A House-For Students

7/31/2019 A House-For Students

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, in the usual meaning, a dwelling for human habitation, especially for the privateoccupation of a family. The study of house design and construction embraces the art of architectureand the science of engineering. Important considerations in choosing a good house design includeselection of site, orientation of the house on site, development of structure and floor plan, and use ofsound construction techniques and materials. Building or buying a house is one of the major events ofa lifetime and should be undertaken with prudence and preparation. Its costs represent past savingsand future incomes. Its design and location will affect ultimately the lives of each member of the family.

Before choosing the basic house type that best fits your family’s needs, you must make sure that itsprojected size and shape conforms to the size and contour of the land, site, and the local zoningregulations.

One-story House. The absence of stairs makes the one story house safe to live in and requires fewerexertions when moving between living areas. Merging of indoor and outdoor living areas can be doneon a much larger scale. Designed in U, H, or L shape, it provides privacy for outdoor living areas. Theexterior walls are easier to maintain, because a minimum of ladder climbing is necessary. The square-foot -cost of a one-story house, however, is ordinarily more than that of a two-story house, becausefloor levels do not double up under a common roof and over a common foundation.

Two-story house. The double-level design offers the most living area per square foot cost, as bothfloors have a common roof and foundation. Further savings are effected when the first floor is partiallybelow ground level, since the foundation walls enclose the living areas as well as support the house. Italso takes-up the least amount of site area for its square-foot size. Though stair climbing is strenuous,the second floor provides privacy and separation of the sleeping areas from the main stream of familytraffic. Heating costs are usually less per square-foot in a two-story house, as there is less heat lossthrough a smaller roof area.

Split-level House. This multi-level design is best adapted to sloping ground, with the single level onthe high side, and the two-story section on the low side. This arrangement requires the least amountof excavating. The split-level house produces more living areas on less land than a one-story houseand less stair climbing than a two-story house. Varying floor levels provides excellent separation ofliving areas, lend to variety in appearance to the exterior, and add interest to the interior space. Walland floor framing can be complicated, adding to the cost of the house.



If you always lived in an apartment and are unsure of what home ownership involves, it is oftenadvisable first to rent a home. You can then become familiar with the maintenance problems andincreased responsibilities of a larger dwelling.

Try to avoid buying a house when the demand exceeds the supply. In sellers’ market, you may have topay a higher price and purchase unneeded extra equipment. You must also consider the permanencyof your employment, the possibility that you will be transferred often, and your own desires about“settling down” in one place. It often takes a minimum of several months to dispose off an unwantedhouse, and you may have to sell at a loss.

Buying a development or tract house. An independent builder of tract homes can buy land ,material and labor in quantity, thus reducing his cost per house. It is highly probable that youcould not meet his price if you were to build the same house on your own. Tract home areopen for inspection. If they are well built, cost of maintenance and repair will be minimum.Inspect a “for sale” house with an appraiser, an architect, or a builder. With the help of aprofessional you can quickly determine the quality of materials used, workmanship, design, andbuilding site. ( The cost of consultant’s fee is little in comparison to the loss that can be incurred on apoor purchase). Disadvantages to be considered in the purchase of a tract home do exist. The housesare usually uninspired in design, conceived to satisfy a mass market. There is little individuality orcharacter to tract houses. Monotony prevails in a repetition of design throughout the development.Landscaping is often nonexistent, with not a mature tree in sight. Also, there is usually no provision forprivate outdoor living. Indoor, good room arrangement for convenience and privacy is often lacking.

Buying an old house. The cost of older houses is generally lower due to depreciation of structureand outmoded design. Also, there is the possibility of a low-interest mortgage that you can assume.Investment in landscaping is usually minimal as lawns are already established. But there aredrawbacks: maintenance, repair, and costs for remodeling and redecorating can run high, particularly ifthe owner is not a do-it-yourself enthusiast. Expensive heating costs are also a possibility due to aninefficient heating system and lack of insulation.

Building a custom house. If you hire an architect to design your house, you will get a structure thathas been professionally designed to fit your personal requirements and the specific demands of thesite. You can use the architect to differing degrees. For example you have him merely draw up thedesign and execute the working drawings, or he can create the design and follow the project through tocompletion. The latter involves examination and selection of the site, preparation of the contracts,selection of the builder, and supervision of the construction. The architect also acts as the mediatorbetween owner and builder, ensuring that each lives up to the contract agreements. He also handlesthe financial arrangements between the owner and builder and sees that the builder follows materialsand construction specifications.

You should select an architect carefully. Find out whether he is experienced in residential design. Doeshe follow through on supervision of the job? Is he a competent businessman as well as an inspireddesigner? If it is possible, you should also look at the homes in the area designed by the architect. Anarchitect’s fee is usually based on the percentage of the cost of the job. The standard fee for residential

construction is 10%, but it can vary anywhere from 3% to 18%.



The building of a home is a challenging , complicated and often unexpectedly, expensive undertaking.You will be concerned with the structure from its inception to its conclusion. You will have to deal indetails to problems in design, law, construction, and finance. Often there are unforeseen delays andexpenses, errors in judgment, and oversights. Unless you can afford the services of an architect anddedicated to the idea of having your own “dream house,” it is less demanding, although less rewardingto buy an already finished house.

Preplanned Houses. There are, in addition to the architect-designed custom house, four other typesof houses to be considered in home building.

Prefabricated house. The prefabricated house is cut and assembled in the factory and is shipped toyour home site in sections. The factory does most of the work; thus hand-labor costs are minimized.Centralized production and volume buying of materials also help to keep costs low. Most prefabricatorssell to development builders, but a few will cater to the individual home builder. Prefabricators offer avariety of house designs. House packages differs as to content. Some include a complete houseincluding, plumbing, wiring, and heating. Others only supply the basic structure.

Precut House. Lumber for a precut house is cut at the factory and is shipped to the building siteunassembled. Since all of the structural members are cut precisely to size, the house can beassembled quickly with a minimum of lumber waste. All parts are numbered to indicate their place inthe house structure. Complete blueprints and working drawings are supplied so that a confidentamateur carpenter could attempt the construction himself. It is usually advisable, however, for aprofessional builder to do the work.

Shell house. Shell houses are available in varying degrees of completion, usually consisting of afinished exterior and rough interior, with partition framing and subflooring installed. The shell housebuilder constructs the desired model for you on your own site; you finish the rest of the house yourself.This includes application of millwork (exterior and interior wood trim); installation of finished flooring,wallboards, ceilings, and doors; and interior decorating.

Building from Stock Plans. Many magazines and house plan companies offer complete architect-designed blue prints. The cost of one set of plans is usually about $20 and 5$ for each additional set.Thousands of different plans are available, and many of the houses are of excellent design.

Care must be exercised in the selection of a stock plan. Will the plans suit your family’s needs? Does itfit the contour of the site? The plans usually consists of four or more pages of blueprints which showsall the dimensions, details, and exterior elevation of the house, as well as the arrangements of therooms. Also included is a construction list enumerating types, sizes, and quantities of building materialsneeded. A specification outline lists the quality of workmanship and material.

It is wise to have an architect locate your stock plan house on the site for correct position and minimumexcavation costs. You can then proceed building in one of four ways:

1.) you can have an architect supervise the entire construction.

2.) you can hire a general contractor to supervise the construction and hire subcontractors.

3.) you can be your own general contractor and make separate contracts for all elements of the

building.4.) you can build the house yourself, but this is recommended only for the most experienced.

Before you buy a house you should realize fully the expenses involved in addition to the mortgageprincipal and interest. These expenses include property and school taxes, insurance, assessments,utilities (water, sewage, and garbage disposal), heating costs, maintenance and repair, anddepreciation.



How Much House Can You Afford? A good rule of thumb is that the purchase price of the houseshould not exceed 2 to 2½ times your annual net income. For instance, if your net income per year is$7000, your house should cost between $14000 and $17500. Also your total home loan andmaintenance expenses should not exceed 20% of your net current income.

Paying for Your House. The most common method of financing the purchase of house is with amortgage loan. The buyer makes a cash down payment based on a certain percentage of the cost ofthe house. Initial payment depends on the type of payment secured and can range from as little as 2%or 3% to almost the total cost of the house. The balance is provided in the form of a mortgage by aprivate lending agency such as a bank, savings and loan associations, or an insurance company. Forthis loan, which may run up to 30 years in length, the mortgagor (borrower), pays an annual interestcharge of approximately 5% to 6½%, depending on the type of loan, variance in regional rates, thevalue of the property, and the borrower’s credit standing.

A government-insured Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan allows you to borrow money atcurrent minimum rates for a maximum length of time. The FHA’s does not make loans; it providesinsurance to private lending agencies. Mortgage applications are submitted by the mortgagee, thebank lending agency, to the FHA for investigation. Upon its approval of the projected loan, the FHAinsures the private lending agency against loss of principal and interest if the mortgagor cannot meetmonthly payments. FHA insurance costs the mortgagor an additional ½% interest over and above theinterest charged by the mortgagee.

When arranging for a loan, it is prudent to check several agencies to obtain the lower interest rate andthe length of payment that suits you best. It is wise to borrow as little as possible and to repay it asquickly as is convenient. The more you borrow and the longer you keep the money, the higher yourinterest cost will be. Consider for example, a $25,000 home with a maximum mortgage loan of $22,045(as permitted by the FHA) and a maximum repayment period of 30 years at an interest rate of 5 ¾ %plus ½ % for FHA mortgage insurance. Over the 30-year period the interest payments alone wouldamount to $24,212.49. if the same loan where to be repaid in a 20-year period, the savings in interestwould be $9,153.70



The problems in building or buying a house are essentially the same. Begin by choosing a communitythat suits your family’s needs. Questions you should asks are as follows:

1.) is the general character of the community appealing to you?

2.) does the town have good public recreation facilities such as parks, tennis courts, baseball fields,and swimming pool?

3.) what is the caliber of the school? Are the teachers good? Are the buildings new or in good repair?How many children are there to a class?

4.) is there a place of worship for your religion?

5.) is convenient public transportation available for each member of your family? Are there buses,street cars, to business, school, and stores?

6.) how far will you have to travel to your place of work? How long will it take? How much will it cost?

7.) do police and fire departments operate quickly and efficiently in an emergency?

8.) does the town have a reputation as a safe place to live?

9.) are adequate local medical and hospital facilities available?10.) will the local stores satisfy your tastes and needs? Do their prices come within your budget?

11.) what is the quality of local government? (Municipal decisions will affect the development of yourtown and the amount of your taxes.)

1.) are nearby houses and properties improving or deteriorating?

2.) what are the zoning regulations? Can a factory or a store be built next to your house?

3.) is the house you’re considering more expensive than the others nearby? (If so, you may be unableto sell it for as much as you paid.)

4.) are there noise nuisances nearby such as an airport or a railroad?

5.) is there a steeply graded road next to the house that will require shifting of gears and applying ofbrakes by heavy trucks day and night?

6.) are nearby roads heavily traveled and dangerous?

7.) are you in the path of industrial odors and other disagreeable odors? (check the prevailing winds onweekdays when business and factories are open.)

8.) will you like your neighbors? Are they in your financial and educational strata? (Chances are, youwill be most happy with people with similar likes and values.)

9.) if you are parents, do your neighbors have children of approximately the same age as yours?

Topography and soil conditions will greatly affect the type of house you plan to build and the buildingcosts. Steep slopes, swampy areas, and eroding soil makes construction difficult, expensive and oftenimpossible. Rock-rich land will require expensive blasting for foundations and water and sewer lines.Clayey and non-absorbent soils will create surface drainage problems and prevent a septic field from



draining properly. Visit your sit on a rainy day to see if the land drains well. Check with your townengineer to see if a soil report has been made on your site. The report should list any defects on theland. Builders sometimes fill in a site with rubbish after construction. These pockets of debris are oftennot dense enough to support the structure and also can collect water that eventually leaks into yourbasement.

It is important to ascertain what utilities and services are available and what their costs will be. Utilityconnections at the property line will save you money and the inconvenience of bringing in electricityfrom a distant point, digging septic sewage systems, and locating a water source. You will also want toknow if paved streets, garbage collection, and street lighting are provided by the town, as well as whattype of postal services are supplied. Also check if the town has future or unpaid tax assessments inyour area for past or future improvements on roads, parks, or utilities. These costs can affect yourfuture taxes. Tax rate is, of course, a basic consideration in your choice of house and site. Find whatyour annual property and school taxes will be on the assessed evaluation of your finished house andproperty.

A land survey of your property is advisable and should be carried out by a licensed engineer orsurveyor. The survey report indicates the position of boundaries, roads, and telephone lines anddefines the dimensions of the property.

In addition to local zoning regulations which governs the use of your land and the building of yourhouse, there are often deed restrictions set up by developers and private owners. Such restrictions canspecify the type of house design, its size, the building lines, and types of improvements permitted.These restrictions are usually specified in your deed.

Easement. An easement is the right to make limited use of the land belonging to another. In someinstances, an easement can restrict your freedom to build on land purchased. The most common typeis the one dealing with driveways and their right-of-way through a property. Before you buy, you shouldhave your lawyer check to see whether any easements on your property exists or whether any areplanned by the municipal government or utility companies.

Zoning. Zoning restrictions are public regulations which govern the use and development of land. Suchregulations tend to stabilize real estate values and to protect land owners against the downgrading ofproperty. Before you build, make sure your house meets these requirements as to type, size, andcosts.

Title Search. A title search is necessary to ascertain clear ownership to property title. A search revealsany liens, assessments, taxes, or other claims on the property. Your lawyer can advise you on havinga search made and on the need for getting title insurance. Title insurance assures you that you will bereimbursed if the title proves invalid.



The arrangements of the living spaces in your house greatly affects the pleasures, convenience,comfort, and efficiency you receive. Poorly located, badly, sized rooms can actually make a home lifeannoying. Bad interior planning can also make decorating a difficult and unsatisfying task. Goodinterior planning takes into account the contrasting needs of family members by providing areas for

privacy and pursuit of separate activities. It should dictate the interior form and size of the house andnot be limited by a preconceived house exterior.

The basis of good planning is the separation of unlike activities into four basic zones: the entry area,living area, dining-utility area, sleeping quiet area. Each of these zones have differing requirements ofsize, time of use, level of noise and privacy.

Entry Area. This is the public area of the house, open to indoor-outdoor traffic. It is where you acceptdeliveries and open the door to salesmen and strangers. Therefore it should be insulated from the restof the house and planned more as part of the outside than of the inside. The entry is the firstimpression of your house and how you live. It should be planned for easy accessibility, with amplestorage space for outdoors gear and room for easy removal and donning of outdoor clothing.

Living Area. The social area should be planned for group privacy and easy communication. To berelaxing enough for parents and formal enough area for entertaining it should be separated from theutility areas and away from the main stream of family traffic. If possible, it should be designed as a“dead end” room, i.e. a room with a single entrance so that it does not become a thorough fare of trafficto other parts of the house. The rooms should be large enough so that several persons can relax withcomfort; it should have plenty of sunlight for a pleasant atmosphere. (a southern exposure is alwayspreferable for year-round sunlight) the room should have the correct proportions for seating one ormore conversation groups for easy communication. The living room is used mostly in the late afternoonand evening, so it should be acoustically insulated from the bedrooms.

Too many doors, badly placed windows, or room that is too long and narrow can make decoratingdifficult. A strong architectural element such as a fireplace provides a center of interest for the roomand creates a focal point for furniture arrangement.

When the living room is the only living area in a house, provision should be made for flexible use of thespace. You will want areas for desk work, for the children, and for conversations. You can also take thestrain of the living room by making the other rooms do double duty, such as having the dining roomdouble as a playroom or a study.

Whenever possible, your house should have at least two living zones. Many houses being built todayhave a separate family room or adequate space in the basement or other lower level as play space forchildren. But often neither of these solutions give satisfactory separation of activities. The basementspace is too remote and unpleasant, or the family room is so close the living room that neither parentsnor children have any privacy. Another problem with the family room-living room arrangement is thatthe family room becomes the living center for all family activities, while the living room is “saved” for thevisitors. An ideal solution for providing privacy for both parents and children has been devised byarchitect Marcel Breur. He divides the house into three separate sections. In the center are the

common family areas - entry hall, kitchen, and dining room. On opposite sides of these central core arethe parent’s and children’s zones. The parents’ area include the living room and the master’s bedroomand bath. The children’s zone consist of their bedrooms, bath, and a central playroom opening onto thebedrooms. This playroom has a direct access to an outdoor play area so that the children do notdisturb the house when running in and out. The master bedroom and living room have their ownadjacent outdoor living areas.

Dining-Utility Area. Because this zone is the center for performing household chores, it should beplanned for efficiency. The area comprises the kitchen, laundry, utility, and eating areas. The work



zones should be located at the core of the house. It should be close to the garage for easy delivery ofgroceries, close to the outdoor living areas easy serving of outdoor meals, and near the outdoor utilityyard. As a work zone, this area should be shielded from the front entry. Kitchen and dining roomshould be adjacent for ease of meal preparation and serving. The kitchen should include a space forbreakfast, informal meals, and children’s meals.

Sleeping-Quiet Area. This area includes the bedrooms, bathrooms, and study and should be locatedat one end of the house for quiet and privacy. It is primarily an area designed for individual use ratherthan for family use. Each bedroom should be located so that it can be reached directly from a commonhall. The bathrooms should be directly available from each bedroom (without interfering with any otherbedroom) and also accessible to guests. Young children’s bedroom should be near the parent’sbedroom but can be farther away when the children are older. Bedroom windows should be placed toprovide cross ventilation whenever possible. The quiet zone is an ideal area for placing a study or den.An oversized bedroom prvides an excellent area for study or a hobby room.

Bathrooms in this area should be placed close together for economy of materials and labor costs ininstalling plumbing lines. Bathrooms that are to be used by more than one person should becompartmented to allow double use. The usual arrangement is to put toilet and tub or shower in onecompartment and one or more lavatories in another, the latter being placed closer to the door since it isused more frequently.



1.) Entry, living, and sleeping areas are separate so each can function effectively.

2.) Circulation paths through house allow you to reach any area without having to disturb another.

3.) Entry hall protects rest of house from callers and distributes traffic to separate zones of house.4.) Living room is “dead end” room, so traffic does not disturb its privacy.

5.) Living room has adequate wall space and good proportions for decorating.

6.) Living area have adequate window space and exposure to sun in one or more directions(preferably south and east) to insure bright pleasant atmosphere.

7.) Kitchen has adequate storage, counter space, with room for informal eating.

8.) There is good work triangle between sink, refrigerator, and range.

9.) Kitchen is convenient to front, back, and garage doors, for receiving deliveries and bringing ingroceries. Kitchen is close to indoor and outdoor eating areas.

10.) Window is placed over sink for light and view.

11.) Height for counters and above-counter storage closets is correct for your height.

12.) Bedrooms are zoned at one end of the house for quiet and privacy.

13.) Wall areas are long enough to accommodate bed, bureaus, and tables.

14.) Bedroom facilities are adequate for family and guests.

15.) Space is provided for storing medicines and linens.

16.) Clothes closet have at least 0.90 m. In lineal width per person an a minimum of 0.55 m. Depth.

17.) Bedrooms have windows on more than one wall for cross ventilation.

18.) Electric light outlet is in bedroom hallway to prevent night accident.

19.) Storage closets throughout house are close to where articles are used.

20.) Storage space is available for garden tools, outdoor furniture, storm windows and screens.

21.) Storage is adequate for large , bulky items and items frequently used.

22.) Space is provided for workshop and for storage of tools and hobby items.

23.) Garage is attached to house, or there is overhang between garage and house entry.

24.) House and site plan will permit future expansion.



The best laid plans of architect and owner will be worth little unless the house is carefully built with theright materials. The builder must choose that suit the budget and the plans. At the same time it is alsowise for the owner to consider future maintenance requirements.

House building entails the services of many specialists, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, and soforth, but the owner can and should understand the essentials of what he is buying. Therefore thetypes of operations that go into building a house are discussed separately to outline some of thematerials and processes involved.

Foundation. The foundation, or footing, transfers the weight of the house to the ground. It is acontinuous slab of poured concrete, from .50 to .60 m. thick, around the perimeter of the house anddeep enough to form a basement, if one is planned. The concrete mixture is usually three partswashed gravel, two parts clean sand, and one part portland cement. The porch footing can be smallerthan that for the house; but footing for the heavier parts should be larger. Inferior or nonexistentfootings are indicated by cracks in the exterior masonry walls.

The foundation walls rest on the footing and rise about .20 m. above ground level. The first level of thehouse rests on top of the foundation walls. The walls are usually .20 m. thick and made of pouredconcrete or concrete block.

Wet-Weather Construction. It is important for the foundation area to have adequate drainage toprevent damage to the basic house supports and to avert flooding in the basement. The outsideperimeter of the footing should be detained with open-joint pipe laid in a bed of coarse gravel that leadsto a low spot in a property.

The outside surface of foundation walls should be waterproofed down to ground level. In dry climates aheavy coating of roof asphalt or hot tar is usually sufficient. In moist or rainy climates a sandwich ofpolyvinyl sheet plastic between layers of hot asphalt is recommended.

Basement. To begin the basement floor a base gravel or cinders should be packed down to at least a0.10 m. thickness. A plastic sheet moisture barrier should then be laid down and concrete poured over

it to another 0.10 m. thickness. Smoothing the floor surface with steel trowel prevents the concretefrom crumbling or collecting dirt. An even slope to a floor drain or sump pump will help keep the areadry. The wood posts supporting overhead beams or girders should rest on a raised metal anchor orplatform to prevent rot; they should not be imbedded into the concrete.

No Basement. Houses with their main floors of concrete resting on the ground (slab houses) shouldhave insulation walls to prevent heat loss from the floor to the ground. A bed of packaged gravel and amoisture barrier should be used to separate the concrete floor from direct contact with the earth. Theconcrete slab should be carefully made because the heating pipes or ducts are imbedded in it.

Crawl Space. In a house designed with an air space between the earth and the underside of the firstfloor, the air-space, or crawl-space area must have some opening. Screened ventilator grills in thewalls release moisture and prevent rotting of the timbers. Vegetation in the ground area should be

killed chemically, and a 0.05m to 0.075 m. layer of concrete poured. A plastic sheet film can also belaid over the ground to keep the earth’s moisture from penetrating into the house structure.

To prevent termite infestation, no part of the wood should be in direct contact with the ground. Copperor aluminum shielding on top of the foundation walls will help prevent termites from reaching anddamaging wood members.



The framing is the structural skeleton of the house and comprises the unfinished floors, walls, and roof.The three types of house framing are balloon, platform, and post-and-beam.

Balloon framing has vertical supporting members, called studs, that rise in one piece from the

foundation to the roof in two-story construction. Studs are in 0.05m by 0.10 m and are spaced 0.40 m.apart (center to center). The stud frame are stiffened at the corners with diagonal braces.

Platform for a two-story house uses wall studs that rise only one story in height. The floors areindependently framed.

Post-and-Beam framing uses heavy vertical and horizontal members to allow wider space intervalsthroughout the structure. This type of construction is used in modern design to permit the use ofextensive areas of glass that brings light and a sense of spaciousness to the interior.



sheathing is used over the roof and wall framing members. It can be made by 25 mm by 150 mm or 25mm by 20 mm. Wood boards or 5/8 inch thick plywood, fiber, or gypsum boards. Sheathingstrenghtens the framing and provides some insulation. Windows and doors may be installed as units,

complete with glass, hardware, framing, and trim.Exterior. The exterior finish of the house should be chosen both to protect and decorate the home.There is a wide variety of materials in which to choose. In addition to the standard masonry and woodsurfaces, many newer materials have lao installation and maintenance costs.

Interior. Until recently, interiors were either plaster or wood, but today, there are many new productsthat are decorative, strong, and easy to maintain.

Plaster applied over metal or plaster lath is known as a “wet” wall and provides a smooth, hard surfacewith a low factor of noise transmission. A “dry” wall is built of any of the building panels, such asgypsum, plywood, fiber, or wood particle board or hardboard.

EXTERIOR FINISH MA TERIALS

Aluminum, durable, rustproof, in shingles, clapboards, and sheets. Available in baked-in enamel-colorfinish.

Concrete block, many textures, colors and shapes, and a variety of decorative grille designs.

Masonry, (brick, block, stone), strong, permanent; little maintenance required. Brick or stone moreexpensive than most exterior finishes.

Plywood, gives either smoothed or patterned surface, depending on type used. Most types must beprotected from weather with paint, stain, or sealer; others are waterproofed at the factory.

Veneer, clip-on brick or stone veneer fastened to the sheathing; simulates the appearance of realmasonry.

Wood shingles, can be stained or painted, or can be left natural if resistant to weather (such as redcedar). Durable if not used in excessively dry climate.

Wood siding, clapboards or vertical, horizontal boarding; must be painted or stained unless cedar,redwood, or cypress is used.



INTERIOR FINISH MAT ERIALS

Acoustic tiles (wood fiber, gypsum, fiber glass), primarily used in ceilings to absorb noise.

Ceramic tiles, many patterns, colors, shapes, glazed and unglazed finish.

Composition boards, made of wood flakes bonded with adhesive.

Fiberboard, lightweight sheets, panels and tiles; insulates, best used for ceilings.

Gypsum board , low-cost material with smooth, seamless surface. Has appearance of plaster when joints are properly taped and sanded.

Hardboard , sheets and panels with plain or plastic surfaces. Low maintenance.

Plaster , smooth, seamless surface; moderate in cost, may crack.

Plastic tile , mayy colors, easy ti install, not as durable as ceramic.

Plywood , selection range from plain fir plywood (moderate in cost) to exotic expensive veneers.

Wood panels , handosme, moderate to high cost, moderate maintenance.

awning

double hang

casementfixed

jalousie

sliding

flush-surface

panel-surface

© 1976

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A House-For Students