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Building Homes or Extensions/Questions Answered by Expert Stephen Major (Owner--Major Design Group)
| Subject | Date Asked |
| extending a hip roof or the existing hip ridge board | 2/10/2012 |
| Q: I want to enclose a current covered patio which has a hip roof. My problem is the room, if I use ... A: John, Extending a hip roof is fairly straightforward. The shingles (or whatever roofing materials ... | |
| Carport Installation | 1/25/2012 |
| Q: I am planning on installing a carport (10'x20') to cover my driveway. The instructions only explain ... A: Brandy, From your description I assume that you are describing a pre-fabricated metal carport kit. ... | |
| breezeway | 1/2/2009 |
| Q: My house sits at an elevation about 4ft higher than my garage. Do you have any idea's on how to ... A: Chris, Without seeing the actual configuration of your buildings I can't correctly visualize what ... | |
| garage conversion | 9/9/2007 |
| Q: the older cabinets and tile we have ripped out and the room is enpty at this time. There is a ... A: Joe, What you are describing sounds like unconventional construction, however in your location (you ... | |
| electrical box | 9/8/2007 |
| Q: I have a 125 amp max breaker box that has a date on it of 1971. I recently tried to add a older used ... A: Kathy, Unless you have electric heat, 125 amps of capacity should be sufficient for a typical ... | |
| Front Porch | 8/30/2007 |
| Q: I like to covered my front porch, but the contractor said that he need to restructurer my entire ... A: Antonio, There may be alternative methods to accomplish this. If possible, are you able to send a ... | |
| vaulted ceilings | 8/29/2007 |
| Q: I have a room that is 14.5 ft. wide by 26 ft. long and I wanted to remove the exisitng ceiling ... A: Jeff, No, you can't use a 2x6 ridge to prevent the walls from spreading. It is not nearly strong ... | |
| rafters | 8/22/2007 |
| Q: I'm haveing a problem with common rafters on a screen house I'm building. The rise is 4', the run is ... A: Bart, I'm resending this so you can try to reply again. Good luck this time. --Steve Bart, ... | |
| Washer/Dryer on 2nd floor | 8/21/2007 |
| Q: Live in Virginia. Remodeling and putting washer/dryer on second floor of our 2-story residence ... A: Douglas, No problem. This is done all the time. Be sure that the new gas line is installed by a ... | |
| Tall post replacement | 8/13/2007 |
| Q: I'm working on a project where I pointed out 3 footings supporting two story 40'x20' decks are ... A: Mark, Thanks for sending the photos. I would install a temporary post on BOTH sides of each ... | |
| Garage truss replacement | 8/12/2007 |
| Q: Our garage roof at the peak has a 2 inch sag at the center. There appears to be a crack in the 2 x ... A: Gregory, Your question topic says truss replacement but your description seems to indicate a rafter ... | |
| Room Addition | 8/7/2007 |
| Q: I have built and designed several houses from the ground up, doing most of the work myself but, I am ... A: John, I think you would be surprised at what some engineers (or architects) know. You simply need ... | |
| Door openings out of square | 8/7/2007 |
| Q: we had our house framed in the 100 plus degree heat last summer and hardly any of the door and ... A: Jeff, This is unfortunate. It sounds like your doors were installed in a hurry. The fixes that ... | |
| Workshop on Slab | 8/6/2007 |
| Q: I have a 30 x 40 concrete slab, previously used for my kids basketball court....They have grown and ... A: Alex, It may be possible to build on the slab as-is. It depends on a number of factors such as ... | |
| floating bulhkead | 8/3/2007 |
| Q: I am going to place crown moulding around a room with a vaulted ceiling. I am placing the crown ... A: Marty, I think I can picture what you are trying to do. If you want to avoid drywall, I have found ... | |
| Adding onto an exsisting foundation wall | 8/2/2007 |
| Q: I'm in the process of building a new home. I have the foundation poured, and have recently found out ... A: Jon, The wall should be drilled for rebar pins (I would use #4 bar at 12 inch centers), and they ... | |
| Mono to Mono | 8/1/2007 |
| Q: My home has a mono slab and I am adding an addition to my house. Join one slab to another slab both ... A: Doug, It is common practice to join the slabs so their surfaces remain flush at the joint. The ... | |
| Metal Siding and Roofing | 7/31/2007 |
| Q: I live in Winchester Virginia. My home is 24x56 and is made from concrete block. I would like to ... A: Alex, This is a common retro-fit on block buildings. An efficient way to do it is to install the ... | |
| framing | 7/18/2007 |
| Q: I recently got a quote to frame a 1200 sq. ft. house. The quote seemed quite high to me so I'm ... A: Eric, Taunton Press (publisher of Fine Homebuilding magazine) has a decent book on the subject: ... | |
| CONCRETE | 7/16/2007 |
| Q: My home in baltimore, md had concrete stairs put outside the front door (4 steps)last year. Is there ... A: Al, You can apply a concrete sealer, which is a clear coating meant to limit the amount of water ... | |
| wood frame & subfloor for sunken room | 7/14/2007 |
| Q: I live in hot S. Florida and I have an attached garage which was converted into a livingroom. ... A: Tony, Joist hangers are OK in this application. I recommend that all framing be of ... | |
| Siding | 7/11/2007 |
| Q: I'm removing some siding from a grage and I'm trying to find out how I can tell aluminum siding from ... A: Johann, If the siding is aluminum, it will have a metallic sound when tapped with a hard object ... | |
| Alaska Cabin Foundation Question | 7/11/2007 |
| Q: I'm planning to build a small cabin in a remote region of eastern Alaska, and have two questions ... A: Pete, I've been re-reading your letter but I still can't fully envision what you are trying to do. ... | |
| Older building codes? | 7/10/2007 |
| Q: I would like to finish the basement of our 1960s vintage rambler in Howard County Maryland using the ... A: Windsor, Most municipalities have local versions of building codes, so you should start with the ... | |
| floors | 7/6/2007 |
| Q: If I install hardwood floors in my living room and a office next to it, should I run the hardwood ... A: Bob, It is better to run the floor clear through both rooms. What we normally do is snap a start ... | |
| Building carriage house doors | 6/28/2007 |
| Q: Is it possible to take a steel garage door and put plywood on it to make carriage house doors. If ... A: Kathryn, I would need to do the same as you - search Yahoo, Google, etc. on a variety of key ... | |
| Cutting Exterior Brick wall to add bypass door | 6/27/2007 |
| Q: What is the proper procedure for cutting through a brick wall to add an exterior door? Thank you A: Kimberly, I assume that you are describing a brick veneer wall, which is one brick thick and backed ... | |
| oak treads | 6/26/2007 |
| Q: I plan on replaceing carpet on my stairs with oak . How do I get the perfit fit on the treads and ... A: Bob, A paper pattern is an easy inexpensive method to do this. As you are aware, the end cuts of ... | |
| Building carriage house doors | 6/26/2007 |
| Q: Is it possible to take a steel garage door and put plywood on it to make carriage house doors. If ... A: Kathryn, You don't say whether the steel door is a segmented overhead door, a 1-piece overhead ... | |
| carpentry | 6/24/2007 |
| Q: I'm renovating my bathroom. I now need to build out the walls at each end of the tub. I would like ... A: Nicolas, This depends on how you plan to finish the tub enclosure. If you are installing a square ... | |
| Using joist hangers, or not. | 6/24/2007 |
| Q: I am designing a small recreation cabin, 12x20 plus a deck, for Tok Alaska. The foundation will use ... A: Scott, Hangers are used when the design calls for the joists to be flush with the beam/ledger/etc. ... | |
| wood flooring | 6/23/2007 |
| Q: Give me your personal opinion of what wood floors look best, engineered,laminates, solid wood ... A: Bob, Judging on appearance only, solid wood and engineered wood both look good. However, 20 years ... | |
| foundations | 6/23/2007 |
| Q: the existing house foundations exposed are 1 foot wide and 6 inches high from the excavated trench. ... A: Alan, Normally, footings are tied together by inserting and securing reinforcing rods into the ... | |
| foundations | 6/22/2007 |
| Q: i have had footings excavated to a depth of one meter to reach subsoil for a new kitchen extension ... A: Alan, I'm not sure what type of foundation you are planning, but typically old and new foundations ... | |
| Addition | 6/21/2007 |
| Q: I am trying to build an addition in the back of my house. I have a drainfield in the back too. How ... A: Carlos, Setback requirements vary from county to county. A typical minimum distance is 10 feet, ... | |
| remodeling contract/costs | 6/13/2007 |
| Q: After much research to find a reputable builder to do some remodeling, a family member signed an ... A: Nanci, It's possible that the builder began to realize that the job was more costly (to him) than ... | |
| Partition or bearing interior wall? | 6/13/2007 |
| Q: I'm trying to determine if an interior wall is bearing or not. The structure is a 1 1/2 story ... A: Jeff, It is rare that a 25'-8" truss would be designed to bear on three points. I am quite sure ... | |
| sewer hook up for new home | 6/12/2007 |
| Q: We are considering buying some land to build a new home. The land does not have a sewer hook up but ... A: Greg, If municipal sewer is not available at the site, perhaps it is available down the road. If ... | |
| CESSPOOL | 6/12/2007 |
| Q: Steve Hi, I'm not certain if you can help me, but is there any simple way to locate a cesspool. I ... A: Ken, In some instances your local health department may have records of the locations of cesspools ... | |
| Hamoc Support | 6/12/2007 |
| Q: I want to provide support for a hammoc in a pergola I am building. To explain what I am working ... A: Rich, The 4x6 posts are being subjected to a variety of loads in this situation. (1) The downward ... | |
| Extending a 2nd floor of a colonial in Rahway NJ | 6/11/2007 |
| Q: Approximateky how will it cost to extend a 2 nd floor. The extension would be approximately 10 feet ... A: Joseph, It's difficult to give you a precise number without seeing specs, plans, photos, etc. ... | |
| Insulation in cavity walls | 6/8/2007 |
| Q: I am currently taking over the building work to a half completed barn conversion in the UK (ie, ... A: Ed, This system is fair as long as two requirements are met: (1) the inner air space is ... | |
| cedar siding restoration | 6/7/2007 |
| Q: I live in Southeast Alaska and it rains quite a bit here. We have a house with cedar siding. We love ... A: Ken, I don't know what you have been using for stain in the past - solid color? Semi-transparent? ... | |
| Maximum Span Between 2 Walls | 6/7/2007 |
| Q: Is there a formula available that helps to calculate what is the maximum span allowed between 2 ... A: Coleen, There's no one simple formula. A calculation like this requires one to consider the ... | |
| how to tell a load-bearing wall | 6/6/2007 |
| Q: I have a split-level home, and would like to remove the interior wall between the kitchen and dining ... A: Dale, If the joists above a wall are parallel to it, and there is no other framing (such as roof ... | |
| Temporary support for porch beam | 6/5/2007 |
| Q: I am in the process of removing my rear deck so that I can pour concrete in its place. My question ... A: Steve, I posted a sketch on our website of how we have done this same procedure. Go to: ... | |
| painting | 6/4/2007 |
| Q: I am building in Orlando Florida. The builder is planning to use 100% acrylic semi gloss on exterior ... A: Evans, Again, you are best served by visiting SW and discussing these options with them. How ... | |
| painting | 6/4/2007 |
| Q: I am building in Orlando Florida. The builder is planning to use 100% acrylic semi gloss on exterior ... A: Evans, These numbers are pretty amusing. Assuming your house is, say, 4000 square feet of living ... | |
| hardiplank and caulk | 6/3/2007 |
| Q: I am using 8.25 inch x 12 foot hardi plank with a 7 inch exposure. It is proper to caulk the ... A: Richard, There is no need to caulk the horizontal laps. The lap is what sheds the water. Caulking ... | |
| Replace load bearing wall with extra joists? | 6/1/2007 |
| Q: As part of a kitchen remodel we want to remove a load bearing wall. The house is two story with a ... A: Looking forward to it. Don, I received your fax. Considering the dimensions of the rooms, the ... | |
| Replace load bearing wall with extra joists? | 6/1/2007 |
| Q: As part of a kitchen remodel we want to remove a load bearing wall. The house is two story with a ... A: Don, I am having a little trouble envisioning this dilemma. Describing structural configurations ... | |
| Pergola Construction Question | 5/31/2007 |
| Q: . I'm planning on building a pergola. If the beam span is 18' and the rafter span is 18', what size ... A: Rich, Have you considered adding a third post at midway on the beam? This would probably be more ... | |
| Pergola Construction Question | 5/31/2007 |
| Q: . I'm planning on building a pergola. If the beam span is 18' and the rafter span is 18', what size ... A: Rich, I need more information to answer this question accurately. I'll make several assumptions, ... | |
| Holes in vapor barrier | 5/31/2007 |
| Q: Stephen, I live in a two-year old house in Minnesota and I recently had a T.V. installed on an ... A: Chris, I would not attempt to repair the vapor barrier. Dealing the the holes in the boxes and the ... | |
| Holes in vapor barrier | 5/30/2007 |
| Q: Stephen, I live in a two-year old house in Minnesota and I recently had a T.V. installed on an ... A: Chris, I assume that you are talking about a polyethylene plastic sheet installed just behind the ... | |
| adding footers to pre-existing slab | 5/30/2007 |
| Q: i have 4 inch thick slab in my backyard poured 50 ft x 12ft .I recently added a roof over the ... A: Brad, I don't know the circumstances of your project, such as where you are located (this affects ... | |
| putting an opening in an existing, wood, load-bearing wall | 5/29/2007 |
| Q: I would like to put an opening, +/- w.7' x h.81", through an existing wall to link two rooms. One ... A: Laurie, I'm missing a number of critical pieces of information, but I'll give this my best shot. ... | |
| plumbing and hot water heaters | 5/29/2007 |
| Q: I am in the early stages of building a 28' x 42' all year cabin in northern Wisconsin. I have two ... A: Vern, Question 1) Wirsbo PEX is a good product. It is becoming more cost effective as copper ... | |
| Window installation | 5/28/2007 |
| Q: Mr. Major, I am building a new home in Orlando, FL. I'm concerned about the installation of windows ... A: Greg, This may or may not be a problem. I need some additional information to answer the question. ... | |
| internal remodeling | 5/26/2007 |
| Q: hope you can help. My wife and I are considering buying a property but feel unhappy with the room ... A: Chris, The work sounds pretty straightforward, and actually quite fun, considering the age and ... | |
| Pouring Concrete Footings on Unlevel Dirt Floor | 5/22/2007 |
| Q: Stephen, The city inspector is requiring I install 10 footings in an unlevel dirt crawlspace to ... A: Chad, First off, you definitely need to level the grade where the footing pads will be poured. You ... | |
| builing a summer kitchen on our deck | 5/21/2007 |
| Q: We have a new home on 8.5 acres in the woods and have a cleared area for home and deck. We want to ... A: Laura, First, try a Yahoo or Google WEB and IMAGE search on terms like "outdoor kitchen" "outdoor ... | |
| concrete slab 8' x 3"W x 8' x 3"L for larger 6 adult hot tub | 5/20/2007 |
| Q: How thick does the concrete have to be to support a larger hot tub? Does it need reinforcement such ... A: Pamela, I picked up this question from the question pool. There are a few factors to consider ... | |
| Window Framing | 5/18/2007 |
| Q: I am drawing plans for my new home in Richmond, Virginia. It's a 1 1/2 story design with cathedral ... A: Laurie, Your roof load is pretty high in this case. Assuming a 40#/sf live plus dead load your ... | |
| Understructure for a second story addition | 5/12/2007 |
| Q: I have a neighbor who seems to be building a 18' x 12' new bedroom on to his two-story house, on the ... A: Bonnie, It is difficult for me to comment on the adequacy of his structure without a site ... | |
| foundation problem | 5/11/2007 |
| Q: We recently had our foundation poured three days ago in WI. We are having a walk out basement, so ... A: Bob, I'm sorry to hear about your situation. An even more serious issue is frost protection for ... | |
| Addition to house with trussed roof | 5/9/2007 |
| Q: I am in Northeast Ohio and have a question regarding adding on to my home. The house was built in ... A: Greg, Lots of additions are built onto houses with trusses. I'm not sure what your particular ... | |
| used truss certification | 5/9/2007 |
| Q: I acquired some used trusses from a builder who was deconstructing a building the same size as the ... A: Kenneth, Contact a licensed Professional Engineer who has experience in wood structures. You may ... | |
| Screened in Deck | 5/8/2007 |
| Q: I would like to remove the concrete porch on the side of my house and replaces it with a larger ... A: Tom, The county zoning regulations are online at: ... | |
| Foundation Finishing | 5/7/2007 |
| Q: I'm located in Cincinnati, Ohio. I recently had a walk-out basement installed on my house. The lot ... A: Andrew, The tar is virtually impossible to remove. It does, however, hold good-quality paint, and ... | |
| lighting in a ceramic tile shower with tiled ceiling | 5/4/2007 |
| Q: What kind(a manufacturer would be helpful)of lighting housing do I need to get for the cement people ... A: Eunice, Trying to cast a light fixture into concrete is not a good idea. The proper way to do this ... | |
| lighting in a ceramic tile shower with tiled ceiling | 5/4/2007 |
| Q: What kind(a manufacturer would be helpful)of lighting housing do I need to get for the cement people ... A: Eunice, I need to know more about the construction of your shower ceiling. When you say that the ... | |
| house siding | 5/3/2007 |
| Q: I am considering buying a house on the east side of the Big Island of Hawaii built in 1990. The ... A: Fred, As a matter of fact, I did once buy a Masonite-sided house, in Mobile, Alabama. Masonite ... | |
| Kitchen wall sits on a deteriorated barn slab | 4/30/2007 |
| Q: One wall of our house sits on top of a deteriorated slab (the slab is a barn floor). The barn is ... A: Michael, I pulled your question from the Question Pool. Your plan sounds good, and it sounds like ... | |
| subfloor under a shower pan...do or not to do is the question | 4/29/2007 |
| Q: We are installing a shower pan and had removed the old sub floor. What are your recommendations, ... A: Bonnie, I assume that you are referring to the floor underlayment rather than the structural ... | |
| Pinning new driveway to foundation | 4/26/2007 |
| Q: We just finished an addition about a year ago and are ready to install the concrete driveway. We had ... A: Daren, I pulled you question from the "Question Pool". I would not pin the driveway. If the ... | |
| Permits | 4/26/2007 |
| Q: I live in South Jersey (camden county) and i was just curious about a fence im having replaced on my ... A: Richard, Unfortunately, while your logic is sensible, many communities today have strict code ... | |
| Vinyl Siding | 4/25/2007 |
| Q: One of our vinyl siding came off our home. My husband snap it back in place but after some strong ... A: Tina, Starting with the lowermost piece that is still attached, check it to be sure that it is ... | |
| house foundation options | 4/21/2007 |
| Q: Michael: We're preparing to build a home on a saltwater canal in SW Florida. Design (which is ... A: Mike, Have you looked into driven piles with grade beams? You would need to have an engineer ... | |
| House raising | 4/20/2007 |
| Q: I have a 2 story 1300 sq ft 1920 stick built home with a post and beam foundation. The house is ... A: Darin, It is possible to do what you propose. Not easy, but possible. I would retain the post ... | |
| support beam | 4/20/2007 |
| Q: I have remodeling problem i moved a wall out 8 feet and the load bearing wall is held up by 2 beams. ... A: Thomas, I would really like to help you with this, but I can't visualize the space and the ... | |
| Modular home? | 4/17/2007 |
| Q: My husband and I are looking at purchasing a modular home to put on property. The cost of the home ... A: Karen, A good modular home dealer should do two things for you: provide you with locally-accurate ... | |
| 4' deck spanning a 20' garage door | 4/17/2007 |
| Q: Greetings, We live in Massachusetts in a 1980's deck-house. On the front of the house above a 20' ... A: Frank, Weld struts to the I-beam to form part of your support structure. If the I-beam stops short ... | |
| Roof Trusses | 4/16/2007 |
| Q: I'm adding on a carport to an existing garage. How do I measure what truss to order to match. ... A: Joe, Trusses are too expensive, and they take too long to order, to rely on anyone but yourself ... | |
| span on a pergola | 4/15/2007 |
| Q: I want to span 20 feet between columns on one area of my pergola. Can this be done? A: Linda, Linda, Thanks for forwarding the weblinks. This looks like an interesting project. To ... | |
| Incorrectly poured footings | 4/14/2007 |
| Q: Our contract poured the footings for our new home to the wrong specifications - he poured them for a ... A: Lisa, That's a tough mistake. If the same contractor is also doing the rest of the house, let's ... | |
| converting carport | 4/14/2007 |
| Q: We have a concrete slab with a roof extension overhang. We want to change it into an enclosed area. ... A: Lani, I need some more information to answer this question. Where is the property located (for ... | |
| condensation at top of vaulted ceiling | 4/12/2007 |
| Q: I am having trouble with condensation on the interior of a vaulted ceiling. The ceiling is attached ... A: Cliff, There is one primary reason that condensation forms on a drywall ceiling -- the temperature ... | |
| Building A Shed | 4/9/2007 |
| Q: I currently have an 8'x6' cedar shed that is use to house my tools. I have it on a 12'x10' deck. I ... A: Mike, This is actually a technical question, as in it's all about the right technique for expanding ... | |
| Garage into master bedroom? | 4/5/2007 |
| Q: I have a standard 2 car garage with attached workshop that I would like to consider turning into a ... A: Dee, I can envision it better now. Usual head height in a bedroom is 8', give or take a few ... | |
| Garage into master bedroom? | 4/5/2007 |
| Q: I have a standard 2 car garage with attached workshop that I would like to consider turning into a ... A: Dee, People have turned to their garages for inexpensive additional space for ages, and it can be a ... | |
| Masonry Rough Openings | 4/3/2007 |
| Q: We are in the planning process of building a home that utilizes a pre-cast concrete foundation. One ... A: Eric, Unfortunately your fractions did not come through correctly, but I get the gist of your ... | |
| addition | 4/2/2007 |
| Q: Building 16x30 addition and wondered if I could use 2x6 floor joist 16" o.c. 7.5 ft span with drop ... A: Randall, No. 2 or better southern yellow pine (I'm assuming that your treated lumber is SYP) can ... | |
| foundation soil problem | 3/31/2007 |
| Q: MR. MAJOR, I DO HOUSE REMODELS, REPAIRS,AND PAINTING. I'M SKILLED IN ALL AREAS OF CONSTRUCTION ... A: Russell, From your description I assume you are describing a crawl-space foundation. I'm ... | |
| concrete | 3/30/2007 |
| Q: im going to poor a 10'long 18"widex12'high footing how many so called "yards" is this and do you ... A: Sure, Take the two adjacent sides (a and b) and connect them with a diagonal line (c). This forms ... | |
| residential elevators | 3/29/2007 |
| Q: My husband and I are preparing to build a green-as-possible home on a challenging lot (25' max for ... A: Katherien, There are a variety of residential elevators on the market. From a general planning ... | |
| concrete | 3/27/2007 |
| Q: im going to poor a 10'long 18"widex12'high footing how many so called "yards" is this and do you ... A: A cubic yard is 3' x 3' x 3', or 27 cubic feet. I'm not sure if you meant 12 feet or 12 inches for ... | |
| Concrete Slab | 3/24/2007 |
| Q: I have an older mobile home that heaves and I would like to have a slab put underneath. Coul you ... A: Lisa, You don't indicate where your mobile home is located. The prevailing climate as well as soil ... | |
| insulating add on room | 3/21/2007 |
| Q: I have built a 10' x 10' room in the attic to use as gun storage and reloading. My main concern is ... A: Tim, In an extreme cooling climate like Alabama, you need to keep "outdoor" warm moist air from ... | |
Building Homes or Extensions
Answers by Expert:
Stephen Major (Owner--Major Design Group)
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I can answer any questions regarding the design and construction of homes and additions. This includes trade-specific questions (how-to) in all major building trades: framing, foundations, site prep, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, water treatment, interior finishing, trim & cabinetwork, exterior finishing, roofing, siding. PLEASE indicate your state or region, so I can provide the best possible answer.
Experience
25 years experience in building design and construction, all hands-on, including the construction of dozens of single-family homes and hundreds of remodeling projects in the northeastern US.
Publications
Author: "Architectural Woodwork - Details for Construction" published by Van Nostrand Reinhold (now Wiley).
Education/Credentials
BS Cornell University.
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