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Jere Botes - EzineArticles.com Expert Author
Jere Botes, architect & founder of Dreamhouses, a website dedicated to provide home builders, home renovators, home owners & developers with free professional advice on all aspects of home design, building & diy.
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- A Guide to Concrete Floor Slab Design
[Home-Improvement:Concrete] No specific type of slab can be seen as the best for a specific application, one will have to consider all the factors below and then decide. If more than one floor system can be used for the same span, the next factors that might strongly guide you in a direction is the cost of erection and speed of erection.
- How to Consult Your Residential Architect
[Home-Improvement] First of all, be really sure about your choice of architect as you will have a lengthy relationship with this particular individual involving substantial sums of money. Be sure you can trust him or her and that they are willing to listen with great care to all your ideas and requirements.
- Ten Reasons Why You Should Appoint an Architect
[Home-Improvement] First, Aesthetics. An architect is concerned with aesthetic issues, manipulating proportions, alignments, masses, volumes and materials to create a sensible, pleasing building which can be enjoyed by the occupants as well as the public.
- Investing in the Services of an Architect
[Home-Improvement] Looking to build your dream home, building on to your existing home or renovating your house to give it a new flair? No matter what your building project, never underestimate the value of the services of an architect. The expertise of a good and skilled architect will save you a lot in construction cost and not to mention the value added to the proposed property when it comes to the resale of it...
- The Good Guide to Wine Cellar Designing
[Food-and-Drink:Wine-Spirits] Being a wine connoisseur, you always found it unacceptable that you do not have the appropriate storage place for your collection of vintage wines. All your dream home now needs to make it absolutely perfect is a wine cellar were you can store all your wines bought over the holiday season for later enjoyment or to toast a later special occasion.
- How to Build Your Dream Home Right
[Real-Estate:Building-a-Home] You've heard many stories of friends or family who's building project were a total nightmare and you might be a tad skeptical considering going through the process yourself but with this article I will try to set your mind at ease. There are proper ways of planning to ensure the same does not happen to you as with your friend John! The key to a successful building project lies with proper planning and carefully considering what your requirements and needs are, a good reputable contractor and most importantly what you can afford.
- Stylish Bathrooms - The Geberit Concealed Cistern System
[Home-Improvement:Bath-and-Shower] Gone are the days when bathrooms were merely functional rooms where ones business is done as soon as possible and the room were vacated for the rest of the time. Today's bathrooms are, although small, becoming areas of luxury and a place to spend time and unwind after a long day's work. In the olden days you had no choice but to live with traditional exposed toilet cisterns, unsightly waste pipes and pedestal toilets but these days since the introduction of the Swiss based company, Geberit, this could all be a thing of the past.
- The Convenience of Home Automation
[Home-Improvement] Many people does not think twice to spend hundreds of thousands of your hard earned money on a luxury car with no amount of money being spared to have all the latest bells and whistles available. Why not do the same in your home? You probably spend more time in your house than in your car anyway and installing such a system will substantially increase the resale value of your home, which definitely is not the case with the luxury sedan in the garage.
- An Introduction to Brick Building
[Home-Improvement:Stone-Brick] Fired clay bricks remain one of the most enduring building materials known to the world wide building industry. Some might argue that it is also one of the most beautiful and that it adds character to any building with its color, strength and texture. Clay brick dates as far back as the Egyptian age and connects us with the history of our ancestors.
- Fireplace Types For Your Contemporary Home
[Home-Improvement:Heating-and-Air-Conditioning] Most cultures love outdoor living but in many countries this is not possible because the evenings gets too chilly. Fireplaces are not only an attractive element, but also add a lasting source of warmth and enjoyment for your lifestyle. The ambiance of an open fireplace in a home with glowing coals creates a lasting impression and is not easily forgotten. Homeowners, today, can choose from a huge selection of fireplace types each with its own pros and cons.
- Thatch Roofing - The Construction Procedure
[Home-Improvement:Roofing] Thatching makes use of materials that are naturally available - grass or reed. The stalks of thatching grass are normally hollow and about 3 mm thick. Dekriet stalks, however, are solid and about 3-4 mm thick. The quality of the material improves with cultivation and regular cutting.
- Beautiful Thatch Roof Substitutes
[Home-Improvement:Roofing] Traditional thatch roofing is arguably the most beautiful and natural looking roofing material available. You might well be surprised by the availability of alternative similar products that can be very innovatively used to create a specific look or be used at locations where this material might not be as readily available.
- Thatch Roofing - The Pros and the Cons
[Home-Improvement:Roofing] Traditional thatch roofing is arguably the most beautiful and natural looking roofing material available, with its high volumes and rustic & cool atmosphere you might want to overlook the fact that there are various considerations to be taken into account before setting your mind on this particular roofing material for your dream home. Consider the advantages and disadvantages below...
- Thatch Roofing - Innovations in Fire Protection
[Home-Improvement:Roofing] Modern laying techniques also eliminate the exaggerated fire risk that many people fear regarding thatch. Nowadays various fire blankets are placed in between the thatch and with the correct compaction the fire risk is virtually eliminated and with the use of lightning conductors, thatch is no longer the hazardous material of the past.
- Glass Use in Contemporary Residential Buildings
[Home-Improvement:New-Construction] A lot of advancements have been made in the manufacturing techniques of glass products for use in residential buildings. It is no longer the huge energy consuming product it once was with a new generation of products that conserve energy, block UV rays, minimize heat gain or radiate heat and offer privacy with a flick of a switch.
- A Sustainable Alternative - Conventional vs Straw Bale Construction
[Home-Improvement] Straw is a viable building alternative, plentiful and inexpensive. Straw-bale buildings boast super-insulated walls simple construction, low costs, and the conversion of an agricultural byproduct into a valued building material. Properly constructed and maintained, the straw-bale walls, plaster exterior and interior remain water proof, fire resistant, and pest free.
- Cooling your Home - Shading your Window Openings
[Home-Improvement:Windows] The impact of solar radiation on buildings in hot climates could be reduced not only by orientation and effective design of the structure, but also by sufficient shading.
- Sustainable Home Design
[Home-Improvement] It is estimated that buildings, their construction, operation and disposal, account for over 40% of the total energy consumption. This causes the depletion of natural resources and for the production of pollution leading to problems such as global warming and acid rain.
- 1st Timers Guide To Cost Efficient House Design
[Home-Improvement] So you are considering building your own dream home? The majority of people building their own homes are often caught off guard regarding budgeting of the project and this always results in a really unpleasant experience for the first time builder.
Being conscious about budgeting can save you a lot of headache during the building process and might eliminate most of the nasty surprises.
- Why Do A Geotechnical Site Investigation?
[Home-Improvement] Good soil information can lead to substantial savings and tighter foundation design because the design parameters are well defined. The more comprehensive the information, the more economically can a good structure be built. The object is to build a good building cheaply and not to build a cheap building.
Geo-technical site investigations may cost up to 2% of the total project cost, but is very necessary as geo-technical engineers often say: you will pay for your geo-technical investigation anyway!
- Solar Energy Use In Home Design
[News-and-Society:Energy] South Africa is one of the areas in the world with the highest count of sunny days per year in the world therefore making it also one of the most appropriate places in the world to use solar power energy should that be the only reason for using them.
- Basic Principles For Designing Your Dream House
[Home-Improvement] Before setting your mind on a particular choice of plan or architectural design, take the time to read through the following pointers as set out below, subsequently you will be able to make a more knowledgeable decision in plan design & style choice.
- Basic Guidelines To Owner Home Building
[Home-Improvement] Many people are choosing to build their own homes instead of buying an existing property. Reasons for this vary but mostly for the cost saving (It is said that a saving of 25% can be made on the capital outlay of the proposed project when building yourself as oppose to buying), other reasons might include the great challenge of taking on a building project or the fact that it can create a great sense of self-achievement.
- An Introduction To Thatch Roof Design
[Home-Improvement:Roofing] Because thatching is a labour intensive process, the cost of a thatched roof is normally up to 60% higher than that of a conventional roof. This price difference can be limited, however, by using the roof space efficiently, with dormer windows and a mezzanine level for instance where the walling and plastering costs will be less. The insulating properties are very good, keeping the home warm in winter and cool in summer.
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