Planning a Home Renovation – Part II
This is the second part of a two part article on planning a home renovation. To view the first part please read Planning a Home Renovation Part I.
The second phase of planning a home renovation is taking inventory and mapping what is already there.
To get started, draw a basic floor plan of each room of your house as it currently exists. The easiest way to do this is to draw it out on graph paper. The graph paper will help you to maintain your scale and to draw straight lines. Usually a scale of 1/4" = 1 ft. works well so you don’t need a bigger than normal piece of paper.
In the floor plan of each room you will want to mark out doors and windows. Make a note of header and sill heights as well as ceiling heights. Measure the thickness of the walls at the door jambs and write this down as well.
Once you have mapped out each room, you will want to map out the exterior of your house. Take a tape measure and measure all the outer dimensions of your home. Draw your house on the lot as accurately as possible, again using graph paper. In your drawing you will also want to include fences, outbuildings, trees, ponds, gardens or any other site features.
While you are drawing it is a good time to think through things you might like to change. Do you have a beautiful view that is currently obstructed by a tree? Do your neighbors have an ugly backyard that you would rather not look at everyday? At the same time, think about how any renovations you are thinking of may affect your neighbors. If your renovation completely blocks the view for your neighbor you may have trouble getting it approved.
You’ll also want to learn the setback requirements for your community. Most communities require that structures be a minimum distance from the property line. Also, double check your property lines and don’t take it for granted that an existing fence marks the actual property line.
The mapping of the structure of your house should ideally be done by a licensed structural engineer. This includes joist, girders, rafters, etc. to learn which walls are load bearing and which are not.
Draw out where your plumbing fixtures are, where you drains come out in the basement and where vent stacks come out of your roof. If at all possible when planning renovations try to avoid having to move larger pipes because it is expensive to reroute them. Smaller supply pipes can be moved much more cost effectively and so are less of a concern when planning design changes.
You’ll also want to map out your electrical system. This is probably most easily accomplished by two people. While one person turns on and off switches at the breaker the other can be at an outlet with a voltage tester to see which circuit controls which outlet. You can also draw out where existing outlets and light switches are to consider whether they need to be moved for any possible renovations.
While you are doing your electrical map it is a good idea to also take note of any safety concerns. Note any ungrounded two hole receptacles or grounded three hole outlets. Do you have light switches both at the top and bottom of your stairs? Check for ground fault circuit interrupters within 4 feet of your kitchen sink and for all outlets in the bathroom. All safety concerns should be the first thing you address before proceeding with renovation.
Mapping the heating and cooling system is especially important if you have forced air heat since the ductwork tends to be bulky and a bit hard to plan around. Knowing what you have to start with will give you a good idea of ways you might be able to creatively move duct work to maximize your renovation.
Now that you know what you are starting with you can begin to look for ways that you can improve your living space. Get a roll of tracing paper and trace your floor plans to draw out any possible changes. This will save you a time that you would have spent redrawing the floor plan if you wanted to draw out several design alternatives. At this point it is a good idea to bring out your notebook that you created during the first segment of this article and reference your ideas from that.
<– Read the first part of this article on home renovation here.