29 06, 2019

99% of builders get this wrong

2019-06-29T09:48:20+00:00

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Today I’d like to share with you a very important design issue with regard to the construction of chimneys and fireplaces.

99% of home builders and masons get this wrong… and the shameful part is that it does not increase the cost, nor does it take any more effort, to get it right.

It’s all about “fresh air vents”. You see, a few years back, the government in it’s infinite wisdom decided to make it mandatory that all fireplaces be supplied with a fresh air vent to the outside… in other words… a hole poked through a fireplace and out the chimney.

We don’t need to get into the merits of “should there be one or not?”.  It’s not like we have a choice.  It’s the law.

There are pros to having these vents… Some say new homes are so airtight that fresh air is needed to keep a fire going and not smoke up a house, and others say it’s better to draw in outside air and throw it up the chimney than it is to pull heated air out of the house. Both are valid points.

The negative aspects of fresh air vents are many… most people fail to either open the little door to the vent when burning a fire (and thus they are useless) or they fail to close them when a fire is not burning which allows in cold air and all kinds of creatures who decide to crawl through the vent piping. Plus, I have witnessed strong winds blow smoke and ashes out of fireplace into the room (not good at all).

But, my biggest peeve (besides the government once again feeling it has the right to force me to build a home the way they want it to be) is that for some odd reason 99% of builders and masons feel the need to install these vents front and center… as if this piece of hardware is a decorative element. 

It’s not!  It’s an eyesore. It’s a visual distraction. It’s a pimple on a gorgeous face… why put it on the tip of the nose?

If you go to the trouble of building a beautiful chimney why mess it up with a modern vent sticking out of the face of it? You might as well hang a few hubcaps on it while you’re at it. lol  And when you come inside, and you see the gorgeous fireplace that you’ve put so much effort into building… why have a vent cover staring back at you?

You will never find an old chimney with a fresh air vent… at least I’ve never seen one.  And, you will never see a fresh air vent sticking out the face of one my new chimneys.  Remember, it’s all about the details. So you may ask… “How do I get away with having an unspoiled fireplace and chimney, and yet keep Big Brother happy as well?”

It’s SO simple… so simple in fact that I am stumped why no one else does it. Well yes, I do know… it’s because so few bother to consider all the options when building a house, failing to always strive to build a home as attractive as it can be. The simple solution to not spoiling fine masonry?… install the vent on the side of the chimney… on the side of the fireplace… where it is hardly noticed or seen!

Often I’ll even go one step further… on the exterior of the chimney, I’ll install the vent recessed and then shape a stone that can be put into place to cover it over during those times the chimney is not being used (as I did on the one seen in the photo at the top of this posting).

There you have it folks… if you want it done right, you either need to do it yourself, or be prepared to tell others how you like it.

BradInt1

Originally posted 2016-05-21 17:25:20.

99% of builders get this wrong2019-06-29T09:48:20+00:00
29 06, 2019

How much does a log cabin cost?

2019-06-29T09:48:14+00:00

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If you never want to own a handmade home,
then always let your first thought be “how much?”

for surely… the answer will be more than you want to hear,
and then,
you can easily dismiss the dream.
But,
if you really want to have that dream home,
let your first thought be…
“I WANT that handmade house, what do I need to do to make it happen?”
I’ve seen the young get their dream home, and I’ve seen the old, I’ve seen those financially challenged do it. (BTW… I’ve never seen a lottery winner do it)
Dream big, take small steps.
Yes, it does take effort.
Is it worth it?
Oh yes. So much so.

Just don’t get caught in the trap that so many do…

Of expecting someone else to do all the work… of designing a beautiful home for you, of picking out the best materials, and taking the greatest care in building that home to the highest level of skill… and doing all that, at the same price, or less, than the mass produced vinyl homes being built by the thousands today. It’s just not going to happen.

But please, don’t let your dream die!   You can have that wonderful home.

The reality is that future handmade house owners need to either open the wallet wide… or put the toolbelt on.

I’ve built over a hundred one-of-a-kind homes for individuals who wanted me to do all, or most, of the work.  I’m so thankful for those people.  I’ve created some masterpieces and paid my bills in the process, and those same clients now have wonderful homes.

I’ve also taught hundreds more how they can do the same thing I do themselves and I have seen them go on to claim their dreams and create wonderful memories. Not to mention many now having incredible homes with little or no mortgage.

There are few things in this life that I love more than designing and building a handmade home and I believe that if you give it a try that you will feel the same way. The process is methodical… one step at a time… everyone in the building trade at one time built their first house. Many who build homes for a living have no more education than a high school degree. It’s not rocket science… it’s carpentry… it’s masonry… it’s plumbing.  Yep, nailing boards, putting one stone on top of the other, gluing pipes together. There are tons of how-to books and videos out there.

You can do this. You are qualified.

Whether you choose to do it all or just some of the work, is something that can decide as you proceed. But at least start the journey by becoming fully informed on the options and the steps. And take the first few yourself… start the design work… seek out the materials… read up on the trades. I can’t tell you what decisions you will make as it progresses… but I can tell you that you will love the final destination!

Noah

PS… yes, the Handmade House Academy course is still being finished up. I’m so sorry for the delay… but be looking for the big announcement soon for all those on this site’s email list! There you will learn how to make this future home of yours a dream home… a home that will amaze you and everyone who visits.

Originally posted 2016-05-12 13:32:52.

How much does a log cabin cost?2019-06-29T09:48:14+00:00
29 06, 2019

Four reasons to build your own house

2019-06-29T09:48:07+00:00

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When I built my first house I did it for three excellent reasons.
But it turned out, there was a surprising fourth benefit to undertaking this challenge that proved even more life changing for me.
1) I wanted to live in a home that I built… one that was built exactly the way I wanted it to be, not like someone else felt like doing it.
2) I wanted high quality, but I wanted my cost to be as low as possible… the only way to get that was to do a lot of the work myself. I can’t expect others to work for low, or no, pay.
3) I wanted the lifestyle, and the freedom, that comes from having a dream home with minimal mortgage that would be paid off in just a few years.
4) This is the one that surprised me… I thought that building my own home was going to be a long labor-intensive ordeal to go through. But it turned out to be one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. Trust me, if you have any inkling to build your own home, don’t go through life and miss out on this experience.

Originally posted 2016-05-04 16:17:53.

Four reasons to build your own house2019-06-29T09:48:07+00:00
29 06, 2019

On building a barn or garage first

2019-06-29T09:48:01+00:00

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“I’m thinking about building a garage (or barn) first… and then later, I’ll build the house.”

I probably hear this comment from half of the people I meet who have recently bought a piece of land.

I always caution them against taking this path and that’s because I’ve seen it fail on plenty of occasions.

There are several reasons why people want to “build the barn” first. The main one is that they feel unsure of their ability to build a home and feel that a barn or garage might serve as good first step towards learning the skills needed in building a home. To some degree they are correct, experience is a great teacher, but the limited skills needed to build a barn can be gained in building a much smaller and less expensive building like a shed.

Some people imagine building a barn or garage and making part of it a habitable place that they can live in while building the home. I’ve lost track of the number of people that I’ve met who have lived above their garage for years now. Folks who either blew their budget on building the garage and have no funds to move forward on their dream home, or who have become comfortable with this style of living. It’ my humble opinion that one’s main focus should be on housing the family, not the cars. It’s admirable to do without now in order to benefit in the future, but foolish to choose to live your life in garage when a home can be had for the same effort and price.

“But”… (and there is always a but it seems)…  “I want a place to store my tools, and building supplies as I acquire them, a place where I can set up a shop, a place where I can work on inclement weather days”.  Well now, that is a good point. I have had several clients whose budgets were ample in size, and whose desire to live in the garage was zero… (as in the photo seen here where we built this garage while framing the home). The garage did prove to be a valuable asset for storage and as a workshop during construction of the home.

Plans change in this life. Unexpected events often occur. People often experience an unexpected want or need to move. If a person has built their own home on a piece of land, and they did a great job at designing it and building it, they can likely expect to get all their money back and likely make a profit from it. But, if all they have to show for their efforts is a habitable outbuilding they will likely have a hard time selling the property, and will most certainly be unable to recover their investment.

Originally posted 2016-04-30 15:22:26.

On building a barn or garage first2019-06-29T09:48:01+00:00
29 06, 2019

The sky

2019-06-29T09:47:52+00:00

Iphone October 2011 099

One of the greatest joys in building a home is having a sky over my head as I work.
I love this “ever changing ceiling” so much that it influences my home designs by adding elements which encourage the future inhabitants to come outside and experience all the wonders to be found there.
Porches, patios, paths, retaining walls, outbuildings, fire pits, gardens, and water features.
And yes, the sky.
Oh my.

Originally posted 2016-04-23 14:46:07.

The sky2019-06-29T09:47:52+00:00
29 06, 2019

“Someday” vs “Living the dream”

2019-06-29T09:47:48+00:00

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Over the course of many years in building handmade houses… cabins and farmhouse… I’ve heard so many people tell me “I sure would like to have one just like that”.
 
I have always listened and assured those folks that one day that they would have one.
 
It wasn’t just visitors to the construction site that told me this, either. Friends often started the same kind of conversation, about their dreams of having a cabin in the woods and the blessings that that lifestyle would bring.
 
For every hundred people I’ve heard talk about building a special place of their own, I’d estimate only one ended up doing anything about it. 99 out of 100 did nothing but dream.
 
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about that, the people that I helped get their dream home were no different than these other folks… no richer, no more driven, nor talented.
 
Which made me wonder, what separates the “someday” people from the people who actually do something about their dreams of building that dream home?

Do the “someday people” know all along they’re not going to take action, or does life just get in the way?

The folks who I’ve built cabins for have often told me that their friends are often envious of their homes. These same clients tell me that they just don’t really know how it all came about or know what to tell their friends. They say… “it just sort of happened”.

I’ve had the good fortune of witnessing these miracles happen, over a hundred times, and have observed about a dozen steps that all these people have done which moved them from “someday people” to “living the dream” people.

Over the next week or so I’ll share these small, mostly zero cost, steps with you.

 

Originally posted 2016-04-19 15:14:49.

“Someday” vs “Living the dream”2019-06-29T09:47:48+00:00
29 06, 2019

Building your own home in the woods

2019-06-29T09:47:40+00:00

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I want to encourage everyone that a dream home is doable… I built my first home at the age of 20 with little money or experience, and no credit. I worked evenings and got that house far enough along that bankers were impressed enough to loan me the little bit of money it took to finish. It wasn’t a McMansion… but it was nice, and handmade.

I’m planning on building my next home in a couple years at the age of 60, still not much money to be found anywhere around here, and the old body ain’t what it used to be. But I have learned a lot, so it ought to turn out well… slow… but well. I plan on recording the process… I hope you’ll follow along.

I’ve known people in their 70’s who hand-built their home.

I’ve even worked alongside people in wheelchairs.

Originally posted 2016-04-02 12:51:22.

Building your own home in the woods2019-06-29T09:47:40+00:00
29 06, 2019

An epiphany

2019-06-29T09:47:22+00:00

Iphone October 2011 896

I received a great inquiry this morning from a member of this community who made a comment about how she had considered the merits of cob construction but now was leaning towards log construction.  I thought I might share my response…

There are many alluring alternative methods of construction out there… including cob.

I’ve “experimented” with many of them. They all have their appeal, as well as their drawbacks. It seems that each form of construction has it’s hardcore advocates… individuals who become authorities of their chosen method, those who promote the positive features of that type of housing, but never mention the negative, and go on to dismiss all the other types.

After building homes for a decade, employing all manner of techniques I eventually came to an epiphany and that is that homes that were originally built locally, centuries ago, using minimal tools and locally sourced materials, were not only proven to endure but were also timeless in their visual appeal. I discovered that new homes built using these early designs and techniques, along with modern features and techniques, made tremendous homes, ones which were in strong demand, with promising resale values, and easy financing (if desired), and proven longevity.

In my area (and that of NC) those types of homes would be log cabins, timber frame, farmhouses, and stone. I also have found that by combining these styles of construction into one home that we can create a striking home that is warm and inviting.

I am currently on the “downhill side” of creating a free mini-course on 12 steps that anyone can take now, at nearly no cost, that will take them from the “dreaming about, but don’t know where to begin” stage to being well on the way towards living in that dream home. I’m also wrapping up the Handmade House Academy… eight hours of my sharing all that I’ve learned through decades of building handmade houses. You ought to think about signing up for that… this first offering of the course will be at a discount price with lots of added freebies. Make sure and sign up to the mailing list at handmadehouses.com for updates. Noah

Originally posted 2016-03-16 14:54:09.

An epiphany2019-06-29T09:47:22+00:00
29 06, 2019

A home made of wood

2019-06-29T09:46:10+00:00

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A house made of wood is still a thing of beauty, as she ages and slowly returns to the earth. Even in such a state of disrepair I find myself admiring this home.
Timeless in her charm.
I doubt if future generations will feel the same about the vinyl and formaldehyde creations that are being left behind for them.
So, what do you say?
How about when we build we choose to use natural products, as much as we can.
And, let’s give plenty of thought to the designs of our homes.
We can try to reinvent the wheel and come up with the next great look… or… we can look around and discover what has been proven to be admired for centuries.

Originally posted 2016-01-21 13:51:35.

A home made of wood2019-06-29T09:46:10+00:00
29 06, 2019

What are the benefits of living in a real cabin?

2019-06-29T09:45:21+00:00

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It’s a great question… and today, I’m not going to try to answer it.

But rather, I’d just like you to take a moment and look at this photo and contemplate for yourself on how living in a place like this would affect you. Would your life be better?… Enough so that having a place like this should become a goal to have, rather than just a daydream?

I heard it said the other day that “a goal without a date is just a wish”.

And we know that to be true… if we aren’t putting out some effort towards getting something it will likely never happen and then one day we will find ourselves living with the regret of never having tried.

So maybe, make this coming year the time where you will make the first small steps towards having a handmade home of your own.  I’m working a little video now that I hope to release soon (free) that will give you a dozen or so inexpensive steps that you can take that will get you far enough down the path towards having a place like this that you will find yourself living in that cabin before you know it!

Originally posted 2015-12-19 15:21:53.

What are the benefits of living in a real cabin?2019-06-29T09:45:21+00:00
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