Building a home addition can be challenging to most homeowners but not impossible. Depending on the size and complexity of the addition design anyone with good carpentry skills can build an acceptable end product. I suggest you do not try a multi-story six room addition on your first try however. A simple single story addition of a dining room or bedroom with either a crawl space or full basement can be done on weekends but it will take considerable time to do so. The more difficult addition will have a full basement. Basically it is the same as a crawl space, only deeper.

Excavation must be done by a qualified excavation contractor as the pouring of the new footings is critical to making a good foundation. I did have a client who hand dug an entire house foundation and back filled it by hand as well. To add insult, he hand dug the entire septic system to boot. I do not recommend trying it. A good rain storm during the excavation work can quickly ruin all your work. You need an excavating contractor and a concrete or block mason to install the foundation itself and pour the floor as quickly as possible. Once back filled, weather cannot hurt you too bad causing only a day or two delay in the work in most cases. Start the work by cleaning the anchor bolts or spreading the strap anchors left by the foundation mason. Install a layer of seal seal and also a termite shield if one is required in your area. Next comes your pressure treated lumber sill plate. Usually at least a two by eight is used. The plate is bolted down or nailed to the straps to secure the addition to the foundation. Once done the framing begins. The rim or perimeter band joist is next. The rim joist is installed around all sides of the foundation and tacked into place. Next come the floor joists. Following the approved plans the floor joist layout is called out on the drawings. If the addition is fairly small, perhaps twelve feet wide, a single joist can span from one side of the basement to the other. The size and species of lumber used will also be called out on the drawings. (SPF, Douglas Fir and so on).

Floor joists in conventional lumber are usually placed at sixteen inches on center apart. Once all the floor joists are installed, the plywood decking comes next. Today 3/4″ tongue and groove plywood is the normal material used. A good floor is installed using a bead of construction adhesive on top of the joists as well as being screwed into place. Basement stairs should be installed during the floor framing process. Wall framing is next in the order or work. All four walls are framed and depending on the framers style, I have seen walls sheathed, windows installed and tyvek paper installed before the walls are stood into place. The walls are plumbed and temporarily braced. Ceiling joists are now installed and they will help tie the exterior walls together. Ceiling joists may be fairly light lumber size of two by sixes. If a second floor is to be installed, these ceiling joists become floor joists for the floor above and would be much heavier and larger in size. With the ceiling joists in place, roof framing is the next thing on the agenda. If trusses are to be used two men can install them in a couple of hours. If the roof is to be framed, a third person is a necessity. Two men can erect the ridge board and brace it while the third man on the ground cuts the lumber pieces for them. Climbing up and down once again is possible but very slow and laborious. A set of rafters will be installed at each end of the addition roof to hold the ridge board in place. The rest of the remaining rafters can now be installed for the rest of the roof. All framing is now nailed into final position. Installation of the roof sheathing plywood comes next. Again some added hands will certainly make this work go much faster. If you can get the lumber yard to boom the plywood to the roof so much the better. You may want to pay a couple of dollars extra to have the shingles, weather shield and felt paper rolls boomed to the roof as well. Your back and legs will surely thank you later. Installation of the ice and water shield, drip edges, felt and shingles becomes the next most important item of work. This will make your addition dry and weather no longer sets you back to zero work output days. Exterior doors if any, can be installed and as long as the Tyvek paper is nailed in place your addition is OK to proceed with the interior work. Exterior siding can be done on nice days and not under pressure. Once dried in the normal sequence of work is rough wiring, rough plumbing including HVAC ducts or heat piping, insulation, drywall, painting, trim work and floor finishes.

In building a home, it is important to consider the fundamental elements that make such residence truly a haven for the person and one’s family members to grow together in comfort, convenience, peace, and harmony. In building a home, it is important to consider the lifestyle of the family, the household size, and the location of the area where the supposed house is to be built. These considerations are very essential because the house as we know it should not just be a mere material structure that provides us with physical shelter but it is also the temple where the family and its members make unforgettable good memories as they grow together in love and care, the venue for them to be truly who they are, and the small world for the children to build and establish their dreams in life. As such, in building a place for domicile, it is imperative that the physical structure is sound and the overall house should be truly a home for everyone in the family.

Given the objectives in building a home, it is clear that the house structure is not all that one should consider. The overall considerations of a home must also be factored in. These include the location of the house that must be so convenient and safe for everyone to socialize and grow as a member of the society. The residential area, if possible, must be so proximate to the school where the children attend, a hospital for emergency situations, parks, clubhouses, and other social centers. Shopping should also not be a problem in terms of distance to make it convenient for the family to do grocery. Moreover, it should also be near enough from the workplace of the parents to allow them to easily go to and from the house to bond with their children. Nevertheless, such location should not be so near enough to these areas where social gatherings usually held because it would be very disturbing and annoying to the harmony and tranquility that the house must have for the family members to focus on their tasks and feel comfortable as they take their needed rests.

The lifestyle and size of the household should also be seriously considered given the fact that in building a home, it should be that the said place cater and reflect the desires and personality of the dwellers. Hence, the size should not be too small if there are more than five members in the family nor should it be too large for a family of three. In deciding the size of the house, it is important to always consider the possibility of increase in the number of household. The lifestyle and personality of the dwellers should also reflect in the design and structure of the residential building. This is very important to provide the dweller comfort and belonging within the house where on lives. If the person is minimalist, then one would never feel comfortable and at home in a house that is too large with plenty of scattered huge useless fixtures as decorations. The best house for such personality is one that is just enough in size with spacious ambiance due to fixtures and structures that only provides for their basic and fundamental features and characteristics.

In order to understand how zoning laws affect your home construction, you have to understand what zoning is first. Zoning is a regulation that states how a parcel of land should be utilized. This exists to protect the people currently occupying the area. This covers both residential and industrial facilities.

Importance of zoning:

Zoning is essential because it tells land buyers and owners what to build in a particular zone. This will prevent troubles to the current occupants of the property. This will also help maintain peace and quiet in the community.

As mentioned earlier, this will also protect current residents or business owners in the area. For instance, someone might want to build a factory in the middle of a residential area. Without zoning laws, that person can easily do it as he pleases. However, this will not be the case if there is a law prohibiting that person to build such factory.

This is also necessary to ensure the safety of the people occupying a certain location. For instance, a mall in a residential area would congest traffic in their neighborhood. This can be dangerous for the children living in that area. This could increase the risk of vehicular accident in the neighborhood.

How can zoning affect your dream home?

You have to observe due diligence when buying a home where you intend to build your dream home. Different zoning laws are applied on the different neighborhoods or districts. Some areas may only permit a single family home. So if you are planning to build a duplex, then look for another area that may permit that.

Other factors should be considered as well. For instance, you want to build your home as well as have a space for your business, then you should look for an area that allows residences and commercial buildings to be built. Several locations that allow this but they also come with limitation. You have to check those limitations as well to ensure that the area is suited for your planned property.

You should also familiarize the zoning laws when planning the type of house you are going to build. Some laws have limitations in terms of the size of the property. There are also instances wherein you will only be allowed to build a single storey home. This can be a major setback if you dreamed your home to have two floors.

Zoning laws serve as guide on how the property has to be utilized. This is essential to ensure that all occupants of the neighborhood or community is protected. The utilization of the land will have to be categorized whether it be used as commercial, industrial or residential. One has to consider the zoning laws when building their property because although such laws are protective, they can also be restrictive. Verify if your planned property to be built is allowed. What type of home are you going to have in the first place? Check the laws if your planned homes are allowed. Consider them before you purchase a lot there.