Learn About Factors That Must Be Included in House Plans

If you are looking for house plans, you should use a few guidelines that if followed properly should help you find the right plans. To begin with, you need to decide what kind of home you plan on building including a single family or a duplex or some other option. Next, check out the square footage and then to narrow the selection of the plan, decide on the number of rooms that the home should have.

A second important factor in choosing house plans, your budget has to be chosen with great care. In most cases, it is your budget that will help you determine just what kind of house you want to build. You can use cost per square footage as guideline to help you determine how much money you will need to have to build your home.

Thirdly, pay attention to choosing an ideal foundation for the new home. You must also figure out which kind of foundation is best for your home. You might want the home to have a basement which is a feature that helps to give your home more space.

Next, address issues such as exterior finish for the new home. You will need to pick from a variety of exterior finishes including cedar and aluminum and stucco and a lot more. You should also check your local building store to find out which finish type is most popular in your area.

Climate is another important issue that should figure in your house plans. Depending on existing weather conditions in a particular area you will need to pick different kinds of frames for the home. In places that are likely to be affected by earthquakes or by high amount of snow, you will need to use special framing and/or building. Again, a local builder can advise you as to which type is ideal for your home.

Air Purifier - A Brief History

Today, air purifiers are all the craze. Every allergy sufferer, asthmatic and health nut in the world has one, but believe it or not, there was a time when we didn't have air purifiers. We simply breathed the air that was in our homes and somehow managed to survive. So when did this craze actually begin? How did it start?

Types of air purification have actually been around for over 200 years in some form or another, though most people don't realize it. The truth is, since the early 1800s, scientists have been trying to find ways to make our air cleaner, long before the industrial revolution ever hit and California began to look like an outdoor barbecue on a high flame.

To kick this technology off, in the early 1800s John and Charles Dean developed a mask for fire fighters. This mask allowed them to charge into burning buildings without having to worry about being overcome by smoke fumes from the fire. Around that same time, masks were also made for divers and coal miners who were constantly exposed to dangerous air, but it wasn't until the 1850s that the first gas mask was developed by John Stenhouse. The mask worked on a charcoal based filter design, very similar to some of the air purifiers today. These original masks worked on the principal of filtering out what they called "enemies" by using a system called High Efficiency Particulate Air or HEPA. Yes, the same HEPA filter systems we can buy today. Once they added charcoal to this system it made a dramatic improvement because the charcoal was able to filter out multiple toxins.

But it wasn't until World War II when we got some of the greatest advancements in air filter systems. This came with the Manhattan Project. This was a project that got scientists together from all around to work on a breathing device that would protect soldiers from the atomic bomb. While that was actually laughable in itself, it did end up in advancements that helped combat chlorine gas, mustard gas and flame throwers. A few years later a plague in Africa made scientists aware of the need for protection against chemicals, perfumes, building materials, pesticides, dust mites, pollen and food allergens. This started a string of air purification devices being developed.

In spite of all this, it wasn't until the 1980s that the clean air craze really took off. The concept of a dust free environment was all the rage, practical or not. According to studies, HEPA filters, which were the biggest rage of the era, filtered out 99.7% of all the allergens in the air and all micron offenders of size 0.3 and larger. But advancements didn't stop there. Newer devices, such as Nebulizers, were able to filter out offenders of size 0.1 and larger and still keep the 99.7% filter level.

Over the years, the number of devices used for filtering the air has grown astronomically. Just do an Internet search on the different types and brands of air purifiers. There are literally hundreds of them.

All this from a simple mask designed for fire fighters. Who would have ever guessed?

Education, the Homeowner's Most Powerful Tool: Part 1

When it is time to trade in the old clunker for a more efficient vehicle, research is in order. Most people with a modicum of intelligence refer to Consumer Reports, consult friends, family or colleagues, and of course kick a few tires. Even if the mechanical mysteries of SUV's and one ton trucks are crystal clear, you still learn all you can about gas mileage and maintenance costs. It's a big investment, so getting the right vehicle for your needs at the right price is paramount. Now apply that same procedure to home improvement, specifically thermal upgrading.

There are very few homeowners who actually interview and solicit quotes from more than two contractors, for any type of improvements. Perhaps a friend recommends someone they used, so in an effort to avoid offending said friend, you go ahead and use their contractor without checking references. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. When a home improvement project is botched or left unfinished, the result is always expensive and definitely a hassle. Of course, sometimes even the most thorough screening procedure cannot prevent a project from going bad. So what is a homeowner to do? Well, as Nelson Mandela said, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."

Obviously Mr. Mandela meant his words in a global sense, using them for our purposes require just a little downsizing. Educating oneself on the components and workings of the home will change how renovations and upgrades are perceived by the homeowner. By understanding the flow of air, the effect of temperature variations both outdoors and indoors, the overall use of the home, and the cost of cooling/heating, the homeowner can make better choices. Better choices in products and materials, contractors, and renovation plans. Those education choices mean less is spent on fuel consumption to heat or cool the home. A reduction in energy costs means more money for other things, which in turn boosts the economy. When the use of fossil fuels goes down, there isn't as much damage to the environment. So really, Mandela was right, education can change the world.

Spring is approaching, and then summer will be upon us. Now is the time to begin learning the nuances of R-values, closed cell versus open cell polyurethane insulation, and which will work best for your own unique situation. For example, if your home was built previous to 1980 and no renovations or upgrades have taken place since then, there is a good chance asbestos exists in the home. It wasn't until 1989 that the United States Environmental Protection Agency issued a ban and phase out rule, and even then it was altered to exempt certain fittings from the ban. Do not go poking around your attic looking for asbestos. If it is present, you could become extremely ill. Instead, wait for that stream of contractors you plan to interview. They will look with their eyes of experience, and be able to tell you without even touching it.

Stay tuned for part two in this series, where we offer a valuable overview of polyurethane spray foam insulation. We will explore the two major kinds of spray foam, the pros and cons of each, as well as touching on the importance of continual research on building technology.