by Sarah Thorn | Dec 28, 2012 | Accreditation, Recognition
Challenge of the Century : How to update a 100-year-old house without disturbing an inch of antique charm
Winter 2011 Issue
Visually residing somewhere between a village cottage and a mountain farmhouse, the sharp-gabled Montreat residence owned by Rick and Meredith Harbaugh was built in 1909. Used for many years as a summer home, it features only one add-on, a cluster of rooms accrued in the ’40s. Interestingly, that area is in worse shape than the century-old bulk of the house, according to architect Maury Hurt.
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by Sarah Thorn | Dec 28, 2012 | Building Green, Construction, Construction & Design, Green Building
Superior Walls foundations feature patented, insulated, precast concrete wall panels that are formed in a factory-controlled setting and delivered to the new home job site, where the panels are lifted into position with a crane and carefully bolted together and sealed. The walls are custom-designed and built to virtually any architectural style, complete with window and door openings.
Superior Walls foundations are dry, using a special low water/cement ratio concrete that requires no additional dampproofing. They are warm, with full-length insulation built in to increase energy efficiency. Superior Walls high strength 5000+ psi concrete is reinforced with steel rebar and polypropylene fibers for added strength and performance. The wall panels also feature convenient features like built-in accesses for wiring and stud facings for easy drywall installation with screws. Another important feature for builders is the speed of installation. A typical home foundation can be installed in less than one day. For more information click here:
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by Sarah Thorn | Dec 28, 2012 | Accreditation, Recognition
Sean is one of a very few Accredited Master Builders in Western North Carolina.
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by Sarah Thorn | Dec 17, 2012 | News
Click on the microphone to listen to this podcast! Guest: John Petri, Petri Architecture In part from “Patterns of Home” by Max Jacobson, Murray Silverstein and Barbara Winslow, with eye of adjustment towards resale. Ignoring Site Characteristics (trying to force preconceived ideas or plans) Insufficient programming (thinking/talking it through) Over building (too much square footage can weaken design integrity) Poor Circulation (function of space and relationship to neighboring space) Indoor/Outdoor relationships (underused) Lacking sufficient light Layering spaces (when to – when not to) and Creating Spaces In Between Proportions (functional & aesthetic) & Curb Appeal Materials & Colors (stay neutral/classic w/o professional assistance) Resale … remember resale!! (design for yourself yes, but consider 2nd owner)
by Sarah Thorn | Dec 17, 2012 | News
Click on the microphone to listen to this podcast! 1) Proper sloping grades, decks, driveways, roofs use of gravel and grade drains 2) Gutters Most hazardous homeowner project is cleaning gutters: simple to do, but dangerous important but most often neglected Clogged gutters result in rotten fascias and mold in walls Clogged gutter drains result in leaky basements and moldy foundations size, type, guards 3) Waterproofing Exterior foundation Interior systems 4) Drains/Drainage Run gutters away from house If you don’t use gutters, you can use grade drains 5) Mold Where it can happen What to do if you get it 6) Dehumidifcation techniques Dehumidification system on HVAC unit, Portable dehumidifier, Heat pump, heat pump water heater 7) Rain Gardens A rain garden is a planted depression or a hole that allows rainwater runoff from impervious urban areas like roofs, driveways, walkways, parking lots, and compacted lawn areas the opportunity to be absorbed. This reduces rain runoff by allowing stormwater to soak into the ground (as opposed to flowing into storm drains and surface waters which causes erosion, water pollution, flooding, and diminished groundwater).[1] They can be designed for specific soils and climates.[2] The purpose of a rain garden is to improve water quality in nearby bodies of water. Rain gardens can cut down on the amount of pollution reaching creeks and streams by up to 30%.[3] Native plants are recommended for rain gardens because they generally do not require fertilizer and are more tolerant of one’s local climate, soil, and water conditions, and attract local wildlife such as native birds. The plants — a selection of wetland edge vegetation, such as wildflowers, sedges, rushes, ferns, shrubs and small trees — take up excess water flowing into the rain garden. Water filters through soil layers before entering the groundwater system. Root systems enhance infiltration, maintain or even augment soil permeability, provide moisture redistribution, and sustain diverse microbial populations involved in biofiltration.[4] Also, through the process of transpiration, rain garden plants return water vapor to the atmosphere.[5] A more wide-ranging definition covers all the possible elements that can be used to capture, channel, divert, and make the most of the natural rain and snow that falls on a property. The whole garden can become a rain garden, and each component of the whole can become a small-scale rain garden in itself. Construction related water issues: 8) Erosion Control Erosion control is the practice of preventing or controlling wind or water erosion in agriculture, land development and construction. Effective erosion controls are important techniques in preventing water pollution and soil loss. 9) Impervious Surfaces Impervious surfaces are mainly artificial structures—such as pavements (roads, sidewalks, driveways and parking lots) that are covered by impenetrable materials such as asphalt, concrete, brick, and stone--and rooftops. Soils compacted by urbandevelopment are also highly impervious. 10) Stormwater Stormwater is water that originates during precipitation events. It may also be used to apply to water that originates with snowmelt that enters the stormwater system. Stormwater that does not soak into the ground becomes surface runoff, which either flows directly into surface waterways or is channeled into storm sewers, which eventually discharge to surface waters. Stormwater is of concern for two main issues: one related to the volume and timing of runoff water (flood control and water supplies) and the other related to potential contaminants that the water is carrying, 11) Low-Impact Development LID is an approach to land development (or re-development) that works with nature to manage stormwater as close to its source as possible. LID employs principles such as preserving and recreating natural landscape features, minimizing effective imperviousness to create functional and appealing site drainage that treat stormwater as a resource rather than a waste product. There are many practices that have been used to adhere to these principles such as bioretention facilities, rain gardens, vegetated rooftops, rain barrels, and permeable pavements. By implementing LID principles and practices, water can be managed in a way that reduces the impact of built areas and promotes the natural movement of water within an ecosystem or watershed. Applied on a broad scale, LID can maintain or restore a watershed's hydrologic and ecological functions. LID has been characterized as a sustainable stormwater practice by the Water Environment Research Foundation and others.
