1. Chapter 10
Construction Basics

2. Planning the Housing Site
When building a new home the first point to consider is the housing site or lot. The topography refers to the contour or shape of the land and its other physical features such as size and soil type. The site can influence how the house is situated and the style of housing to be built. The orientation of a home is it’s position on the lot and the direction the home faces. Homes should be positioned so that the owners can enjoy:
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3. Sunlight: provides natural warmth and light
Sunlight: provides natural warmth and light. Which helps prevent dampness, mildew, and rot.
Air flow: natural cross-ventilation, or air flow is created when air travels from one side of the house to the other.
Best view: homes should be oriented to take advantage of views. Large windows can help. A porch will add to the enjoyment of the view.
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4. Architectural Drawings
Once the building site is chosen, the owner must select a floor plan that best suits their needs and the sites topography. The most common architectural drawings are floor plans and elevations.
A floor plan is a scale diagram of one or more rooms as if seen from above. A basic floor plan includes information about size and location of walls ,doors, window, stairs, closets, fireplace, etc.
An elevation shows vertical surfaces as if viewed by someone standing on the ground or floor.
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5. The Basic Structure
The foundation and frame are the basic structures of any building.
The foundation
The foundation is the underlying base and support of a home. It consists of the footing and the foundation walls.
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6. The footing is a continuous concrete base that supports the foundation walls below ground level.

7. Foundation walls support the load of the house between the footing and the floor.

8. Footings extend from 1 to 6 feet beneath ground level
Footings extend from 1 to 6 feet beneath ground level. They should be placed on solid, undisturbed soil below the frost line. If footings are placed above the frost line, the soil under them could freeze and expand causing the foundation to crack.
There are 3 types of foundations construction:
Basement
Basement is staked out
Earth is excavated to proper level
Footing is poured
Foundation walls are poured on the footings

11. Concrete floor is poured after the plumbing and heating systems are installed
Waterproofing material is applied where moisture may occur. It is applied on the outer face of the foundation wall

12. Drain tile is place around the footings to reduce the danger of water damage. When water is collected it is directed to nearby drains. This protects the foundation from water damage.

15. Crawl Space
A house with a crawl space has just enough room to crawl under the house to reach electrical wiring and parts of plumbing and heating systems. 40” (3’6”)
c. Slab
A slab foundation has no basement of crawl space.

16. 2. The Frame -
is the skeleton of the structure. It supports the house and distributes its weight to the foundation. If the frame is not constructed properly, the house may sag or even collapse. House frames are built of wood but steel could be used.
The floor frame -
is built on top of the sill plate, which is the first piece of lumber attached to the foundation. The floor consists of joists, girders and subflooring

18. The wall frame -
is built on top of the floor frame. Its supports the ceiling, upper floor, and roof.

20. c. The ceiling and roof frames
The roof frame consists of a series of rafters, which support the weight of the roof. The slope of the rafters determines the roof pitch. The steeper the slope of the roof the less likely it is to leak.

26. Finishing the Exterior
When the basic structure and frame have been built, work begins on the exterior part of the house. The exterior includes exterior walls, floor, windows, doors, and special features. The care that is taken in finishing the exterior, and the materials that are used, will greatly affect the house’s appearance and the safety and comfort of the owners.

27. The Walls
The rough finish and final finish of exterior walls are important for the house to be fireproof, waterproof, and energy-efficient.
The Rough Wall
also called sheathing
applied to the outside face of the roof and walls.
consist of plywood, foam or oriented strand board (OSB)

29. To make the house weather tight, builders usually apply a layer of heavy waterproof paper to the outside face of the rough wall.
This reduces heat loss by closing the small cracks and holes.

31. The most common materials used for exterior finish are: Wood
The Final Finish
The most common materials used for exterior finish are:
Wood
most common
good insulator
easy to assemble
suitable for a wide variety of exterior styles
Disadvantage: must be painted or stained and sealed to protect it.

32. 2. Manufactured siding Aluminum b. Vinyl durable
does not need to be repainted
resist weather and corrosion
Disadvantage: may conduct electricity
b. Vinyl
Fairly durable
Requires not maintenance
Is likely to dent
Disadvantage: brittle and may crack or break under extreme weather conditions.

34. Fiberglass Masonry Siding Looks like wood shingles
Does not need to be finished or painted
Masonry Siding
Includes brick, clay, tile, stone, concrete block and stucco.

35. Paints and Finishes
Primer should be applied to wood exteriors before painting. A coat of primer serves as a sealer and prevents paint waste that occurs from untreated wood absorbing the paint. Two types of paint:
Water-based
expand with changing weather without cracking the paint
easy to spread
dries quickly
good color retention
safer to the environment
Oil-based
harmful to the environment – major source of volatile organic compounds

36. The Roof
Roofing material must be strong and weatherproof. Common roofing materials include asphalt, fiberglass, vinyl, wood, clay tile, slate concrete and metal.

37. Installing the Roof and Chimney
First the roof frame is covered with sheathing, then covered with roofing felt (helps to keep out moisture). Then shingles are applied.
Works begins on the chimney by installing flashing. Flashing consists of strips of sheet metal placed around the chimney and other roof openings. Flashing insulates the roof from the chimney and prevents moisture from leaking through the roof opening.

39. Insulation
The purpose of insulation is to reduce the passage of heat through the walls and roof. It makes the house feel warmer in winter and cooler in summer.
The effectiveness of insulation depends on its R value. The R value of insulation is a measure of its capacity to resist winter heat loss and summer heat gain. The higher the R value, the better the insulation.

43. Vapor Barriers - This material helps reduce drafts and prevent moisture from getting into a home.

45. Forms of Insulation There are several types of insulation:
Flexible Insulation: consists of fibrous, porous material that is usually made of fiberglass
Loose-fill Insulation: can be poured, blown in and packed by hand.
Foam insulation: is pumped through a tube to the location where it is to be applied.
Rigid insulation: foam panels
Reflective insulation: includes aluminum foil, sheet metal and coated paper.

46. Water Protection
Includes the finish grade, gutters, and downspouts.