2012 is shaping up to be an exciting year for us! We are starting this year with the greatest number of new home projects we’ve ever had, along with a number of remodels and additions. In Kent, Washington we have started the master planning of a nine home gated community. See the video below. The actual home designs have not been developed yet, so the blocky homes are just ‘placeholders’.
We’ll be starting construction soon on a home in Auburn on the Green River. This is a project that has taken several years to permit, but with such a beautiful site, I have a feeling the end results will be worth it. We’re designing two new replacement homes north of Green Lake as well as a 20′ wide modern single family home on Queen Anne (see image below).
As we progress in the design and construction of these projects we’ll be sharing more info. I hope everyone has a wonderful 2012!
One of the questions I am asked most frequently is, “when should we get started on our project?” Well, that will vary depending on which building department will issue your permit (if required) and the type of project you want to construct.
Let’s first begin with how long the design process may take. If the project is smaller like a kitchen remodel or bathroom remodel, and either has no structural changes or minor structural changes, then the design time would likely be about 2-6 weeks. A larger project like a room addition that involves an architect and a structural engineer will likely take 6-8 weeks to design. An even larger project like a whole house remodel or second story addition may take 3-4 months to design. Most of my clients who design a new house from scratch take over 6 months to go through the process.
Building department review times will vary depending on the jurisdiction. Many small projects can get over-the-counter permits, or permits that are issued within one or two weeks. Larger projects should allow 8-12 weeks for review and one round of revisions with the City or County.
If your goal is to start a project in 2011, be sure to leave enough time for design and permitting. If you intend to start a construction project this Spring or Summer you should start the design process now. This is especially important for weather sensitive projects like second story additions, or other projects where good portions of the home are open to the weather. If you would like to discuss your project please give us a call at (206) 204-0490 or use the contact form on our website.
A friend sent this photo to me from an actual house in Orlando, Florida (no photoshop magic here!). I thought it was too funny not to share. It’s clear that some people get into the holidays more than others. So, we hope that your holidays are filled with as much holiday cheer as you desire!
I never thought I’d see the day where we use a tile that is literally peel-and-stick, but these Stainless tiles from Aspect save you from all the hassles of backerboard, thinset and grout. They are sold in a 3×6 subway tile size, and can be purchased in either long or short grain (the direction of the brushed finish). By mixing long and short grain you can create patterns without changing the material. They are available in four different finishes: 1) brushed bronze 2) copper 3) champagne or 4) stainless. According to the manufacturer, they are made of 60% recycled material and 99% of the manufacturing waste is recycled.
Most people probably don’t think about their roof much, that is, until it starts leaking. One of the most common causes of roof leaks is around roof penetrations, such as plumbing vents. Typically a plumbing vent is a PVC plastic pipe that penetrates through the roof. If your roofer does a good job, they will fabricate a custom piece of copper or lead flashing to fit over this pipe and extend under the shingles above. However, most roofers end up relying on cheap rubber pipe boots that degrade in the sun, crack, and then eventually fail (sometimes in only a few years). If your home already has these rubber pipe boots, you may be wondering what you can easily do to keep them from leaking. There is a new product called Perma-Boot that easily slips over an existing PVC pipe and rubber pipe boots. Since it overlaps the joint at which the pipe boot and PVC vent come together, it sheds water away from the vent. The best part of the Perma-Boot is that installation takes minutes. There is no shop fabrication of flashing. There is no need to remove existing flashing and try to find replacement shingles.
Effective June 1, 2010 Hunter Douglas, America’s largest manufacturer of custom made window coverings, stopped selling their products through online retailers. So when a client of ours asked us to provide blinds for his project, and we realized our usual online source could not provide the blinds we wanted, we went ahead and opened an account with Hunter Douglas. So now we can offer all our clients the latest blinds and the highest contract quality products from Hunter Douglas at about the same cost as some lower quality blinds available through online retailers.
I was recently talking to a client of mine and she mentioned that my dog, Cooper, is on Angie’s List. I had submitted a photo of him to Angie’s List for their pet issue in early 2009 but never heard back from them. Little did I know he’s been making the rounds on their website and in their newsletters!
I feel pretty fortunate to be able to bring my dog to work with me. He does put in long hours when I have to work late, and he ‘helps out’ whenever possible. Here is an short slide show of a typical day for Cooper.
We’ve been working hard on our largest commercial project yet: a 24,323 SF tenant improvement project in Bellevue, Washington for a new Montessori school. We’re on an extremely tight schedule since we need to open for the beginning of the school year in September.
We designed the project completely in Revit (a 3D BIM program by Autodesk). This is our largest project yet done in Revit and it went pretty smoothly.
The project also includes a new playground and outdoor classroom area. The playground incorporates outdoor learning opportunities such as organic gardening, a sound garden, and areas for kids to put on presentations (like ‘music in the park’).
It looks like the 2009 IRC will be requiring residential fire sprinkler systems but the requirement won’t likely go into effect until 2011. This is one of the largest changes in the code for a long time that will dramatically affect life safety of homes. Jurisdictions such as Phoenix AZ have required residential sprinkler systems for a few years now. Since then there has not been a single death by fire in a sprinkler equipped home.
The typical sprinkler system will run as low as 80 cents per square foot to as much as $4 per square foot, depending on where you are located and access to water. A house using well water will likely need large reserve tanks to supply the necessary water flow. A house connected to City water may face higher fees to connect to the water system. So it will definitely cost more to have a safer home, but what is the price you can put on a life saved?
When choosing tile for the bathroom I find that many people are so afraid to make a mistake they end up settling on basic white. While a basic white tile has its place, it’s best installed on the walls, not on the floor where it will show every bit of dirt. But if you must have a white tile floor, consider adding a pattern that incorporates white and one or two other colors. For older homes, a hex tile is a great solution. You can order a custom pattern like this (or create your own) from Dal-Tile, which is available nationwide. One thing to watch out for: the tile patterns are assembled by hand, and there are sometimes mistakes (like a white tile where there is supposed to be gray). You can fix this in the field, or leave it and accept it as part of the hand created look of the tile.
