Thanksgiving Traditions

picture from sweetieskidz.com

Thanksgiving usually means spending time with family and participating in family traditions.  These are some of the Thanksgiving traditions that our office members have enjoyed over the years.

Tom used to go small game hunting with his family when he was younger.  Some of the animals they'd hunt were squirrels, rabbits, and doves.  Watching the Thanksgiving parade on tv was another thing he'd look forward to every year.  These days, Tom's family gets a Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving, and his extended family is so large that they usually get together to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas at the same time.

Steven also used to participate in small game hunting and watching the parade on tv.  When he was little, his family would get together at his grandma's house every year where he would goof off with his cousins.  After he started his own family, he took his own kids to his grandma's house where they spent time with his extended family.  These days, Steven cooks the turkey every year with his perfected recipe (cook the turkey in an oven bag to keep it moist and juicy).

Stacey had a large family growing up and did not live near extended family, so they had to come up with their own traditions.  All the kids were given Thanksgiving names for the day.  The girls were named Patience, Prudence, Charity, Faith, and Hope.  Her brother was usually known as John, except the year he proclaimed that he wanted to be known as Squanto!  (This may or may not have been due to one of the hats he'd made at school and brought home.)  Everyone was given part of the meal to prepare, also, including the one year they had "fuit" salad made by her then 2 year old sister.  These days, Stacey's family has been known to play soccer in the park on Thanksgiving morning, and at dinner everyone takes turns telling their favorite part of the meal,

This Thanksgiving take some time to reflect on your family traditions and the memories they bring.

Happy Thanksgiving!

House Trend: More Playful Homes

The playful Hip Cottage with Basement.

According to a RealtorMag.com article by Barbara Ballinger, more playful homes are what people want.  Why?  "Americans work harder now than ever, with many delaying retirement or starting second careers, so they want their homes to be a refuge and a place to unwind."

Adding that playful aspect to a house is something we know how to do.

Basement bonus room with kitchenette.

We design small homes for those looking to downsize, yet retain that playful space to relax. After deciding on a footprint for the necessary rooms, like the living room, kitchen, bedrooms, and baths, we look for ways to increase the enjoyment of your home life.  Adding a basement bonus room to a small house provides a place to unwind after the pressures of the day.  A theater room, billiards table, ping pong table or just a cushy couch and tv provide a place to loosen up and relax.  By adding a kitchenette to the room you've increased the opportunities.   
Example:  The Hip Cottage with Basement Foundation.

Porches Cottage with Roof Deck

We design homes that take advantage of the space under your house as well as above it.  If you're able to, building a basement under your house provides a place for a recreation or bonus room, as mentioned above.  Another way to add playfulness to your home is to build a roof deck above it.  A roof deck provides a place to watch the sunset or entertain guests at a dinner party with a spectacular view.  It's a spot to grill, a location to soak up the sun, or a place just sit and unwind.
Example:  The Lookout Cottage with Basement Foundation and the Porches Cottage with Roof Deck.

Backyard putting green by Carolina Custom Putting Greens.

Some of the ways you can get a more playful home is dependent on the lot you buy.  Look for one where you can have fun things like a backyard pool, your own putting green, a fire pit, install that pizza oven you've always wanted, or landscape the beautiful gardens you've seen in magazines.


If you're interested in designing or remodeling your home to add more playfulness to it, let us help you create a design at www.mcleodarchitect.com.  Or view our architect designed house plans, including the cottages mentioned above, at www.southerncottages.com.

Designing Your Bathroom: Layout

A Gorgeous Bathroom

Bathrooms have come a long way over the last 100+ years.  The very informative article A Brief History of the Bathroom chronicles the long story of how people have been taking care of their bodies since ancient times.  This brings us to today, where we not only have indoor plumbing (thankfully), but bathrooms have become large and glamorous.

The three main components of a bathroom are a sink, a bath tub/shower, and a toilet.  Then, if you have the space, additional fixtures can be added for the opulence that additional fixtures are: separate tubs and showers, double sinks, and sometimes even bidets.

If you're remodeling, the most cost effective thing to do is to keep the same fixture layout.  Replacing all the fixtures (and finishes) will give you a new bathroom.

If you're designing from scratch, then the options are wide open.  The shape of the room will have a big impact on what fixtures will fit and where.  The trick is to find the layout that fits the space the best.

If you're having trouble figuring out a layout for your dream bathroom, Kohler has 101 Bathroom Floor Plan Options to help you get some ideas.  All of them are customizable because there are a million different ways to lay out a bathroom.  Here are a couple samples of Kohler's bathroom layouts.

Bathroom Plan 1 - Standard Layout

Bathroom Plan 1 is the most standard bathroom plan there is.  It's a compact 40 sf and has everything you need to take care of your body.

Bathroom Plan 39 - Jack & Jill Layout

Bathroom Plan 39 is what's called a Jack & Jill bathroom.  It is two bathrooms in one, where two separate sink rooms share a tub and a toilet. 

Bathroom Plan 44 - L Shaped with a Corner Tub

Sometimes an L-shaped bathroom fits best in a house plan.  With 200 sf, Bathroom Plan 44 is a good example of how to fit additional fixtures into a non-standard shape.  Two sinks, a corner tub, separate shower, and a toilet compartment round out the fixtures in this bathroom.

Bathroom Plan 59 - Large Shower

Bathroom Plan 59 includes a large, luxurious shower to provide a place for the multiple shower head experience.  The rest of the bathroom fixtures are pretty great, also, and include a corner tub, large vanity and toilet.

Bathroom Plan 74 - The Freestanding Feature Tub

At 318 sf, Bathroom Plan 74 is a large and glamorous retreat.  The freestanding tub in the middle of the room is the focal point of this spectacular bathroom.  There's also plenty of space for separate vanities, toilet compartment, and multiple storage cabinets.

Here are a few examples of our Cottages which successfully use four of these layouts:

Plan 1 Standard Layout: Most of our Cottages use this layout.

Plan 39 Jack & Jill:  Lookout Cottage.

Plan 44 L-Shape: Grand Gazebo Cottage.

Plan 59 Large Shower: Porches Cottage 2,395 sf.

Once you have a layout selected you can move toward personalizing your bathroom with materials and finishing touches.

Customer Question: I Need More Information About Your Plans

We recently received a letter asking for more information about our Southern Cottages House Plans.

Island Cottage with Piling Foundation

All of our Southern Cottages House Plans have been designed by a licensed architect.  They are detailed, professional, architectural drawings.  Our construction plan packages are complete and ready to ship.  The house plans we sell include foundation plans, floor plans, building sections, wall details, interior elevations, structural design, and mechanical and electrical layouts. That's everything your contractor needs to build your house the right way.  They will save you many thousands of dollars over custom designed plans and save innumerable hours of time, money, and mistakes by your contractor if he were left on his own.

With our plans, you will be able to get accurate contractor bid prices since all construction items are specified and detailed.  We rarely have questions from a client's contractor and we welcome any questions that might arise.  Plus, we have been complimented on our construction plan quality.  We are confident you will be very happy if you decided to purchase one of our plans and with the outcome of your new home.

For additional information, please read “About the Plans” and “Terms of Sale” on our website.  If you have additional questions feel free to call our office.

Let us help you create a building to serve your needs at www.mcleodarchitect.com. View our architect designed house plans at www.southerncottages.com.

Customer Questions: Fortified Home Standards

We recently received a letter asking if our Southern Cottages House Plans are designed to "Fortified" standards.  In order to answer this question we first need to understand what "Fortified" standards are.

 

Fortified Home is a program of the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety.  According to the Fortified Home website, the Fortified program is explained in this way:

FORTIFIED Home™ is a set of engineering and building standards designed to help strengthen new and existing homes through system-specific building upgrades to minimum building code requirements that will reduce damage from specific natural hazards.

FORTIFIED Home™ is a third-party certification program specifying design and construction standards to increase a home’s resilience and deliver superior performance during tropical storms and hurricanes.  The FORTIFIED Home™ program has three levels of designation – Bronze, Silver and Gold – that build upon each other. 

In other words, Fortified Home is a certification program designed to strengthen your home in preparation for certain natural disasters (hurricanes, tropical storms, hailstorms, high winds and wind-driven rain associated with thunderstorms), which thereby helps you to get discounts on your home insurance.  This is done by a certified evaluator coming to your home or a home that's being built to review the construction, making recommendations and then you or your contractor implementing them.  Your house then gets a designation which you give to your insurance provider.

I have not been involved in this program, nor am I aware if any of our customers have gone through this certification process. 

What I can tell you from a quick look is that the Fortified Home standards appear to include things that are in building codes and are therefore included in our plans.  For example, the “continuous load path” – tying your roof to the walls, which are tied to the floor, which is tied to the foundation – is included in our house plans because it is a building code requirement. 

I took a more in-depth look at one Fortified Home requirement that I think will help give a better explanation of what the Fortified Home standards appear to do.  The “sealed roof deck” Fortified Home standard specifies how the roof underlayment is installed to seal the roof deck against moisture.  Part of this standard explains how to layer and overlap the underlayment, which appears to match what is in the building code.  However, this next part is what makes a difference between meeting the minimum requirements of the building code and meeting the minimum requirements of the Fortified Home standard.  This explanation involves a lot of ASTM numbers, but bear with me.  (ASTM is the American Society for Testing and Materials, which sets international technical standards for a wide range of materials and products).  I will color code the different ASTM numbers to help make the comparisons easier to see.  Pay attention to the “Type” numbers. 

The 2012 North Carolina Residential Building Code* says, “Unless otherwise noted, required underlayment shall conform to ASTM D226 Type I, ASTM D4869 Type I, or ASTM D6757.”   

The Fortified Home standard says “… ASTM D226 Type II or ASTM D4869 Type III or Type IV underlayment shall be installed…  ASTM D4869 Type I or Type II will NOT be accepted.” 

Upon first glance this appears to be in conflict with the Residential Building Code.  So here is the explanation:  ASTM D226 Type I and ASTM D4869 Type I are for #15 felt, which is the minimum standard needed to comply with the building code.  ASTM D226 Type II and ASTM D4869 Type III or Type IV are for #30 felt, which is thicker than #15 and will give more protection.  

After reviewing this information I have come to two conclusions.  One, it appears that at least some of the Fortified Home standards provide more than the minimum building code requirements.  Two, since a certified evaluator is coming to the house to see how things were installed, it appears that the Fortified Home program verifies if your contractor is building and installing certain things the way they should in order to meet with the program requirements.  

The Fortified Home program is split up into three standards:  Hurricane Standards, High Wind & Hail Standards, and High Wind Standards.  If you live in an area subject to these natural disasters, you’re willing to pay for the Fortified Home evaluator and fix things based on the recommendations so you can to save money on your home insurance, then the Fortified Home program is for you.

To wrap up and answer the customer question asked, our Southern Cottages House Plans have not been designed to meet Fortified Home standards.  But that doesn't mean they won't.  We have specified products that we have found to be of good quality through years of experience.  With our construction plans and specification manual it would be easy for your contractor to look over what has been designed and specified and “upgrade” something if needed.

Southern Cottages house plans were designed to meet coastal conditions and codes in the state of North Carolina at the time they were designed. Houses on piling foundations were designed to meet coastal and flood plain and high wind zone construction in the State of North Carolina at the time they were designed. Because codes and requirements can change and may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, we cannot warrant compliance with any specific code or regulation. Your plans may need to be modified to comply with local building conditions, energy codes, seismic and soil conditions, snow loads, zoning regulations and other ordinances or requirements. We recommend the use of the services of a local architect or residential design professional to verify compliance with local codes and requirements in your area. 

One final thought - if you would like an example of the strength that our plans are designed for, please read this blog post about one of our Island Cottage plans that survived hurricane Sandy - and weathered it well.  It includes a letter from the owner of that home. 

Let us help you create a building to serve your needs at www.mcleodarchitect.com.

View our architect designed house plans at www.southerncottages.com. 

* The current code at the time this was written.