An Information and Instructional Guide
Chapter 11 – Exterior Design
The exterior of a home can have many many different types of designs. The change in looks can be dramatic based on the features chosen. There are a variety of decisions to make:
- What will the walls be made of?
- What may be covering them?
- What will be attached to the house?
- What will the extent of the landscaping be?
A lot of our discussions have centered a wood house. The exterior can be made of other materials such as brick or stone. Stucco is used in some warmer areas and log cabins can be found in some mountainous areas). Houses can also have combinations with brick or stone on lower areas and then wood on the higher areas. Coverings can take the form or vinyl or aluminum siding. Cedar shingles or other wooden panels can also be used. Horizontal bevel siding called Clapboards being the most popular
There are many items to choose. Some are mandatory and some are optional. Styles and costs can vary significantly. Each feature comes with is own set of construction or assembly plans.
- Will you have a garage or just a carport? Will the garage be attached to the house? How many cars will it fit – 1 or 2 or even 3? Is there room for storage?
- How long and wide is your driveway? What about side walks?
- What will the doors look like (fancy or plain, wood or steel, with or without glass)? Will there be any siding glass doors? Off the kitchen, dining room, family room or porch? How many widows? A big picture window or maybe a bay or bow window?
- Is there a front, back or side porch? What about the front doorway? Is there enough room to put a chair or two and sit? What about an overhang?
- Will there be a deck? How big? One level or two? Made or wood or a composite material? What part of the house will it connect to? Could it be a separate gazebo.
- How about a patio? Concrete or brick? Covered or uncovered? Just big enough for a grill and a pathway or can it hold picnic tables and the full party?
- Is there room for a pool? Built-in or aboveground? How about a hot tub or Jacuzzi?
- Is your garage big enough to store everything or do you need a shed? How big?
- Do you have young children or pets that may make a fence a necessity? A chain-link fence to keep people and animals in (or out). What about a wooden fence for privacy?
What about landscaping?
- Are there some nice full evergreen trees for privacy or just a bunch of misplaced leaf-makers? Do the trees block the sun at the right times and provide shade in the places needed? Are there some dying ones that need to be removed or will some new plantings be needed? Do any encroach on the lot lines? Are they too close to the house or power lines?
- Are there some nice bushes and shrubberies? Should there be?
- How about gardens? Simple or elaborate? Flowers and/or vegetables? Any statues, waterfalls or trellises? Careful to keep them a safe distance from decks and patios so as not to draw too many bees to where you want to sit. What about predators? Deer, rabbits and other animals can destroy a garden overnight. Either plant what they don’t like to eat or put up barriers?
- Do you have a lawn yet? What type of grass will grow best? How will you maintain it?
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