Passive Solar House Thrombe Wall & Greenhouse

Passive Solar Greenhouse

My self-designed and self-built home in the Colorado mountains included a passive solar Trombe wall  in a south-facing solar greenhouse made from decomposed granite stones gathered off the site. I was green before green was cool. The paver flooring also provided solar storage. The house was cut into the hill on its north side for a natural earth berm and had small high windows on that side for energy conservation. Very little of the two acre site and vegetation was disturbed during construction, involving only the house foot print, gravel driveway, and septic field. No soil was imported and the cut to create the berm against the north wall provided just enough fill to support the front of the home. The south side windows had overhanging eaves, which length was calculated to allow sun to enter in winter and not in summer. A concrete slab floor contributed to the thermal mass and resultant moderation of temperature swings.

passive solar greenhouse at 7500 ft elev. Town of Boulder in back.

The climate and south slope location were well suited to passive solar techniques, and these expenditures were able to payback in a reasonable amount of time in the mid 1980’s. These design elements worked very well to moderate the daily temperature swings through the seasons. In addition I used inexpensive electric baseboard space heating that was easily zoned in each room, and an electric demand load shedder could automatically turn off heat in a little-used area or the electric water heater or well pump. We gathered and cut our own dead firewood frequently for a cast iron wood stove used on the coldest nights. My window coverings were panels of foil-faced urethane (later fabric covered) left over from the unused wall sheathing.

Ventilated operable skylights in the ceiling furnished summer cooling from the chimney effect. No mechanical air conditioning was required at 7400 feet above sea level, and the roof overhangs were dimensioned to optimize the resulting shade in summer as well as the solar gain from the lower winter sun altitude angle.

 This home design saved a lot of money on utilities and was comfortable in spite of a high heating degree-day location at the 7,800-foot elevation -see photo left. The utility bills with an all-electric, passive solar home were flat and constant throughout the winter months (consistently at $100 per month for 2400 sq ft. when others were $300 to $400.) The nation became more interested in conservation of energy in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, following President Nixon’s government price controls on oil in 1973 which led to price increases and an oil crisis, as well as President Carter’s shortages of gas and long lines at the pump in 1979.

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Passive Solar Home in Colorado Mountains Built by the Author in Mid-1980's

Photo of the passive solar greenhouse
 under construction with author.

Yes, Geoff was a green builder before green was cool. He designed and built a passive solar, energy efficient home at 7400 foot elevation in the Colorado mountains in the mid eighties.

A registered heating and air conditioning engineer, Geoff's self-built and self-designed home included a passive solar Trombe wall (see Glossary) in a south-facing solar greenhouse made from decomposed granite stones gathered off the site, not transported from a distance. The house was cut into the hill on its north side for a natural earth berm and had small high windows on that side for energy conservation. Very little of the two acre site and vegetation was disturbed during construction, involving only the house foot print, gravel driveway, and septic field. No soil was imported and the cut to create the berm against the north wall provided just enough fill to support the front of the home.
    
     The south side windows had overhanging eaves, which length was calculated to allow sun to enter in winter and not in summer. A concrete slab floor contributed to the thermal mass and resultant moderation of temperature swings. The climate and south slope location were well suited to passive solar techniques, and these expenditures were able to payback in a reasonable amount of time in the mid 1980’s.

     
     These design elements worked very well to moderate the daily temperature swings through the seasons. In addition the builder used inexpensive electric baseboard space heating that was easily zoned in each room, and an electric demand load-shedder could automatically turn off heat in a little-used area or the electric water heater or well pump.

      The occupants gathered and cut their own dead firewood frequently for a cast iron wood stove used on the coldest nights. The window coverings were panels of foil-faced urethane (later fabric covered) left over from the unused wall sheathing. Ventilated operable skylights in the ceiling furnished summer cooling from the chimney effect. No mechanical air conditioning was required at 7400 feet above sea level, and the roof overhangs were dimensioned to optimize this by reducing heat gain through the windows and doors.

Photo shows the passive greenhouse
with the city of Boulder, CO on the plains below.

    This author’s home design saved a lot of energy (money on utilities) and was comfortable in spite of a high heating degree-day location at this elevation. The utility bills with an all-electric, passive solar home were flat and constant throughout the winter months (consistently at $100 per month for 2400 sq ft. when others were $300 to $400.)
      











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Left-hand photo shows the north wall, bermed into the hill for reduction of heat loss. West wedge-shaped wall afforded a view of the continental divide (James Peak) and late afternoon solar exposure.








The photo on the right shows friends enjoying the Trombe wall on the left and the Jotel wood stove adjacent to it.








Striking image below of this passive solar energy-efficient mountain home on south-facing slope on a testy winter day.

Estimating, excerpt from book "Working for Subs"

 Estimating Costs:

The estimate in Appendix F [of book Working for Subs] is based upon a Microsoft Excel® spreadsheet composed by the author and was used for building in Tennessee in the mid 2000's. Other locations may vary drastically in labor and supply costs. Referring to this estimate will aid you in compiling a list of most materials and labor items used to build an average sized home as well as a representative percentage of that item’s cost to the total project cost. Actual dollar figures will not be accurate for your location or time, and are shown to merely give a relative notion of itemized costs. It is based upon a slab on grade foundation and a single story house.

This author has found it is best not to rely upon any single spreadsheet, book, or computer program to estimate the cost of construction. Instead, call each and every subcontractor and supplier you can for each project to get the latest cost. Go through every number produced and verify its derivation for every new project. This will take some time and for some items several hours of work. Each entry in the estimate sheet represents money, and is worth spending at least more time on than you might spend reviewing the bill for dinner at a restaurant - the way many builders treat their quotations.
Every job should be estimated by re-calculating from scratch every item that goes into building it. Materials' prices change, different subcontractors have different rates, and their quotations change. Building codes change, each structure has unique attributes, different locations affect costs in different ways, etc. Use a previous estimate like the one shown in Appendix F only as a guide to prevent overlooking items that should be included or only to give ballpark figures for comparison and checking your figures.

A spreadsheet similar to the one in Appendix F is a good way to approach estimating. Each item has three columns dedicated to materials and three columns to labor. All factors that enter into a calculation cannot be shown in a single cell of a spreadsheet, so we use separate spreadsheets (not shown) to calculate the various numbers shown in the cells. These separate calculations then automatically refer their result to the appropriate cell of the main spreadsheet.

For example, the fireplace cost may consist of a summary of components, including the firebox supplier’s quote, framing, hearth construction, a surround of tile or marble, a mantle constructed by the trim sub, separate chimney enclosure, etc. This detailed estimate item from another spreadsheet (not shown) is all reflected in one or two entries on the main spreadsheet of Appendix F. The units column may list the number of bricks or the square footage of floor for tile. No units are consistently the same type, as one might be a unit of volume (cu ft,) a quantity (count,) or an area (sq ft.) The unit cost column may just be a factor composed of a complex computation from another spreadsheet to yield the total cost shown. Each entry of Appendix F must be reviewed as though it were being produced for the first time in order to be accurate.

The last two columns of Appx. F (% cost per item and cost per heated square foot) are handy for checking your calculations. They should be in the same realm or magnitude as your figures. If your trim and door number, for example, is 10% of your total cost instead of the 2.3% shown, you either have very expensive finishes or your calculations need to be revisited.

Early in the design phase of construction you should get as many quotations from suppliers and subcontractors as you can in order to avoid surprises later. Often time is not available for this in great detail. However, several quotations shown are needed at this early stage, due to their long lead times (from order to delivery,) and to lock in some significant prices prior to commencement. Some subs are booked for weeks in advance, and you will need their quotes at an early stage to guarantee their contract commitment. A list of these critically early items is shown earlier in this chapter in the Detailed Building Schedule Part B.

There are many good estimating books available to aid the homebuilder. Walker’s Building Estimator’s Reference Bookⁱ is one that is comprehensive and more directed to commercial work, but also covers many elements of residential construction. It attempts to be all things to all types of readers in many locations and accomplishes this as well as any fixed writing can. Use references as guides only, because the best way to price an item is to contact the supplier that you might use and ask a lot of questions.

Be sure your suppliers’ and subs' quotations include delivery, taxes, complete systems, and timely arrival on the job. Refer to the various chapters throughout this book for questions to ask of suppliers and subcontractors, as each type first appears in the Detail Schedule Parts appearing there. When building in upscale neighborhoods, we found our unit cost quotes from subs were always higher than in middle-income neighborhoods for the same quality of work. In addition at the end of their work many subs attempted to request adds to their prices based upon supposed extras that were never discussed up front. Be sure to tell each sub that you do not want any surprises, and a change order must be agreed upon by both of you before doing any work not included in their quotation for a complete system.

i The Building Estimator’s Reference Book, Lisle, IL, Frank R. Walker Co., 2002.

Misc. Items: Overhead Garage Door, Cultured Marble

You may want to install the garage door motor operator yourself (see Chapter 16) in order to save a little money, and since you need to be present on the job for other reasons. I normally would do some odd jobs, so that I could justify waiting around the job site for deliveries, or to lock up after subs. Your trim subcontractor will have to case the large garage overhead door opening before you have the door installed, since the rails mount against these 1x4’s framing the door opening. Following that you can install the motor operator if you are not having a door company do it. We could either pay the overhead door company an extra $250 to furnish and install a half-horsepower motor, or we could buy one for $125 locally and do the labor ourselves. It took about two hours, which was equivalent to $50 per hour pay. This could not be considered after-tax money, since it contributed to sweat equity that would be taxed as profit later, (not as homeowner.) That income was fairly good compensation, especially since we needed to be present on the job a good deal of the time anyway, without the luxury of a full-time super (superintendent.)

The builder must call a cultured marble supplier, if desired, for vanity tops, before the plumber is to come to final his work. The marble company will measure the installed vanities for tops and built-in lavatory bowls, whirlpool tubs with splash and skirt, perhaps shower walls or tub surrounds, and caps for shower knee walls and curbs. This product is not satisfactory for kitchen countertops, since it is easily stained, porous, and not heat resistant.

We found it was less expensive and more satisfactory to furnish an acrylic whirlpool tub than a marble one. Acrylic is more comfortable with ample body-fitting curves, and it keeps water warmer than the heat absorbing thermal mass of a marble tub will allow. The difference is that an acrylic tub requires a knee wall or other support to be built, and a marble tub comes with its own marble skirt, which was self-supporting. Both types required access for servicing the pump underneath. The acrylic tub’s skirt was usually a piece of cement board covered with tile and held in place with caulk that could be cut later for service. Sometimes a service access door is provided in an adjacent toilet room. I often wanted to install a large soaking tub rather than a whirlpool tub, since the latter is harder to clean, costs more, requires electrical work and access, and most buyers report whirlpools are rarely used. However, though little used, buyers usually requested the jets and pumps.

[cont. in book Working for Subs -see URL link herein]

Light and Appliance orders - excerpt from book

Light order:     [from book Working for Subs, available from Amazon.com]

A sample lighting order list appears in Appendix E that illustrates the various fixtures, bulbs (lamps,) and accessories you will require before your electrician arrives to final his work. These are items that the builder normally provides to the electrical contractor to install. The electrical roughin that was performed as described in Chapter 10 is followed at this time with the electrical final.

When the time for the electrician to final his work arrives, the builder must have all light fixtures and bulbs on the premises and all appliances present. The electrical subcontractor will assemble and mount all fans and fixtures. He will install pigtails (equipment power cords and plugs) on the dishwasher, the range, oven, disposal, and microwave.

Other contractors specialize only in setting appliances in place for less money after the electrician does his work. The plumber will set the dishwasher and disposal as part of his contract. These plug into a receptacle installed by the electrician under the sink base cabinet. We used to set many of the appliances ourselves, since we had to be present on the job most of that day, it saved money, and it gave us something to do while waiting for subs and answering their questions. When it came to difficult appliance installations, like double ovens or downdraft rangetops we normally hired an outside installer, or let the electrician do it (more expensive.)

Microwave vent combination units that go above a stovetop are attached to the cabinets. We used to try to duct the exhaust to the outside through a roof cap with flashing. This is a better way to install one, however many builders were using the recirculating type with a charcoal filter, which meets code but is practically useless at removing cooking vapors, odors, and smoke. These recirculating ventilators will catch a small amount of grease on the thin filters, but most of the pollution escapes into the room. In order to compete we began using the same type of recirculating ventilated microwaves. It appeared that homebuyers were not concerned over which type was used, and the additional cost could be avoided. The best way to provide stovetop ventilation is to use a hood with a grease filter and a squirrel caged exhaust fan in the attic, ducted to the outside. This is expensive, but quite and may require opening a window for make-up air in a new tighter home due to being more efficient than a factory mounted hood exhaust.

You will save about half the cost of lighting by going to a large hardware store and buying the light fixtures yourself rather than calling the local lighting company to come out to do a take-off. Also, you will benefit from a more upscale appearance and better accuracy, since small suppliers tend to sell builders cheap looking fixtures at higher prices, and rarely provide what is desired. Shopping for your own lighting can be accomplished with a good list in about two or three hours. See Appendix E for a sample lighting order list. Often, when we hired a lighting supplier, the fixtures delivered were not what we had selected, some were missing and back ordered, they cost more, and the quality was deficient. Electricians usually complete a normal sized home’s final in one day. If they must return, it can be a hassle for you, and possibly an additional charge.

There can be many types of light bulbs used in your new home. Incandescent, fluorescent, the new energy saving compact fluorescent, LED's, and of many different shapes and types, including candelabra, small base, medium base, globe, frosted, clear, etc. You should consult a catalog and educate yourself well in advance of shopping to save effort and time. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFL’s) or LED lamps will cost a lot initially and have disposal and color rendition issues, but the environmental green movement may sway you to use them. CFL’s contain mercury, so should be recycled and not tossed into the trash. Most LED’s and some CFL’s may illuminate with a non-natural light closer to blue in the visible spectrum.

Appliances:

After cabinets have been installed and the electrical roughin has been accomplished, you can order appliances to be delivered. You will want much of the painting to have been completed as well as flooring if possible. The electrician will have to be called back to connect the pigtails and outlets behind most of this equipment.
Y
our appliance order should be complete, including at least four items a dishwasher, disposal for the plumber to connect, an above-the-range microwave with vent, and a combination stove with an oven and a range. Some areas without public sewer taps may necessitate the use of a septic tank in which case a disposal may be ill advised. Your order should conform to the dimensions already given to the cabinet supplier, since the appliances must fit those. Over the stove is the best location for a microwave, since the width is usually the same, and this allows a built in exhaust fan. Counter top microwaves and built-ins elsewhere take up too much useful space. Some recommend under-the-counter, but stooping becomes laborious.
I
f your kitchen is more upscale you may have a rangetop with a separate vent hood and an independent exhaust fan. This usually entails a separate built-in double or single oven inserted into a cabinet in another spot. A trash compactor is a specialty item that most people seldom use, and they usually convert to a cabinet in the future. So, avoid this cost, unless you are one of the very few who likes them. You may have a downdraft (inefficient & ineffective ventilating) rangetop instead of one under a hood, so the exhaust duct will have to be connected under the cabinet by someone at this time. Since this book is concerned primarily with scheduling, subcontractor coordination, and costs, not design or functionality, appliance options are not discussed in great detail. There are kitchen consultants who make a living solely designing these rooms.

As mentioned, there are appliance installers who do nothing except set these items as their career. I usually installed my own and saved the $200 or $300, since I needed to be on the job anyway meeting subs. My electrician could place most for an extra fee, except I still had to connect the duct to any downdraft or microwave vented through the roof, if the HVAC sub had not been paid to do so. However, for elaborate or larger appliances I usually hired the specialist who could do it much more efficiently. Your appliance supplier can give the names of a few installers. The plumber, of course, must set the dishwasher and disposal once the electrician has connected their pigtails, plugs, and a receptacle.


One problem of concern after ordering appliances is theft, since these items are easily carried and expensive. Microwaves and disposals are most often taken. You will want the house to be lockable with all doors, windows, and locksets in at this time.  
[continued in book Working for Subs]

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Design and installation of Fireplace And Chimney -excerpt from book Working for Subs

Fireplace And Chimney:

Framing The Fireplace Enclosure:

The framer will build a chimney chase and enclosure (see Chapter 8) for the direct-vent or ventless firebox if it is a prefabricated metal one and not brick. You will have to call the supplier for the rough opening dimensions at the face of the firebox, and be sure to add to the vertical dimension for any raised hearth. Give these dimensions to the framer. Also be sure the chase dimensions will clear the chimney by 2” on all sides even though rated for zero clearance. Many prefabricated fireplace manufacturers only require a zero or two-inch clearance to combustibles, like wood studs. Try 25 gage interior steel studs to perhaps save some money over wood, and to allow zero space around a firebox. Our floorplans usually called for a seven-foot wide face on the chase that allowed for a tile surround and mantel legs on each side of the opening for up to a forty-two inch model firebox.

Setting the fireplace in an outside corner seems to be a desirable design feature, since it allows a view out the windows from the same vantage point (the sofa,) gives easy access for outside air ducts, and facilitates efficient furniture placement. The windows, TV, and fireplace can all be seen from the area's seating arrangement with this design scheme, as shown in Photo 13. The third focal point from the viewing location is the TV, so try to group these three in your room design.
Chapter 8 carries more discussion on masonry work for fireplaces. You will need to consult a brick yard for components used for a masonry fireplace. Be sure to buy a log starter with other iron implements to avoid forgetting this later, but the plumber, not the brick layer, will be installing it. 

Brick fireplaces are heavy, massive monuments that require substantial foundation support and are not easy to remove, like prefabricated fireplaces, if you later decide you made an error in location. It is excessive overkill to construct a masonry fireplace and chimney just to insert a gas log set. Only build a brick fireplace to burn wood. The gas starter (perforated pipe set below a log grate with a valve) may be installed by a licensed company. In Tennessee a plumber needed a separate license other than plumbing to install gas piping and equipment for a fireplace.

Photo 13: Note corner fireplace, window, and TV accommodate one viewing direction. Observe 12 ft. vaulted ceiling, using traditional 8 ft. exterior stud wall.

The trim sub can build a mantel (see Photo 13 & Chapter 15, Photo 21 ) on site and save a great deal of expense over a manufactured model. Chapter 15 contains more information about the mantel and bill of materials.

After the chimney chase is constructed by the framer and the roof is decked, prior to installing sheetrock, you should call for installation of a metal firebox and chimney. The fireplace supplier, usually required to be licensed with a permit for your project, will normally have crews who will do the installation also. A diligent builder will have gotten a price on the installation well in advance. The gas logs or starter for the prefab fireplace will be delivered by the supplier much later in construction once the gas is turned on.

Other Fireplace Accessories:

Call the plumber to roughin the gas lines and run a capped gas supply line to the firebox at this time, before the walls are closed. This requires a separate permit that the plumber must be licensed to pull. Show the plumber where to put the manual wall shut-off valve. You may want an electric wall switch or handheld remote that controls an automatic gas valve for gas logs, both provided by the fireplace supplier. Tell the installer and the plumber where to place their accessories away from the mantel and surround, or you will find the valve and switch have been placed where your tile surround and mantel leg appear. A two-foot clearance to the edge of the firebox rough opening is usually ample.

The framer will have to insert a firestop that the chimney will penetrate at the attic or next floor plane, consisting of plywood of thickness rated to retard flame spread for the code required period. Usually two layers of 1/2” plywood laid horizontally provide the required fire rating, but verify this.

If you want a raised hearth you will have to tell the fireplace supplier to set the firebox on eight inch or twelve inch concrete blocks. This also affords a more prominent mantel and elevated firebox viewing angle. He will strap the unit to the framed opening and may run a four-inch pipe to a through-the-wall vent cap for outside makeup air to the firebox, discussed earlier in this chapter. This pipe will be always opened to the outside and may need insulating to prevent condensation on its surface in winter. This is rarely done, however, since the minor drip usually evaporates readily.

Types of Fireplaces:

If you spec (specify) a direct-vent fireplace, a small flue will be required through the wall or the roof. These are factory-built, metal prefabricated fireboxes that contain gas logs and sit on the concrete floor slab or elevated on cinder blocks. They do not require the more elaborate and larger flues through the roof that a conventional gas fireplace needs, because they burn more efficiently. Propane can be used instead of natural gas, however this LP (liquid petroleum) gas is heavier than air, and creates a hazard when igniting the gas logs. This is because LP gas can possibly linger at the floor level in an invisible gas cloud, unknown to the inhabitants,. Natural gas is lighter than air and dissipates quickly into the atmosphere and therefore avoids the hazard.

An even more efficient gas log, prefabricated fireplace is available in the ventless model.
(continued in book Working for Subs)

Design of the home -an excerpt from book Working for Subs, Ch. 3

Design Considerations:

Facade design by author in Tennessee

Covenant minimum square footage requirements for homes built in a subdivision are usually very low. You will find that the cost of the lot and character of neighboring housing usually determine the size of the structure and not the covenants, unless there are severe changes in market conditions once the development is completed. The cost of the lot usually necessitates a much larger home than covenants do in order to recover maximum value upon an eventual sale. Refer to Chapter 2 for a discussion of estimating the cost of the lot.

Your design will be critiqued by all of your neighbors and other builders in the neighborhood once construction begins. Many will approach you on the site and ask the size and style of your proposed home, so they can assure themselves that you are not bringing down values in the area by constructing a lesser dwelling. These self-appointed critics are not normally your friends, and most will confront you later with additional issues. Just smile, and tell them your design will not disgrace the subdivision, giving as little information as possible. You only have to appease the code authorities, yourself, and the lender, not curious passers-by or self-appointed neighborhood architectural police, unless on an HOA architectural committee.

If your project is located in a PUD or subdivision with a homeowner's association (HOA) your plans may be subject to review by an architectural control committee. This is just to assure the other owners that your home will not reduce property values or detract from the cohesiveness of the neighborhood. In other words your design must fit and not be too radically different from other homes in the area. HOA's do have the power to place liens or other encumbrances upon the property, so you must appease them. This modern trend of unification of design is thought by many to degrade the charm previously seen in the neighborhoods of your grandparents with their variety of styles, architectures, and colors.

When building in states like Florida with high wind, flood, and hurricane surge requirements a design professional, architect or engineer should be hired to determine code mandates and recommendations. There are many stipulations for elevation of the structure, enclosures below the base flood elevation, decks, pools, “V” and “A” zones, ⁱ etc., that are beyond the scope of this book, which is mainly devoted to construction scheduling and dealing with subcontractors.

Consider not building a separate living room in addition to a family room to save construction costs; instead look at a study or office just off the entryway that might become an additional future bedroom. Living rooms are seldom used and require expensive unused furniture. They consume the limited living space and budget of other rooms, and are an evolution of the parlor of old for greeting guests.
The modern home is becoming less formal with a hearth room open to the kitchen as well as an eating area. This allows families and friends to gather in one larger place more easily, rather than expecting them to scatter throughout the variously labeled rooms added to the house for specific purposes. Congregating is the natural tendency of groups regardless of your design intentions, and to ignore it will leave you with empty rooms while people are crammed into a smaller space. Everyone at a party groups naturally in or adjacent to the kitchen where the hosts, food and drinks are.

The dining room has remained as a permanent staple of our society that is fortunately slowly becoming extinct. It is a room that might be used two or three times a year, Thanksgiving and holidays, like Christmas, but otherwise ignored except for dusting. Your grandmother, your mother, and most everyone else in America has always had a dining room table under a hanging light fixture with a sideboard or china cabinet and a window. If you insist on a dining room, you will want a nominal twelve by fourteen foot space of about 170 sqft, unfortunately costing $20,000 or more in construction and furnishings. It must be adjacent to the kitchen for ease of access and separate from it for formal dining. This room will probably be best located off the foyer, since it can be an impressive entry feature, and uncluttered due to non-use. Don't omit the cost of conditioning and cleaning this vacant space year-round in your budget.

Rear porches and covered outdoor rooms with low ceilings should be no deeper than about ten feet, since they will darken the adjacent rooms, and to make them larger reduces their intimacy. The deeper the porch, the higher the ceiling should be, in order to avoid a low tunnel appearance. Locate the porch, patio, or outdoor room adjacent to the kitchen and family room for food service and clean up as well as to extend the common living area to the outside. Be sure to allow space for a grill, counter or bar, eating area, informal seating, and a possible outdoor fireplace. You may want to add a small patio off the master bedroom, obscured for privacy from the main living area. A large glass door could replace the master bedroom window adding natural lighting.

The front porch in most urban and suburban settings has become only useful for entry shelter from the weather or as a design feature. It is rarely used for extended living space as in days past. For these reasons its depth might be reduced. The entry porch should be covered, since this will not only give shelter from the elements, but also protects your door and other accoutrements from weathering. In a country or rural setting the front porch may be larger, since it could be used for a seating area due to less concern about privacy.

When arranging rooms and spaces in your design, strive to place a window in every room, or try to open the outside room walls to interior rooms for natural lighting with large passageways. Open passages may be attractively enhanced by  [continued in book, Working for Subs -amazon.com]

i FEMA “Homebuilder’s Guide to Coastal Construction.” http://www.toolbase.org/Home-Building-Topics/Natural-Disasters/coastal-construction-guide

• BE SURE TO CLICK    "OLDER POSTS"   - BOTTOM R. on this WEB PAGE TO SEE MORE POSTS.
• The below is an excerpt from a book of 309 pages, 19 Chapters, 10 Appendices
•                  (See Amazon.com or following URL link to preview book in Kindle or print versions)

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To preview the book that Geoff wrote       - cut and paste the following link to your browser:  https://www.createspace.com/Preview/1194783

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