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Welcome and thanks for stopping by! About a year ago, we were asked to take over the Home Matters column in the Essex Fells Magazine. This column talked about issues related to home improvement, repair, additions and maintenance. It seemed to be a perfect match for us and we jumped right in. First on the list was thinking about what topics to cover. What kind of information would our readers be looking for? With over 35 years as a home improvement "General Contractor," we've heard the same comments over and over. That comment usually went something like this. "I don't really understand what's involved." ..... or "Can you just explain what happens?" So, we decided to pick topics for the Home Matters column to help folks understand what really goes into their projects - how to deal with planning, zoning issues, water control, materials selection and what to expect during the actual work. Most of the information is presented in "layman's" terms so that it's easy for pretty much anybody to follow. Since our first round of articles use a imaginary addition project to show the reader what he or she could expect, it made sense to create an archive for past articles. Here is that archive. We hope you enjoy the articles and get a better feel for what your project could be like. Maybe help you make up your mind to get that long put-off project started. We also invite you to email any questions you might have - who knows? They may be a topic for a future article! Thanks again for stopping by! Woody Kamena STILLE AND SONS BUILDING CONTRACTORS, LLC Got a question about an article or related topic? email it here: office@stilleandons.com |
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| Feel Free to jump ahead to a topic that interests you or just pick up where you've left off! | ||
Article 1: The "Fantasy" of reality TV home improvement shows Article 2: Figuring out where to start a home renovation project Article 3: General Contractors and what you'll need to get bids Article 4: Developing your budget Article 5: Creating a Stable Foundation Article 6: Managing Water and Drainage Article 7: Framing your addition Article 8: Moving outside - Roofing and Siding Article 9: Infrastructure - Plumbing, Electric and HVAC |
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Article 1 - The Fantasy of reality TV home improvement shows |
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They are addictive, these “reality” home improvement shows. When I go home, I find myself watching them, too. But is it “real” reality? I was watching a “gut and re-do” renovation show. The home had a small kitchen, but the owners wanted an eat-in area and expanded bedroom above. Before the first commercial, the owner called a contractor (the show's “host”), who ran right over and listened for about 20 seconds before he “walked” them through a 3-D holograph of their new spaces. It was a special effect Hollywood could have been proud of. Since the owners had zero ideas to add to their own project, the host got a hand shake “go ahead” and told them they'd be enjoying their new space in a few weeks. “Weeks??” I screamed at the TV. “Wait? How much? What's included? Are they licensed and insured? Is there a written agreement anywhere in that hologram?” Apparently these are not important questions in TV land. OK, so let's separate some of the fantasy from reality. The next scene (which TV time warp made seem like was latter that day), showed the gutting work being done in the old kitchen, with cut-in shots of a crew of twenty guys stacking concrete blocks in a hole for the new basement. “Wait a minute.” I yelled at the TV again, totally disgusted. “That's not real! What about permits? Who dug the hole? Who inspected the footings? You skipped a month or three!” Here's reality. Legally you can't build without a permit. Your town rarely issues a permit without plans from a licensed architect. Architects need time to sit with you, discuss what you want and draft plans. This process is typically a few weeks and never involves walk-through holograms. Your architect will also makes sure the project meets the required building codes, zoning and variance requirements. Hmm... Variance requirements? The house on TV was on a small piece of property, but no mention of setbacks or a variances reviews. What might cause the need for a variance ? Lots of things. It can be as simple as too little space between the house and the side or back property line. Typically, you can't be less than 6 feet from a side property line and 10 feet from a back property line. (Numbers may vary by town, but are typical.) Some existing houses don't have this much space. When they were built, they were OK but building codes have since changed. New construction must be to the current building codes. And to be fair, most projects don't require a variance, but lets say you have that shallow side yard like the TV couple. Are you out of luck? No. That's why you hired an architect, who will submit a “variance” request. The town's building department will assess the affects of your plan on water run-off, neighbor privacy, fire fighter's access and the overall look of a neighborhood. Many folks find the variance hearings intimidating, but rarely are reasonable variance requests turned down. The variance meeting goes well and your get the variance. You're already weeks into requirements the TV show didn't even mention, but you're making progress. You need to select a contractor (and we'll cover that process next time), apply for the permit and then you will be ready to go. Next Month: Selecting an General Contractor and securing the permit... (c) 2011 Woody Kamena |
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Article 2: - Figuring out where to start a home renovation project |
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This month I thought I'd talk about what it takes to get a project off the ground. Assuming you don't want to do the work yourself, most folks look to hire a “general contractor.” A “GC” is like a military general – they implement the plans, coordinate with the specialists (subcontractors) and deploy the work crews. (Sub-contractors are typically a specialty trade who often require a license, like an electrician, HVAC specialist or plumber.) Some folks try to act as their own GC, but unless you are very experienced with building codes, running subcontractors and handling the permit process, this can be a nightmare. You see, above all else, the GC makes sure all the trades on the project fit together while at the same time letting no details fall through the cracks. When you consider there are thousands of details that go into a renovation project, you start to grasp the importance of having an experienced GC at the wheel. So how do you pick a GC? Here are a few things to keep in mind. First and foremost, an unlicensed and/or uninsured contractor might seem cheaper, but often turn into a disaster. We've all heard horror stories about work done cheap, only to find the cheap workers have disappeared when problems arise. And if a disaster, like a fire, flood or serious injury does happen, your insurance may not cover the claim and you may find yourself on the wrong end of a lawsuit. The same applies for work done without a permit. You may not get caught right away, but may have to deal with a nasty reminder when you go to sell the property. Plus you don't have the confidence that comes with the town's licensed inspector inspecting the fire codes, electrical work, gas lines and plumbing. What you should look for is a contractor with experience who can show you past work. If possible, ask to speak with previous customers who have done similar projects. Also, larger projects can take several months and it pays to find somebody who you know is in business for the long haul – somebody who's been around a long time has a reputation to protect. So, when do you call the CG? When you first decide to do the project? After you have met with the architect? After you have the permit? The answer is to that is “it depends.” If you have a limited budget but a solid idea of what you want, most GCs will give a general idea if your project and your budget are going to get along. This saves you from spending money on an architect to design an addition you ultimately can't afford. If you need help with design, layout and ideas, you might want an architect first. Most will offer a feasibility (or design) phase, which will let you see some ideas on paper before committing to pay for final construction drawings. A GC can work also with design drawings to estimate budget. As to the permit, it makes sense to let the GC handle that. The GC needs to provide license info for themselves and the subcontractors on the project. They also make sure all the parts of the permit, like the fire code and energy calculation requirements, are covered. Next month we'll talk about getting a bid from a contractor and reviewing cost. (c) 2011 Woody Kamena |
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Article 3: - General Contractors and what you'll need to get bids |
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You've decided you want to go ahead with your dream of expanding your kitchen and adding a “great room” to the back of your home. You've called three General Contractors (“GCs”) for bids. One you found working in the neighborhood and you like the work you see so far. Another was a recommendation from a friend who used and liked them and the third you've seen in the area for years. All are licensed and insured. Now you need bids! In requesting a bid, you need to understand that your project is going to involve multiple trades and needs to tie into existing systems in your house, like the air conditioning or baseboard heating. You can expect that the GC bidders will need to visit your home several times with different trades. This way the electrician can review the existing service, the AC specialist can determine if your current AC unit can handle the new space and so on. More details about the existing site means a more thorough bid (and less surprises later) for you. It's not unusual for a bid to take a two weeks or more for complex projects. It's also not uncommon for a bid to be refined over several passes so that both home owner and GC understand the project the same way. Never be afraid of asking for more information in your bid! So what do you look for in a bid? Can you, and should you, compare them apples-to-apples and just look for the best price? To be honest, probably not. Depending on the level of detail in the plans (and some architects provide more detail than others), different GCs will implement the project differently and you need to determine what “implementation” is best for you. Most GCs will provide a detailed bid that gives you a list of the materials included and the work to be performed, often broken down by trade. More information here is better (see below) and it's not unusual for bidders to include “allowance item” costs along with materials that you will need to supply or pick out. Allowance items are items that have not been picked by you before the bid, but need to be accounted for. For example, if you needed a new garage door, but hadn't picked out a style yet, your contractor would include the installation cost, but might give you an allowance of $500 to purchase the garage door itself. This gives you a budget and if you find a $600 door you like, the contractor treats the difference as an extra. Customer supplied are items you supply. Typically, these are where a “decorative” decision is required. Hanging lighting fixtures are a great example. The bidding contractor includes installation, but it's easier for you to make the purchase when you are shopping. Each bidding contractor should also explain how they will handle changes and additions: Most of us have a hard time taking a 2-dimensional drawing and visualizing the finished project in our head, so changes and improvements happen. For example, say you want to change a swinging door to a sliding door. How will your contractor handle the change. Do you get a credit for the swinging door? Can you make a change after the door is actually installed? Understand how changes are approved, implement and priced for each bidder. Bids should also note work that is not included. For example, if you have added to the foundation of your home, some bushes and landscaping probably got removed. Restoring this after the project is done may be included, or might be something you want your own landscaper to do. Either way, your bid should spell out work that's going to be needed, but is not included. Next month we'll continue to discuss how to turn your bid into a budget you can work with. (c) 2011 Woody Kamena |
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Article 4: - Developing your budget |
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As a homeowner who is contracting a renovation or addition project, your budget is going to be an important concern. For your project, there are going to be four major kinds of costs to budget for. Lets look at them. Construction costs – these are labor and material costs paid to the general contractor (GC), usually in the form of a job deposit and payments by time (i.e., monthly) or milestones (i.e. when concrete is poured). This is the money your contractor will need to run the job, buy materials and pay subcontractors. Allowance costs – these are costs paid to your GC as part of the normal payments, but with a price range or flexible amount. Typically they are for material not selected prior to the bid or for work that needs to be “tied in” to something unseen when the job is quoted (say behind a wall or under dirt). For example, you may not want to select the garage door style until you see how the new siding looks, so your contractor gives you a $500 allowance to select a door. If you go over the budget estimate, the overage is an added cost. Homeowner provided materials –these are costs for things you are going to purchase and supply. Most times these are items like kitchen appliances or something decorative. A great example is floor tile. It's makes sense for you to buy the tile when you are shopping for it and are standing right there. Not included tasks – these tasks are not included in the project but will need to be done. One example is landscape work. Say you put in a new foundation for your addition. Most contractors will fill in dirt and “grade” it smooth, but that's it. To finish this you may need topsoil, grass, bushes, flowers and so on. Some homeowners will do this themselves, while others hire their regular landscaper. As you can see, your budget needs to be more than just the bid from the contractor for construction. There are other costs you need to address, as well. Your contractors' bid will tell you what is and isn't included. To start a budget, determine how much you want to spend for the overall project. Hypothetically, lets say we are doing a kitchen and great room bump out. We allocated $100,000 for the entire project. Our contractor's construction cost bid is $75,000, so we have $25,000 for any other costs. The first step is to make a list of what we will need. Since we are doing a kitchen, we will need appliances. We also want a tile floor in the kitchen (the contractor included hardwood in the great room). Cabinets and counter tops were picked out prior to the bid, so they are included in the contractor's price. We also need to handle painting and curtains. Lets figure tile first. Installation is in the contractors bid, but the tiles themselves are not. We need 200 square feet of tile for the kitchen and back splash,. We shop around and budget for $5/square foot giving us $1000 for tile. Next, take a look at your old kitchen and make a list of the needed appliances you want to replace along with anything new you want to add. Then do some window shopping (in person or online). If you know the fridge you want is $2000, you can allocate that. Use your window shopping to supply real or “budget” numbers for each appliance. (Don't forget sales tax) Think about what else you will need and set a budget. $250 for curtains, $800 for painting and so on and so on. Make your list (or a spreadsheet), but don't “spend” every penny on the list (shoot for 75%) There will always been things that cost more that your budget (or that you want enough to go “over budget” on). Also, keep in mind that if you are like most people, you will see things you want to change as the project develops, so you should keep a budget for those changes and additions, too. Next time: Construction Starts! |
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Article 5: - Creating a Stable Foundation |
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In our past articles (see bottom for a web link if you need to catch up), we've talked about planning and budgeting a home addition project. Now we are going to look at what you can expect when the actual construction begins. For the sake of conversation, let's look at an addition that includes expanding your kitchen to a larger size, with a basement beneath and extra bedroom space above. Your General Contractor (or GC) will handle submitting the permit request for you, which typically takes two weeks or so to get through your town's building department. Once you have that, the first actual construct step will be prepping the site. Since the addition includes a basement, we need to dig the hole for the basement. Anything in the way (a previous deck or patio, for example) will need to be removed. Also, your GC will need to account for any pipes or wiring coming into that wall of the foundation. This could include water supply lines or the home's main sewer line. Since our addition is on the back of the house, we need to be able to get the big earth moving machinery into the back yard. Sometimes this requires taking down a fence or creating some kind of ramp or even a temporary gravel road if the ground is soft. There are many different ways, but a good GC will make every effort to protect the property as these heavy machines make their way into your back yard. So where does the dirt go and how big the will the hole be? Dirt is cheap, but moving it around in big trucks can be costly. In some cases, your excavator (the folks doing the digging) may be able to spread it around somewhere on your property. Otherwise, most of the dirt will have to be trucked away at an added cost. Some of it remains as back fill. More on that in a movement. When the hole is dug, it's actually going to be a bit bigger than the basement. Your GC will need some room to work, so figure it's going to be about three feet further out in each direction. This allows room to work on the foundation. The foundation is your basement, so let's talk about that for a minute. Foundations come in three basic formats. Modular/pre-cast, which are still rare and often used with modular homes. These are concrete panels that are made in a factory. A crane is needed to set them in place and then they are bolted together. Block Walls are made up of concrete block. Many people remember “cinder” blocks but those are no long used. Concrete blocks look similar, but are sturdier and made of concrete. They are stagger stacked like bricks to create the basement walls and skimmed with concrete to create a smooth surface. A Poured Foundation is all concrete. Wood forms are set up with steel reinforcement rods and concrete is poured into the form and allowed to harden. Each foundation type has some pros and cons. Modular foundations are still kind of new and some folks would like see how well the seams hold out ground water over 30-40 years. A block wall is typically a good choice in residential construction, but is labor intensive. A poured foundation is solid concrete and good for areas where water might be a problem, but can look sort of rough and industrial since you may see seams where the forms met during the concrete pour. Best when the foundation will be buried and that won't be seen. Which brings us to that extra dirt, the back fill, we saved a few paragraphs above. When the basement walls are done, we still have that extra three feet all away around to deal with. In most cases, a “foundation drain” will be installed so that rainwater in the soil around the basement will find it's way into the drain and away from the foundation. The “back fill” dirt is used to cover that up and fill in around the basement walls. So, we now have our basement. The actual basement floor may be poured later and our back lawn is now mostly dirt, but we are ready for the next step, which is framing our new 2-story addition! (c) 2011 Woody Kamena Past articles can be found at: http://stilleandsons.com/articles/index.htm |
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Article 6: - Managing Water and Drainage |
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Keep in mind that scenarios like Irene are beyond what most home water proofing can deal with. When water is several feet above ground level, there isn't much you can do. That being said we can deal effectively with wet basements during normal storms. First, let's understand what we are dealing with. Imagine a sponge. In your mind, pour some water on the top of it. The water absorbs and the sponge holds the water. Pour more until you can see the edges of the sponge get wet. Pour more and the sponge leaks from the sides. This is a demonstration of “hydrostatic pressure.” It's a scientific term, but for us builders, its the pressure of water-saturated dirt against the walls of your basement or crawlspace. Just replace the sponge with the dirt. When the dirt around your foundation becomes saturated with water, the pressure will “push” the water until it finds a path, often a crack into your walls or up through your basement floor. But, as your old science teacher told you, the rule is water will follow the path of least resistance and there are two basic methods we can use to make this rule work for us! The first method is to increase the resistance. On the outside of a foundation wall, this is done with a waterproof coating. (Usually it looks like a thick, black tar coating). This prevents the water from getting “to” the basement wall. There is also waterproof paint on the inside of the basement wall. This prevents that water from getting “through” the basement wall. It can keep the basement interior dry, but doesn't really protect the wall itself (which can fill with water). The first method requires the basement wall be exposed on the outside, and often (but not always) is done during building. Interior painting is an inexpensive fix, but will not stand up to the more serious water problems. The second method is about creating an easier path into which the water can flow. This is typically done with gravel (since water fills the space between the stones) and perforated pipe. Often call “French Drains” or “footing drains,” these are an effective way to deal with water at the foundation of your home. Under or outside the basement, gravel is laid at the perimeter of the wall with a “perf-pipe” running through gravel. As the gravel fills with water, the holes in the pipe become the path of least resistance and the water flows into the pipe from the gravel. The pipe, depending on the pitch of your property, either leads outside (referred to as a “pipe to daylight”) or into a sump pump well to be pumped out and away from your home. These kinds of drains can be installed either during construction, or after a home/addition is built. Some may require either cutting into the concrete basement floor or digging outside the foundation. While both seem daunting, neither will be for a contractor who has the right tools for the job and many projects can be done in a span of only a few days. The payoff is a dry basement, a sound foundation and a welcome peace of mind when it rains. OK, next month back to framing our new addition. (c) 2011 Woody Kamena Past articles can be
found at: http://stilleandsons.com/articles/index.htm |
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Article 7: - Framing your addition |
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Except for last month, when we took a detour to talk about waterproofing and drainage issues, our past articles (see bottom for a web link) have discussed about a theoretical home addition project. For the sake of conversation, we've been examining your “new” addition, which includes expanding your kitchen to a larger size, with a basement beneath and more bedroom space above. We've done permits, planning and put in a foundation. Today, we are talk about framing. Framing is the process where the wooden “skeleton” of the house is built. It's the image of men nailing together boards that most of us see when the news talks about construction. It's a fascinating process to watch, where you can see things quickly go from “nothing” to “something.” On top of the new foundation, our framing crew is going to lay floor beams and flooring, creating the new floor and platform your addition will built on. On some projects, that might be the same size as the foundation, but your architect calls for the framers to cantilever out over the foundation wall. This is where the beams that create the “ribs” of the floor hang a few feet over the edge of the basement wall, allowing the first floor to be larger than the basement (plus saving money on the foundation size). On top of the floor, or platform, framing crews will build the outside walls. Most outside walls are made with 2x6's, allowing more thickness (and more insulation) than the standard 2x4 construction used for inside walls. The framers will account for all the windows and doors at just the right height and size and then frame them with a heavier beam over the openings. These beams, referred to as “headers,” provide structural support. On your addition, we are expanding an existing house and need to tie our new building into the existing house. Since we are doubling the size of the kitchen, a 25 foot span of the back wall will be removed. The challenge is that you have a second floor over the existing kitchen. Removing the house's existing back wall will surely cause the second floor to collapse, so we need something needs to hold it up. Since you don't want a support column in the middle of your new kitchen, we are going to need a steel beam. “What a minute?” I hear you ask. “A steel beam? We're not building a skyscraper here.” True, but even home construction sometimes uses steel for strength and your architect has called for a “flitch plate beam.” This is a “sandwich” beam of wood on the outside and a ½ thick steel plate in the inside, all bolted together. It will be supported at each end on support footings we built as part of the new foundation's concrete walls. This steel and wood beam provides great strength compared to wood alone and is what holds up your second floor. Your interior walls are built next, typically with 2x4s, The second floor “platform” is created just like the first and ties it to your existing house. The roof is added at the top and is tied into the existing roof. The outside walls are covered with sheets of plywood, giving your new addition it's basic shape. At this point, the windows and exterior doors are set into place. While we are far from finished, we now can tell the difference between “inside” and “outside.” The last step for our framers is to get the entire house wrapped in “house wrap.” This helps seal the house up will help prevent drafts after the house is sided later down the road. So now you have the rough addition. Next month, we'll look at siding and roofing options. (c) 2011 Woody Kamena Past articles can be found at: http://stilleandsons.com/articles/index.htm |
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Article 8: - Moving outsite - Roofing and siding |
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The last few months (link below for past articles) we have discussed a theoretical home project adding your “new” kitchen with a basement beneath and more bedroom space above. Last month we talked about framing. Today we are going to move outside and talk about roofing and siding. While most addition projects will match the roofing and siding currently on the existing house, many folks also take the opportunity to re-roof or re-side the house while the other work is being done. In the West Essex area, most roofs fall into one of three categories By far, the most popular is an asphalt shingle. These are generally rated for 30 years and come in a variety of colors. (GAF's “Timberline” series is probably the best known, but there are many other quality manufacturers). Singles are made of an asphalt material and coated with a granular material for color and surface protection. They can come “sculpted” to add depth and texture to the look of your roof. Asphalt is a petroleum-based product, so these will be more expensive when oil is priced high. The second most popular roofing in this area is slate. Many older homes (70+ years) were built with a roof made out of slate tiles. Less popular now due to the higher cost and effort to work, slate is used mostly to repair or extend existing roofs or on higher-end projects that are after a specific look. Similar to slate, our third roofing material is Cedar Shakes. Individual slabs of weather resistant cedar wood are overlapped to create a roof. This materiel weathers beautifully, but is expensive and tends to be used mostly on projects that want that specific, rustic look. Clay tiles, popular in the Southwest, and metals like aluminum and copper are also used for roofing, but rarely seen on residential renovations projects. (Copper is often used as an accent, though.) On the walls, we have several different materials used for siding, These fall into the categories of wood, synthetic (or composite) or masonry. For wood siding, cedar is again the material of choice, in both shingles or clap-boards (long rows, overlapped horizontally). Cedar is weather resistant, rot resistant and easy to work with, but generally needs to be stained or painted for the best protection. For synthetic siding, vinyl is the best known material. Vinyl is made to look like wood clapboard or shingles. It come molded in the final color, making in more difficult (but not impossible) to change the house color later. There are a wide range of costs and qualities in the vinyl siding field. Composites include materials like Hardie-Plank(tm), from The James Hardie Company. Like vinyl, it comes in a pre-finished (baked on) color and is made of a mixture of cement and wood fibers. Hardie-Plank(tm) is an excellent, very durable and long lasting material (you can smack it with a hammer with little or no damage), but a premium cost over most vinyls. Lastly, there are brick, stone and masonry exterior finishes like stucco. These can be more expensive to install, but can last many lifetimes. The variety of stone finishes is near endless and this type of siding can be used for either the entire house, or just portions of the house to provide a special look or accent. All of the sidings discussed above can be seen by doing a “Google” image search on-line. Next month, we'll look at rough plumbing, electric and HVAC work. (c) 2011 Woody Kamena Past articles can be found at: http://stilleandsons.com/articles/index.htm |
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Article 9: - Intrastructure - Plumbing, Electric and HVAC |
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For the last few months we've been taking a theoretical trip though “your” building project to add to your kitchen and increase bedroom space. This month we move inside your new walls. After your addition is framed and before the sheetrock is installed, the next step is to add in what we call the “infrastructure.” This infrastructure is the wiring, piping, and duct work that brings electricity, water and heated/cooled air into the living space. In most cases, construction crews sequence installation from the largest pipes to the smallest wires. This means that the HVAC (Air Conditioning and forced hot air heat) duct work goes in first. Some installers use a flexible tube (like you see on clothes dryers) because its cheaper to install, but these tubes can pinch and bind restricting the air flow. (Meaning your system has to work harder so you may pay more in energy costs). Also, these flex tubes are sometimes used in attics and “hung” on wire loops slightly thicker than clothes hangers. While they hold up in the beginning, eventually they all seem to sag and restrict air flow. The best way to handle air flow is with metal duct work in preformed pipes and custom formed ducts. Duct pipes (typically about 5-6 inches in diameter) are installed inside the walls so they won't be seen in the finished room. They lead to a register outlet through the wall. Another type of register is a “return.” Returns allows the system to breath. Your system can't keep blowing out air without getting it from somewhere. Your system “inhales” through the return. All these components are attached to a system that includes an air conditioner and, in the case of a forced hot air heating system, a furnace. Since your new system can control what ducts are open or closed, we'll take advantage of this and divide your home into “zones.” A “zone system” is a cost effective to heat and cool your home. Picture a two-story house with bedrooms on the second floor and living room, kitchen, and family rooms on the first. During the day, the bedrooms are empty and we don't need to heat or cool them. That zone is off. At night, when the family is asleep, we swap the zones and lower the heating or cooling required on the first floor (which is empty). While this is a simple “two-zone by floor” example, a system could have more than two zones and “zone” areas on the same floor. In any case, a zoned system for heating and cooling allows you to lower energy costs by not paying for energy to heat/cool areas not in use. Next we move onto plumbing. Plumbing has four main components to deal with. These are fresh (drinkable) water, waste water (from toilets and drains), gas piping and in some homes, steam heat. When you turn on the tap, you get hot or cold water. This water originates at a well water pump (if you have well water) or at the municipal water supply into the house. From there, it splits and some of the water goes into a hot water heater or boiler. The water heater will feed the hot water faucets in the house, while the line connected to the main feed will supply the cold water faucets. Water supplies are run either through copper pipes or a flexible tubing referred to as “Pex.” Copper is the traditional material, but “Pex” has the advantage of being easier to install (since you can wiggle it into place), is color coded red (hot) and blue (cold) and won't split if it gets frozen (it flexes). As we're out of space, next month we'll continue to look at plumbing and then move into electrical wiring. As always, catch up on past articles at: http://stilleandsons.com/articles/index.htm (c) 2012Woody Kamena |
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Article 10: - Intrastructure - Plumbing, Electric and HVAC (continued) |
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During our last few articles, we have been taking a trip through your theoretical home addition project, which adds eat-in space in your kitchen and two new bedrooms above. The project also adds an addition to the current basement, which will act as a foundation for the new rooms above. Last month we started on infrastructure, which includes the wiring, piping, and duct work that brings electricity, water and heated/cooled air into and out of your living space. (There is a “past articles” web link at the bottom in case you need to catch up.) This month we continue with plumbing. Moving past “fresh water,” lets deals with waste water from drains, toilets and washing machines. This is an “open” system, meaning air pressure and gravity move the waste water. We all know the trick where you put a straw a glass of soda and cover the end with your finger. When you lift the straw out, the soda stays in the straw. Release your finger and it spills out. Your waste water drains the same way. You'll see a stubby black pipe protruding through your roof. That's called the vent and it's like the top of our straw. It allows air pressure and gravity to drain the waste water out of the house. In your basement you'll also see a cast iron pipe about 6 inches in diameter. This is your main sewer line and connects your house to the city sewer or your septic system. This is the bottom of the straw where the liquid flows out. When air gets in at the top, the liquids flow freely out the bottom. Next on the plumber's “to do” list is natural gas. Not all houses have gas, but many use it for heating, hot water and, like our new kitchen, for cooking. Gas is run in cast iron pipes (often called “black pipes”) and new, flexible pipe materials. It enters the house underground (or from a propane tank) and is run in sealed pipes. This is a highly flammable gas, so all “black pipe” work should definitely be left to an experienced, licensed plumber. In the Essex Fells area, we also have many older homes that are heated by a steam system and have radiators in each room. These systems, which as any steam owner can tell you, can be temperamental. Adding on to an existing system for our addition will require a plumber experienced with steam since any changes to the system will affect the overall balance in the rest of the house. To envision how a steam system works, think of an octopus. The body is your basement boiler, where the hot water is turned into steam. It then flows upward (since the hot steam rises) into the pipes that lead to the radiators. These are the tentacles. At the end of the tentacles are your radiators, which feed the steam thorough metal loops so heat can transfer to and warm the air. This is also why most radiators are installed below a window to help balance out the colder part of the wall. A steam boiler only makes steam at one location and its all the same temperature. Since some radiators are closer to the boiler, the steam feeding them has had less chance to cool and will still be very hot. For radiators that are further away, the stem vapor has cooled some and will not be as hot. By controlling how much steam enters each radiator, an experienced plumber can “balanced” your newly expanded system so some rooms aren't too hot while others are too cold. Next month we'll continue by moving into electrical needs, including the main house wiring and the “low voltage” wiring needed for TV signals, telephones, alarm systems and computers. As always, catch up on past articles at: http://stilleandsons.com/articles/index.htm (c) 2012 Woody Kamena |
