and meeting the flue directly over the center of the fireplace.

The very best option is to build in an iron throat damper. This has the right shape to insure good draft and has the advantage that the damper can be closed when the fireplace is not in use or when the draft of the fire is too strong.

We often see  plastering  on the inside of a flue as the chimney is being built. It does insure a smooth surface while the work is new, but is not desirable because  the plaster will eventually loosen and fall. When it drops out, it pulls some of the mortar from between the bricks and this will make the surface even rougher than it would be if the brick work has not been plastered in the first place.

You must always take precautions to prevent any pulling on mortar between the brick – because loose or missing mortar makes it  possible for a  spark to pass  from the flue to the surrounding woodwork. If you cannot get terra cotta flue linings, have eight inches of the brick work built, but not plastered inside.

Should You Use Wood For A Mantel?

Wood mantels if properly made can be used with entire safety where you have open fireplaces or regular open grates in your Craftsman Style Home. In Colonial times when houses were heated  open fireplaces, wood mantels were used almost exclusively and there are many fine examples of these mantels still in existence, without any suggestion of wear or scorching.

If you expect to have a large fireplace with blazing logs it is not wise to have woodwork that projects or protrudes over the fire, either in the way of columns or the mantel.  The recommendation is at least 6 inches of tile between the opening of the fireplace and the woodwork.

Discover Energy Efficient Home Plans

It is possible in this day and age for anyone to have their own energy efficient home plans. A lot of people still think that this means they would have to give up on their modern way of living. This is definitely not the case anymore.

New technology has paved the way to make solar power a viable option for just about anyone who wants to conserve and be more efficient. Solar power is basically energy from the sun that is converted. The energy can be used to heat water or power your home.

Making the change to solar energy is going to save you money and help the environment. Just putting solar screens over your windows will make a huge difference. Your air conditioner will not need to be used as much because these window covers will help block the sun out.

Some people have lighting outside of their home. You can virtually walk into any hardware store and find solar lighting to suit your needs. The lights absorb the sun all day long and are fully powered all evening.

Indoors, you can get solar window panels, doors, and skylights. This will have a great impact on the amount of electricity used. You will be taking advantage of one of the most readily available forms of energy.

Solar energy works best in areas that receive a lot of sunshine. If you live in an area that is prone to rain or snow, you can still use solar energy. There are battery devices to buy that can be used during times of bad weather.

These are just a few ways to introduce solar energy into your home. Advances are still being made and many people are moving towards becoming more energy efficient. You could contact the department of energy to find out ways you can save locally. Many states offer discounts and rebates for making energy efficient changes to your home.