Blog - Page 70 of 123 - Handmade Houses with Noah Bradley

The Challenge… and the Solution… to Building on a Sloped Site

Today I wanted to share with you how I often handle building a home on a sloped parcel of land.

My technique is that I combine the creation of a flat, level area with… a walk-out basement!

If you aren’t familiar with a walk-out basement… it is a basement with windows and doors on the downhill side, and one that is buried into the ground on the uphill side. It is a wonderful way to work with a challenging site, while at the same time creating additional, light-filled, interior living space.

But… there is one huge mistake that I’ve seen so many folks make with regard to walk-out basements… it’s nearly impossible for me to put it into words without showing you some drawings at the same time… and that’s just what I did in this week’s video… Building a House on a Sloped Parcel of Land.

If you enjoy this video you really ought to check out all of the free Handmade House TV episodes!

And, if you want to I have THE BEST I have to offer!… please consider becoming a member of the The Handmade House Guild!

Originally posted 2017-06-27 18:38:31.

The Challenge… and the Solution… to Building on a Sloped SiteNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:30:18+00:00

Porches should be a priority

Here’s another photo of the same mountaintop cabin, but this one is taken from the other end of the home, about a month before we finished it up. Even though you don’t see a lot of logs from this perspective, the view of the home screams “Porches!”… which is a good thing, don’t you think?

Originally posted 2015-02-08 15:07:58.

Porches should be a priorityNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:30:17+00:00

One man’s junk is another’s treasure

This is an old postcard that someone gave me once, likely from the 1960’s. I think the tone of the card was humorous, implying that to have a place like this was as bad as it gets. I must just be odd, because I would LOVE to have a place like this. I could fix this place up to be a dream home. Am I crazy?

Originally posted 2015-02-07 15:50:11.

One man’s junk is another’s treasureNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:30:16+00:00

Stone arches

Hi, my name is Noah Bradley and I am an “archoholic”. I can’t help myself, I love the things… I can’t get enough of them.

Wouldn’t you agree that a log bedroom just HAS to have a stone fireplace and that having an arched one would make it perfect? That’s what we built for this cabin.

I find vintage stone arches all over Virginia, and beyond. Masons didn’t stop using them in the Roman times, they were a part of American history. Arches are not just for the wealthy, or for elaborate Cathedrals, but for anyone who desires to build something that not only looks great, but lasts for centuries.

Take a look at this photo that I snapped of a little stone bridge that is spanning a small stream of an old homestead. Actually this “bridge” is no bigger than a culvert pipe that we see commonly used today, but yet it is soooo much more attractive. (This little bridge is over two hundred years old and still serving it’s purpose).

It’s just precious.

Have you ever wondered how a stone arch is built and put into place? The method hasn’t changed. You start by creating a form, then shape the stones, next set the stones in place using the form, and then remove the supporting structure.

I have always liked incorporating a “proud” keystone into our stonework… the top center stone is the keystone and by “proud” I mean a bit taller and larger than the rest of the stones in the arch.

Originally posted 2015-02-07 15:02:40.

Stone archesNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:30:15+00:00

A cabin instills calm… like nothing else can

Ask yourself how stressed to do feel after looking at this photo for a few moments? It’s much more evident when you are in this room. All is well, when you are in a cabin.

Originally posted 2015-02-06 19:51:27.

A cabin instills calm… like nothing else canNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:30:14+00:00

Go ahead, finish the attic

A peak into the attic. What was planned to be an unfinished attic, became a magical space for children, and for those who are young at heart.

All we did was add a couple of dormers and a painted paneling ceiling…

Originally posted 2015-02-06 17:24:37.

Go ahead, finish the atticNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:30:13+00:00

A chimney base

Here’s a photo of the angle-cut course of stone made in order to create a wider base for the stone chimney that is to come. It’s a really nice touch to add to any chimney.

I’ve never read why the masons of old added this feature on the finer chimneys of that era, but I would imagine it was a way to further strengthen and stabilize these monuments.. and that is what a well-built chimney is, a monument. A chimney often stands long after a home is gone.

Folks back then paid more attention to nature than we do today and Incorporated those observations into their homes. Take a look at the tallest living structures that you encounter on a daily basis… trees. Notice how they flare out at the base?

It’s little details like this that will bring joy to you and for the generations to come. This handcrafted detail is right down there near the ground and is something that catches your eye every time you walk by it. New visitors always comment about it and often go over to touch it.

But it’s not without cost, it takes effort for you to get it in your plans, it takes extra materials, but most of all it’s about extra labor, it takes a mason days and days, with a hammer and chisel in hand, to create it. There is nothing like breaking the budget on day one… but IT”S WORTH IT !

Originally posted 2015-02-06 17:15:07.

A chimney baseNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:30:12+00:00

Before and after

Here’s a “before” photo of the cabin I posted earlier today… I think I improved upon it.

This seasoned cabin was in the middle of a large field in the southern part of the state with cattle walking around, and inside, the house. After taking the cabin down and moving it we ended up totally re-notching the corners and we added in other antique logs to make up for bad ones and in order to increase the ceiling heights. (People were shorter back in those days.)

Originally posted 2015-02-06 16:40:15.

Before and afterNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:30:11+00:00

A good design is fluid

Whether you like this cabin, or not, I would ask that you look at it’s details and discover what it is that makes it special (or not) for you. If you make a practice out of this, whenever you pass a home or flip through a magazine, you will eventually become an expert in what pleases you and then you will be able to design a home for yourself that fulfills your dreams more than any architect ever could.

This is a sweet log cabin that I built years ago. I promise to bore all you good friends with it’s construction details over the next week or so (sorry about that). But it’s for your own good. 😉

I’ll start out with this outside photo taken of the back of the house… Yes, I like all sides to look good… and I admit I am a “back of the house” kind of guy.

This side of the house faces “the view” which is a breathtaking panorama. When I designed the home on paper it had just a single story porch and no dormers on this side, but as the cabin went up and everyone began to appreciate the views from a higher perspective a double porch came into play, and the attic was finished with dormers installed to take in the highest view.

So here we have created my second and third “rules of building a great home” (the first being that all sides should be attractive) and now… 2) you need to know what features in a home appeal to you before you design 3) when you build a home it needs to be an ongoing design process and changes will likely be made as the house is built.

One last thing… while we are looking at this image notice the angled base of the stone chimney… a very nice, pleasing-to-the-eye, historically-found feature on quality built homes of an earlier era.

Originally posted 2015-02-06 15:53:09.

A good design is fluidNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:30:10+00:00

An oldie, but a goodie

I believe most people would view this house as an eyesore.

It’s one of the hundreds that I’ve been called on to come take a look at over the years, to see whether it could be restored. or if not, to see if there was any salvage value to it. This house was clearly beyond “practical restoration” (although I have taken on more extreme challenges than this one, but the pocket book has to be deep and the determination strong).

I passed on the salvaging option also, I don’t know why, but this old house just spoke to me, and I didn’t have the heart to be the one take her down, so I just snapped this photo and thanked the owners for letting me look her over.

Originally posted 2015-02-05 19:10:41.

An oldie, but a goodieNoah Bradley2019-06-29T10:30:09+00:00