Archive for the ‘Design’ category

Newer Entries »

Why Get Home Design Software

January 10th, 2010

To have a house that one actually design and built according to one’s taste is practically everybody’s dream. Instead of just buying or renting a house that was already made, you would of course want something that you yourself have planned to suit your preferences. However, designing a home could be quite a difficult ordeal. It is quite expensive to hire an architect to draft your plans, and it is also very hard to put what is on your mind on paper. Luckily such a predicament may be a thing of the past with the help of home design software.

Here are some reasons that make home design software so advantageous:

-Home design software could enhance your capacity to make beautiful home designs that are efficient, while matching the limits you have with you budget.

-With home design software you can add your personal touch to every design since you will be the one to make it.

-Home design software has so much more capabilities beyond the usual sketching and drafting.

-Home design software allows you to customize everything instantly from the changing of dimensions to remodeling floor plans, you can even fit in cabinets and furniture without even having to waste paper and pencil.

-Not only can you design your floor plan with home design software, you can also design your landscape as well, allowing you to known what types of plants would best fit your space and how much you need to fill it.

-You can also gain some useful and systematic insight regarding your electrical wiring, and plumbing. The software itself would tell you what types of power, water, cooling, and heating systems you would need.

-With home design software, you are not limited to just viewing boring blue prints on flat paper, you can see 3D views of your dream home, and you can even see the cross sections of your future house.

-Best of all, home design software is so fun to use. Planning your home would be as enjoyable as playing a game on the computer. This would motivate you even more to continue planning.

Things to look for when buying Home Design Software:

1. Features – the software you buy should have features that are beyond just basic floor planning. There should be a wide set of tools such 3D views, infrastructure incorporation, among many others. The software should also allow for great customization and freedom of designing, because after all, it is your house that is being designed.

2. Ease in Usage – the software should be very easy for you to use, whether or not you have a background in architecture. The main reason you are getting the software is that you are not an expert with home designing, and thus the software you buy should have an interface that you can use quickly and intuitively.

3. Ease in Installation – the software you get should also be very easy to install. The program should include the entire designing package. There should be no more need to download other applets save for free updates that might come farther in the future.

4. Functional Help Desk – you can expect the software to be a little more complex and thus you would need some assistance as you use it, thus there should be a functional help documentation included that provides simple and easy-to-follow solutions for your problems.

Designing your dream home with home design software can be fun, exciting, and very efficient. So why not make first step in fulfilling your dreams by planning your house with the wide array of programs now available in the market. Who knows, you might be building the actual house in the real world sooner than you would think.

Comments Off »

Posted in Design

Basic Concepts – Log Home Designs

January 10th, 2010

Log home designs can be divided in several ways. Understanding log home designs and basic concepts can help you select the design that is best for you. As you are getting involved in the design process, consider these basic concepts as they apply to your design:

  • Shape of Log Used – the logs used in your log home can be shaped in various ways. They can be full round, D-shaped, square shaped, rectangular shaped or Swedish cope style. D-shaped logs will have one side of the log flat with the other three sides being rounded. The Swedish cope style has a portion of the bottom of the log cut out so that the log rests more securely on the log beneath it in the wall.
  • Type of Log Wood – there are many wood species commonly used in log home designs. There is no such thing as a “best” wood to use, rather, each species has advantages and disadvantages. Wood types include cedar, cypress, Douglas fir, hemlock, lodgepole pine, oak, spruce, white pine and yellow pine. If log home designs, construction and maintenance are done properly, any of these woods will provide many decades of enjoyable log home living. If not designed, built and maintained properly, none of the woods will hold up very well.
  • Peeled or Milled Logs – peeled logs used in log home designs will have the bark and outer sapwood removed. This can be accomplished by hand or by the mill’s machinery. Milled logs are run through machines that will create the desired log shape when finished. The log surfaces will be more smooth and uniform in milled logs.
  • Corner Systems Used – here are the four main corner systems used in log home designs:

1. Butt-and-Pass – these corners are formed when one log stops where it meets the intersecting log, and the other log extends past the corner. There are many variations involving the shape of the area where the logs butt. Usually the passing logs have a cutout into which the butt log fits.

2. Dovetail Corners – these corners are used mostly with square or rectangular logs. The end of each log is cut in such a way that produces a fan-shaped wedge. As the logs are stacked, the ends of one wall’s logs will be locked into the perpendicular logs.

3. Notched – notched corners are also known as saddle-notch. A saddle-shaped notch is cut into the bottom of each round log so that this notch on the bottom of the top log straddles the top of the log coming from the perpendicular wall. Both logs then extend past the corner. The saddle-notch is one of the most traditional corner intersections used in log home designs and is favored by many handcrafters. These type of corners are very strong, but they do require more construction time. Notched corners are also easier to seal and hold corner logs better than butt-and-pass.

4. Post Corners – the log ends are cut off perpendicular to the length of the log and joined at the corners using what amounts to vertical posts. This type of construction is not as labor intensive. This corner style sacrifices some of the traditional log cabin or log home look. Using post corners will require a different engineering treatment than other log corners, because the vertical posts do not settle with the horizontal logs.

One of the best ways to learn more about log home designs is to view log home plans that have been successfully built. Every plan that you examine can give you design ideas that you had not thought of. Trying to create brand new plans from scratch can be time-consuming and expensive. You can save considerably if you can find great plans that exist that you like. Just be sure the plans service can make changes to the plans so they become exactly what you want. That way, you really can create the log home design that will provide you many years of enjoyment.

Comments Off »

Posted in Design

Make a Home Design Plan

January 1st, 2010

Building or refurbishing a home can be fun but it can also be challenging because of the many things that has to be accounted for before starting the project.

Building a home is a big project no matter how little the home is and how meager the budget. In fact, a person can be more cost effective in building his home if he creates a home design plan before introducing changes in the home.

A homeowner should take note of the design of the house he is about to build and put the design into paper. This way, he can avoid committing design mistakes that can cost him money and precious time.

Being hasty when building a home can be detrimental to the home design and also to the budget. A home design plan can be created by the homeowner and builder himself provided he has some knowledge in drawing plans. However, if he does not have any idea about these things then it is best to get the services of a person who is knowledgeable in such matters.

Of course, asking another person to make a home design plan can add to the cost of building the home but it will be cost effective in the long term because it will ensure that the home is properly constructed technically and aesthetically.

Creating a home design plan can be a technical matter and requires research and preparation. The designer of a home plan will take all aspects of the home when preparing the plan including the lifestyle of the people who would be living in the home and the available space.

Leaving everything to the experts may be just the right thing for any homeowner. However, he should also take an active part in planning the design of his home. While he does not know the technicalities, he should be able to suggest what he wants and where things should be placed.

It is important that the specification of the home design plan is not totally left to the discretion of the designer. The home should be a reflection of the personality of the residents and the owner should thus have a say in the overall appearance of his home.

To avoid conflicts while the house design plan is being drawn, the family should already have a consensus as to what motif or design they want for the house. They can choose from the various designs available like a home that depicts country living or it can be minimalist or modern.

Allowing the family to plan ahead can mean a smoother construction process. Making material changes after the home design plan has already been drawn and while the home is being constructed can result to a poorly built home. Plus, it can add to the expenses of building a home.

Once the family has arrived at a consensus as to the general appearance of the home, they should appoint someone who will talk to the designer and who will coordinate all the design and construction process with the designer. Having everyone in the middle of the construction phase can be disadvantageous as it can result to delays in the project.

Anyone who is about to have his dream house built should make sure he gets a good designer to create the home design plan. This way, the technical and aesthetic characteristics of the home is ensured.

Comments Off »

Posted in Design