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Blueprint Basics for Home Building

Posted by REEF Cape Cod's Home Builder on Fri, Dec 07, 2012

                                               REEF's BLUEPRINT BASICS

     Learning a new language can be a real challenge.  Learning to read and understand blueprints for your home construction project is a language unto itself, so for this article I have assembled some resources to make the process of understanding blueprints a bit easier.

BLUEPRINT resized 600An excerpt below, from HousePlansandMore.com, offers a very good primer for blueprint reading.

  • Cover Sheet – is an artist's rendering of what your home will look like upon completion.
  • Foundation plan – identifies the layout of the foundation (crawl space, slab, pier or basement) that you have chosen based on your home design and location.
  • Floor Plans – shows the sizes and locations of all rooms, windows and doors, as well as plumbing, electrical, and other built in features.
  • Elevations – Drawings of interior walls and the elements they include such as fireplaces or cabinets, as well as drawings of exterior walls with details of materials and dimensions.
  • Cross-sections – drawings of the home for a particular section sliced from roof to foundation. These renderings allow you to see important structural elements from additional points of view.
  • Details – Detail drawings break down certain components of your new home into step-by-step instructions. A few that may be included are framing plans, roof plans, electrical and plumbing schematics, stairways, and decks.

 In addition, many plans will contain structural drawings, specifically for the engineer, framers, and building inspectors to communicate effectively and efficiently.

Another very useful blueprint reading summary by England Design Company is available by clicking here.

Once you familiarize yourself with the language of blueprint reading, you will find the process of designing your new home a lot more enjoyable, and in the process you will have learned a new language.

 

Tags: home building, blueprint

Update on Residential Sprinklers In Massachusetts

Posted by Matthew Teague on Wed, Jan 11, 2012
  We are following this issue very closely as it will dramatically change the cost and methodologies used in home construction in Massachusetts. Here is a press release from the Home Builders Association of Massachusetts, following the last hearing of the MA Board of Building Regulations and Standards.  Some eye opening information here: HBAMA Press Release on Sprinklers

Tags: remodeling, Cape Cod Builder, renovations, home building

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