To help you make sense of house plan blueprints, keep in mind that:

• House plans are usually drawn to ¼” scale, which means that a quarter inch on the blueprints represents one foot on the job site. A special ruler with a ¼” scale can be used to convert the blueprints to the actual measurements, or you can use a standard ruler and multiply each measurement times four.
• The number next to each window and door on the plans give the number of units followed by the width and height of each unit in feet and inches. So the designation 2-2640 would indicate that there are two window units together with each one 2’6” wide by 4’0” high.
• To understand what the various symbols on the plans represent, look them up on the symbol list found in the legend on the plans.

More information on this project can be found at (637) Today’s Addition (Part 1).

To reduce wind damage from a hurricane or tornado, joints connecting the framing of a house are tied together from the roof down to the sill using metal straps and hardware.

Finishing a basement can pose unique design challenges, but if done right, a remodeled basement will enhance the value of a home and provide much needed additional space.

Companies like the Finished Basement Company specialize in basement design. Their showroom displays some of their most popular options, including bars and rooms devoted to home theater systems.

The company also includes distinctive features like built-in benches to conceal ductwork and a “mouse hole” nook under the staircase that serves as a play area for children.

Hiding structural beams and the maze of exposed ductwork, wires, and pipes that are usually found in a basement requires careful planning and innovative ceiling design.

To keep the ceiling from appearing too utilitarian, additional design elements are often incorporated into it.

One of the biggest potential problems that needs to be addressed early on when finishing a basement is the presence of moisture. This is often best handled by removing the soil around the basement.

Once the excavation work has been done, the walls are waterproofed from the outside.

When it is complete, a finished basement can provide a restful retreat from the world above.

Cast iron grates from Iron Age Designs are not only functional and beautiful but are made using mostly recycled materials and qualify for LEED green building credits. Grates come in over a dozen designs with sizes to fit most standard applications from drain and tree grates to wall registers for heating ducts. Made in the United States, Iron Age Designs can produce custom patterns and sizes as well, with no order considered too small. In addition to cast iron, grates can also be made from aluminum or silicone bronze.

From vaulted to tray to coffered, it seems like the sky’s the limit for ceilings these days. Specialty ceilings can add a distinctive design element to a room and make it feel larger than it really is. And when it’s time to sell your home, custom ceilings might be just the thing to make your house stand out from the crowd.

Cathedral Wood Ceiling

The cathedral ceiling in this home features tongue and groove boards framed with rough sawn beams. A layer of drywall was put up first to maximize energy efficiency and reduce noise. This was then followed by 1”x 6” pine boards and cedar trim. Track lights will be mounted in the slots on the ceiling, allowing the lighting to be adjusted to illuminate specific areas.

Painted Coffered Ceiling

Wood trim can be used to dress up a bland ceiling and give the room a more formal feel. This coffered ceiling consists of crisscrossed wooden beams applied over drywall with each square accented by a border of crown molding. A contrasting paint color was used on the recessed part of the ceiling to highlight the intricate trim work.

Wooden Barrel Ceiling

Ceilings can also be used to mirror the shape of other architectural features found in the room. This wooden barrel shaped ceiling follows the curve of the arched doorways found at each end of the room.

Circular Dropped Ceiling

Another interesting ceiling design is this circular dropped ceiling. It includes stenciling around the rim with a center medallion and hanging chandelier acting as the focal point.

Recessed Ceiling

Recessed ceilings—also known as pocket, tray (or trey), and bumped up ceilings—have become a common feature of new houses today. Typically these types of ceilings start with a lower border around the outer edge of the room and are then raised a foot or more in the middle. They may also include sloped or tiered designs accented by crown and other moldings.

Vaulted Ceiling

Often when an attic is converted into living space, the ceiling follows the slope of the roof to allow for additional floor space while providing enough ceiling height. It’s a good idea to flatten the ceiling out a few feet below the peak, however, to leave space for lighting, electrical wires, and ductwork.

Remodeling a Ceiling

While most specialty ceilings are incorporated into the plans when the house is built, ceilings in existing homes can be modified as well. Remodeling a ceiling requires careful consideration of the structural load carried by the ceiling joists before they can be removed. Once the existing ceiling has been taken out and the joists cut, work on the new ceiling can begin.

Any wiring, plumbing, or ductwork located above the room has to be taken into account and rerouted above the new ceiling. This can present a daunting task for the electrician and HVAC contractor.

Turtleback Wood Ceiling

This renovation project included turning a typical flat ceiling into a multifaceted turtleback ceiling over the expanded kitchen and den area. After the framing was complete, the beams were covered with painted 1”x 6” V-groove pine boards.

When installing solid wood, be sure to stagger the joints. A grooved block, made from a piece of scrap material, is used to protect the tongue when hammering the boards in place.

Tongue and groove boards can be blind nailed through the tongue so nail heads are not visible, or face nailed. Wooden ceilings may be painted or stained and provide an attractive alternative to drywall, though both the labor and materials cost much more.

Laminate Ceiling

Simulated wood ceilings made from laminate materials, such as Armstrong’s WoodHaven, are a do-it-yourself friendly substitute for natural wood. While the material costs are about the same as well real wood, the installation of laminate ceilings is much less expensive, since they come prefinished.

Stamped Metal Ceiling

Decorative stamped metal can make a striking ceiling with a unique character all their own. Products like Armstrong’s Metallaire™ ceiling panels are available in dozens of patterns and finishes from steel and copper to chrome and brass.

Other Tips From This Episode

Power tools used on Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford® are provided by Ryobi.

We put some of the more common fasteners to the test to see which ones held the most weight in drywall, caused the least damage, and are easiest to use. For shear holding power, anchors that spread out behind the wall did the best, but they also did the most damage to the wall. Since most pictures weigh less than ten pounds, the size of the hole and ease of installation may be more important than the actual holding ability of the fastener.

Test Results

Tests were conducted using downward pressure on a hollow section of standard ½” drywall. While all of these fasteners can be used in plaster as well, the holding power may vary and precautions should be taken to keep the wall from cracking.

Prices are approximate and may differ depending on brand and quantity. While the fasteners pulled out of the wall at the pounds listed (except for toggles, which remained intact), they started showing signs of failure at 10-30 pounds less, so be sure to include an adequate safety margin in your calculations.

Toggle Bolts

Toggle bolts are available in various diameters and lengths to accommodate different wall thicknesses. While the clear winner for sheer holding power, they require drilling a large opening to insert the spring loaded toggle, leaving them wallowing in an oversized hole. Also, they are almost impossible to remove without the toggle falling off inside the wall.

New self-drilling threaded toggles offer improvements over traditional ones since the hole fits tightly around the anchor and the center screw can be removed while the toggle body remains in place. They are easy to install, though difficult to remove. For maximum holding power with hanging objects, position them so the long arm of the toggle points up. This also makes it possible to remove them without tearing up the wall. On the downside, threaded toggles leave a substantial hole and are the most expensive of any of the anchors tested.

Molly Bolts

Like toggles, molly bolts work by spreading out behind the wall. They are installed by hammering them into the wall then tightening the bolt, which causes the casing to flair out. Mollies have an annoying tendency to spin in drywall when being tightened and are impossible to remove once installed. Your best bet is to hammer them below the surface of the wall and spackle over them. On the positive side, mollies fit snuggly in the hole and the center bolt can be removed and replaced as needed.

Threaded Anchors

The oversized threads on these anchors are designed to screw directly into drywall. They’re available in nylon or brass and come with either a center screw or picture hook. The brass version with hook held more weight than the center screw type. While threaded anchors hold well and are easy to install and remove, they leave a nice sized hole behind should you decide to redecorate in the future.

Plastic Anchors

These often used fasteners are hammered in a hole drilled in the wall and press against the sides when a screw is inserted. Though they work well in hard materials, such as brick and concrete block, they are not the best choice in drywall. For best results use ribbed anchors that are split, which allows them to spread out a bit behind the wall.

Picture Hangers

Traditional metal picture hangers come in several sizes and are nailed into the wall. While they don’t support as much weight as many other fasteners, they are easy to install and remove, and leave a much smaller hole.

A new twist is the WallBiter™ which is available in either plastic or brass. This molded one piece hanger has two curved prongs that are hammered into the wall. While only rated at 25 pounds, the large plastic version we tested held 80 pounds before beginning to show signs of failure. On the down side, it causes more damage to the wall than traditional picture hangers and costs more.

Wire Hangers

Another newcomer to picture hanging is a curved spring steel wire that can be inserted in the wall without tools in a matter of seconds. While some brands claim they hold up to 150 pounds, in our tests they began to pull out of drywall at around 40 pounds and failed at 50, which is still more than most pictures weigh. Wire hangers are easy to remove and leave a small hole. However, they cost more than traditional picture hangers and will only work where there is not a stud or other obstruction present in the wall.

Related Article

• Hanging Pictures Right the First Time

Before

After

While this covered courtyard featured a beautiful brick fountain, it was hard to keep clean and received little use during the hot summer months along the Gulf Coast. To remedy these problems, the homeowners decided to enclose it by adding a fireplace flanked by glass doors.

Framing

Since the outside entranceway was level with the room, a rubber membrane was placed under the treated 2” x 4” sill to prevent water from seeping inside.

The exterior wall was framed using laminated beams to support the weight over the door openings. After the wall had been sheathed in plywood, the arched door units were held in place and the outline of the opening traced around them. A jigsaw was then used to cut out the opening.

Doors

The doors from JELD-WEN Windows & Doors included a special energy efficient Low-E coating on the glass that reduces the transmission of heat and harmful UV rays. This not only saves energy, but keeps furniture and carpets from fading.

After the exterior wall had been covered with housewrap, the doors were set in place using the same rubber gasket material to seal the thresholds to the floor.

When the door units were square and level, the flange around the casing was nailed to the wall. For added security, several of the hinge screws were replaced with longer 3” ones that go all the way through the casing and into the studs.

Fireplace

Openings were cut in the interior framing for the fireplace insert and flat screen TV above it. The fireplace unit is a ventless gas model, which is important since a chimney would have blocked the existing window above it.

Heating and Cooling

To heat and cool the additional space, a separate unit was installed in the attic with vents cut into the room. Since a major renovation project like this can generate a lot of dust, it’s important to change the air filter at least once a week during construction. While an inexpensive fiberglass filter can be used for this, replace it with a high quality filter when the job is done.

Stucco

When the framing had been completed, cement backer board was screwed to the plywood on the exterior wall to provide a firm foundation for the coats of stucco. Since backer board is hard to cut and shape, trim and accent pieces were made from foam sheets with fiberglass mesh used to give the stucco added strength.

Painting

One of the more challenging tasks was painting the vaulted ceiling. Due to its height, scaffolding had to be set up in the room so the painters could reach it. After the walls, floor, and cabinets had been covered with plastic, the ceiling was sprayed white.

Amenities

The room includes a wine bar with a rack for red wine and a refrigerated cooler for white.

The flat screen television above the fireplace can be concealed behind a retractable painting when not in use.

Other Tips From This Episode

Power tools used on Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford® are provided by Ryobi.