Is Home Design Going To Change Now?
Readers suggested a topic on post bubble housing. “Is home design going to change now? Cheaper homes built in factories and assembled at the site? Energy efficient homes smaller with fewer windows better insulation? I think there will be a backlash against all the large expensive crap built in the bubble years. Many large home builders will just go out of business anyway. Will new smarter home builders replace them?”
“In Phoenix very large 2 story homes were built with dozens of large windows facing west a very bad design in my opinion. Dark screens cover all these windows anyway so why are they designed in?”
One asks, “The elements of good energy-efficient design are basically known quantities. And some aspects are merely common sense - building to maximize natural light and prevailing air patterns, for example.”
“The question is, will architects, developers and contractors utilize energy-efficient design? Will municipalities incentivize it? Will consumers seek it out?”
“Or will the Crapbox Reign Supreme?”
A reply, “Most of the new stuff priced in the slow as molasses price range of 300-600k is McStuccoShacks. Considering the spiraling cost of utilities, I see nothing but the headache ball in store for these abominations.”
Anoterh question, “Would someone please tell me what is the big deal with natural light in bedrooms? Most of what happens in my bedroom is sleep and a few other bed-based activities and most of those happen at night. The only time I want a lot of light in my bedroom is when I try to make sure I’m picking out navy blue socks instead of black ones or vice versa and a small lamp on the dresser works just fine.”
“Lots of windows in the bedroom is pratically a mantra on House Hunters, like it is some sort of holy grail. Now, in a living room or kitchen, fine. Windows are great (though I want enough blank walls to take all the book shelves). But NOT in the damn bedroom.”
An answer, “Windows in the bedroom - many (if not all) residential building codes require one window of a certain size, in case an occupant has no other way to escape a house fire or similar emergency.”
More input, “I wouldn’t be surprised if we start to see a shift in local buiding traditions. For example, in the South it is common to use 2×4 studs for exterior walls. In contrast in the north (as I understand it) it is common to use 2×6 which allows for additional insulation.”
“If energy costs (including especially electricity) continue to rise I could see it happening that you start to get more people building with 2×6 to save on air conditioning and heat.”
“I’m curious, at what point does diminishing returns kick in on this? Is there any where they build 8 inch exterior walls to get even more R rating??”
One from Canada. “They already have factory houses outside of Toronto. Not what you would think though as manufactured housing (AKA - mobile homes) but actual proper stick built houses constructed in a temperature controlled factory right in the middle of the subdivision.”
“They can work on the houses 24 hours a day inside away from the elements and when its ready roll the houses out on big trailers and drop it onto the poured basement foundation. Pretty fascinating stuff as keeps the workers happy as everything is done inside and the quality is topnotch with very quick turnaround times.”
One predicts, “Almost certainly the McMansion goes away. People start buying smaller homes with less wasted space. Who needs a formal living and dining room that is used 1-2x a year? Who needs four bedrooms when 2-3 will do?”
“Smaller homes that are more efficient are the future. Applicances can use a lot of changes too, especially HVAC units that run constantly.”
I’m looking into a prefab eco friendly home like in the attached link. I’ve toured some of the McMansion open houses and they are pathetic. Why the hell do you need all that space????
http://www.piecehomes.com/site/images/PDFs/2008pieceHomes_extraPieces.pdf
Those are great houses .
Ben asks, “Is Home Design Going to Change Now?”
I would recommend checking out Charles Hugh Smith’s excellent blog entry from yesterday, where he touched on libertarianism, peak oil and “choice architecture” and the “Tragedy of the Commons” economic principle. Anyways, here’s a blurb on one of the reasons why McMansions became so commonplace in the last decade:
“About 15 years ago, just prior to the lift-off of the housing bubble, I was invited to join a focus group of other “consumers” (not housing experts or academics) on the design and construction of “The American Dream Home,” a house which was to be built as part of a joint newspaper/builder promotion.
The focus group was supposed to “start fresh” with what constituted “The American Dream Home,” and perhaps unsurprisingly it turned out to resemble a McMansion of the sort which is now being abandoned by tens of thousands of bubble-bust homeowners.
How did it happen that people ended up at the same point the builders had set as the standard? The reason is that the market is circular. If all you know is a suburban McMansion with a big entry and a Great Room, and this is what’s touted in every “home magazine” you’ve ever seen, then that’s what you conclude is “dreamy.”
If you’ve never seen a Usonian-inspired house (based on Frank Lloyd Wright’s modest home designs), then how can you possibly choose that over a bloated McMansion? And since a Usonian house is small (and thus not as profitable as a larger house) and doesn’t require much furniture (much is built in) or carpets and all the consumerist gew-gaws that fill up a Mcmansion and the glossy ad pages of the home magazines, then the media coverage of “alternatives” is inherently limited by market forces, too. Why run features which don’t support your advertisers?
And how do the builders choose their designs? By asking consumers what they want. “The market” constructs entirely circular structures of “want/dream” and “product.”
stick built houses constructed in a temperature controlled factory right in the middle of the subdivision ??
First time I have ever heard of this….I have walked through many factory built modular homes…The quality control (at the factory) is pretty good…However, the “Racking” of each of these components in the loading, transport, unloading and assembly just destroys all the precision that was accomplished at the factory besides the cost of all this handling….By manufacturing on site you would eliminate much of the handling of these modular components…I think it is a quite intriguing concept and could really help in driving down the costs of construction particularly in single story construction..
The smart builders are already down sizing. The McMansions are the Escalades of houses. Heating and cooling costs are making them money pits.
http://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/article/105204/Downsizing-the-American-Home
I have to agree..out in GA we have tons upon tons of McMIllion dollar McMansions sitting since 06 waiting for the “right” buyer to come..
Now the big talk is about how bad loans are affecting higher end communities..well..I am just sitting back the wave roll in..
For instance a community called The Manor Golf and Country Club has 57 “million dollar” homes for sale, 21 are 2006 homes..already has 3 foreclosures..so far this year..of the 3..2 are 2008 homes THAT ARE NOT EVEN FINISHED YET!!!….I am sure there will be more to come..the last home that sold there went for $300K less than the asking price..and builders are dropping prices like its going out of style..imagine being the builder who has been making payments month after month on a 2006 home empty no longer “NEW” home..
The wave is here…
Zoning Zoning Zoning of the Heat AC……my friend has 5 zones for his 3500sqft McMansion, and one is for the basement set at 50 in winter and 85 in summer…just enough to level out the extremes….. and the attic has temp controlled fans…..
My neighbor here in North Texas has a 2-story house. Two air conditioning units, one for 1st floor, one for the 2nd floor. In addition he has a window unit in one of his rooms on the 2nd floor that faces west. I would love to know what his electric bill is in August.
I had central air installed on my Ohio house in 1994. Its electric consumption in kwh was less than that of a single window A/C unit (which had to run all the time).
Having lived in several states, the APS electric service in the Phoenix area has the highest electric rate that I have seen (per kw/h). Of course, the utility has applied to the Corporation Commission for further increases. That rate is even higher during the warmest six months of the year, and naturally, usage also skyrockets in the summer months.
I am one of the most frugal people on the planet, but I fully enjoy the comforts of a cool house on a hot day. I just never understood the huge house phenomenon in southern Arizona. Every time I enter one of them to visit people, the first thing that jumps to mind is: what are your summer electric bills when mine have exceeded $200 in the summer for houses in the 1,100-1,500 square feet range?
For the working and middle class people whom I know, the answer is: closing off rooms, placing the thermostat at inhumane levels, and/or participating in one of these non-peak usage plans which charges somewhat lower rates from 9pm-9am (but higher for any daytime use). Conservation is laudable, but living uncomfortably (or paying through the nose/probably HELOCing their utilities) just to have 4,000 square feet of space to cool in the desert is absurd to me. I don’t know what the ideal house/window design is for this area, but smaller houses will work.
Fireplaces.
I hate fireplaces. They encourage you to cut down trees. Wood as fuel is very expensive in most parts of the country (although it is renewable). Heavy carbon footprint, and VERY polluting. Makes me have asthma attacks. They are a significant cause of home fires and childhood burn injuries. Creosote is flammable and hard to clean out, especially in older fireplaces. They are (often) drafty if dampers and seals aren’t maintained.
Even gas fireplaces are a waste. Woodstoves are more efficient and at least a backup to natural gas. Potentially fatal CO emissions if not well ventilated and maintained, but still better than fireplaces.
Everyone has this fantasy of “chestnuts roasting on an open fire”. But other than once or twice during Xmas I rarely know people to use their fireplaces.
It makes much more sense to anchor a room architecturally around a television and some bookshelves. I’d much rather have a well-insulated window or even a Murphy bed than a fireplace.
I have a beautiful full brick fireplace with oak mantel in my family room (Florida). The mantel holds mementos and photographs. There has not been a fire of any sort in the fireplace since I have owned the house (9 years). My 42″ LCD TV sits in front on hearth; great location.
As OneSingleOne I have to disagree. I love fireplaces. However, I would not use a fireplace for heat, at least not that kind of heat.
The fireplace is for a romantic evening at home. Not every evening, mind you, and not even every romantic evening. But, geez, I use it more than twice a year!
Asthma? I am sorry. But, if we stop doing everything that causes anyone any difficulty, we may as well voluntarily extinguish our species because we may not live longer, it would just seem like it.
In the end, the problem here is not occasional fireplace use, its the massive unsupportable number of people on the planet. Basically, every problem traces back to that, and that is not a problem to easily and ethically solve.
IAT
“…if we stop doing everything that causes anyone any difficulty, we may as well voluntarily extinguish our species because we may not live longer…”
Well in that case, why worry about CFCs from refrigerators and spray cans, mold blooms, cigarette smoke, garbage/pet smells, or industrial emissions? Rather than phase them out, let’s do as you suggest and ‘voluntarily’ thin the herd. Great idea!
You go first…voluntarily, of course.
Hmm. Well, I think I am voluntarily going first. I have no kids, even though I looove kids and would be a very caring parent. But, given how much we as a species use, I cannot justify the massive indulgence of bringing another human life into being.
How ’bout you?
I act in other ways as well. Using your examples, I produce no CFCs, no mold blooms, no cigarette smoke, no garbage/pet smells, no industrial emissions. You?
Seriously, I minimize my impact on the planet in other ways. I bike, catch the bus, or walk to work most days–working at home more than 4 out of every 5 workdays anyway. My car gets 35 mpg, and is over 20 years old, and I probably drive it about 5,000 miles a year. I don’t eat meat, and minimize my consumption of animal products. And so on.
I make no claim to being holier than thou–we all have some pet indulgence we resist giving up. But, I do my part, at least as much if not more. Given that, I am not going to stop using a fireplace to set the mood for an evening with my partner a few nights a year. Sorry, but I draw the line there.
IAT
I lived in an A-frame on a mountain in Virginia for six years and heated entirely with wood, and it was very cold, and I never bought wood and can’t remember ever cutting down a healthy tree. I scavenged it all off the 10 acres I owned, ferrying it with a 4 X 4 Toyota pickup truck. I also heated with wood the two years I lived outside Boone, N.C., although I had it delivered. Heating with wood is an enjoyable mainstay of the rural lifestyle, and is often a necessity.
I agree with Paul In Jax. I am an urbanite, and us urbanites need not use the fireplace for survival means. Rural people the world over have no other choice, and I did not mean to disparage their efforts to warm the cold dark night.
I am also open to further enlightenment on this issue. I just wanted to clarify, my comment concerned urban living in the U.S.
IAT
Fireplaces are not just for rural folk.
We ran our fire place in Manhattan for four full winters of college. Never bought a stick of wood, just scavenged lumber and burnables from the street, lots of pallets and construction scraps. All roommates were encouraged to bring a stick a day
I shudder to think what the Manhattan skyline would look like if all the millions of households followed your strategy. I imagine all the buildings would be coated with particulate matter from the smoke. No problem, though–the rising smoke would obscure the skyline, anyway, no big deal because no one would have the energy to look up anyway, as they’d all be continually double-over with breathing difficulties.
One household doing something, fine, perhaps. Millions doing the same thing on the same little island? Not fine, definitely. Not fine at all. And, it is in that sense that fireplaces are not a viable heating strategy for urban areas.
IAT
Masonry stoves (huge brick or stone stoves that store the heat from rapid combustion: http://www.vtbrickoven.com/masonry/masonry.html) are both really efficient and put out very little smoke. Emissions from wood stoves can be minimized, just like emission from coal plants can be minimized.
I think the term “masonry furnace” is more accurate for a device intended to heat an entire residence. A masonry structure as big as an SUV is more than a “stove” IMHO. I have mentioned it several times before on HBB. The device is centrally located in the structure & designed to burn fuel as hot as possible, capture the heat & passively circulate it through the structure. It has been used for centuries in northernmost Europe. Special design & masonry skills are needed & the residence needs to be designed around its source of heating.
Two questions:
1)Does this apply to fireplaces?
2)Where can all the households in Manhattan get wood to make this work during the entire winter? Can it all be done just with scavenging?
I remain unconvinced that 1)the fireplace, or 2)wood burning are viable solutions to warm urban households (plural, i.e., all of them). I’d love to be wrong, as I love fireplaces. Now, though, I just don’t see it.
IAT
“Where can all the households in Manhattan get wood”
No worries, most apartments in Manhattan do not have fire places. I live in a 100+year old building, and the fireplaces were closed by the landlord back in the 70s, I’m told.
Insurance liability, probably. Many that survive are merely decorative.
But a real working fireplace is a luxury here, and folks would pay extra for it.
And, since you could furnish your apt. with castoffs from the street, wood would not be a problem if scavenging were your thing.
You could have had your pick of high-end TVs last summer, as they were being put out on the sidewalk in favor of flat screens.
Don’t forget that prior to 1976, most paint contained lead, so be careful when burning cast offs.
I light candles in my fireplace, lots of ambiance and no heat, perfect for summers in Texas.
Of particular note is CCA (Copper-Chromium-Arsenate) treated pine and other softwoods for termite minimisation.
Don’t EVER put a greenish-tinged manufactured or dressed softwood stick into a fireplace - even with a small quantity, you can die from the arsenic produced by combustion, and released into a closed atmosphere.
CCA treatment has been banned for about 10 years because of this, but it is still possible to “scavenge” some by mistake!
But let’s all agree, no fireplaces in Phoenix, Arizona.
RE: breathing.
A house is potentially more valuable when it is hypoallergenic, given the significant rise in asthma rates with the modern housing boom. Many people with a variety of lung diseases will pay a (relative) premium for a house designed around good air quality.
How to build a “Health House”
A lot of the modular houses being promoted these days cost as much or more than site-built houses (and the price doesn’t include land). This seems ridiculous.
In the late ’60s and early ’70s, there was a move toward beautiful,modern, extremely functional custom houses, but it appears to have been completely and utterly crushed by the 1980s obsession with designer labels and show-off megastructures. What is promoted as “modern” or “moderistic” now is really just cheaply built crap. I don’t know if the real stuff will ever come back, but I have a fabulous aluminum Christmas tree in storage, just in case.
“More input, “I wouldn’t be surprised if we start to see a shift in local building traditions. For example, in the South it is common to use 2×4 studs for exterior walls. In contrast in the north (as I understand it) it is common to use 2×6 which allows for additional insulation.”
“If energy costs (including especially electricity) continue to rise I could see it happening that you start to get more people building with 2×6 to save on air conditioning and heat.”
“I’m curious, at what point does diminishing returns kick in on this? Is there any where they build 8 inch exterior walls to get even more R rating??”
That information was worth getting out of bed for today, all by itself. I’ve thought about having a house built, but don’t know much about it and this use of wider studs for thicker insulation sounds like an outstanding idea. If I built here in Florida, I’d use concrete block reinforced by rebar and with foam insulation shot into the blocks. The latter is relatively inexpensive. I haven’t yet seen any studies on energy costs that result from foam-filled blocks, but I’d think there has to be some decent increase in energy efficiency from their use.
I’d use concrete block reinforced by rebar and with foam insulation shot into the blocks ??
Foam in the blocks would render the rebar worthless…Foam does not have structural value…They do it it reverse now….Foam blocks rebar reinforced filled with concrete…
Nothing would make the rebar worthless. If they are there, they are.. well, reinforcing! Nothing to do with insulation value.
Without “concrete incasement” the rebar “IS WORTHLESS”…It provides “No Value” whatsoever…
You are right, I wasn’t thinking clearly.
I always thought the rebar in block walls was intended to provide sturdy connection points for the roof trusses, so the roof can better withstand hurricane winds.
Actually, rebar is embedded in concrete because concrete is only strong with respect to compression- it cracks if it bends. The rebar has tensile strength, so it will hold a concrete structure together if it is subjected to bending forces. This is also why some concrete mixes contain fibers (or wire, etc.) to give it some tensile strength.
The rebar in the blocks provide “Sheer Strength” to the walls…At thye top of the block wall you would add “anchor bolts” to fasten down the top plate…The trusses would then be fasten to the plate with tico clips or some kind of Simpson truss/plate hanger….This then transfer the truss directly to the sheer strength of the wall…Kinda like tying all together….
I think the problem with the foam inserts is that eventually they collapse to the bottom of the wall.
SCDave - thanks. Last time I talked to a big-brand builder’s rep, I thought he told me they would build block with rebar reinforcement. Separately he said we could add foam. But I see what you mean in that the rebar has to be held in place by something strong (like cement). If it’s either/or, I suppose I’d go with the foam if it demonstrably increases the insulation.
The other concern I had was whether and when the foam would break down. It would seem like there’s is no re-do if that happens.
If you were choosing between the two - rebar for wind protection in a hurricane zone or foam to lower a/c bills, which would you choose?
SD Greg is a supper coolo dude with a frightful tale of homepuchase BTW.
Something similar to build with is ICF (Insulated Concrete Forms) that adds up to 5 percent to the cost of construction. (Looks like giant lego blocks, but hollow for the concrete).
It is a monolithic concrete wall reinforced with rebar all around the perimeter of the house. It provides added protection from tornadoes, hurricanes, fires, mold, pests / rodents, dust, noise, bullets, car crashes…..and is super insulated with low maintenance.
Seal all pipe and electrical penetrations, spray foam insulation in the attic, geo-thermal heat / ac unit and a light colored roofing material along with solar passive house oreintation, limited or no windows on the west side and deep enough roof overhang on the south side to shade windows from the summer sun but allow winter sun in all adds up to being highly energy efficient with many bonuses.
Search ICF homes. There is a lot of information on this type of construction. Finding a builder with knowledge may be hard in some parts.
If anybody is thinking about building their next home…worth looking into.
http://www.cement.org/homes/ch_bs_icf.asp
http://www.concrete-home.com/
http://www.concretenetwork.com/anne_balogh/optimizing1.htm
I’ve thought a lot about this for my next place, if we decide to have it built.
The initial cost is a concern, as is future modifications. One thing I have wondered about multiple times, how do you hang pictures/curtain rods/etc on these walls?
how do you hang pictures/curtain rods/etc on these walls ?
2 x 4’s are achored to the walls and then you finish with standard 4 x 8 sheetrock…Trimming out the windows takes a little more time…Some will put 1″ hard board insulation in between the 2 x 4’s for extra R value prior to installing the sheet rock…
By the way….The 2 x 4’s are laid flat on the wall….Easy install..
Exactly “Hold Out”….Not useed on the west coast very much though…
My house (Florida, 3400 sq ft, built 1997) has an unusual construction. It is 8″ concrete block with a full 4″ brick exterior.
I did not have the house built, I bought it in 1999. It has proven to be very energy efficient. By the way, it is an all electric house. Looking at the FPL billing history, the high bill in summer 07 was $225, the low for winter 07-08 was $80.
I want to attach a PDF (derived by cut-paste from website in to MS Word, exported to PDF) showing the electrical energy use over past 2 years but I don’t know how. Can someone indicate how to do this in an allowable way without disrupting the blog server in any way?
I want to attach a PDF (derived by cut-paste from website in to MS Word, exported to PDF) showing the electrical energy use over past 2 years but I don’t know how. Can someone indicate how to do this in an allowable way without disrupting the blog server in any way?
One way would be to post the file on your own web space, for example, Windows Live Spaces offers free space. Then on HBB simply link to the file you have created elsewhere. No more strain on Ben’s server than a link to anywhere else.
We had a house for Florida architected a few years back. (House plans have been put on hold because we can now rent for what they’d charge us in property tax!) One feature we wanted was a traditional “pier” foundation with crawlspace underneath (and a rat-floor). I wanted to have the house 2.5 - 3 feet higher than all the rest *and* I wanted to be able to get *under* the house to do repairs.
I suspect in 30 years, a lot of the houses built on slabs, with all the plumbing and electric inside the slab, may be not be worth repairing when the plumbing fails, and the floors have to be ripped up and the slab jack-hammered to fix it.
plumbing fails, and the floors have to be ripped up and the slab jack-hammered to fix it ??
Only thing that goes under the slab now is the sewer line, its well below the slab and plastic so its pretty much bullet proof…The water lines are ran overhead in the attic then down the walls to avoid the exact problem you are suggesting…
Dave - in Florida it is different, because the water lines in the attic get the water hotter than the water heater does, in summer. In the days of copper water lines, there was a major problem in neighborhoods that were built on certain (presumably acidic) soil, particularly former orange groves. What the plumbers called electrolysis ate through the pipes, often inside the pad. The re-fit was plastic pipe through the attic and Yankee guests had to be warned about turning on the cold tap, because they’d get a burn in summer if they didn’t wait for the cool water to run through the very hot pipes.
Contractors still lay plumbing in the pad and, somewhat to my surprise, many of them still use copper. I suspect it is because they use a sacrificial anode somewhere, like we use for hot-rod radiators.
there was a major problem in neighborhoods that were built on certain (presumably acidic) soil, particularly former orange groves.
plummer told me homes in Camarillo CA have that problem they were built on old lemon Orchards. I don’t know how that makes the soil acidic though?
I always wondered about that. I grew up in a lot of slab homes in Cali, and assumed *they* knew what they were doing and had some handy way to deal with that. Little did I know *they* didn’t give a rip when they built all those places.
Good home insurance takes care of this.
I suspect in 30 years, a lot of the houses built on slabs, with all the plumbing and electric inside the slab, may be not be worth repairing when the plumbing fails, and the floors have to be ripped up and the slab jack-hammered to fix it.
yea thats right it all gets replumbed in the attic so its hot water in the summer.
Way late browsing this thread, so don’t know if anybody will read this, but –
My house (built late 50s) is on an oversized crawl-space. It’s great!! Easy access to all plumbing, plus the wiring can be run under the house in conduit and then branch out and up into each room. The gas furnace also lives under the house, so easy access to all ventwork, and the plumber and handyman have never complained about using the crawlspace. And, when I had cable put in, I told them to run it under the house also. (I specified that when I phoned in the order, and still had to argue with the installer, but got my way.)
I did have to add overhead insulation to the crawlspace, there wasn’t any initially.
*Way* better than having to bust up a slab to get to piping! (And I know a lot of people who have their plumbing run through the slab, not “up and over”.)
“The only time I want a lot of light in my bedroom is when I try to make sure I’m picking out navy blue socks instead of black ones…”
LOL - that is me, exactly. Drives me nuts. I probably should buy a couple of plastic storage boxes, mark Black on one and Navy on the other and put a second set in the laundry room.
My wife loves having light in the whole house. Personally, I wouldn’t care if the bedroom was solid all the way around except for the entry. She loves having the sun shining on her face first thing in the morning.
That is what you are supposed to provide.
me too! we chronic morning people are like that…
I agree, mornings are great. Add a few shelled peanuts, handed out to the backyard squirrels, and I can take on the day.
This was my original rant, and I used to get light in the windows in the morning. I also got light bleed from the street lights all night. Then I used a Linen’s and Things gift card to buy really cheap blackout shades and some spring loaded curtain rods. They dont’ fit exactly, but my room is much darker and I am much happier - and better rested.
I understand that having two methods of egress in bedroom is a safety issue in case of a fire, but that is as far as I am willing to go. Unless you are going to lounge in bed all day or force your kids to only play in their bedrooms, light would not be my first priority.
You can tape aluminum foil to the windows. It forms easily and will totally block out any light. You can buy tape that is also aluminum to put it up with.
I can’t stand the light-in-the-eyes in the morning. It makes my head hurt, I’ve always been that way. I think I’m a bit more sensitive to light than most people.
It also stops the Government from listening to your thoughts, or transmitting orders to you!
Try replacing your bulbs in the closet with CFC’s daylight. We replaced all our bulbs with CFC’s. It takes some getting used to but its a step in the right direction. Now we are thinking of radiant floor heating with a solar water heater. Its a pretty neat concept but the thought of tearing up the subfloor is daunting.
Replacing a closet’s cheap incandescent bulb with a CFC gives you the LEAST return for the investment. How long does a closet bulb stay on? Each time it’s less than a minute to maybe 3 minutes. Perhaps 15 minutes out of 24 hours. Also, CFC’s don’t last very long when they are turned off and on frequently.
Thanks Bill, I had no idea they didn’t last as long when turned on and off frequently. We mostly did the Daylight ones in the closet to avoid the whole black socks with blue pants dilemma.
While I love lots of light in the main living areas, the main bedroom can’t be dark enough. I work lots of nights and having a lot of light in a bedroom is a total non-starter. Put the windows where they’ll be used most, the main living areas. I had one co-worker that joked that the perfect bed for night shift workers would be one that resembled a climate controlled coffin (blocking light and sound).
Readers suggested a topic on post bubble housing. “Is home design going to change now? Cheaper homes built in factories and assembled at the site? Energy efficient homes smaller with fewer windows better insulation?
I was thinking about the same thing! If the banks, subsidized by the government wasn’t handing out $750,000 in free money to every strawberry picker, what would have happened? Would someone have figured out how to build a great $100,000 house, just like Levitt figured out how to build decent $20,000 houses back in the 50s.
I’ve always admired things like solid concrete dome-homes (rebar-d spray-concrete over an inflated form). You wonder if efficient easily built homes like this would become the norm. Or prefab kitchen and bathroom units installed in an otherwise conventional home, etc.
“I was thinking about the same thing! If the banks, subsidized by the government wasn’t handing out $750,000 in free money to every strawberry picker, what would have happened? Would someone have figured out how to build a great $100,000 house, just like Levitt figured out how to build decent $20,000 houses back in the 50s.”
This should be possible, but there are powerful disincentives for this to happen from all those that leach off the current system (builders, Realtors, government, utilities, etc.). None of them see any advantage to building homes cheaper, or with greater energy efficiency, or that cost less.
Too bad people like Barney Frank aren’t smart enough to go after the “Realtor (TM)” industry for price fixing, consipiracy, etc. Put that industry out of business, and houses would get 6% cheaper (well combined with traditional lending standards they would.)
And I think there would be widespread public support from suing the Realtors(TM) out of existence.
I love having windows all around and hated the little ones they started using in the 1970s, and the dinky faux bay windows they put in the cheaper mcCrapboxes.
One reason we bought our place is it is situated facing the southwest, and we have great views all around yet we’re not on a hillside. In the winter my hubby likes to doze on a sofa by a south window where the sunlight streams in. The bedroom is at the NE corner with a large window. We love to open that thing in the morning to the rising sun, which seems to come up out of the north at this time of year. The windows are all new thermal double-pane.
But then, we’re way up north. It amazes me how many houses here do not take advantage of the light, which people need a lot of in our long winters. I rejected quite a few houses because of poor light.
Agreed. Light is the best Feng Shui element there is.
Plus, you can grow plants, get rid of your alarm clock, and buy fewer lamps if you have enough windows, or even just a few well-placed windows.
They make a room feel bigger, which is nice because the new architecture will be making rooms smaller.
“Agreed. Light is the best Feng Shui element there is. Plus, you can…get rid of your alarm clock…”
Um, lately the sun has been setting at midnight and rising at 3 a.m. here. I think I’ll close the curtains and keep the alarm clock.
AKron,
While in the Army, I was in Fairbanks for about a month in January for cold weather war scenarios. I remember the sun barely peaking above the horizon at about 10:00am and setting at 3:00pm.
I live in Alaska too. I sleep shorter in the summers and longer in the winters, but am lucky I have a job that allows me to do that.
You wouldn’t be a grizzly bear photographer or herder or something like that by any chance?
It amazes me how many houses here do not take advantage of the light, which people need a lot of in our long winters.I rejected quite a few houses because of poor light.
It sounds like the builder of your house paid attention to the surrounding landscape, but it’s remarkable how many builders / developers don’t. It can certainly be an issue with light and sightlines (which, as you mention, are often deciding factors in choosing a home) — but some of the same factors help determine how warm or cool a building will be during the year, too. A properly situated building is simply a more livable building.
It drives me absolutely bonkers to see developments whose first goal is to erase the natural features of the landscape — bulldoze the hills, remove the dips, uproot all the trees and yank all the vegetation. That same school of scorched earth development typically ignores any light or wind considerations as well.
Yeah when I was a kid in Eagle Rock CA in the 50s I lived at the base of this L-shaped hill with a house on top. Then the builders cut the top off flat and built a bunch of those stupid hillside houses on stilts.
Do they still build those stilt houses in Socal?
Here’s another, minor, way things would be different: Roofs!
My house in 94087 has a white roof! It’s rated as a “cool roof” because it reflects has a solar reflectance of over 70%. I have a networked indoor/outdoor thermometer which logs temp in the attic and outside–and the average ratios increased after the roof went in.
This roof would be “illegal” in most deed-restriced HOA communities with “architectural review boards”, most of which have written guidelines about acceptable roof color. That means most of the new McMansion owners can’t take this simple step to save a few $$$ without battling their HOA.
I met a guy once at one of the local earth day things. He had a small display of how he claims to have built a roof on his house (and a couple houses he owned previously). What he had was first the normal plywood decking, with some type of silver reflective material over it. Then (my memory is a bit fuzzy on the exact details here) I think he had horizontal 1×4’s and then vertical 1×2’s to which he had attatched metal roofing (I think his sample was red). Basically what it created was that the reflective material would reflect much of the heat which would travel up the vertical channels created by the vertical strips of wood. The heat would travel up the vertical channels to a ridge vent.
He claimed his attic temperature was very near the same as the external ambient temp.
Mine is a fairly normal looking product..except for the light color…available from “ELK”, with a special 3M reflective coating on it.
From the exterior, his looked normal too. It’s the standard colored metal roof with the addition of a ridge vent. You couldn’t see how it was built on the inside except that he had his sample cut away in places so you could see it.
I talked to the guy for a few minutes. He is an engineer. He wasn’t selling the idea or anything, he just was showing what he thought was a good idea. My wife knew a guy that was with this guy, that’s how we got introduced. I like the metal roofs and may at some point in the future try to get in contact with that guy if I ever decide to use a metal roof.
Unfortunately metal roofs cost a great deal more than asphalt-shingled ones. They are extremely durable — how many ruined old barns have you seen with rusted metal roofs that are still doing their jobs?
how many ruined old barns have you seen with rusted metal roofs that are still doing their jobs
I’ve got one behind my house right now. A couple sheets on the western end are missing from what was probably heavy winds or a minor tornado some years back (those winds also brought down a large tree). Otherwise you’re right, that roof is doing a good job still. My bet is, if left alone, the barn would fall down mostly dry on the inside.
My brother is in the steel roofing business. Yes, it does a good job on all counts. Asphalt shingles can’t possibly be getting any cheaper (with them being made from oil products, of course).
We used to get coated steel shakes from California called “Gerard”, you may want to check into that and who installs that type of steel roofing in your local area.
Many of these types of steel roofing installations can be done over top of an existing asphalt roof, with strapping (the 2×2s, etc.), levelled properly, and then the shakes are put into place with snow guards and ice/water sheeting if necessary.
I looked into getting a steel roof. Unfortunately, there were none that were rated “cool roofs”. The white reflective composition roofs had better reflectivity ratings and an actual energy-star certification.
However, I really wanted a steel roof! They have ones that have the look of tile or composition. (But be careful about the ability to walk on the more “dimensional” designs.)
That made me think of the old rock roofs they used on ranch homes back in the 60s in Socal. Do they still use those? I don’t even know what they called them. Of course, the roofs were practically flat on those places.
They looked pretty cool circa 1964.
I am not an expert on this subject, however I understand that after WWII, that homes were “core” based homes. These homes covered a kitchen, Bathroom, living room (small) and one bedroom. As the finances improved and the family grew, additions were added to the core unit. If I understand correctly, this was the traditional way that homes were constructed. Whether the additions to the core house was financed or self paid, it allowed the building to expand to what we currently build outright-McMansons.
It Allowed young families to enter the homeownership game and either to double up the children in a bedroom ( can you today picture 4 boys in double bunk-bed in a single bedroom?). Buy the way, this was a small bedroom (10′ x 12′).
This was the past and this will be the future.
Hey,
Try 4 girls in a double set of bunk beds in one bedroom. Ages from 14-18. That was how I and my sisters lived for a number of years.
And look what it got you - a good sense of humor!
Thanks Lost.
There were times when we would have some great fights. My sisters and brother are my best friends now.
I think the “core” idea was an artifact of stick-built housing, itself an artifact of sawmills. Adding wings, doors & windows to stick-built houses is much easier than adding a wing to all-masonry construction, and requires less skill on the builder’s part.
Different climates & soil types demand different approaches to house construction. Northern climates where winters last for 14 months out of 12 and the sky is overcast 120% of that time would need different types of windows than in a place like Hawaii where it is possible to spend hours outdoors almost every day of the year. Places where homes must be heated 6 out of 12 months should have houses designed with fundamental differences in heating systems. Perhaps places like Phoenix could utilize geothermal cooling by simply building a portion of the house surrounded by a huge earth berm. Places where flooding recurs and where the soil tends to break up basement walls should avoid construction of subsurface basements. It is possible to have a basement constructed above the level of the surrounding land.
Outside of builder’s convenience, what advantage do stick-built house have over other types of construction?
there are powerful disincentives for this to happen from all those that leach off the current system (builders, Realtors, government, utilities, etc.). None of them see any advantage to building homes cheaper, or with greater energy efficiency. This bears repeating. Even the switchover from nail to screw fasteners for drywall took years longer than it should have. The main disincentive is mental inertia.
In most industries, it is tough times like these that drive innovation. Housing seems to be the exception to the rule, unfortunately. I would love to see modular pre-fab homes to become more mainstream during this downturn. Check out these homes, for example: http://www.fabprefab.com/fabfiles/fablisthome.htm
I like the idea of starting out with a small starter home and adding to it as needed, instead of wasting time, money, and resources in moving every 5 years. I also like the idea of each home being unique, designed for its inhabitants and its particular site. Modular design would make all of this cost-effective.
The current way of building homes just seems unimaginative and wasteful. It’s like buying a car and having the car company come to your garage to build a little piece of it every day.
Some of the prefabs at your link look very interesting. But $250+ per square foot seems to defeat the purpose of affordability just a wee bit.
The use of too much concrete has caused a heat island in Phoenix so night temps never get as low as before. metal roofs would be much better than concrete tile roofs in giving off heat fast when the sun goes down and letting the city cool off at night. Sidewalks and streets same problem but I don’t know how to fix that one? Most cities must be warmer at night than the countrysides ? Not such a great thing in the desert. I plan to cover most of my backyard in 50% shadecloth 10 feet up on a series of metal poles the type used for cyclone fencing if I every buy a house here in the desert, Like a garden center.
“Well in that case, why worry about CFCs from refrigerators and spray cans…”
Well, actually, the latest research shows conclusively that the scare mongering about CFCs was completely bogus. CFCs never caused the damages claimed.
Along the lines of pre-fabs, is the use of discarded shipping containers to build homes. A number of videos are on youtube.com showing same.
The best video for ISBU (intermodel steel building units) construction is on Bob Villa’s website: http://www.bobvila.com/BVTV/Bob_Vila/Video-0201-03-1.html
In that video, he also shows the use of an insulating ceramic paint
which, with two coats applied to the outside of the container, creates an R factor of 19. From what other videos show, the paint can also be applied on the inside of the container to double the R value.
http://www.isbu-info.org/why_isbu.html is a link to a professional organization related to shipping container construction. Site must be farily new - some of the links do not work, but overall the site seems very promissing. At some point, they intend to offer ISBU blueprints. Hope they can provide code compliant (at least Federal code, if not state) specific code compliant drawings and spec books.
http://www.globalpeacecontainers.com/ also may hold some promise on helping with the use of containers for home construction. Seems geared to third-world charity, but would think some assistance would be given to interested parties in the US.
These seem very interesting. Personally like the more modern look and strength of the material. Shoot, the basic container costs about $7 a square foot - for steel construction!!!
Had thought about contacting a design school, like SCAD in GA, to see if they required students to complete somesort of senior project for graduation. Maybe this is an idea a university has looked into and has published information on it. So far, haven’t found anything on the internet or at the library, however.
Helped a friend build his home of straw bales, gives you 2 foot thick walls. Electric company wanted $20,000 to run wires to his house, so he put that into Solar panels, both photo-electric and for water heating. Passive solar windows over concrete slab on the west side of the house. This is a big and really beautiful home on 80+ acres in the Santa Cruz mountains, and he has almost zero energy costs. Stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter, and he loves to show you the power meter while the sun charges up the batteries.