It’s All In the Wiring – The Electrical Part of Building a House (Part 8)

There are a multitude of decisions to be made when building a house. One important decision that can impact your home for years to come is the electrical components. While it might not be a subject you are extremely enthusiastic about, it is vital to the functionality and safety of your home.

Electrical Wiring

Do a walk-through of your new home during the building process and determine where you will put your plugs and switches. Also figure out where you want your overhead lights, if you want ceiling fans, and any other related electrical features. It is important to determine this now to save pain and frustration later.

All electrical wires run through a device called a “home run.” The wires go down into a junction box. The wires that are above the home run are called “spaghetti.” They get their name from the fact there are frequently a number of wires running through a home run. The resulting wiring above the home run actually looks a bit like spaghetti.

Make sure nail plates are in place. This is a metal piece that goes over the frame where the electrical work is threaded. This not only protects your electrical work, it also protects you if you would pound a nail through the dry wall and into the frame of your home where the electrical work is. Not all homes have this important safety feature, but make sure yours does so there are no tragedies down the road.

Insulation

While most people realize that traditional insulation, such as large sheets of fiberglass insulation, are important, there are also other areas that need plugged up during the building process. Anywhere small holes may be present, such as spots for electrical wiring or an electrical box, use expanded foam. This small amount of foam insulation prevents cold air from seeping into the home from small areas you might not expect.

Ceiling Fans & Lighting

While it is possible to install a ceiling fan after a home is built, it is even better to put the proper reinforcements in during the building process to have as secure of a ceiling fan as possible. Bolting the fan to the ceiling joist gives it a firm and secure fit. This prevents any wobbling or the fan from even falling on the home occupants.
A great time to determine where you want your light to radiate into your home is when you build your home. The builder will place “cans” that give that particular area the structure and form that it needs for the proper lighting.

Breaker Box

Make sure you label what each breaker goes to in your breaker box as soon as possible. It makes fixing problem breakers much easier down the road. It cuts out the step of trying to determine exactly where the problem is and allows you to fix it as quickly as possible.

Also make sure you leave some blanks in your electrical box. This allows for future expansions in your home and gives you an appropriate spot to put new electrical lines in the future if you need to do so.

There are a number of areas in your new home that you need to consider when it comes to electrical wiring. A few quick and easy decisions early in the building process will do much for a smoother transition as your home progresses.

The Steps of Building a House Part 7 : Building a Waterproof Home

It is impossible to keep a home dry all the time. With the weather elements of rain, snow, and whatever else Mother Nature decides to throw at your home, keeping your home dry in key areas should be the focus. There are a few places: the foundation and the basement, which can be disastrous if they get wet and moisture gets trapped.

A shifting foundation and a moldy, musty basement are just a few problems moisture in these two key areas water can create. Check out a two all important steps in building a strong, moisture proof home that you don’t want to overlook, as we continue our series on building a home.

Flashing

The process of flashing your home keeps water out of foundation of the house. It also keeps water out of the basement. This flashing process prevents long term water damage from destroying your home. Not all home builders do it but it’s crucial for a well-built home.

Flashing is a thin layer of waterproof material that prevents water from seeping into places it does not belong. This is mainly for larger gaps outside of the home. Smaller gaps can be filled in with caulking. Flashing, when done correctly, should be installed so no seams face uphill. It also usually layered with other building materials.

If you wonder whether flashing has been installed the proper way, follow a drop of rain water as it moves down the side of your house. It should be carried from surface to surface all the way down and never encountering an open seam or an upturned lip that blocks its progress.

Tarring

While flashing is a critical element of keeping your home’s foundation and basement moisture free, tarring also adds this element. The process of tarring creates a water barrier that keeps water and dampness out of your home. This is frequently done early in the process of building a home, shortly after the foundation is laid. If tarring is neglected, however, it can spell disastrous results for the long term future of your home.

Want a waterproof foundations and basement? Spending the extra time required to do flashing and tarring to your home during the building process is crucial. If these steps are skipped, your home will not be set on the firm foundation it needs.

Building a Strong Roof for Your Home – The Steps to Building a House Part 6

Nearly all roofs are framed using one of two methods: either the standard “stick” framing or newer “truss” framing style. Truss-framed roofs are built from triangular-shaped, pre-made truss units. The stick-framed roofs, on the other hand, use individual rafters that span from the top of exterior walls to the ridge.

Truss Roofs

The roof trusses are used to frame the roof. Trusses are pre-made, triangulated wooden structures used to support the roof. In many cases, the dimensions of the roof can be input into a computer and the computer program will dictate the sizes and spaces of the various parts of the roof should be, including the trusses.
A truss is one contiguous double rafter and ceiling joist unit. Truss construction is just as strong as the stick frame method, but is lighter weight and uses smaller sizes of lumber. Gable and hip roofs are built primarily of trusses. Like wall studs and floor joists, rafters and trusses are spaced about 16 or 24 inches from center to center. Most roofs use 16-inch spacings for strength and rigidity. The rafters are usually positioned directly above the wall studs.

Since trusses are carefully engineered units that shouldn’t be cut, they are not a good choice for roofs that could be modified at a later date. Because they have several intermediate support members, they also don’t allow for the proper use of the attic space.

Stick Frame Roofs

Roofs with dormers or on houses with cathedral ceilings, attic rooms, or attic storage areas, are usually stick built. Stick framing creates a triangle between the rafters and ceiling joists. A collar beam adds strength in the middle. The builder will usually figure what the load must be, which determines the positioning and spacing of the beams.

Baffles are placed in the roof area when utilizing the stick building method to provide proper ventilation for the attic. This prevents the attic from becoming too hot and also prevents trapped moisture from causing rot and decay.

It is important to make sure that whatever style of roof you choose is installed properly so the house can be well-supported and ventilated. Proper installation will also prevent any problems with the dry wall being level once you install it. With the right planning and know how, building a roof that withstands the many demands that is placed on it is possible.

Building a Strong Home – The Steps of Building a Home Part 5

As we continue in our series of building a home from the ground up, we will talk about the importance of key points in the structure of the home that can literally make or break a house. While these things will go unseen once the home is completely built, their absence would surely be noted if they were not present. They are literally what the weight of the home is resting on.

Headers

When you have an opening, such as with a door or a window, you must have a header for support. It needs to be strong enough to carry the load above it. Headers take the weight of the materials and occupants above and transfer it via the trimmers down to the floors and foundations below. The longer the opening, the larger header it requires. Bearing walls (those that carry the weight of joists and trusses) require larger headers than nonbearing walls.

Posts and Beams

The posts and beams support the overall frame of the house. The beam runs horizontally and supports the weight of the house and must be strong. The post runs along the house vertically and is planted firmly in the foundation of the home for support.

Floor Joists and Cross Bracing

Floor joists are slightly smaller than beams and aid in supporting the structure of the home. They are horizontal and run from wall to wall, wall to beam, or beam to beam in support of a ceiling, roof, or floor. Floor joists alone frequently fail under a heavy load. To combat this problem, cross bracing is often used between the floor joists. Typically the cross bracing is done approximately every eight feet.

Cross bracing can be made of either wood or metal. They should be installed before installing the subfloor. This ensures the floor joists are properly spaced. It will also help with the subfloor installation. Some builders leave cross bracing out, yet it is an important element of a well-built home.

While these things might seem minor when you view a house being built, they are in fact an absolutely essential part of the structure of the home. If these areas are poorly built, the home will not be strong. Therefore, finding a builder that puts the appropriate emphasis on the headers, posts, beams, joists, and cross bracing is crucial.