Got a cold bonus room, building science can fix it.
Back to the building science questions. What can you tell me about this room just by looking at the picture? Also, how do you fix it?
What makes a Livable Community?
What makes a community a great place to live? There are likely many things that come to mind immediately and probably very different from one person to another. However, there are some strong components found in many of these communities. The American Institute of Architects has developed a list of the 10 principles for livable communities.
VSAIA has just opened an exhibition featuring Timberlake Place as one of 10 projects that exhibit a Livable Community characteristics. The 9 principles exhibited at Timberlake Place include:
- Design on a human scale.
- Provide choices.
- Preserve Urban Centers
- Vary Transportation Options
- Build Vibrant public spaces
- Create a neighborhood identity
- protect environmental resources
- design matters
- conserve landscapes
The last principle that is included, but not in Timberlake Place – Mixed Use.
Green Term Defined: Dehumidifier
Do you need a dehumidifier? We live in a mixed humid climate in Virginia and so often, you hear from the heating and cooling contractors in the area that there is a need to add humidification. If the house is tight – energy efficient, healthy, and durable, you should not have dry air and certainly should not need more humidity. In fact, living in the home produces humidity and an energy-efficient home traps that humidity inside the home. If there is a problem, it will be high humidity. In fact, if you have dry air, your home is not energy-efficient.
A dehumidifier is a piece of equipment that reduces the level of humidity in the air. Humid air can contribute to mold and mildew issues in your home. It can also lead to condensation on pipes. As a rule of thumb, relative humidity in homes is preferably 30 to 50 percent and can be measured using a humidistat. Installing a dehumidifier as part of your heating and cooling system can improve durability of your home and indoor air quality.
So there is a strong chance that you will need a dehumidifier in your home rather than adding humidity.
The heating and cooling system can be installed independent of a dehumidifier system, but works best when they are combined.
Function is primary for good kitchen design.
When we moved to the area we looked at a lot of houses. This one was just finished and still had the new home smell (VOC’s). This kitchen is clearly not designed to be functional at all.
Notice the cabinet above the refrigerator. This is the cabinet where you store the stuff you never use. If you are tall enough to reach it, it is too short to actually put much of anything in it.
Another glaring problem is the side by side refrigerator is in a corner. This will prevent the freezer door from opening completely. It would be very easy to fix this problem without costing anything additional.
Last, and hard to tell in this picture, there is a walkway through the work area in the kitchen. The path to the garage door goes in front of the refrigerator.
Function is key to an effective kitchen design and should be the primary focus before anything else. While the cabinets are low quality and the hardware is clearly out of style, those items can easily be overlooked if the kitchen works well.
What is the design flaw in this kitchen?
We have been focused on building science issues, but this one is simply a design flaw. What do you see? Stay tuned tomorrow and we will elaborate on why we think design matters.