| Whether you order plans out of a magazine or | | | | have installed these stairs in short hallways only to |
| catalog, hire a draftsman, or an architect, this is | | | | realize, after the fact, there was not enough |
| what you want to receive with your house plans: | | | | room to open them. I was then forced to |
| (a) a foundation plan, | | | | purchase attic stairs that did not unfold, but rather |
| (b) a floor plan, | | | | slid up into the attic. These stairs cost ten times |
| (c) the exterior elevations, | | | | more than the regular pull-down type. Make sure, |
| (d) the cabinet elevations, | | | | on the floor plan, there is adequate room for your |
| (e) the cornice and rake details, | | | | attic stairs.viii. Garage doors |
| (f) a cross section, | | | | In many garages the only way you can get into |
| (g) an electrical plan, | | | | or out of the garage is to raise the garage door |
| (h) a framing plan, and | | | | or walk through the home. I like to install a |
| (i) a door and window schedule. | | | | separate door in the garage for exit and entry |
| Don't assume you're going to receive all of these | | | | without going through the home or raising the |
| items. You must verify what items you expect to | | | | garage door. This also needs to be shown on the |
| receive, first, and include your requirements in | | | | floor plan. |
| your contract if you hire a draftsman/designer or | | | | Many builders will install an 8-foot wide garage |
| architect.a. Foundation Plan | | | | door for a single door and a 16-foot wide garage |
| The first thing you want is the foundation plan. If | | | | door for a double door. I recommend you spend |
| your home is going to have a basement, your | | | | the additional money (it's not that much) and install |
| plan needs to show a basement. If it is going to | | | | a 9-foot wide garage door for a single door and |
| have a crawl space, your plan needs to show a | | | | an 18-foot wide garage door for a double door. |
| crawl space. If it is going to be built on a solid | | | | That way you don't have to do precision driving |
| concrete floor on top of the ground, called a slab, | | | | as you drive in and out of the garage. Because 16 |
| your plan needs to show a slab. | | | | and 18-foot doors tend to sag over time, I prefer |
| If you have full-unfinished basement, a lot of plans | | | | two single doors rather than one large door. Also |
| will show a beam down the center of the | | | | consider installing an 8-foot tall door instead of the |
| basement. On top of the beam would be the floor | | | | standard 7-foot tall garage door. Considering that |
| system for the first floor. This beam is normally | | | | the larger SUV's [sport utility vehicles] are very |
| made of steel or wood. If money is no problem, | | | | tall.ix. Miscellaneous items |
| you could install a continuous steel beam that | | | | Show the size and location of all medicine |
| would run the entire length of the home. If this | | | | cabinets, skylights, laundry shoots, and |
| beam were large enough, you could support your | | | | dumbwaiters on the floor plan. As a note, if you're |
| home and need no support columns or posts | | | | going to spend the money for a dumbwaiter, look |
| under this beam. It would look like a large open | | | | into the cost of a residential elevator. For a little |
| roller skating rink in your basement. This beam | | | | more money, the residential elevator is more |
| could be very expensive. As the beam becomes | | | | useful in the long run than a dumbwaiter.c. Exterior |
| smaller, which is cheaper, you will need columns or | | | | elevations |
| posts underneath the beam for support. The | | | | Your plans should show the front, rear, and right |
| smaller the beam, the more posts will be needed. | | | | and left side exterior elevations of your home. |
| So the size of the beam is a function of the | | | | The elevations will show you how the how the |
| number of support posts you're willing to live with. | | | | exterior of your home will look and what material |
| The person that can tell you what size beam to | | | | will be used.d. Cabinet elevations |
| use, based on the number of posts you want, is | | | | Many builders will build without cabinet elevations. |
| a structural engineer. If you wanted to remove a | | | | If you want to clear up assumptions, I highly |
| post or support wall in an existing home, contact | | | | recommend you have cabinet elevations. When I |
| a structural engineer rather than an architect. | | | | say cabinets, I mean the kitchen cabinets, the |
| Most architects will sub the job to a structural | | | | bath vanities and any built-in cabinets and/or |
| engineer. A structural engineer can also tell you if | | | | bookcases. |
| you have the correct size beam. | | | | Note: Plans from a catalog will normally include |
| As a builder, instead of a beam with posts, I think | | | | cabinet elevations. If you hire a draftsman or an |
| about how I would finish the basement. I may | | | | architect they can include them for you. If you |
| have a future game room, a workshop, etc. Then | | | | have money in your budget you could hire a |
| I go ahead and build the walls in the basement | | | | professional kitchen and bath designer or CKD |
| according to my vision. These walls will now | | | | [Certified Kitchen Designer]. To find a CKD in your |
| become load-bearing walls. On top of these | | | | area and to learn more about kitchen and bath |
| load-bearing walls we'll build the floor system for | | | | design go to the web site for the National Kitchen |
| the first floor. | | | | and Bath Association.e. Sections |
| There are two good reasons for doing this. First | | | | If you were able to cut your home in half and |
| of all, I can build those load-bearing walls as cheap | | | | draw that area, you'd be looking at a |
| and many times cheaper than I could install a | | | | "cross-section" or "section" of the home. Most |
| beam with the posts. Second, a potential | | | | homes only need one section of the home. You |
| customer will see all these walls and rooms and | | | | want at least one section included in your plans |
| say to his wife, "Goodnight Martha, for another | | | | because it will indicate the size of framing material |
| nickel and a couple of trips to the local supply | | | | to use in your home. |
| house we can have all this finished space for | | | | If you have anything unusual, like a balcony |
| free!" In reality, it's going to cost more than | | | | overhanging a living room, you may need a |
| another nickel, but it helps sell the home. | | | | section of that balcony to show the builder and |
| When you're designing your basement area, what | | | | the workers how it is constructed and/or |
| we call the "lower or terrace level." Include a | | | | supported. An ultra modern home with a lot of |
| room called the "mechanical" room. In this | | | | curved walls and overhangs may have 20 pages |
| mechanical room you will place your heating and | | | | of sections to show the builder and the workers |
| air system and water heater. If you only have | | | | how the guts of that home are constructed and |
| one heating and air system in this area, design the | | | | or supported. |
| room as close to the center of the home as | | | | If you hire a draftsman or an architect and if you |
| possible. If you have a large home with multiple | | | | have a two-story home, tell them you would like |
| heating and air zones, design the room as close to | | | | to have a section through the "stairwell". By |
| the center of the zone as possible. | | | | drawing a section through the stairwell you will |
| Many homes have the problem of the porch and | | | | solve a common problem of having the home |
| or steps being constructed on fill dirt. Over time | | | | framed without adequate headroom to go up and |
| this fill dirt will settle and the porch and/or steps | | | | down the stairs. |
| will pull away from the home. In order to prevent | | | | If you make a change such as raising the ceiling |
| this from happening, construct what are called | | | | from 8-feet to 9 or 10 feet, be sure to have the |
| T-walls or brackets under your porch and steps. | | | | section redrawn to reflect this change because |
| We'll discuss this more when we build the | | | | when you add height between the first and |
| foundation. However, draw the location of these | | | | second floors it requires more steps, which |
| T-wall or brackets on the foundation plan.b. Floor | | | | means you'll need more horizontal distance in the |
| plan(s) | | | | stairwell to accommodate this change.f. Cornice |
| The floor plan(s) should definitely include the | | | | and rake detail |
| following:i. The dimensions of your rooms.ii. The | | | | The cornice and rake are the edges of the roof. |
| size and location of all doors and windows.iii. The | | | | You will learn more about these areas later. Be |
| size and location of your tubs and the location of | | | | sure to have a section or detail showing how the |
| toilets and lavatories.iv. Furnace vent-pipe location | | | | cornice and rake are designed and constructed. |
| If you have a gas furnace, you may locate the | | | | There are literally an unlimited number ways to |
| furnace in a crawl space or basement. Most gas | | | | design and build the cornice and rake, which is |
| furnaces will have a pipe that goes from the | | | | normally dictated by the amount of money you |
| furnace up through the floor and out the ceiling | | | | are willing to spend. If you do not have a section |
| and roof to vent fumes. We simply call it a "vent | | | | or detail of this area, it creates a lot of confusion |
| pipe." Be sure to show the location of any vent | | | | for everyone.g. Mechanical drawings |
| pipes on the floor plan. By showing this pipe on | | | | It's very common in residential, commercial, and |
| our drawings, you solve that age-old problem of | | | | industrial construction to see the location of lights, |
| the heating and air subcontractor walking on the | | | | switches and electrical outlets on the drawings. It's |
| job after the home is framed and saying, "Well, | | | | also common to see the location of tubs, toilets, |
| where do you want us to put the vent pipe?" | | | | sinks, water heaters, exterior faucets and heating |
| And you say, "What vent pipe?" Then you have | | | | and air conditioning systems on the drawings. |
| to give up part of your kitchen cabinets or a | | | | In commercial and industrial construction it's very |
| walk-in closet to accommodate this vent pipe. If | | | | common to have drawings, called mechanical |
| you plan ahead you can normally locate this vent | | | | drawings, that show the size and location of |
| pipe where it's not going to be in the way or stick | | | | plumbing pipes and the size and location of heating |
| out like a sore thumb.v. Hallway width | | | | and air ducts. However, in residential construction |
| A hallway needs to be a minimum width to install | | | | it is not common to see drawings that show the |
| doors. The molding around the door or window is | | | | size and location of plumbing pipes and/or heating |
| called the casing. Many people will request and | | | | and air ducts. On a large luxury home, the |
| spend the money for wide door and window | | | | designer or architect may hire a mechanical |
| casings. Make sure the hallway is wide enough to | | | | engineer to design these items like they do on a |
| accommodate the door casing. In many homes | | | | commercial building. If you want to know this |
| you'll see where the 4-inch casing is trimmed | | | | information, ask your heating and air |
| down to 2 inches because the hall was not wide | | | | subcontractor and plumber to give you a sketch |
| enough. Any time you have a door or window | | | | showing the size and locations of these pipes.h. |
| near a corner, make sure there is adequate room | | | | Roof and Framing plan |
| from the door or window to the corner for the | | | | If the design of your home or roof is complicated, |
| wide casing. These items need to be checked on | | | | a framing and roof plan is very beneficial. It not |
| the floor plan.vi. Plumbing wall | | | | only shows everyone how this area should be |
| Most walls in a home are constructed of 2X4 | | | | constructed, it is especially helpful in calculating the |
| boards that are 3 ½ inches wide. Behind the | | | | quantities of material that will be needed.i. Door |
| kitchen sink and bathroom vanities the plumber will | | | | and window schedule |
| need to run a horizontal pipe in the wall. This pipe | | | | A door and window schedule places all the |
| could be as much as 3 inches thick. If you cut a | | | | information for doors and windows, such as size |
| 3-inch pipe in a 3-½ inch wall, the wall is going to | | | | and type, in one convenient location. |
| be structurally weak at that location. In those | | | | Suggestion: House plans are very simple to |
| areas only, build a plumbing wall using 2 X 6 | | | | understand. When I read a set of drawings, I will |
| boards that are 5 ½ inches thick. Your plumber | | | | imagine going through the front door and walking |
| can show you in advance where these larger | | | | down the hallway. I'll walk into a bedroom and |
| pipes will be located. Be sure to show these wider | | | | imagine looking at the location of windows and |
| walls on the floor plan.vii. Attic stairs | | | | doors. If you'll spend a little time looking at the |
| Show the size and location of any pull-down attic | | | | drawings, before you know it you'll have no |
| stairs. These are stairs that you'll pull down to | | | | problems understanding what you see. |
| access the attic. They will normally unfold. We | | | | |