The proper way to go about enclosing a patio is to first consult with a qualified building professional.  He/she may bring in a structural engineer to determine the structural integrity of that concrete.  Yes, it does incur some cost, but trust me, it will be far cheaper than building something without following the proper channels and then later having to tear it down and start all over again.   Not only that, but you could also devalue your property value.  It is tempting to just enclose an exterior patio that already have roof  on it, but please consult with someone who knows what they are doing before you begin.”–Danny Garcia, owner of Rhino Design Build in San Antonio, Texas.

Some homes were built with the foundation being part of the home’s exterior patio being engineered properly to support a structure on top of it.  If you own a track home, chances are less likely because having a concrete patio with the proper beams and rebar in it to support a proper structure adds cost home.  The goal is to make the track homes as affordable as possible, so in all likely hood, the patio is only about 4″ thick and cannot be built on top of.  Removing the concrete patio and having the builder pour a proper foundation is certainly the way to go if indeed your goal is to use the new room addition or patio enclosure as living space.  It does cost more, but the advantages far outweigh the consequences.

San Antonio has been fortunate to keep property values up during this rough economy.  Most of our clients like the idea of adding square footage to their house via a room addition or mother in law suite and also being able to increase the value of their home.  Homes are investments and like any good investment, you need the expertise and guidance of a professional.”–Danny Garcia, owner of Rhino Design Build in San Antonio, Texas.

Choosing the right building products and knowing where to spend money when renovating a home is extremely crucial.  Heated floors are a nice amenity, but won’t bring you the return on your investment like they might up north where the winters are longer and colder.  Sit down with your builder or design professional and lay out what is important to you.  He/she should be able to take your ideas and create a desirable living space that will bring you the most for your dollar and get you the highest return on your investment.

Stairs can take up a large amount of square footage and are not even considered by most in the planning stages of an attic conversion.  An architect, designer or qualified builder can help in the layout of the stairway of the new attic remodel.   The idea is to allow the exiting floor plan to tie into the new stairway as seamless as possible.  You have many options when it comes to choosing the type of stairway (spiral, u-shaped, straight run, flared and curved).”–Danny Garcia, owner of Rhino Design Build in San Antonio, Texas.

Another very important area that is not considered is how will the new attic space be supported?  Chances are that the existing floor joists were not designed to handle the weight of the attic as living space.  Floor joists or a floor system can be added to help distribute the weight of the attic remodel, but it takes a building professional or registered architect or engineer to make that call.  Always have the foundation of the home inspected by a structural engineer to ensure that the attic renovation can be supported by the home’s current foundation.  The City of San Antonio requires this as part of the approval process when it comes to getting a building permit.  Also required is a stamped set of plans from a registered Architect showing the layout of trusses, floor joists and details of wall sections.  All of this certainly adds to the cost of an attic conversion, but is necessary in making sure the new upstairs living space meets building code and is safe to occupy.  Plumbing, electrical and air conditioning will need to be assessed to see how they will come into play for the new upstairs attic space.  Permits are also required for these trades as well as a building permit by your builder.  Other items to consider are approvals from: HOA (home owners association) Historic Conservation District, and Preservation Districts.  As you can see, there are many items to consider before making a decision on turning an attic into living space.

I see a lot of attic conversions that were not done properly and as a result, cracks in the downstairs walls and ceilings have formed.  The architect, engineer or qualified design professional will be able to tell you if the existing walls and foundation will be sufficient to carry the weight of the new attic space.  This is obviously not cheap, but you can’t put a price on ensuring the safety of knowing it was done correctly and peace of mind knowing your family is safe.  There will be some upfront costs associated with bringing in these professionals, but it is well worth it.  The last thing you want is your house not being structurally sound.  You will sell that house one day and you could potentially lose a lot of money if you do not follow the proper procedures.  The City of San Antonio requires a full plan review when submitting for a building permit for any second story room addition or attic renovation.  And, yes, building permits are definitely required for any attic being converted into living space.–Danny Garcia, owner of Rhino Design Build in San Antonio, Texas.

Converting an attic into an bedroom or an office can be a great way of adding living space to your house, but you must follow the right procedures.  As you can see, there are many factors that come into play when considering attic remodeling.  Other items to consider are approvals from: HOA (home owners association) Historic Conservation District, Preservation District and Flood Plain Approval.

Heat Reducing Window Film

Adding a Heat control window film to the inside of your home windows will help keep rooms cooler.  It is almost like tinting your vehicle windows, but for your house instead.  The heat reducing window coating helps reflect the ultraviolet rays from the sun as well as radiant heat and as a result, can help reduce your air conditioning bills.  The heat reduction window coating will also help with heat loss in the winter.  If you have a lot of direct sunlight coming through your window, then adding a Heat control window film can help reduce the amount of heat that enters the room.  Energy efficiency is quickly becoming a major concern for Americans and more an more people are looking for ways to lower their monthly bills.  Adding solar window film, along with radiant barrier and more insulation can help keep your heating and cooling costs down.

Installation can be done yourself and can take about 20-30 minutes per window (depending on the size).  Most solar control window films will last about 10 years, depending on how much direct sun light they receive.  Most of our homes we remodel ask for ways to make their home more energy efficient and this is certainly a great and cost effect way to achieve that.”–Danny Garcia, owner of Rhino Design Build in San Antonio, Texas.

How effective is solar window film?

Solar Window Film is installed to your existing windows, and rejects a portion of the heat transmitted from the sun into your home. Reflective solar films are perfect for reducing up to 74% of the suns radiant heat from entering your windows during the summer and also keeps in close to 30% of the heat from escaping in the winter.  Residential window film also blocks 98% of UV rays that would prematurely fade carpets, drapes, furniture, and wood floors.

Terms for Home Framing

Framing a home or building can be described as the skeleton of the structure that sits on top of the foundation. (see picture to the left)   Wood or metal studs are used to make the the structure of the frame.   All interior walls, exterior walls, ceiling rafters, door and window openings are all cut at the framing stage of construction.  Depending on where you live in the country, certain building codes are required to adhere to when framing a house.  Here in San Antonio, Texas, exterior walls must be spaced at a minimum of 16″ on center.  Skilled carpenters (often called “framers”) are needed when building the new home or room addition.  Stick framing is a term used to describe a structure built from 2x lumber.  Prefabricated wall panels or trusses can be used to frame a house and can save time, but can often be more expensive on the labor side.  During the framing stage of home building, it is easy to see where the load bearing walls are.  The load bearing walls are interior walls that carry the weight of the ceiling joists. House framing can take as little a few days to get all the walls, joist and rafters up (depending on the size of the home).  Once the frame of the home is up, it is time to start enclosing the home with other building materials.  The exterior sheathing (either osb/plywood or building sheathing) and roof decking are placed on the outside of the house frame.  Sheetrock is placed on the inside of the house frame. 

Construction Terminology can be a little tricky to pick up at the begininig, but give it some time and you will be talking like a pro in no time at all.  Print out a cheat sheet of common construction terms and have them handy before you begin any type of home remodeling or home renovation project.  Trust me, it will help!–Danny Garcia, owner of Rhino Design Build in San Antonio, Texas.

Locations of Building Setback Lines

A building setback or building setback line on a survey, site plan or plat in regards to land development is the distance the building is setback from a street, alley, property line or road.  Building setbacks are set up by land developers and local Planning and Zoning Offices and are different for every subdivision.  If you take notice of a typical neighborhood, all the houses line up (for the most part) in the front.  This is because of the building setback line.  Building setback lines exist for many reasons.  They prevent building structures from being built too close to one another, prevent fire from spreading to buildings or home that are too close together, and serve as utility easements for local power or water companies to gain access to properties where they have their meters.  Older neighborhood typically have shorter building setbacks because walking was the primary means of getting from place to place and as result, local governments wanted to keeps distances shorter.

If you are planning a room addition or building any kind of accessory structure to your home, I would definatly check with your local Planning and Zoning Offices before you begin construction.  Building setbacks can also be located on your survey that should have been provided when you purchased your home.”–Danny Garcia, owner of Rhino Design Build in San Antonio, Texas.

Depending on where you live in the country, enforcement of building setbacks is taken very seriously.  The local government can make you tear down the structure and fine you if you have built something that encroaches the building setback line or easement.  A land surveyor, civil engineer or qualified building professional can determine where your building setbacks are and even mark them with flags.  It is wise to discuss where all easements and building setback lines are on your property with your building before starting and kind of home renovation or home remodeling.   Some Home Owners Associations have height restrictions for any new accessory structures.

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide detection

new combination smoke/gas detection devices

Hard Wired Smoke Detectors

Hard Wired Smoke Detectors are wired into your homes electrical circuits.  The need for batteries for this type of smoke alarm is taken away, but you should still have fresh batteries in the smoke alarm just in case.  In the event there is a power outage, having a battery back-up system in place is key.  Some drawbacks to wired smoke detectors are that once they are installed, you can’t move them without hiring a licensed electrician.  Building codes often change and re-location of smoke detectors might apply if you are doing any kind of remodeling or home renovation.

Wireless Smoke Detectors

Wireless Smoke Detectors obviously don’t have any wires and can be placed strategically throughout your house.   Most wireless fire smoke detectors come with a set of mounting screws that only take a few minutes to install or come with some sort of adhesive backing that sticks to the surface you want it mounted on.  Wireless smoke detectors are interconnected so if one goes off, they all go off. Most wireless smoke detections systems have 3 major components:  battery powered wireless smoke detectors, A/C powered smoke alarm and a wireless smoke sounder.

A good rule of thumb for remembering to change the batteries in your smoke alarm is to do it every day lights saving time.  That way you will always have fresh batteries in your smoke detector or carbon monoxide detectors.–Danny Garcia, owner of Rhino Design Build in San Antonio, Texas.

What is a smoke detector?

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, smoke alarms in residences are of two general types: ionization and photoelectric. Ionization alarms monitor the level of ions (electrically charged particles) in the air. They are generally sensitive to small smoke particles, which are produced by flaming fires. If present, these particles conduct a current within the alarm’s chamber, activating the device. Photoelectric smoke alarms use beams of light and sensors to detect the presence of larger smoke particles (produced by smoldering fires), which interrupt the light beams and trigger the alarm.

Floor and Ceiling Joist Diagram

What is a joist?

A joist, in construction, architecture and engineering, can be defined as one of the horizontal supporting members that run from wall to wall, wall to beam, or beam to beam to support a ceiling, roof structure, or sub-floor. An easy way identify them is to go up in your attic and look at your insulation….your joists are what insulation sits between and what your sheetrock is attached to.  Joists are typically constructed of wood, steel, or concrete depending on the type of construction (residential or commercial).  An actual floor joist is only used on a two story structure and homes that have pier and beam foundations.  If you have a one story home or building, you would refer to that particular joist as a ceiling joist or rafter because there is no floor to support, just a ceiling.

If you are considering remodeling your home, I would definitely consult with an Architect, Builder or qualified design professional to determine the proper joist size you will require in order to properly support the structure of your new room addition or home renovation project.”–Danny Garcia, owner of Rhino Design Build in San Antonio, Texas.

Ceiling and floor joists can be 2×4, 2×6, 2×8, 2×10 and 2×12.  The longer the span of a floor joist, the thicker it needs to be.  I-joists can also be used as a flooring system to help carry the load if you are adding a second story room addition.

higher end home weather stations

Home weather stations are a new trend in the home improvement industry.  I find that a lot my clients are seeking advice on affordable home weather stations. Weather safety is something that is often overlooked in many areas of the country.–Danny Garcia, owner of Rhino Design Build in San Antonio, Texas.

The information that personal weather stations provide can lead to a new hobby. Most of my clients  have discovered that their home weather station has given them a better understanding of weather in general.   After all, weather observation is not just confined to where you live. Hopefully at the very least, you will improve your weather forecasting skills to the point where it will help you to avoid getting caught in some dangerous unexpected weather.  Being able to warn neighbors and family members of sever weather is extremely important.