(first posted 8/18/2016) Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to build a house. Like by myself, from the first pencil doodle to the last detail; maybe with a little help here and there. I finally got around to it. This is its story.
Here’s the story that leads up to this house; the story of selling one expensive house in Los Gatos and turning that into eleven old/recycled rentals in Eugene.
I had a lot, right behind my house, which we bought for peanuts right after moving here in 1993. One of the moved houses, a little cottage, sits in the way back, on the alley. I split the lot into two lots some years ago, and on the front lot sat what was originally a garage that got moved along with the cottage. When I moved it and the cottage there, I ran water, sewer and electricity to it, as I foresaw some potential for it. That came to fruition when older son Ted (Ed, professionally) started college in Eugene, and he and I finished it to make it a little cottage for him.
This is a very unusual structure, since the walls are solid wood; 2x4s laid on the flat, sort of like a log cabin.There are of course shingles on the outside.
We acid stained the concrete floor, and used some recycled cabinets. We insulated the inside of the walls with some rigid foam, pumped lots of cellulose into the attic.
It became a cozy little studio, and after he left, I rented it for some years until younger son Will moved in. Having a concrete floor turned out to be a very good idea. ‘Nuff said.
I had always planned to build something there, connected to the front of the little converted garage studio. And in 2011, I finally set to doing something about that. But what to build?
A couple years earlier, I built this,little studio apartment on the back of one of my old rentals, to replace a collapsing little pile of sticks that someone had built in the 1940s. It was my first solo new build, and it was both fun but exhausting. The basic shape was largely imposed due to a number of circumstances/codes, since I had to stay in the same footprint as the old one.
I kept it very simple, my default rule of thumb if in doubt. No “Craftsman” affectations, thank you. That style had its time and place, but not in the modern world.
So I decided to build a modest little bungalow on this lot. I started drawing up plans for a very basic house, as easy and cheap to build as possible, without being a mediocre house. One story, one bath, which added to the studio would yield three bedrooms and two baths. But then as I pored over my pencil drawings of the floor plans, I pushed out the side walls a few feet. And the front wall a few feet. This is a nice neighborhood; I didn’t want to grossly underbuild.
I already had a building permit for a 1000 square foot one-story house, when the folks who bid the trusses for the roof said: “for just an extra $2000, you could have attic trusses, and increase your square footage by 50%”. Well, I knew it wouldn’t be that simple and cheap, but I decided to go for it.
So at the last minute I raised the roof four feet and made it a one and a half story house, and got the changes to the permit approved.The end result is that the main (new) house is 1600 square feet, and with the attached studio cottage, a total of 1930 square feet; four bedrooms and three baths.
I drew up all the plans and specs for the permit myself, with paper and pencil and an architectural ruler. My assigned contact at Eugene’s building department was very helpful, a and showed me how to meet certain seismic, structural, energy and other special code details that were a bit out of my purview, especially as they’re always being updated.
The point is: this house was not designed to show off my brilliant architectural skills (as if). It was designed to be simple to build, honest and energy efficient. And I wanted to use advanced framing, something I had been aware of for some time. More on that later.
So exactly four years ago, in mid-August 2012, the excavator showed up.
And then the foundation contractor. These guys are so cost efficient ($5,500), I wouldn’t think of doing my own foundation, especially having done a couple before. .
In two days they were done and stripping the foundation. Here the concrete pumper delivers the goods.
Now the hard work starts. I knew I needed a capable helper, as I just don’t have it in me anymore to frame day in and day out. I posted a Help Wanted on Craigslist, and was besieged with responses, as in 2012 housing was still in the doldrums. Alec turned out to be a very capable jack of many trades, having worked in a variety of building-related jobs. And most importantly, we hit it off.
We put down the floor joists,and then the OSB (Oriented Strand Board) sub floor. My intention was to also finish it as the final floor, but Alec kept talking my out of it, so we didn’t put any protection over it. I would regret that later.
I’ve always been turned off at how inefficient and wasteful most framing is. Every window gets six studs; two to hold the header (jack studs), two that go all the way to the top sill (king studs), and two short ones to hold the window sill (cripple studs). The headers are huge and often solid wood, reducing insulation space. Doors get the same wasteful construction.
Advanced framing is really largely how balloon framing was originally done, with the tall and narrow windows back then taking up no more than two 16″ stud bays, with a very modest little header, typically just two 2x4s. In this house, the 2×6 studs are 24″ on center, and all of the windows on the load bearing side walls are sized to fit exactly between the opening of two stud bays. And the roof trusses will sit exactly above those studs.
Here’s a close up of that picture. Note that there are no solid headers at all; just a 2×8 let in on the notched studs. No jack studs, no extra cripple studs. It makes for less material, less work, and significantly better insulation, as solid wood acts as a thermal bridge. And no, more unnecessary wood does not “make it stronger”.
Here’s an example of what is commonly done, although this example is a bit of overkill: there’s no less than 12 studs in the framing of this rather modest sized window, presuming that the framing on the right off the edge of the window is the same as the left. The more I look at this picture, the more I shake my head. And where did I find it? At a site with DIY instructions about how to frame a window.
The two of us banged out and tipped up the side walls in a couple of days.
Here’s the view from the street.
This is really the fun part, as things happen quickly. Of course, it’s hard work too, but it’s satisfying to see things happen so fast, unlike when one is messing with the endless myriad of little details yet to come.
After we got the gable end walls up and the basic interior walls framed, it was time to set the trusses. Alec did not have experience with that, and neither did I, so the truss company turned us on to three guys who were willing to do it one morning for $30/hour each. It went very quickly.
The end trusses went up first. Note the “raised heel” of the trusses, the roughly 2′ or so vertical rise on the outer edge. I specified that so that the attic/knee wall insulation would not be compressed at that point. It also made the roof less steeply pitched.
Then the center trusses were craned up. These engineered trusses don’t actually need any center support to carry the whole upstairs living area. If someone wants to majorly remodel the first floor, they could tear all the interior walls down.
Moving them into position to be tipped up.
Bracing them as they go.
A few hours later, they’re all set and braced. $360 well spent on these guys. We attach them to the top sills with special screws.
Alec and I sheathed the roof, with 5/8″ sheets, to make a sturdy roof. The sheathing is a key structural element to give rigidity to the whole structure. The tar paper is going up here.
We got the final roof shingles on in late October, just days before the heavens opened up with the first big storm of the season. The first two months were the most productive ones. The biggest challenge to a building project is maintaining momentum. Especially when there is no immediate pressure to do so. I think I’ll stay in and write a CC today…
I got permits to do my own electrical and plumbing, as this house was not being built for sale. The power line is in the alley, so I had laid down conduits for the electric and cable back in 1998, when I dug the utilities for the rear alley cottage. I knew then that I would eventually build there. Good thing, as that side of the lot now has trees that have grown quite large. Here’s the main panel. Pulling those three big cables all the way from the alley and through several bends was scary, and just barely doable. As it turned out, we had more bends than allowed by code, but our initial inspector didn’t notice it, and I wasn’t aware of the limits.
Here’s how the trusses looked from below.
The windows and doors on the gable end walls, which carry no loads, have no headers at all. I always smile a bit when I see big headers and lots of studs on gable end walls, never mind on side walls.
One piece fiberglass tub/surround downstairs, and a one-piece fiberglass shower stall upstairs. Who wants to deal with the possibility of cracked tiles and leaky showers? Not me. I love these; no leaks, no caulk joints, no maintenance.
I rented a little excavator and dug my own sewer trench and laid the line. The city sent a guy out to tap the sewer and I connected to it.
Since the existing garage conversion studio had its sewer connected to the line for the cottage on the alley, I had to connect it to the new house, which required cutting a hole in the foundation.
I rented a trencher for the gas line conduit.
The old F100 was kept plenty busy these past few years.
The potable water line. Actually, that 3/4″ had to be replaced; the inspector required a 1″ line due to the number of fixtures. Little details like this is what trips up the amateurs. I could tell you of a few others too. It was easy enough to replace though.
And the storm and perimeter drain line, to the curb.
There was a bit of code confusion as to the details of the meeting of the storm drain line and the perimeter footing drain line. I thought having them meet this far downhill was good enough; nope, I had to add a one-way valve on the perimeter drain line in case the storm drain backed up. Whatever you say!
Now this innocent-looking assemblage of pipes caused a ruckus with the inspectors. It used to be that residential building inspectors did everything except electrical and plumbing inspections, which were done by the corresponding specialist inspectors. In a cost-saving move, the building inspectors were trained to do residential electrical and plumbing. Not a good idea.
This is looking up at the drains for the upstairs bathroom toilet and shower, with the vent in the middle. I used a very good book to figure out how to create this combination, based on the specific various code requirements. I knew it was good.
There’s several possible ways to do this, but plumbers tend to do these kind of things regionally in certain patterns. My inspector looked at this and had never seen it done like this and insisted it was not ok. I told him otherwise, and explained why. He insisted I was wrong. I insisted he call in a real plumbing inspector. He did, they both came back, and the plumbing inspector looked up and said: “Hmm; that’s a bit different than is usually done, but it works just fine. It’s rather elegant, actually.” Thanks.
Unfortunately, I went through some similar issues with this building inspector’s limitations with the electrical code. Without going into all the details, he made me do some things that I didn’t need to, and forgot others, like an external shut off (for emergency services/fire department). The meter (and shut-off) is at the alley, and that’s too far away. So I had to make and mount this sign on the side of the house. The lead electrical inspector came to do the final, and was pretty shocked that this had been overlooked.
I’m not going to bore you with all of them, but I’ve learned it’s really handy to have pictures of the wall cavities before they’re closed up. Especially when I found out that Alec didn’t wire the three-way switch circuits in two rooms that had them. I had given him the book with the patterns in them, but he didn’t look at them and relied on his intuition. Bad move. I should have checked them before the drywall went up. Don’t ask how I “fixed” that problem after the drywall was up and painted. Let’s just say the inspector would not have approved.
The water lines are PEX, color coded for hot and cold, a handy little detail. Pex, along with plastic drain lines, are the greatest invention in the history of plumbing. As easy as putting together Lego blocks.
When I realized I had forgotten to cut out a dryer vent, pictures like this came in very handy.
I’m a bit of a fanatic about insulation, although in our climate it’s not worth going totally overboard either. The biggest challenge was the knee-wall area, upstairs in the lower part of the roof. Ideally, one insulates a house only at the very outside skin everywhere, to eliminate any unconditioned spaces. That would have required spray foam insulation, as insulating in between the trusses at the underside of the roof would have been very difficult/tedious any other way. But spray foam is rather expensive, and I wanted to keep costs down. So I decided to insulate the vertical part of the knee wall with R30 batts, held in place within the bay with some cheap Styrofoam boards. And later I would pump a very thick layer (R70) of blown-in cellulose in the horizontal area, as well as the overhead “attic” area, which is rather small in this house. That left only quite small areas of unconditioned air space.
The sloping walls of the upstairs were insulated with 8″ (2 x 4″ layers) of rigid foam (black backing), which I bought used for dirt cheap at our local recycled building supplies store. It probably came off an industrial roof or something.
living room looking to front door
I didn’t take anymore pictures until the house was essentially done, meaning that I didn’t want to document the two years of snail’s pace progress after Alec had to leave shortly after we finished the rough plumbing and electrical. The black free-standing gas stove I found for 60% off, having been a showroom model. I had originally planned to heat the house with a ductless mini-split system, but when I found this so cheap, and with the house so well insulated, I decided to use it instead. Its heat is enough to heat the whole house very evenly, the magic of being much better insulated than typical new code construction.
My window rep even got me triple-pane windows throughout for not much more than double-pane, as the manufacturer had a special promotion going on. They are very heavy, but make the house super quiet, and of course add to the insulation quality.
I walked all over the house in the winter with an instant read digital thermometer, and the difference in the most distant upstairs room was only 3 degrees less than in the living room. The heat just permeates the inside of the house, and radiates it to all the rooms, as so little is lost through the walls. The gas bill this winter was peanuts. I did put in electric wall heaters in all the other rooms, as required by code, but I doubt they’ll ever get used much. And the gas stove gives off such a pleasant radiant heat. I rather hate ducted systems. I love underfloor radiant heat, but it too would have been pricey in this setting.
The downstairs is basically divided in half; this side is an open room from front to back, living, dining and kitchen. These shots were taken before the kitchen island was assembled. All the kitchen cabinets and furniture are from IKEA. The other half of the downstairs is a bath and two bedrooms. Bungalow style, meaning no wasted space for a hall.
The floor is the OSB sub floor, sanded, and the cracks filled with wood putty, and finished with five coats of Bona High Traffic water-based polyurathane, after a sealing it with a light-amber toned Bona sealer, to bring out the color texture just a bit.
It’s hard to show how the floor looks, but everyone loves it. Folks ask if it’s cork, or some exotic other material. Nope; just the sub floor. And OSB is tough, and this particular material is impregnated with wax so that it doesn’t swell if exposed to the rain during the construction process, so it’s going to hold up. The best thing is if that it does get dinged, one can’t barely see it. And if I ever sell it and someone wants to spend the bucks for a hardwood floor, that’ll be easy to do later.
Here’s the kitchen fully finished. In my original plans, there were only going to be three of those high windows, which are sized to just pop in between the studs. And none were planned for the living room; just the larger lower windows. As we were framing the house and cut out the windows, I decided I wanted more, so I just kept cutting out more of those high windows, as they had no impact on the framing, due to how I designed it. That’s how I like to work: organically. It’s hard to imagine a house and its lighting and its relation to the sun until one is really in it.
By the way, that long wall with all the windows is of course south-facing, so that this Great Room is always very light and bright, and gets the benefit of considerable passive solar heating in the cooler months. The roof overhang was designed so that in the summer, when the sun is high, the windows are mostly shaded.
The ceilings downstairs are nine feet tall, so the upper windows fit well above the upper cabinets.
Granite counters have become very reasonable. And we picked black for the appliances as we’re both sick of the ubiquitous stainless that everyone else has. And it matches with the black gas stove, and the black ceiling fan. Home depot had a really aggressive Black Friday sale on appliances just about when I needed them.
Originally, the back of the house was designed with a six foot wide entry hall from the side door to accommodate the laundry and storage. But half of it had to be sacrificed for the staircase when the upstairs was added at the last minute. So I installed these IKEA storage cabinets, which have various types of interiors (pull-outs, shelves, etc.) and is very versatile.
The truth is that if I had originally planned to have high windows in the living room, I would have designed their interaction with the lower windows a bit more harmoniously. But the advantages offset that. Trimming them required a bit of creativity. All the trim for the windows, doors and baseboards was recycled from the old rotted-out farmhouse I took down on another lot some years ago. I did a story on that here.
Out of the blue, a neighbor asked if I could use a planer he was getting rid of. Yes indeed! I ran the 125 year old fir flooring we pulled out of that house through the planer, and then ran it through the table saw to cut off the tongues and grooves. It’s a bit narrow (2.75″), but it works for the rather sleek loft-style I was after.
Here’s the front downstairs bedroom.
And a peek into the bath.
The staircase, something I had hoped to avoid by planning a one-story house, was a particular challenge, as I’ve never built one before. We had built a rough construction stairway, so I just decided to beef that up with 4×4 columns, side skirts, and live-stock fencing and make it work. The only place left for the washer and dryer are under the stairs. Like I said; my approach is simple, honest, industrial, and unpretentious. Here it all is, on full display.
The treads are just 2×10 framing lumber, and the risers are OSB.
Here’s the view up. I took the galvanized stock fence wire panels to a guy who powder coats these.
At the top of the stairs is a sitting room-office space.
Here’s another view. The staircase looks simple enough, but it was a bit of a challenge to all fit together just right, and meet the codes. I lucked out the day I went to the lumberyard to buy 4×4 posts, as the ones there that day were very nice and straight and mostly clear.
The upstairs hallway, which leads to:
The upstairs bathroom, with a skylight.
A large walk-in closet (one half seen here).
And the master bedroom, with a large window facing east. This is a single triple-pane, triple light combination window (one unit), and that was a mistake, as it turned out to weigh several hundred pounds. How were we going to get it up there, from the outside? We ended up using a come-along that we mounted at the very top of the roof gable with a big lag screw, and winched it up. It was a scary moment, seeing it dangle there, especially getting it into position and securing it.
Well, there were a few others. Roofing was no joke, as the 9/12 roof pitch is just barely doable without aids. Alec is built low to the ground, and felt secure up on it. I never quite fully did, despite my lack of fear on roofs. Going up on it again to wash the skylights a couple of weeks ago reminded me why I originally wanted a one-story house.
Sadly, with these trusses, dormers are not readily possible without a lot of extra hassle. But I did place this skylight strategically.
So that when one sits in bed there is a perfectly framed view of Spencer Butte in the distance. It looks much further away in this shot than in real life, due to the iphone’s lens.
And the view to the east isn’t bad either, for this part of town.
Where the bed goes, if one wants to get that skylight view.
The last thing I built was this rear patio cover, which is rather essential for both the rain and summer sun. The posts weren’t yet oiled when I shot this. I also ended up installing a through-the-wall air conditioner in the downstairs great room, and one upstairs, as the last two summers were hotter than average. Of course, this summer is back to being cooler.
The exterior is clad in Hardy panel material, a cementious product that has become very popular because of its many qualities, including non-rotting and dimensionally stable, which means paint stays on much longer. It’s roughly the equivalent of stucco. The front upper portion I sided with Haida Skirl cedar siding, cut to look like the primitive cedar boards used by the Haida Indians on their long houses in the Pacific Northwest.
The only way I could get to the very peak of the gable with my extension ladder to install it was to back my truck in position and set the base of the ladder on the tailgate. One has to improvise all the time. This was shortly after I had painted the house with Metro Paint from Portland, which is recycled-reprocessed paint and costs all of $50 for 5 gallons.
Well, that’s about the end of the tour.
Is that orange door zingy enough for you?
I certainly didn’t design it like the typical spec house to maximize its ability to sell quickly on the market, although I have had quite a bit of unsolicited interest, which almost led to a sale in one case. It would be easy enough to sell in our current market, for about $400k $600k. I’m now glad I didn’t pull the trigger; it would have been hard to give up anyway.
(Update 2022: I have closed off the door between the main house and the garage-conversion studio, and rent them separately. That has worked out significantly better.)
Related:
I am an architect (institutional – hospitals and laboratories, not residential) and I think this house is wonderful. It is the true definition of elegant – accomplishes its intended purpose with a minimum of fuss and total lack of ‘extraneous-ness.’ Great job and thanks for sharing.
I’m also an architect and I’ve been meaning to compliment you, Paul, on this. To my dismay at the time, I learned long ago that I can’t help some folks design a better project than they can design on their own. This is one such example. Thanks for there’s exhaustive description…I plan to read it several more times to learn from it. And good luck on the next one!
Nice work, Paul!
Nice. Purpose built for strength, long life and straight-forward design. It’s what’s behind the walls, not the countertops that provides the real beauty and value.
And in the most beautiful place in the world.
Wow Paul, that’s fantastic. I have to say I really see the european aesthetic come through a lot as well as compared to traditional “American” design (which is not surprising) in a lot of the functional details and design.
It turned out extremely well, I’m glad you took the time to write this up.
It could sell for FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS?!!?!?!
wow. I keep forgetting that living in Indianapolis is like living in a bubble where housing is unrealistically cheap. Here’s my home, a 1400 sf brick ranch built in 1969. Zillow thinks it’s worth about 95k, not much more than I paid for it in 2007.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mobilene/25877848483
better pic
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mobilene/18340043324
Zillow says $360k, but they’re running behind the very hot market here this year, People are competing to buy and paying over asking prices.
http://www.zillow.com/homes/2220-Monroe-Eugene-OR_rb/?fromHomePage=true&shouldFireSellPageImplicitClaimGA=false
In reality, home prices here are just now catching up or exceeding the market peak of 2006-2007. But the years of inflation since then means that they’re still some 15-20% below those peaks in adjusted dollars.
When folks compare prices from the past to the present, they often forget inflation, even if it is modest. But it compounds, and adds up.
My son rents an apartment near Boulder CO and he says the prices are getting too high for him (at least in town).
And Boulder itself is undergoing a growth spurt in recent times.
He says it’s the CO marijuana laws.
Could that one factor swing a complete (own and rent) real estate market so sharply?
It’s not, it has more to do with the laws regarding the condo industry. It only takes two complainants to start a whole class action suit against a developer of a condo complex in Colorado, so none are getting built. Lots of apartment buildings (same owner, all for rent) but very few new condo units for sale. Boulder, Denver and Fort Collins get lots of positive press so lots of people are moving here. But go to the eastern part of the state and values are flat and low with the same marijuana laws.
Your son is correct.
Also, the eastern half of Colorado is notoriously not weed friendly.
The only influence I see on residential in W WA is the number of homes that had been grow houses that have been coming on the market. The legal market has effectively killed the black market and apparently those former tenants no longer feel the need to cover their tracks. So I’ve seen quite a few that the landlords have just thrown up their hands and have put them on the market.
Now commercial has been impacted. Because of the federal status some people just won’t rent for an “I-502” use but landlords that do are able to command a high price for rent. Just last week a building that is being rented to a company with growing and processing licenses hit the MLS. The asking price is $400K over based on comps (and what it sold for 18mos ago), while based on the cash flow generated by the lease it is easily under priced $400K. I’m watching it to see what happens. I have to wonder is there anyone out there that will lend on a building with a “I-502” use, unless it is private money at loan shark rates.
Keep in mind Zillow’s official statement on the accuracy of their zestimates is that 80% of the time they are within 20% of the fair market value.
My next door neighbor just sold her house that has literally been a animal farm since 1980, with NO kitchen,(torn out years ago) and a massive but dead in ground swimming pool, for 276K here in Tigard. House has had no maintenance in 40 years, a complete and total dump. Tigard is certainly not Mayberry anymore. Nice job on your house Paul. Do you ever buy your electrical supplies from Eoff?
CA home prices continue to soar and there is nothing in my zip code (90403 – median home price $1.3) for $400K. Rents – don’t ask. Affordable housing is the critical issue in SoCal (and throughout most of the state) but finding compromise on ways to make it happen – easing environmental controls, going vertical, modifying zoning laws, tax breaks, etc. – is nearly impossible. NIMBY prevails. Jim, hard to believe there is an area where home prices have remained stable for nearly a decade though I know from IN friends it is true.
Everyone needs to understand that the property value depends on the lot’s value plus the value (or replacement cost) of any building. Putting a $200,000 building on a $1,000,000 lot in CA makes a 1.2 million dollar property (maybe), while putting the same building on a $50,000 lot in middle America is a $250,000 property.
I keep forgetting that the same thing is in effect for Greater Flint and Metro Detroit. My family’s 1700 SF subdivision colonial from 1978 is only worth about 150K, which is about what my dad paid for it in 1999. Admittedly, this is up by Flint, so values are often a little lower than in true Metro Detroit (Wayne, South Oakland, and South Macomb Counties). Heck, even in a lot of the mid-century Detroit suburbs such as Livonia or Southfield, you can pick up a similar home to mine for about the same price.
Very nice Paul. It has an easy living feeling to it. I especially like the flooring and your approach to framing and insulation.
And that non-rotting “cement-like” exterior should save you a lot of grief and effort over the years.
You are a man of many skills.
I used hardiboard (or whatever the brand name is) siding on our house, and have been *very* happy with it. The only downside is that it shatters easily if you nail too close to the edge. It also makes a mess when you cut it.
Same view 14 years ago, with old, chalky aluminum siding. We took out several of the cedar and peach trees and wind storms got the rest. The interior was gutted one room at a time (so it was relatively easy to replace the knob-and-tube wiring and plumbing “Gordian Knot” with modern, functional systems), and we reroofed it ourselves over a three-month period in which it had been dry as a bone for over a month until literally the day after I pulled the first old shingle off – it rained like crazy all summer… got really good at tarping.
Oh, I, too, have used the bed of my old F-100 as a ladder platform, albeit to repair a loose piece of tin roofing on the 100 year-old hay barn.
I used to love tall mature trees.
Then came hurricane Irene and a year later, Sandy. My condo lost over 100 trees but my only cost there was a big assessment.
I labored at Debbie’s for weeks trimming downed trees to the point pros (hard to get after a big storm) could be brought in to take away the large logs. Many many trips to the dump in the PT Cruiser (dump was open 7 days a week for months after each storm).
The car smelled like pine sap for months.
Of course we got off easy. Many families closer to the shore are still suffering.
Good idea to take out several cedars.
I loved all the tall mature trees in my yard until the emerald ash borer killed 21 of them. The bill last year to remove them was $7,000.
We had a freak “high velocity wind incident” here in Richmond a few months ago which really did a number on the trees throughout Northside Richmond and southern Henrico county. Mature oaks were the hardest hit, as the largely straight-line winds literally lifted them out of the ground due to the surface area of the broad leafy crowns. My home lucklily escaped any damage, despite all the havoc wreaked in the area. Generally I wish I had more trees on my lot (only have two small ones) but in the aftermath of that storm I saw it as quite a good thing.
The worst one by far was about 3/4 mile away in the historic district–a painstakingly restored 1910 victorian got absolutely clobbered by an estimated 175 year old tree that the wind brought down on it. Obliterated the intricate wraparound porch, ripped open the corner turret, and rearranged the roofline, demolishing two of the dormers and a front gable and tearing off the front eaves. Given the amount of damage to the exterior, the water damage inside is reportedly minimal, but they’re estimating it will take between a year and 18 months (to say nothing of the staggering cost) to repair and restore.
My Sunday cycling buddy and his significant other live in Bryant Park and were the among the lucky ones. The wind took out ever tree on his street, dropping them onto the houses, stopping at his next door neighbor’s place. The street was amazing to see that Sunday as I came to pick him up to do another section of the Cap to Cap Trail. What a mess. Happily my neighborhood (next to King’s Charter) took very little damage, and absolutely none on my property.
I’m in Bryan Parkway as well, on Buckingham–I assume they were on Bryan Park avenue. Seeing all those massive trees down in a row was just unreal.
Wow, bravo and congratulations Paul, this is an amazing undertaking and some very fine work!!!
Like the rest of us, I am very into cars, but take it further being an ASE certified mechanic, albeit on the side mainly to know how to work on and build my own vehicles, my day job involves no wrenching.
But I am always striving to learn something new and acquire more skills, I am never content with the same things. The number 1 thing on my list is working on/building homes now, and it’s so cool to see such a good write up about that here.
Wow! I lose all energy when it comes time to get out the saw, so good job on a monumental project!
I love it! I’ve wanted this type of house for years. What I’ve had in my mind is what I think is called an A frame with board and batten siding, but when I saw your first picture I knew you had built almost exactly the kind of house I love! Very well done!
“Like I said; my approach is simple, honest, industrial, and unpretentious. here it is, on full display.”
And it works. Simple, without coming off as too austere. Very elegant.
I’ll echo everyone’s comments – really like the simplicity and “honest” material use. Yes, having studied architecture before changing majors to industrial design, it does bug me a little that the windows don’t relate to each other as well as they could, but I also totally get making mid-stream course changes. It all comes together well here.
“…meaning that I didn’t want to document the two years of snail’s pace progress after Alec had to leave shortly after we finished the rough plumbing and electrical.”
We call that the “90% done, 90% to go” phase.
Great job, and thanks for sharing!
A true proof that choosing function over form often leads to the best designs.
Funny you mention. At the time I was studying architecture at Georgia Tech, the unwritten rule was very much “function follows form,” which led to some really tacky architecture in the 1980s-90s (including Tech’s own West Architecture Building). After two years, I took a year off (only took required coursework), then transferred into the industrial design program, which was the polar opposite, stressing “form follows function.”
Of course, Frank Lloyd Wright is quoted as having said “Form follows function – that has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union.”
Pic shows the Georgia Tech East Architecture Building (1952) for comparison with the West Architecture Building (1979). The older building interior spaces had a light, airy feeling to them, where the newer one always felt oppressive to me.
Very nice and inspiring as I’m doing some upgrades on my house. I love the wire mesh on the porch. Would like to know what it is, because it’s exactly what I would like on my porch.
Thanks for sharing.
Welded galvanized wire fence panels for livestock, available at farm supply stores. Here’s some examples: http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/search/welded%20wire%20fence%20panels
Thank you…
Nice, I like that it has the classic bungalow form without copying all the decorative details. Modern and classic at the same time.
Outstanding work Paul. Impressive (and refreshing) to see someone so talented, combining advanced engineering and design skills. A rare combination. Elegant, tasteful and functional.
For several years, I worked in the marketing department for a major Canadian home builder, and I wish our architecture department produced such warm and personable designs.
Very nice home! I like the look of the finished OSB. What is is below the OSB? Plywood?
Nothing but joists, insulation, and air. 🙂 That’s 1 and 1/8″ OSB subfloor material, nothing else below it needed. The great majority of subfloors are this material.
But folks are laying down 1/2 OSB over existing floors just for the purpose of using it as a new (and cheap) floor surface. There’s a couple of hip cafes downtown that have it, and even a new trendy real estate office downtown too. It’s kind of a new fad. I don’t claim to have started it, but I’ve been thinking about it for a long time.
Very interesting! I do like the look. My current home has a plywood subfloor with particle board over that. This was popular in the 80s, but the problem is you can’t put wood or tile over particle board, so it will all have to be taken out and replaced with plywood or OSB.
Yes, they did that for a long time because it was the cheap way to put another layer that was inevitably going to be carpeted. I can’t see why you couldn’t put a floating/engineered woof finish floor over the particle board. Nailing down a traditional wood floor might be problematic, but there are many floating floor options.
Yesssssss! I’ve been waiting to see more of your handiwork since you mentioned this home ~1.5 years ago.
This is a rental?! Wow, the tenants must be in heaven.
Great work. A lovely home you surely must be proud of. I was thinking this was your personal home so I didn’t ever envision seeing inside. Thanks for all the pictures–what nice views of the greenery and sunlight.
I could sense the slight feeling of going overboard on the upstairs addition to your plans–but what a nice isolating place it must be.
Permits for the next house….is this going to be a smaller 1000 sq ft design?
2000 sq ft. It’s a long story as to why, which I will tell someday when it’s finished. Don’t hold your breath. 🙂
I’m not so sure about the OSB floor, but what an interesting and clever house overall. Nicely done.
Great article even though some of it went over my head and lovely looking house; does this style of house have a name? Does Eugene require Hurricane Clips when building houses? I was a bit surprised this house does not have a basement, is that common in Eugene? basement, Does Eugene require you to bury pipes at least 3 feet below the surface to avoid the frost line? So, does anyone in Eugene have well water?
A name for this style? Bungalow Moderne?
All of Oregon has seismic codes, the Western part (including Eugene) are at the highest residential level, due to the inevitability of The Big One. The screws we used to tie down the trusses to the upper sills are especially designed (and code approved) to accomplish the same purpose as the typical Simpson hold-downs (hurricane clips).
Basements are very uncommon here in postwar houses. There’s no need in terms of getting the footing low for frost heave in this climate, they’re expensive, and can be problematic to keep dry, especially since much of Eugene is a former swamp/wet lands. And folks would rather have their washer and dryer in the main part of the house.
Pipes have to be buried 16″ here, because the climate is milder in winter than in other parts of the country.
In the city, no well water. I believe it’s mandated to be hooked up to city water. In the country on rural properties, wells are almost inevitable.
Thank you for the info and I had no idea that Eugene was formally mostly swampy.
Freeville, NY is one of those odd towns where (nearly) everyone relys on well water or artisan wells, but they have a municipal sewer.
Lucky tenants, indeed. I am a docent at a Frank Lloyd Wright house (post-Prairie-style) here in Los Angeles. Your house – the open floor plan, natural flow of space, imaginative use of materials, and especially the placement of windows and use of natural lighting – reminds me of Wright. The house also takes every advantage of its environment, blending in and providing views. I like the Sinatra reference – orange was his favorite color. He also would approve of the black appliances (his second favorite color), as do I. The kitchen is a work of art.
Thanks for sharing. It is impressive that with all of this work going on, CC has continued to be one of the most enjoyable sites on the web.
Wow, very nice! Although my tastes run more towards the traditional end of the spectrum, I really like the clean, modern design that you have come up with.
I especially like the efficient way in which the windows are framed in between the studs. And the coated OSB flooring is new to me – fascinating idea. And I will echo Jim Grey on the disparity of home values between my neighborhood and yours.
What a great looking house. The honest approach and minimalist design really works.
Wish I had the talent/ability in construction required to build a home such as this.
This floor is something I’ve never seen before, so simple, just a well coated and protected strand board sub flooring.
Really enjoyed reading this latest accomplishment.
Hella impressive! I knew you did a lot of maintenance on your properties, but I had no idea you literally built a place more or less from scratch. That’s skills, man. I can replace plumbing fixtures, tile, do a bit of wiring and other assorted projects but undertaking something like this…I cant even get my head around it.
That is a great house, one I’d like to live in. One can’t often have the luxury of knowing how all the decisions were made that led to the finished dwelling one lives in. We bought our present house when it was in the stick stage, so we had input on a lot of things that most buyers don’t.
The windows in our house are framed in a similar manner to yours; luckily I was able to examine closely the one still under construction across the culdesac to see how to hang curtain rods, not having thought of that when ours was in that stage.
Thank you for this detailed view from site to finished house–it’s rare to get to see a project progress literally from nothing. And your design and execution are first-rate–clean and without ornamentation, but it doesn’t feel cold at all. Plus lots of light, which I’m envious of given that my house can feel deficient in that area. That window framing method seems quite clever; I’m surprised that hasn’t caught on as opposed to the much more wasteful “traditional” way of doing it. I guess you’re limited to windows that are multiples of your stud width, but still, it’s eminently sensible.
The sealed and finished OSB floor is one I’ve not seen before either, and it sounded rather odd, but in execution it actually looks great!
Nice looking house and appears to be well built, I am surprised the code allows balloon framing, but I have been retired out of construction for 16 years now. Not my idea but severe crippling arthritis forced it upon me having worked in some area of construction since age 18 even having a licensed and bonded contracting business for 3 years. I like your reuse\re purpose philosophy as I have done the same thing all my life. And like the built stout mentality exampled by the way the stairway\ second floor wall is built. I also like the board and bat siding look, something rarely done nowadays. Also all the tight fitting joints whether showing or not. On the drain pipe we always used to wrap the plastic pipe with tape where the metal support strapping came in contact with the plastic pipe. I always thought it was code but maybe not.
The Portland housing market is as bad\good depending on whether you are selling or buying as Eugene’s. I recently sold my house in Portland I had owned for 30 years. I had completely remodeled it 30 years ago, but 30 years of use and the fact that I have been unable to do much the last 16 years left in it a fixer state. I was able to sell it and out of the proceeds buy a 21 year old 2100 sq ft house in Vancouver that had just been rehabbed, buy all new drapes and blinds, buy new furniture,refrigerator,washer&dryer, pay to have the rest of our stuff moved, install central air and still have a little left over. The other house was remodeled and sold for $655.000. Here is a picture of it.
It’s not true balloon framing, where the second story is essentially hung from the studs that go all the way to the top. This is platform framing, but just using fewer studs and headers than absolutely necessary, by careful placement and sizing of windows and such.
This spring and summer I built a small storage building in my back yard. I say building and not shed because I framed it like an actual house! I have always wanted to build something myself so it was pretty satisfying to finally accomplish it.
One of the things about building from your own plans is that you have to make hundreds of decisions about design, measurements, and placement of key elements and this takes a very long time.
I’m intrigued by the advanced framing techniques, makes a lot of sense!
Even though a few things didn’t go exactly as planned (they never do) the house looks great Paul!
Well done, Paul! Another endorsement from another Jim who’s an architect.
Housing costs are out of all proportion to incomes here, and I understand that’s not unique. We need the option of durable, climate responsive small scale construction. Industry is not motivated to provide this, seeking the profit made selling an image involving parents’ retreats and home theatres.
Access to decent housing should be respected as a basic human right.
The way it’s lived in makes the house, not the badly rendered allusions to Versailles stuck outside.
I like it! I know absolutely nothing about architecture or construction, but I enjoyed reading about the start-to-finish process of building this house. Very nice work, Paul.
I’ve used my old 1996 Ford Ranger as a ladder platform as well, the ladder was put in the front of the bed against the front panel in order to reach the gable above our garage. Works like a champ. I no longer have the truck, but I do have a 28′ aerial ladder to make up for it, but Wifey doesn’t want me up on it too often, and never alone. When I have to re-hang a shutter upstairs, I put the ladder through a window – it works great and won’t slip at all – even tho’ Wifey is right there helping with tools & such!
Is the board and batten siding real, or simulated? I really like that style, and you don’t see new construction with it very often.
Very cute home, Paul. Nice job!
Very impressive. The architectural style is very international, as it would fit right in on either coast or in between, and it also has a very northern European vibe going on. Your raised heel trusses are spot on. In my area, Maine, winters can be unrelenting. Heat escaping through the roof creates ice dams, frozen ice on the bottom edge of the roof caused by heat escaping higher up on the roof. The ice builds up until it creates pockets of water that back up under the shingles, causing leaks. Your raised heal trusses would most likely eliminate any chance of that happening. As an amateur carpenter myself I am impressed with your ideas and your work.
Impressive to see how much thought went into this .
.
Well done .
.
-Nate
I like it alot. I have come to like more simple forms over the years. I read fine homebuilding (based here in CT) from time to time, lots of good info on framing and insulation in that magazine. Back in 2002 or so I first read about advanced framing with an article about a contractor in Nebraska I think building affordable housing with it. He had everything engineered to reduce waste including short plumbing and wiring runs. It was kind of eye opening.
Nice work, Paul!
awesome.
just one thing – why no slates or something equivalent round the fire?
Very impressive work, Paul-a real Not So Big House, built to your own feel and with more than a nod toward its surroundings and regional history. It is clear that each element was carefully thought out (well, except for how to get that window upstairs!) and applied.
Glad you hear you have access to a Tractor Supply and good fencing materials-I really like that staircase. I send my friends who are new to gardening over there and they come home with truckloads of stuff-they had no idea. Then I get to tell them the electric fence stories.
Now you need an old tractor with a front end loader, or a “Bobcat” skid-steer, for reaching the upper floors. That Oliver you posted the other year would do, or an old John Deere with a Model 45, front cross-member re-welded so many times to fix the cracks. You put the ladder in the bucket, raise it up, walk along the hood and climb up to the bucket, raise the ladder and you can reach stupid high. Out here you just put a canvas cover over the seat and the distributor cap, a tin can over the exhaust and let it set in between; in town you might have to build a little garage or find one and cart it over.
I admire your perseverance on such a large project Paul, especially when it comes to building codes. I have been to enough local government meetings that I know what a pain it can be. For that reason, I’ve stuck to building sheds myself, I have put up a number of them in different styles on my 5 acres, with no hassle of plans and codes since they are under the size where a building permit is required.
This is the first I’ve seen or heard of the header and plumbing stack designs that you used, I will certainly remember them for any future projects I need to build to code as they seem very efficient. I’m also glad to see that styles like the exposed OSB flooring are becoming accepted, maybe someday that’ll spread here to the Midwest also.
Nice job. Construction’s a pain, inspections worse, even if the whole thing is fun.
Here’s a thought about that ‘wasteful’ doubling of headers and framing at windows and doors. It might not be needed now, when new, but those areas have a lot of stress over TIME, as well as being areas subject to increased risk of moisture infiltration.
You might not need it today, and, given your (and my own) age, you yourself might not ever see a need but, I can tell you there WILL be a time when SOMEONE might be grateful if there is a ‘backup’ member to screw an extra long screw into to anchor that replacement window that will be needed over time. They are likely to find areas of wood in that single member that have gone soft due to moisture. Or cracked due to the slamming of the door. It’s not the vertical strength, but the long term survival of the single pieces I’m discussing.
As an alternative to doubling, in your next house project, if you insist on the single members, you might want to consider using pressure treated wood for those pieces.
Just something to give that single piece of wood an edge against deterioration over time.
Your house looks terrific!
Also, thank you for the ideas. Being in the process of unfinishing my basement so I can start over, and wanting to eliminate the carpet upstairs, what you have done is giving me some inspiration.
This is one article I have made required reading for Mrs. Jason!
Excellent work. Your non-spec house approach and elegant solutions are fantastic. My brilliant yet notoriously cheap Grandfather would have approved as well.
I’d have been temped to move in and rent out my current house if I was you. I’ll need to come back later and re-read this, and blow up the photos to catch all that great detail. You should be very satisfied with your work.
Very nice Paul. I could see myself retiring in a house like that.
Being overly conservative where building is concerned I would have avoided non metallic pressure water lines, but that is just me. Similar lines that were guaranteed to last forever when installed are being ripped out all over the country. But that being said a super house.
PEX is a 100 year product, and has been used in Europe for some 40 years. meanwhile, in some parts of the country minerals are attacking copper pipes, and having to be replaced with PEX.
PEX is like fuel injection; once you’ve used it, you’ll never go back to carbs again. 🙂
Cool house.
My first home was a bungalow, it did not have a hallway, but I never connected the dots that this was part of the style. I normally associated it with being sort of a story and a half plan. My 1921 vintage bungalow was a lot more broken up into rooms. The open plan in yours further increases the efficiency of the no hallway design.
My bungalow with my CC in front, circa 1992…………..
Very impressive. Very. I wouldn’t have been able to pull off the garage-to-studio conversion, let alone anything that followed. I’m in awe…
Lovely house, lovely work. It’s refreshingly brutal in all of its honesty and straight-forwardness. And I like the organic way it has grown forward, your way is definitely the way to do it. When something grows and evolves from its original plan, most people stick to the plan. And regret it later that they didn’t adapt when they had the chance.
This is being open for adaption and improvement, but not letting things get way out of head. It reminds me in thinking very much of Christopher Alexander, that I remember we discussed earlier. It’s crucial for the soul of a house to evolve naturally from its surroundings, and this house has done just that, it has sort of grown into place. Good work!
Now, if you ever need a hand with your next project, my offer still stands to come and work for you. I’m no expert builder, but a good handy man. And I work for free. If you ever need help, it’s not far away, just so you know that.
Wow, nice work and great design and clever use of materials. Amazing forethought to put rough-in trench in 1989! Best part is that you’ve now finished it. Bravo and congrats; and great story and pics. Thanks from a sometime/part-time builder/remodeler.
Actually, it was 1998; that was a typo. But thanks for pointing it out.
Excellent work, and fantastic engineering with the insulation and radiant heat! I particularly like the windows and cabinets, and I’ve always had a strange fascination with both- I think the quality and integration of features like the windows and cabinets really indicates the quality of a house, but I don’t know much about houses and building. I like the floors, but I’m curious- did you varnish or stain them, or just use bare subfloor?
The radiant heat reminds me of a pet peeve of mine- during a vacation, I stayed in a house with a full – blown industrial HVAC system, and it wasted a crapton of space and was stupid loud.
It’s just the OSB subfloor, with 4-5 coats of clear water-based polyurethane.
Nice place.. If you don’t mind me asking what does it rent for? I live in eastern Canada right on the ocean, well actually a small deep anchorage cove in a renovated two bed two bath two level cottage that might be 950 square feet and pay $1150/ month with no included utilities. All told about 1700 a month. While I love where I live I have been contemplating a huge uproot to head west again to warmer climate.
Your style is very close to how my grandfather built the house I grew up in, he built it very simply but with a very durable solid look and feel so it could survive three rough and tumble kids and still look great with simple matenence. Love the look and can imagine it is a nice cozy place to hang your hat at the end of the day.
$2300. But I might have priced it a bit too low; I would ask $2500 for it now.
I rent other houses; my smallest one-bedroom cottages rent for $900; my one-story three-bedroom, one bath older houses (900 – 1200 sq. ft) rent for $1200 – $1600. No utilities included.
My part of town is a bit pricier than others. Location determines real estate prices.
You’re very talented Paul – wonderfully designed and built. Congratulations.
What an enthralling read.
Impressive job on the house.
One type of home that I think would appeal to you would be Lustron Homes. They were designed for the absolute lowest amount of maintenance necessary. The walls were made of enameled steel panels. and the roof was made of smaller enameled steel tiles. One of the strongpoints in old ads for these homes was that the roof never had to be replaced, and that nothing ever had to be repainted. About 2000 were built and sold in total. Sadly, the company went bankrupt in 1950, and the idea died right there.
I have seen several Lustron homes in the west suburban Chi. area.
They were assembled from porcelain coated panels. My nephew almost bought one in Lombard, IL back in 1980s. He said even the inside walls where metal panels and pictures had to be hung with magnets. They are not very large and all are one story. I was told that they were built in a plant located at 7300 s. Cicero av. Chi. Ford built to mfg. items for the 2nd world war ?
Later Mr.Tucker built the Tucker Torpedo cars in that bldg.
Tootsie roll co. bought it many years ago to to mfg. candy.
I have been in it a few times in the past.
I’m a big fan of Lustron homes too – so many intriguing details, great floorplans, cool-looking kitchen cabinets and fittings, that distinctive curvy metal post at the front corner patio, and the square tile exterior siding, amongst many other things. And easy and cheap to build. This was a great concept and I’m not sure why there isn’t anything like it nowadays.
One item I could do without that these were built with was a combination clothes washer/dishwasher. Saves space, but I prefer to eat and drink from plates and glasses not washed with anyone’s undies.
Nice job Paul. I can see you’re not only a constructor but also a damm good project manager to handle all that. The F100 looks sweet on site, and, oh my God, trucks used to have real colors…
PS: it’s all kind of new to me as down here in Brazil 99% of house construction is on bricks and cement. Roofs and floors are mostly clay. Timber only on roof structures and doors. Obviously it’s much more labor intensive and slow to build.
Your builds have a very Scandinavian aesthetic to my eye. The photo of the studio apartment you built reminds me of one of those “living in 300 square feet” displays you see at IKEA stores, and also looks a lot like a place I stayed in Norway.
So I’m guessing it rents for $4000-4500/month nowadays? A young couple I know (early 30s) is living in a 3-bedroom house with 3 other couples. Rental laws here only allow for a maximum of 8 people in a 3BR, or there would be more. It’s the only way working folks can afford to live here in Las Vegas.
The main house rent just went up from $2500 to $2650. The little studio went from $775 to $875, with a new tenant moving in. So $3525 total.
It’s similar where I live, except there’s a max of only 5 people (excluding any of their children), even for larger homes. The high-rise apartment builders pushed that law through; they have more money and political clout than random small homeowners who own a few rental properties.
Building a house is so far beyond my skill set; I’ve spent lots of time just learning how to renovate kitchens or bathrooms, replace lighting fixtures, and learn some of the relevant codes (the kitchen here would not pass muster where I live; there must be an electrical outlet every 24 inches behind the countertop except where a sink or stovetop is; I got dinged on that by the inspector after a renovation). I used the same Ikea cabinets and handles that you did. And I too used wide, deep drawers rather than hinged doors on most of the lower cabinets as it makes items in the back much more accessible. Yes you can use slide-out shelves behind hinged doors, but that means two motions to get there instead of one. The main advantage of granite (or other solid-surface) countertops for me over laminate is that you can easily use an undermounted sink, which makes cleaning the countertops easier since you can wipe dirt and grime into the sink without it getting caught in the ledge, and it also adds about 2″ of countertop width on each side since there’s no bezel surrounding the sink, important in the small kitchens I usually work with.
I’m also with you on opening up the attic for use as living space – trusses criss-crossing big, tall attics are a pet peeve of mine, and common on houses built since the 1960s around here (that or cathedral ceilings which are even more useless, unless used as a loft). I like the wire-grid thing on the stairwells and the nice mix of new and old/reclaimed materials. I also like the one-piece shower or tub surrounds, but they can be difficult to use for renovations rather than new construction – I’ve temporarily ripped out a door frame to get one into a bathroom. They make 3- and 5-piece versions designed for that situation, but then you have a few seams. Fancy tile in a shower or tub looks nice only when new; I can never keep the caulk and grout looking clean no matter what I do. Also, why do some people still insist copper is the gold standard for incoming-water pipes? EVERY home I have lived in with copper pipes developed at least one pinhole leak, which I fixed with a rubber hose or patch held tight by a hose clamp. The last place I lived (a rental) already had about 5 such repairs not including mine.
Anyway, nice work!
Very nice original and imaginative design.
After renovating 3 houses I also decided to build our summer house myself, also a 1 1/2 story, with a lot of help. Interestingly the main guy who helped me went to a construction education program in Eugene about 20 years ago. He helped with framing and the heavy wall erecting stuff and did the metal roof. Built on Sonotube piers and a dual frame sitting on top of them due to high water table in Spring. Subbed out the plumbing and some finish work including the timber framing inside, but did the electrical and other stuff myself.
We started in 2008 and after working on vacations and weekends for 14 years it’s now about 95% done, I’m at the point where I want to enjoy it and not work on it much anymore. Last to be done will be vertical “battens” on top of the Hardi-panel fiber cement panel siding (great stuff!). It has an open ceiling and loft so feels spacious though it’s only 24 x 32. Hope to enjoy it more now we’re retired and getting older. Very rewarding, but at 72 now I’d never do it again!
outside
inside, loft frame detail
frame detail
sorry that pic won’t post for some reason, will try another, here’s the W side that faces the lake:
Looks very nice to me ! .
I envy your skills .
-Nate
How is the paint holding up on that hardi-board siding??
Most of the cheap new builds around here have gone away from vinyl siding and started using that fiberboard cement siding. Going for that craftsman/cottage look with clappboards. Which I will admit does look way nicer, especially compared to that really cheap builders grade vinyl siding.
Thing is Ive noticed the paint, especially dark colors hasnt held up. After 3 or 4 years you can see it start to fade/turn chalky on the south and west exposures. Of course here in Tennessee we get a lot more sunshine. Im also wondering if its the builders using really cheap paint. I used white Porter paint on my wood windows when I painted/sanded/caulked them last time 10 years ago and they still look great.
Paint on Hardiboard and such invariably lasts longer than on wood, because it doesn’t contract and expand seasonably. It’s like stucco that way; where paint can last a really long time.
But yes, color fading is a real thing with dark, strong colors, but that’s not the fault of the underlying surface. I use recycled paint (seriously) on my rental exteriors, and the paint has held up well, but yes, this deep red has faded on the two houses it’s on.
This is why white was so very popular back in the day: it outlasts any colored paint, especially darker ones. UVs are what damages paint (like everything else) and white is the best color to reflect the UVs as much as possible.
Hello there PN,
This is from a website that I was exposed to when I was learning the trade of Res. Energy
auditing. The author writes with humor as well as with experience.
https://www.buildingscience.com/documents/insights/bsi-030-advanced-framing
I saw this and thought you may enjoy reading it.
Enjoy
I’m very familiar with that article! It was in fact one of the most influential ones I read that inspired me to use advanced framing. That’s a great website; lots of terrific info.