53
votes
Accepted
Should rooms be designed to minimize waste of sheet goods?
If your objective is to optimize the product you receive (the completed house) vs the cost you pay for it by sizing to use full sheets of material -- forget it. The cost of all materials combined ...
- 33.4k
26
votes
How to hide HVAC compressor?
I'm sorry to be so blunt but the A/C isn't making your yard look bad, your yard is making your yard look bad. That wood barricade needs to go!
Search the internet for "landscaping around A/C unit&...
- 16.9k
25
votes
Why does home siding not extend to the ground?
Because constant moisture, from the ground, causes many materials to rot.
- 6,679
24
votes
How should my base molding interface with a stair skirt?
You want to find trim/moulding that matches the design of the top piece (it looks to be about an inch wide) above the 1x6 flat piece.
Cut the new piece to match the cut at the top.
On the bottom, the ...
- 30.3k
19
votes
Should rooms be designed to minimize waste of sheet goods?
Drywall/subfloor has to be staggered. So boom you can't make a room that fixes that. Also drywall has depth meaning is your room going to be 12 feet or 12 feet and 1 inch?
I have a 5'3" ...
- 50.4k
18
votes
How to scribe a circle in the ground...without access to the middle point?
If the ground is perfectly level, then you don't need access to the middle of the circle, you just some point directly above it, and then a longer string traces the shape of a cone as you draw your ...
- 7,306
15
votes
Accepted
How to scribe a circle in the ground...without access to the middle point?
You don't have a centre point, but you can have a perimeter grid marked.
In its simplest form, the equation of a circle is derived from Pythagoras' theorem.
https://www.mathopenref.com/...
- 2,673
13
votes
How to scribe a circle in the ground...without access to the middle point?
"Stand back I'm going to try maths" (misquoted from xkcd)
r = 50 cos(θ)
This polar plot defines a circle of radius 25 centred at the point (25,0)
This assumes that you can set up one point &...
- 231
12
votes
How should my base molding interface with a stair skirt?
crip659 describes the proper way to miter this all together. If you're feeling overwhelmed by the prospect, consider a plinth block. These are readily available at home stores, or you can simply cut a ...
- 149k
9
votes
How to scribe a circle in the ground...without access to the middle point?
Approximate solution: Assuming it's a steady pile of rocks on a level field: use the whole pile of rocks as the center point. Take a rope, make it into a loop that has approximately the diameter of ...
- 191
8
votes
Are there concerns with leaving part of a home's ground level unfinished?
The full basement may cost 3 times what the corresponding slab size may cost from a concrete perspective. But you have to also consider the cost per square foot to build the structure that covers the ...
- 66.5k
7
votes
Why are U.S. residential circuit breaker service panels so poorly designed?
Many things are built for a variety of uses. By nature, it cannot be optimized for every use. Compromises are required. That is not a defect; the manufacturer needs to balance all uses of the panel ...
7
votes
Why does home siding not extend to the ground?
In areas where termites are active (which includes most of Colorado), any "edible" (to termites) material that is in contact with the ground gives termites an easy path to infiltrate your ...
- 181
5
votes
How to hide HVAC compressor?
As a HVAC service professional I wouldn't box the condenser with anything, this is problematic in multiple ways. If you want the system to remain problem free you must consider the service it will ...
- 51
5
votes
Ideas for mounting an antique metal sign to avoid tipping
An easel stand or plate stand may do the trick. They come in many sizes.
- 6,679
4
votes
What is the optimal configuration of a cross brace on a wooden gate?
Over time a wooden gate will tend to sag. So you need a cross brace.
If you are building the cross brace using wood, the cross brace should be in compression. So the cross brace will go from the ...
- 51
4
votes
Accepted
Should I form and pour the concrete all at once?
If you don't care about leaks (or want drainage, so the dog is drier) forming the rim, pouring the rim, and then pouring the central slab is similar to whats typically done in a house basement. The ...
- 226k
4
votes
Accepted
What pages should be included in a complete set of plans for residential construction?
You'll need more detailing
No longer can you consider structure, sheathing, cladding, and finish as the only elements of an exterior wall. You'll need to have several more wall detail drawings:
...
- 86k
4
votes
Accepted
How do you achieve this stairway 'chaser' effect with an LED light strip?
Here is the website that the video came from.
tinker-fun.com/DigitalLEDStairlighting
Note that this DIY project requires electronics and software knowledge. The website has fairly detailed ...
- 2,244
4
votes
How to scribe a circle in the ground...without access to the middle point?
You could use GPS to do this - set up a series of waypoints on the circle, take a receiver to each waypoint, spray the ground, connect the dots.
There is probably an app you can do that with on a ...
- 226k
4
votes
How to scribe a circle in the ground...without access to the middle point?
Assume that one cannot climb on the rocks, e.g., the rocks are too slippery or are dangerously sharp, or it is taboo (thought to displease vindictive local gods), or the Russians have smeared them ...
- 22.5k
4
votes
How to scribe a circle in the ground...without access to the middle point?
If you have at least a third person to hand (ideally four people), I suggest a variation of Jim Stewart's answer, but without any calculations.
As with Jim's answer, have two people hold a rope/line ...
- 369
4
votes
How to scribe a circle in the ground...without access to the middle point?
Take a piece of rope that is at least 2 * pi * 25 = 157.1 ft long. Leave enough at one end to tie a knot, and mark the location that is 157.1 ft from that point.
Lay the rope around the rocks and tie ...
4
votes
How to hide HVAC compressor?
Remove the cladding. For a side yard the compressor units are not so ugly. They're hidden from the back by the wider rear of the house. You can put a small attractive privacy panel facing the front,...
- 45.4k
4
votes
can I do this to support a hot tub on a deck
Disclosure: I'm not an engineer.
Good drawing; we can see what you're thinking of.
The structure and foundation supporting the tub must be sturdy enough to support the weight of the tub, water, and ...
- 1,681
4
votes
T9 Torx Screw Thread diameter in Metric System
The T9 is the type of screwdriver you'll need to remove/install the screw. It's similar to saying a slotted screw or a Phillips screw. It has no bearing on the thread size. If you need the thread size,...
- 86.2k
3
votes
What pages should be included in a complete set of plans for residential construction?
In addition, consider a site grading plan. Depending on where you live, NOT have your land drain into your house is a good thing.
- 109
3
votes
Are there concerns with leaving part of a home's ground level unfinished?
If it's on slab, it's not exactly a basement. I think what you are actually asking for is 'studio space'.
As Michael Karas, the concrete contractor is correct...the more concrete you use (ie, full ...
- 24.5k
3
votes
Accepted
Is there any advantage to pouring a thicker concrete slab for the basement?
Before I'd add more concrete I'd add reinforcing - reinforcing is cheap and the benefit of it is huge, .vs. unreinforced concrete.
After that it's a matter of use. Will you have a machine shop in the ...
- 226k
3
votes
How to learn house construction?
I hate physics, but structural engineering is all about physics.
The concept of “designing” structural walls, roofs, foundations, etc. is really the intersection of material’s substance and the ...
- 23.5k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible