Home Decoration & Real Estate » floor plan

Hardwood Flooring

admin — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 03:37:30 +0000

It is a dream of everyone to have a comfortable and beautiful house to live. House is the place where we can shelter from rain, snow and storm. House is the place where we can do our things freely. The most important point is the house is a place where we can share some happiness to our family. Do you want to make your house to be the truly home sweet home? If you do, you should recognize some aspects of your house that needs special attention. The most fundamental part to make your house comfortable is about your house flooring. Floor or flooring is the first thing your guests will notice when they enter your house.

They will notice your house flooring, whether looks good or just dirty and untreated. Therefore, you should choose the best flooring or laminate for your house flooring. From so many types of flooring, I found that hardwood flooring is very good. Hardwood flooring is durable and looks luxurious. There are so many types of hardwood flooring such as BR 111 flooring and also exotic hardwood flooring. These are the most popular types of hardwood flooring. If you want to buy high quality and durable hardwood flooring and laminate, you can visit hursthardwoods.com.

House Floor Plan Software | Home Design Ideas

admin — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 04:36:01 +0000

Nowdays the computer age is making software for a dazzling array of uses. One such genre is house floor plan software. With this type of program, you can quite literally be your own architect! Whether you’re a home hobbyist or a trained professional, anyone can now use software to do everything from create house floor plans to landscaping the back yard of your dreams. Home design software ideas can go from dreams to reality with the touch of a button.

Creating house floor plans from home design software can be accomplished in just a few easy steps. Most programs have a number of notable features.

1. Design, publish and print completed designs in 3D for yourself, family and customers.

2. Customize the home’s exterior by adding dormer windows, skylights, sun decks, balconies, terraces, and patios. Door styles and window types can also be customized.

3. Calculate and manage the cost of materials. This feature makes it easy to keep your house floor plan design withing you housing budget.

4. Lighting effects and shifting patterns of sunlight and moonlight can be created in order to see what effect the placement of windows will have on a room via 3D movies.

5. A built-in interior design program and furniture gallery can be used to create different themes before money is spent on interior decor.

6. Some software programs offer an optional landscape and garden program which allows the user to create a detailed design of yard desired right down to the flowers and ornaments. The landscape created can then be viewed through the change of seasons in order to create a colorful landscape year round. Most programs offer drag-and-drop capabilities that make designing your dream yard easy and fun.

Because most house floor plan design software runs on the local hard drive of your computer, you should keep the software system requirements in mind when making a selection. The system capabilities of your home computer should always meet or exceed the system requirements of the software you intend to purchase in order to properly execute the program. Knowing these facts will save time and frustration.

Robie House Floor Plan | A Scandalous Abomination In Hyde Park

admin — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:36:11 +0000

A scandalous abomination now known as the Robie House was completed in 1910. It was a horrible eyesore to the neighbors in Chicago. The Robie house floor plan was the culmination of Frank Lloyd Wright’s ability to think outside the box. It was Prairie style architecture at the height of it’s expression and clashed outrageously with the Gothic manors lined up in Hyde Park at the turn of the century.

The Robie House floor plan, named for its original owner, was the expression of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie Style architecture at its most expansive and expressive. With its low pitched roof cantilevers that hung over literally dozens of oddly sized balconies, it was an outrage to Chicago’s high society Hyde Park neighbors. The hidden front door reached down an alley and rooms radiated from a central fireplace. Bricks were laid in a pattern that highlighted the stretched-out horizontal feel and the living room is on the second floor rather than the main floor as would be expected of most homes.

The Robie House suffered more indignities than just the disdain of the Hyde Park neighbors over the course of its life. Used for a dorm and dining hall for the Chicago Theological Seminary from 1926 to 1959, it was nearly demolished twice to make room for a more normal style dorm. Frank L. Wright, who was in his 90s at the time, protested so loudly that it was spared. Registered as a National Historic Landmark in 1963, demolition of the Robie House floor plan was a subject never raised again.

The floor plan of the Robie House is eccentric to say the least. The interior space speaks to Mr. Wright’s meticulous attention to design detail. The living room is tapered into a prow not unlike a boat with lighting divided into a “sun” type globe fixture in a wooden frame as well as a “moon” fixture located behind panels. The second floor balconies lining an entire side of the house were deteriorating rapidly, which is an unfortunate effect of Wright’s outrageous designs requiring frequent restoration.

For those who would like to visit the Robie House, it’s located on the University of Chicago campus at the corner of Southwood Lawn Avenue and 58th Street. Guided tours are conducted on weekdays every 15 minutes between 11 a.m and 3:30 p.m. Cost is $9.00 for adults and $7.00 for children and senior citizens.

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Floor Plan, Making an Informed Purchase

admin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:26:35 +0000

Floor plans and house plans help in a variety of ways such as deciding for the number of rooms a house should have, deciding for the kitchenette style and bathroom type. Therefore, helping the buyer to make an informed decision. An architectural rendering or architectural drawing or architectural illustration, is the artwork of an architecture illustrator, architect, web designer or multimedia designer with the purpose of representing proposed design of an architectural structure. Using architectural rendering allows you to visualize a structure with basic layout of windows and doors. Generally, an architectural rendering includes the following:

• Floor plan, 3D house plan

• Interior architectural renderings

• Architectural renderings of apartments and condos

• Exterior architectural renderings

• Photomontage architectural renderings

• 3D visualization and architectural visualization

• Walkthroughs or flythrough

• Animated architectural illustration

Floor Plan: A floor plan shows all the interior, exterior walls and partitions with each wall and window location.

Benefits of a Floor Plan

1. The ability to view the property in an animated format can avoid so much wasted time. Viewing a Floor plan can assist you in deciding if a property is worth a view. Home owners use plans when considering the potential of bathrooms or extensions.

2. Providing a floor plan to prospective buyers helps them make quick and better decisions at every stage of the sale.

3. Plans help them quickly identify which properties are of most interest to them.

4. A floor plan can clarify homes special features.

5. If a potential purchaser wants some alterations, a floor plan can help evaluate the feasibility of any options.

Floor Plans are available in a range of choices including:

1. Beach house plans

2. Country style house plans

3. Luxury house floor plans

4. Victorian style house plans

5. Ranch style house plans

6. Log home floor plans

7. Farm style house plans

Lighting Floor Plans

admin — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:26:41 +0000

Lighting floor plans take many shapes and come in all sizes.

Some are more formal and organized, while others are more freeform and pose unique lighting challenges. Variations in ceiling height, daylight and construction materials form a three-dimensional framework around the floor plan. Custom home lighting fixtures must be chosen based on their ability to harmoniously compliment interior surfaces and architectural elements. Otherwise, fixtures will appear too obtrusive and diminish the room’s aesthetic. The best way to design a superior lighting floor plan is to install low-profile functional lights and decorative accent lights at unique angles of incidence. Creating a multi-layered interior lighting design in this fashion will ensure decorative appeal and satisfactory lighting levels at once.

One of the most common questions we get about lighting floor plans deals with the actual number of lighting fixtures that a particular room will need.

The answer to this question is highly subjective, and requires a case-by-case analysis of each interior element to determine. Room sizes dictate the number of lighting fixtures and the wattages that must be used to provide general lighting. Factors such as ceiling height, the presence of natural light coming in through windows, and floor space itself play major roles in determining wattage and lumens levels. Hallways, for example, with tall ceiling eliminate the opportunity to plan recessed lighting because the angles are too steep creating objectionable shadows on objects of art. To overcome the effects of tall ceilings, homeowners are sometimes inclined to use the brightest lights to make sure that everything can be clearly seen. This type of lighting floor plan can cause more problems than it solves, however. Too much light creates either indirect glare or glare reflecting off glass and metal surfaces. It also creates a “flattened” look where everything looks two-dimensional. This works against interior decorating and is best avoided through a more strategic and selective blending of general and accent lighting. Floor plans can be illuminated in this fashion with multiple layers of house lighting that magnify important design elements reflective of personal taste and lifestyle.

Decorative lighting and use of chandeliers depends on the interior designer’s look and feel of the home.

Most floor plans are traditional or contemporary, and decorative lighting fixtures come in both types of styles to provide a visual compliment to their surroundings. Chandelier lifts, a real luxury are becoming more prevalent in today’s modern new home wiring plans due to taller ceiling heights and more elaborate fixture designs. They are useful during the installation of the fixture, for lamp changing and for cleaning purposes. If you are planning to have a chandelier as part of your lighting floor plan, it really should be done by a professional who can install it with a lift. This will allow you to do simple indoor lighting maintenance on your own and avoid the expense of service calls in the future.

Accent lighting is determined by the number of targets to illuminate such as art, sculpture or furnishings.

Recessed low voltage accent ccent lights add great value to any project, and magnify the elements of both contemporary and traditional-style interior décor superbly. Accent lights create focal points and are used to illuminate fine art, antique furniture, dining tables and plants. Accent lighting fixtures typically have small apertures which tend to hide the light source and minimize visual glare. They can also be used as an effective general lighting source in some contemporary lighting floor plans when planning your house lighting.

Although the lighting concepts are repetitive, every home takes on a new design depending on the floor plan.

It pays off in the long run to have your lighting floor plan developed by a professional lighting designer with extensive knowledge of interior decorating and architectural theory. Professionals like the consultants at Illuminations Lighting and Design know how to isolate key features that need enhancement through lighting, and they know where best to install lighting fixtures for functional and aesthetic effect.

Our areas of lighting expertise include residential, commercial, landscape, liturgical, building facades, and hospitality. We are fully equipped to produce CAD drawings, full specifications, custom lighting details, photometrics, energy code documentation, hand renderings, lighting control system layout and programming, and construction administration.

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Advice on Drawing a Floor Plan for Your Franchise Business

admin — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 04:27:10 +0000

Designing the floor plan of a franchise location is one of the most important steps a franchisee will complete in the franchise process. It is essential to have your store setup in a way that it not only functions with your specific business but also sends the right message to potential customers. If your store is too crowded, poorly lit, or unorganized, it could deter customers. Although the specifics of your floor plan will greatly vary based on the type of franchise you open and the location you choose, there are still a few tips anyone should consider when drawing up a floor plan.

Understand The Requirements of Your Franchisor

Franchises frequently have extremely strict guidelines when it comes to floor plan design. In fact, some even provide downloadable sample floor plans that their franchisees must use. Additionally, some franchisors even have “floor plan consultants” that are available to give advice and help prepare floor plans.

Take Accurate Measurements

Before preparing the floor plan you should take accurate measurements of your site. Make sure these measurements are 100% accurate. Remember it never hurts to double check, or even triple check, your measurements. Having these measurements will allow you to draw an accurate floor plan that will let you maximize the available space.

Identify Physical Changes Immediately

Sometimes you will not need to make any physical improvements to the site, but if you do it’s important to get them completed in a timely manner. That way there will be no physical changes or construction to worry about when it’s time to start moving your furniture.

Know The Site Inside & Out

You need to know your site inside and out. Be mindful of light fixtures, electrical outlets, phone lines, etc. Many of these amenities will be essential in how you lay out your store. There is no point in having a computer desk setup on a wall where there are no outlets or a reception desk where there are no phone lines. If caught early, many of these small details can be fixed fairly inexpensively and will spare you major headaches later in the move in process.

Submit As Soon As Possible

Submit a sample floor plan to your franchise headquarters as soon as you have it completed. Floor plans almost always need to be approved by franchisors, and there are no guarantees on how long it will take them to get back to you.

Log House Floor Plan | The Rustic American Design

admin — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:27:14 +0000

For home builders who crave a comfortable and cozy home that evokes the spirit of nature, nothing says rustic quite like the icon of early American housing. The log house floor plan fits the bill both in structure and aesthetic appeal. The appealing feeling of warmth most people marvel at is quite unlike any other type of home.

A log house is quite literally a nest type home whose peculiar beauty is a byproduct of its woodland charm. In spite of the durability of log homes that derive their character and strength from tightly woven trees, the appeal of a log house floor plan is limited to less than one percent of all new homes built every year.

A log house is quite literally a nest type home whose unusual beauty is a byproduct of its woodland charm. In spite of the durability of log homes that derive their character and strength from tightly woven trees, the appeal of a log house floor plan is limited to less than one percent of all new homes built every year. Of those log houses built on a yearly basis, approximately 90 percent are kit houses

For those home builders determined to have a log house of their very own, they should be aware of the fact that they face certain challenges unique to the log house.

1. Because most log homes are built from a kit, finding a lender can be difficult.

2. Most lenders want to be assured that the home is appraised appropriately. Home appraisal of log houses isn’t easy because of the lack of comparable log homes and this can lead to difficulties in obtaining a construction loan.

3. Underwriting of mortgages is based on approximately 3 comparable sales and one must be a log house. Underwriting criteria for do-it-yourself kit houses such as the log house tends to be much more strict than for a traditionally constructed home.

Beyond the financial challenges of owning a log house, there are further considerations.

1. Dust collection: Dust collects on the rough interior planed surfaces of a log house over time and is difficult to remove. This can be a problem for those with house dust allergies.

2. Chemical Sensitivities: Allergic individuals should double check that logs haven’t been treated with chemicals, stains, sealers, or solvents. Most chemicals are added to prevent rot or deter pests. This can also pose a long term problem.

3. Finally, it’s hard to the decor if you grow weary of it – you can change the floor covering, the window dressings and wall art, but the basic flavor of the home will always stay the same.

How much does a home built from a log house floor plan cost?

The cost of a log house is comparable to other home types but is dependent on several factors:

1. The average cost for a kit log house runs between $85 to $125 per square foot. this is for the kit house only. The costs of land, septic, and water well are not included in the price per square foot.

2. A hand built log house can cost considerably more. The average price begins at about $100 per square foot and can rise up to $350 per square foot or more depending on the size and complexity of the log house floor plan being built.

The do-it-yourself home builder can save big money on construction. If you want to construct your own log house, but haven’t the necessary skills there are several schools across the country that will teach you how to build your own log house from the ground up. Tuition averages approximately $900 and does not include tools.

Although nothing says rustic American design quite like the log house floor plan, without careful planning the cost could be quite painful. For those who love the rough pioneer spirit, the log house floor plan is the perfect place to live out those American Western dreams.

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Floor Plan Survey is Made Easier Than Before Facilitating a Pda

admin — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 04:27:19 +0000

A new building survey software was announced to the market with an innovative approach to support appraisers, insurance inspectors, architects, real-estate agencies, flooring installers and anyone who needs digitized drawing and to calculate the area and perimeter of a floor plan even on-site. The OrthoGraph Architect software supports professional building surveys, incorporating floor plan using a mobile personal data assistant (PDA).

Using this software the measurements are produced in electronic format right on the spot, while using all possible data-entry equipments and providing automatic control on the values. The system handles the drawing data rapidly, and can handle laser distance meters or barcode readers.

After specifying the structure of rooms each room (or logical zone) can have its own drawing. This drawing is uniquely created first by sketching in the particular room into the PDA, and then measuring the distances. To keep the sketching process as easy as it is possible the system provides numerous tools like the “Ghost layer” function that allow the user to show and snap to already sketched or measured zones.

In many cases it may be enough to have the rooms only partly measured (the “fast measure” function), but in some cases it is required to have them exactly surveyed. Using the automatic measurement function the software warns the user for each missing measurement one by one and for doing all necessary measurements on site.

Although the automatic measurement is very precise, as mentioned before it is not always required and can mean more work than it is necessary. In those cases (and if the user decides to keep most of the angles as they were drawn) it is worth to do the measurements manually, just selecting the distances with the pencil and entering the measured data the same result can be achieved.

Measured distances can be entered on-screen but the fastest way is to use a laser distance meter. The model Leica Disto A6 is such a measurement device, which is supported by default. By using Bluetooth connection it transfers the measured distances with one single click.

Joining rooms to each other can be done easily through walls, wall openings, corners or endpoints. The fully measured rooms are acting as fix drawings (called “islands”) and after joining them to each other they move together (this is the “floating island” functionality).

Besides measuring the walls, wall openings, doors, windows and furnishings/objects are also supported storing their proper positions and properties.

The drawn floor plan can be exported into 2D or 3D DWG format or scaled PDF print outs besides many other formats like .xls, .txt, .xml.

The benefit of using OrthoGraph is to collect graphical and alphanumeric data on-site with ease, where the software helps controlling and display all measurements. There is no more forgotten measurement, or invalid data, everything is shown on the spot, where the data is entered.

For a short video showing the graphical functionality of OrthoGraph visit YouTube on the following address:

For further details please visit the company’s website at http://www.orthograph.net

Do Floor Plans That I Buy on the Internet Contain Everything That I Need to Build in the State of ..?

admin — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 04:26:13 +0000

One question that we receive almost every day is whether or not the floor plans package for plan XXXX contains everything that a person would need to build the home in the state of “XXX”… As such, we wanted to provide some additional information to clarify the subject.

In most areas of the United States, purchasing a stock floor plan package from an website and/or from a house plan book will include all documents that you will need to build the home. However, in certain regions of the country, a person may also be required to obtain additional design details and/or plan modificationsto obtain a building permit. In the majority of cases, a stock floor plan package will still provide a significant cost-savings when compared to a corresponding set of custom floor plans from a local design professional.

In addition to the floor plans you order, you may also need a site plan that shows where the home is going to be located on the property. You might also need beams sized to accommodate roof loads specific to your region. Your contractor can usually help you with this. You may also need a septic design unless your lot is served by a sanitary sewer system. In some cases, certain areas of the country also have area-specific energy codes that also need to be followed. This normally involves filling out a simple form providing documentation that your floor plan is in compliance.

In some regions, there is a second step you will need to take to insure your floor plans are in compliance with local codes. Some areas of North America have very strict engineering requirements. Examples of this would be earthquake-prone areas of California and the Pacific Coast, hurricane risk areas of the Florida, Gulf & Carolina Coasts. New York, New Jersey, Nevada, and parts of Illinois require review by a local professional as well. If you are building in these areas, it is most likely you will need to hire a state licensed structural engineer to analyze the design and provide additional drawings and calculations required by your building department. If you aren’t sure, building departments typically have a handout they will give you listing all of the items they require to submit for and obtain a building permit.

Additionally, stock floor plans do not have a professional stamp attached. If your building department requires one, they may only accept a stamp from a professional licensed in the state where you plan to build. In this case, you will need to take your floor plans to a local engineer or architect for review and stamping. In addition, floor plans which are used to construct homes, in certain states, are required to be drawn by a licensed architect in that state.

Just remember that, many times, minor changes and material substitutions can be made, onsite, by a professional builder without the need for floor plan revisions. However, if you think that you will be making significant changes, its probably a good idea to select a “Reproducible”, “PDF File”, or “CAD File” floor plan package and seek the services of a local design professional.

Finally, it is always a good idea to check with your local city, municipality, and state building authorities to ensure that your home construction will meet all applicable building codes.

Hopefully, the above information will provide you with a good basis for evaluating your particular floor plan situation.

If you would like to learn about more of the most frequently-asked floor plan questions, visit us online at:

http://www.houseplangallery.com/index_files/house-plans-faq.php

Online Floors Plan For Your Dream Home

admin — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 04:26:22 +0000

There are various websites on the internet that allow you to view some of the finest floor plans. Some of these sites charge you a nominal fee to download the exact specifications of the online floor plan that suits you while others offer the most popular online floor plans for free!

The benefit of browsing through a website that offers online floor plans is that a whole new world of possibilities will open in front of you.

All of us have a dream house in mind that we would like to build and live in some day. In fact, many of us work towards a fine house where we would like to relax in. Sadly, the rising costs of living and even inflation have ensured that this house remains a dream for most.

The same is the case with me. I dream of a fine house with a lavish garden where my family and I can relax and enjoy life. And although I don’t have the means to afford the house right now, I am pretty sure that one day I will be able to afford it. Meanwhile I continue to source out various aspects of the dream house. And recently, I stumbled upon a goldmine – online floor plans!

Speaking for myself, when I went to one such website looking for online floor plans, I was confronted by a mind boggling range of online floor plans for literally any kind of house. This particular website had floor plans that could be searched by any or all of a combination of key words. For instance, I could search for online floor plans based on number of rooms. I could also select to view online floor plans based on the style of construction.

If I knew what I wanted and more or less how I wanted it to look, I could opt to see online floor plans based on the area of the construction or the material best suited for the online floor plan of a particular type of construction. Why? I could even view online floor plans for futuristic and designer homes!

While most of these floor plans are very basic, unless you decide to buy a complete online floor plan with drawings, scale sheets, blueprints etc, they still offer one a wealth of information about the kinds of construction taking place.

And once you browse through the comprehensive collection of online floor plans, your dream house will look that much better and you will be motivated to build and live in it that much sooner. Trust me! I still continue to browse through online floor plans. And my dream home is getting better by the day.

Home Decoration & Real Estate » floor plan

Hardwood Flooring

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