If you are one of those people who spend every winter crossing your fingers that you will get at least a few flakes of snow this year, you might just need to invest in a winter getaway. For those who rarely see a flake of snow let alone even a foot of snow, sometimes you simply need a good dose of the white stuff. This is when a cabin located in the heart of snow country will come in handy. When the call of a snow drift beckons, all you will have to do is pack your suitcase and be on your way.

When it comes to designing your winter cabin, the major thing to think about (besides location) is the floor plan itself. If you are looking for a comfy and cozy cabin feel, you probably don’t want to go all out and build from luxury mansion house plans. You will most likely want to go with a cabin that has a smaller living space to make upkeep easier. You’ll also probably want to have a floor plan that has vaulted ceilings and large windows to let in all of the amazing views of the snow drifts and icicles outside.

When choosing your floor plans, you should also consider the roof line along with your cabin’s location. If you are in an area that sees feet upon feet of snow, you would want to design your cabin with an a-frame structure. This allows the snow to freely slide off the roof onto the ground rather than pile up in masses on top of your dream cabin. With this in mind, you will most likely not choose to go with the ranch house plans levit.

The other major item that should be taken into consideration is the location of your winter cabin. Make sure that the cabin will be located in an area that is somewhat easily accessible. Keep in mind that you will most likely bring your personal items that you need for your stay – including clothes and bathroom amenities. You will also probably bring along plenty of food for your stay as well. If your cabin will be located on a road that is frequently plowed then you should have no problems. But if the road isn’t plowed and the snowfall can be measured in feet rather than inches, you will probably wind up parking your car somewhere alongside the road and then either hiking or riding a snowmobile to the cabin.

When it comes to building and designing your own winter cabin there are numerous options. You could choose to go with a rustic look and build your cabin from a log home house plan. Or you could stick with the typical a-frame style. Whatever you choose, enjoy the snow while it’s there!

If you are looking for more information on luxury mansion house plans or ranch house plans legit be sure to click on http://www.houseplansandmore.com today. House Plans And More also has information on a log home house plan as well.

If you are close to retirement or simply have too much money to throw around and you are looking on a piece of property to invest in, you should consider building a farmhouse. This nation thrives on its’ farmers hard work and devotion to feed millions of people each and every year. Building a farmhouse would somehow be a sort of homage to those farmers of whom we generally take for granted each and every time we visit the grocery store. It isn’t like we take our time while choosing our produce to give thanks to the farmers that toiled over growing that particular piece of produce. So much work goes into providing our nation with a farmer’s splendor that building a home from country farm style house plans would be a great way of giving your small piece of thanks.

When you think of a farmhouse, your first thought is most likely that of a home that has a sprawling front porch. This spacious porch seems to beckon the passersby to come sit and relax in the shade and sip on a nice cool cup of iced tea. There is nothing more welcoming that a wide front porch with rocking chairs that have comfortable cushions upon each seat. This is where the farmer will spend his weekends while he is relaxing with his family. When you are designing your country house plans keep this amazing feature of a country farmhouse in mind. Without this roomy and cozy front porch, it just wouldn’t be a farmhouse.

Most farmhouses that you see in the country are a basic rectangle shape. Also, these farmhouses are always two stories with the bedrooms lying on the second story. However, if you do have a problem with stairs for whatever reason, you should check out house plans for ranch with a walkout basement instead. Now even though you are designing a farmhouse, this doesn’t mean you have to skimp on the luxury items that you put on the inside of your home. You could add in a whirlpool bathtub in the master bath. Or you could even add in walk in closets for all of the bedrooms rather than just for the master. If you wanted to really go against the grain you could install a media room in the upstairs for the enjoyment of your family.

No matter how you decide to design your dream country farmhouse, you will come to enjoy the beauty of such a unique piece of architecture for many years to come. Your country farmhouse will come to be known as your family’s little piece of escape that is usually much needed. When you come to your farmhouse the only thing on all of your minds’ will be relaxation.

So if you are looking for more information on country farm style house plans or country house plans, be sure to visit House Plans And More today. House Plans And More has further information on house plans ranch walkout basement as well.

The field of drawing custom house plans is a crowded and competitive one. There are many architectural and design firms out there vying for a “piece of the pie.” However, if you look closely at examples of their finished product, you will find huge differences among them. The better ones offer quality designs and highly detailed plans.

Drawing a good set of custom home plans involves integrating many different concepts and ideas into a solid and usable working plan. Many designers are able to come up with a unique or interesting preliminary design, but fail to deliver when its time to detail the house structure. They draw a pretty picture but have little or no understanding of how to translate that nice design into a working plan which the builder can understand.

Having been in the business for more than 30 years, we have seen a large number of house plans which looked good at first glance. However, upon closer examination, many of these plans were found to be lacking large amounts of needed information. If a house plan is not easy to navigate or is not thoroughly detailed, then the builder is left to guess at the designer’s intentions. This often means that he will “pad” his bid to make sure that he covers any unknown construction costs that may arise.

One item to look for when evaluating a house plans’ quality level is the number of structural sections which are shown on the plan. Highly detailed sets of plans will always cut lots of sectional views through the house to show every different roof framing situation. This might mean that 10 or 12 (or even more) sections need to be drawn for a large house plan. And even a small house plan should include 3 or 4 sections minimum. However, many home plans available today (especially plans purchased through inexpensive plan directories) cut corners in this department and only show one or two house section views. This means that the builder will have to guess at the rest of the house framing.

Another item which is often missing or lacking in a set of house plans is comprehensive and accurate dimensions. We have always strived to provide more than the minimum amount of house dimensions so that it is easy for the owner and builder to layout a home on its building site. We will even calculate point to point dimensions (using trigonometry) for homes which have lots of odd angles to them (as opposed to a simple rectangle layout). Not all architects or designers will go this “extra mile,” so it pays to check these things out beforehand.

Every set of custom house plans includes several items which need to be blown up and detailed for further clarification. If a set of plans does not provide additional close-up drawings (for things such as beam connections, deck railings, stairway construction, etc.), then it is not a complete set. It is very easy to cut corners during the planning process. But the end result will be higher costs for the home owner – and lots of frustration for the building contractor.

There are some architects and designers who seem to think that its the responsibility of the building department to check and catch any omissions. But the best of the breed takes it as a matter of pride to produce the very best plan and design they can. It is the only way to build up a loyal clientele and to get referrals for future work. And that vote of confidence from former clients makes all the difference in the world.

Steve Minkler
http://Minkler-House-Plans.com

Many people dream of living in a spacious log home nestled at the edge of a forest. During the settlement of America, most everyone lived in a log home, a simple design that was meant to provide shelter. Many log cabins featured one large room that served as living, dining, kitchen, and sleeping quarters for the entire family. Some boasted a loft area where the kids were nestled down for the night, while a few had separate bedrooms, at least one for the parents. A basic square design was the norm – no extras for a people trying to create a new world to live in.

As with most things, this has changed over the years. Now, for those seeking the romantic feel of a log home, there are many designs and styles to choose from. And many come in the form of a kit – complete with everything needed for you, or someone you hire, to easily construct your log home on your property. So, how do you decide which log home kit is right for you?

Here are some tips for choosing a log home kit:

Use your existing home as a starting point – Look around your existing home and make lists that include the things you are satisfied with and the things that you would like to improve upon. For instance, do you have an adequate number of bedrooms or do you need more, do you have an adequate number of bathrooms or do you need more. Or maybe your existing home is too large and you are downsizing – now is the time to decide exactly how much space is required for you to live comfortably.

Create a log-home choice kit – Collect magazines and books featuring log homes. Almost any company that sells kits for log homes will send you a free brochure that explains the details of each home, complete with pictures to give you an idea of what the home will look like. Some plans can be customized to suit your needs, so one great idea is to make a scrapbook with pictures of your favorite choices along with any features you would like to add or subtract from that model.

Draw a simple plan – Create a drawing of your existing home using simple squares for each room. Use this plan to help you “see” areas where you might need more or less space. Write in the dimensions of the rooms in your existing home and use these to draw a simple plan for your new home by expanding or subtracting from each room. The two drawings will give you a comparison chart and a place to start when choosing a kit for the log home that will be perfect for your family.

Wood – One of the most important choices will be the type of wood to use for your log home. The most common types of wood used for log homes are cypress, pine, cedar, and aspen. One of the most popular choices is cedar because of its natural ability to repel insects and because it is less likely to decay or shrink – however, this is also the most expensive choice.

Compare packages and prices – Once you have a pretty good idea about what you want in a new home, use the brochures you have already collected and request brochures from several more companies in order to compare what type of kits are available and the price of each. Another thing to consider is shipping costs – the farther away the company, the higher the cost of shipping. Choosing a log home from a company farther away that is a little cheaper than one that is closer may not actually save any money, as the shipping costs will eat up the savings.

Services – Most log home companies offer services to potential customers and services that extend to after the sale. Be sure to find out which services are available and decide how much assistance you will need from the company. The log home company can help you take your plans and turn them into the log home kit that is perfect for you. Once that has been done, most companies offer on-site assistance – some offer a set number of hours, while others offer unlimited assistance. All companies are looking for satisfied customers; so don’t be afraid to take advantage of the services they offer.

For more Home Improvement Tips take a look at maintaning your home and minimalist home decorating.

Shear failure with post and beam home plans is much more difficult to envision than bending failure. In fact, with light frame construction, shear failure seldom comes into play, whereas it is an important consideration for heavy timber framing, particularly with a very heavy load such as an earth roof or a steam train.

One good way of explaining shear is to think of it as a combination of compression and tension stresses. Remember that the top surface of a beam is in compression, the bottom surface is in tension, and the centroid (middle part of the beam) is neutral (thus also called the neutral axis.)

Some authors, without explaining the relationship between shear and tension and
compression stresses, describe shear as the tendency for all of the wood fibers of the beam to “shear off,” particularly at the edge of the post or wall support. While not complete, the analogy is true enough for our purposes, and may be easier to
understand than lots of stress analysis.

However – and this is the strange and interesting part – the structure at the top is actually stronger on shear. The effect of the sliding feature of the wood fibers over the neutral axis is increased, because the compression stresses on the top surfaces of the two spans are causing a tremendous tensile stress at the top of the rafter directly above the girder.

Think of it: If the two spans in the post and beam home plans are each trying to pull away from each other, because of the load on each span, those wood fibers at the top of the rafter (over the center) are working really hard not to break on tension.

All of this translates to lower shear strength at this location. In the top picture, shear stresses over the supports are clearly the same at all four shear locations, expressed by the fractions l/2 in each case. But, in the bottom picture, the shear stresses are expressed as % at the walls at the right and left but increase to Ys where the long rafter is supported by the girder in the middle.

The upshot is that shear strength is gained by using two ten-footers instead of a single zo-footer supported in the middle. It is also true, as we have said, that bending strength is slightly diminished in the former example, and deflection is increased – but if the weak point in the engineering happens to be in shear, the former example may be better.

This situation may work in our favor, when you consider that two ten-footers are much easier
to handle – and certainly less expensive – than a single twenty-footer.

Deflection

Deflection is similar to bending … But different. Bending concerns us most when it translates into bending failure, which is a bad thing. With deflection, we can tolerate certain amounts of it in certain circumstances. Springiness – or stiffness – in a floor is a characteristic of deflection. When dealing with post and beam home plans know that cracking plaster on a ceiling, or separation of taped sheetrock joints, is an indication of excessive deflection.

Learn more about post and beam house plans by visiting: http://www.post-and-beam-house-plans.com

So you want to build a new home! You can join the multitudes of those that already have built their dream house and now enjoy living in it. Your dream is not beyond reach. Here are 5 steps that now stand between you and a completed dream house for you and your family. Follow them and you will be able to see your dream home become a reality.

1. Plan how much money you are going to need for the project.

First, you need to set a budget and then stick with it if at all possible. You do not want too many surprising costs, so this is very important. You may want to include some kind of cost guarantees in your contract.

2. Find the property where you are going to build your dream house.

This will give you a piece of real estate to put your dream house on. A lender will also require it before you get any money for a construction loan. Find out if you can get a guarantee from the lender to have your construction loan converted to a mortgage later. This could save you a lot of money in closing costs later on.

3. Get a set of house plans drawn.

Sit down and sketch an idea of what the house plan is going to look like. Also write down some features you want to go into your dream house. Here is where you have a choice. You can either contact an architectural drafter, a home designer, or, you can even learn to draw your own house plans, which is by far the least expensive way to go.

4. Put your floor plans out for bids.

Once your house plans are completed, place an ad in a local newspaper or call different builders in your area to get a copy of your blueprints so that they can place bids on your new home. You will want to get at least three bids before you choose one, and be sure to check on the reputation of the builder, too, before you sign any agreements.

5. Get everything put in a contract.

If you make changes during construction, which is common, make sure there is one set of plans that is to be used as the master plan and that both you and the builder should note and initial each and every one of those changes. That way, at the end of the job, there should not be any surprises or hidden costs.

These 5 steps will definitely help you to get started in the right direction on getting your new dream home built. Take your time and do it right, and your custom dream home will give you joy for many years to come.

By Mike Valles, a freelance writer. Learn how to draw your own house plans from an architectural designer with 22+ years of experience. He has been a draftsman since 1975 who has completed over 600 residential drawings and teaches architectural drafting online at http://www.houseplandrafting101.net

When you think about southern living home plans, a number of architectural motifs spring to mind: grand while pillars flanking wide front porches; grand elliptical staircases; two-story construction with symmetrical windows. The movie Gone With the Wind created the image of Tara – Scarlett O’Hara’s antebellum home – as the quintessential southern house style. However, there is not only one style of architecture which is associated with the American South. Depending on the particular region, you might encounter French Creole style architecture, American Federal style architecture, or plantation style houses.

Some of the distinctive features associated with southern architecture were quite common in American homes throughout the nation in the late 1700′s to mid 1800′s, but they are associated more with the South for a number of reasons. One is that depressed economic conditions in the post-bellum South led Southern homeowners to preserve their homes intact rather than remodel them or tear them down and rebuild, as people in other parts of the country did. Another reason is that Thomas Jefferson popularized the Greek Revival look of colonial house plans both in his home at Monticello and also in the campus he designed for the University of Virginia. He also influenced the Greek Revival design of the U.S. Capitol building. In other Southern areas, however, regional deviations from the basic style developed due to the scarcity of land, the terrain, or the warm climate. In damp areas prone to flooding houses were often built several feet off the ground, with access to the front door provided by straight or curved staircases, often embellished with forged iron railings.

Regional variations on the basic Southern style include the Charleston Single, which was a Federal style house characterized by a central hall leading to two or four rooms on each floor. The front porch and two doorways were located on one side of the house, and when the outer, hospitality door – the one closest to the street – was left open so the neighbors knew that the occupants were receiving visitors. Turning the house plan to the side allowed a deeper layout on long and narrow lots and also gave the occupants more privacy. The windows and doors were oriented to let in the ocean breeze. Another distinctive Southern regional feature is the flying staircase, which characterized the homes of Savannah. The homes in Savannah faced the city squares laid out by James Oglethorpe and they featured piazzas, large columns, and flying staircases which spiraled up without touching the wall. The architectural style of Natchez, Mississippi is lavish and ornate, since this town grew wealthy from cotton commerce shipped by steamboat. The residents of Natchez reflected their prosperity in what many architectural critics feel is the finest collection of nineteenth century antebellum homes in the South. In Louisiana the accent was French, of course, with intermingled influences from Spain and the West Indies as well as France. The French Creole style of southern home plans developed in the late eighteenth century and is best known in New Orleans, featuring hipped roofs, porches or galleries with wrought iron columns and railings and French windows.

Thus, the term southern home plans has different meanings in different parts of the South. Southern living home plans are not always colonial house plans; but they all possess a distinctive, Southern charm.

Small cottage house plans are ideal in the present economic and climatic situation since they are inexpensive to build, heat, and maintain. In an era in which frugality and wise use of resources is replacing boastful strutting and ostentatious display, the cottage lifestyle is coming more and more into its own. Here are some ideas which you can incorporate into your own cottage house plan, or improve your existing cottage home.

The essence of cottage interiors is the blending of the familiar with the fresh – with matching your grandmother’s heritage silverware with your contemporary style plate or an antique chiffonier with up-to-date casements. Mixing the old with the new adds patina and personality to a cottage home and makes a unique statement about the owner. It says “home” instead of “look how rich I am!” In the same way, bold wallpaper and paint styles can be used to create a feeling of open space in smallish rooms, especially when the walls reflect decorative patterns repeated on rugs and furnishings. Again, the idea is not to create a mishmash but rather a blending of disparate elements. Bookshelves, knick-knacks, small decorative elements – even children’s artwork – can be brought together to make cottage living feel as comfortable and familiar as wearing an old favorite jacket or hat. Old style pictures in old style frames, collectible plates, even quilts can be hung on walls. Dried flower arrangements in vases or folk art sculptures can be used to decorate table tops.

The small spaces inherent in cottage house plans can be offset in part by using light, bright colors on walls to give the illusion of extra space. Using light, gauzy materials to cover window areas which allow maximum light to flood the room, and which flutter in the breeze, also help to create a sense of airiness and space. A feeling of increased height can be obtained by tasteful choice of beaded board wall coverings, vertical design wallpaper, and tall bookshelves and furnishings. The sense of the cottage lifestyle is laid-back, inviting you to slouch on the sofa, put up your feet, and rest a spell. Furnishings are unpretentious, casual, and cozy rather than stiff. You can choose a sofa for its relaxed, overstuffed attitude. The coffee table should invite people to put their feet up on it. You can just cut down a kitchen table to size, or add a glass top to a chicken coop. Wicker settees, like those used on porches, also give a feeling of relaxation and naturalness. Easy chairs should generally follow the style of the sofa, but not be exactly matching. Keep the style relaxed, eclectic, and inexpensive-looking rather than formal and intended to impress. Use casual table lamps with fabric shades in floral prints or gingham. Lamp bases can be terra-cotta, wicker, or ceramic and nothing need match anything else, as long as there is a sense of blending. The essence of cottage home plans is ease, relaxation, and feeling good about who and where you are.

Small cottage house plans are the wave of the future as the garish, ostentatious, and wasteful lifestyle recedes in popularity. There are lots of cottage house plans and decorative ideas to tailor cottage home plans living to your own taste and needs.

Ranch style house plans were first built in the United States in the 1920′s, and became very popular in the post-World War II era when GI loans, and Americans taking to automobiles and commuting to work, fueled a building explosion in the suburbs. This style was particularly associated with inexpensive tract housing developments since these homes are cheap to build and maintain. The house is marked by a long, low profile, and the minimal use of interior and exterior decoration. These houses fuse modernist styles and ideas with the romantic image of American western working ranches, which creates a very casual and informal living style. The popularity of it waned in the latter part of the twentieth century with the rise of neo-eclectic architectural styles and a return to using traditional and historical decoration. Recently the ranch style has undergone a revitalization of popularity, with preservationist movements in some ranch style house neighborhoods, and also with a renewed interest in this style by a younger generation which did not grow up in ranch style homes. The style revival is similar to that experienced by other styles such as bungalow and Queen Anne architecture, which were quite popular at one time. It faded as a desired style of housing resulting in teardowns due to disinterest and decay and then resurged with a renewal of interest and the gentrification of surviving houses.

Basically, ranch home plans have a number of common features. These include a single story dwelling with a low, long roofline; large, overhanging eaves beneath a side-gabled, cross-gabled, or hip roof; asymmetrical, open L-shape, U-shape, or rectangular floor plan; brick, stucco, or wood exterior; simple or rustic exterior and interior trim; an attached garage; sliding glass doors in the dining or living area which open onto a patio; large windows often decorated with shutters; and ceilings which are vaulted and show exposed beams. Other variations on the basic ranch style include the raised ranch, in which a furnished basement – often used as a recreational or hobby area – is partially or completely above the ground foundation and thus serves as a separate floor. This style often takes advantage of a hillside location, so that the full dimensions of the house are not evident from curbside. The idea is to create open spaces sweeping from the garage through kitchen through dining and living areas to the bedrooms at one end and to allow the outdoors to come inside with large windows and ready access to a back patio area – often with barbecue and recreational facilities -where much living and entertaining takes place. Thus, the typical ranch home plan is best suited to summer living, and to areas with mild climates. Long and low structures are not as economical to heat as are tall, compact buildings, thus the ranch style has been criticized as being wasteful of energy.

Ranch style house plans are experiencing a considerable revival at the present time because ranch home plans are inexpensive to build. Moreover, the ranch home plan with its relaxed, laid-back living fits in well with the unpretentious lifestyle of today’s young adults. Visit House Plans and More for all your home plan needs.

As a general rule of thumb in stair building the sum of the tread and riser should equal around 17 1/2 inches. This is a general rule of thumb for a comfortable, easy to walk up and down set of stairs.

For example if your stair tread is 10 inches and the stair riser is 7 1/2 inches you have a comfortable stairway. Walking up and down a stairway using this formula creates a comfortable set of stairs. The next time you walk down any uncomfortable set of stairs measure the stair tread and riser. You will be amazed at what you’ll find.

For public stairs or heavily used stairs this method will become one of your best friends. On public stairs you have liability issues and of course lawyer issues if you are the owner of the building. If you are not building a safe set of stairs that meets your local building codes standards you could be in for a whopping financial nightmare.

Building safe stairs as a contractor is your obligation to society. I don’t know how many times I come across a loose stair tread or a broken hand rail. One of the biggest problems I find is in the poorer neighborhoods you come across some major construction problems and safety hazards. I never have been able to figure out why a building owner would not want to protect himself financially and the people that occupy and use his buildings safety.

Here’s something you need to avoid when using the stair building general rule of thumb. This rule of thumb does not apply to good to an 8 inch tread with a 9 1/2 inch stair rise. You don’t want to be building a latter you want to be building a safe set up stairs.

The maximum stair rise you can use for most building codes is 8 inches. You will not find the stairway to comfortable with a 9 1/2 inch stair tread and an 8 inch riser. If you have no choice and are cramped for space and you can’t redesign this stairway to fit in the house or building then at least make sure you have a nice sturdy grip able stair hand rail.

This formula works great when you are working with exterior landscaping and you have a long run of stairs with a small rise. For example: if you have a 14 inch stair tread and you use a 4 inch riser this will lead to a comfortable step.

Look for stairs in your neighborhood or around some apartment complexes that don’t follow these rules and have 16 inch stair treads with 7 inch risers. You will find yourself taking two steps on the stair tread on every other step and it is not a real comfortable stairway.

Happy stair building and keep this formula in mind for a nice comfortable set of stairs in your building future.