Divine Design: Basement crosses the finish line

The "Build Up" is a comprehensive resource curated by Southern Living Editors, offering insightful guidance and inspiration for various aspects of home design, construction, and curb appeal. Published on July 1, 2025, this collection of articles aims to assist readers in navigating the complexities of building or enhancing their homes. Under the "Design That Works" section, several key considerations for new home construction are explored. One article, "7 Questions You’ll Be Glad You Asked Before Breaking Ground On A New Home," emphasizes proactive planning and highlights crucial inquiries prospective homeowners should make before commencing construction. Another piece, "How To Choose The Right Floor Plan For Your Family," provides advice on selecting a layout that best suits individual family needs and lifestyles. The importance of strategic window placement in home aesthetics and functionality is detailed in "How Window Placement Can Make Or Break Your Home Design," offering practical tips for optimizing natural light and views. Additionally, "This Is The Most Overlooked Cost When Building A New Home—And It Might Blow Your Budget" alerts readers to potential financial pitfalls, urging them to account for often-ignored expenses to avoid budgetary overruns. The "Curb Appeal" segment focuses on enhancing the exterior appearance of a home. "How To Pick The Right Roof Shingle Color And Style For Your Home, According To Experts" guides homeowners through the selection process for roofing materials, considering both aesthetic and practical factors. "How To Choose The Best Siding For Your Home" delves into the various siding options available, discussing their benefits and drawbacks to help readers make informed decisions. "The Ultimate Guide To Popular Front Door Styles" provides a comprehensive overview of different front door designs, emphasizing their role in defining a home's character. Complementing this, "Your Guide To Choosing The Right Siding Color, According To Experts" offers expert advice on selecting exterior paint or siding colors to achieve a desired look and feel. Beyond these, the article directs readers to explore broader categories such as general home design and architecture. Related articles further expand on these themes, covering topics like guest house plans, the utility and resurgence of keeping rooms, the traditional design trends in modern homes, best-selling house plans with Southern character, and distinctive architectural styles like Tudor and Shotgun houses. These resources collectively offer a holistic approach to home building and renovation, catering to a wide range of interests and needs within the realm of Southern living. #HomeDesign #NewHomeConstruction #CurbAppeal #FloorPlans #WindowPlacement #BudgetingMistakes #RoofingStyles #SidingOptions #FrontDoorStyles #ArchitectureAndHomeDesign

Finishing a basement offers a cost-effective way to expand a home's living space, providing an excellent return on investment, typically around 70%. Many new homes, particularly in the Midwest, are built with unfinished basements, presenting an opportunity for homeowners to develop this existing 'shell' which already includes a foundation, exterior walls, and mechanical systems. The process begins with addressing potential water and vapor intrusion, a critical step given that 98% of homes with basements will experience some form of water damage over their lifetime. This involves checking the perimeter drain system, both above and below grade, as most basement water issues stem from misdirected surface water. Additionally, all cracks and rod-holes in basement walls should be professionally sealed, and clear sealers can be applied to concrete walls and floors to minimize moisture wicking. Once the space is secured against water and vapor, the next phase involves planning the layout of walls, doors, and furniture. Blue painter's tape can be used on the floor to visualize the arrangement of rooms, ensuring practical elements like a minimum hallway width of 36 inches and larger doors (at least 2 feet 10 inches wide) for easy furniture movement. The layout should also consider the placement of major furniture pieces, such as a big-screen TV and sofa, to optimize the functionality of the new rooms. Following the structural layout, attention shifts to mechanical systems, including lighting, electrical outlets, plumbing for new bathrooms or laundry areas, and HVAC for heating and cooling. Marking potential locations for switches, plugs, lights, and additional heating registers helps in the preliminary design phase. Egress requirements are another crucial consideration for below-grade living spaces. Every habitable basement area must have at least two means of egress, with one typically being the interior stairway. The second egress must be an approved door or window located within the main living space. Furthermore, any dedicated sleeping areas or bedrooms in the basement require their own separate secondary egress windows. The installation of each egress window can be a significant expense, often exceeding $3,000. These planning stages culminate in the development of a comprehensive budget, as basement remodels can range widely in cost, from $11,000 to over $27,000, depending on the scope and chosen materials. Key cost drivers include egress units, plumbing installations and fixtures, flooring, furniture, and ceiling treatments. For example, while drywall ceilings are less expensive, suspended ceilings are often recommended as they allow future access to mechanical systems and can offer sound reduction benefits. Thorough planning is emphasized as a means to ensure a successful and enjoyable basement transformation that provides long-term value and enhanced living space. The article concludes by indicating that a subsequent installment will delve into specific materials and techniques for the build-out phase, and directs readers to a professional resource for further advice. #BasementFinishing #HomeImprovement #Waterproofing #BasementDesign #EgressWindows #RemodelingBudget #HomeValue #DIYHome

Mike Hancock, a former nuclear power plant project manager with an engineering background, established Basement Contractors of Oklahoma in 1994. Upon moving to Oklahoma, he observed a significant absence of proper basements in residential construction, where typical foundation companies offered unreinforced stem walls, leading to frequent water problems. Despite this, commercial properties in the area featured underground parking and walk-out basements, indicating the feasibility of such structures. Hancock identified an opportunity to introduce properly constructed residential basements to the market. He began building houses with basements on sloped lots, which were typically cheaper, allowing for walk-out designs. This initiative attracted the attention of local builders, who then sought his services. Basement Contractors of Oklahoma successfully cultivated a market for residential basements, now constructing approximately 70 residential basements annually. Hancock's approach extends beyond just building; he provides engineering services to homebuilders, guiding them on site treatment after his crew completes the basement. He also conducts educational classes for the local building community, in collaboration with organizations like the Portland Cement Association (PCA) and a local concrete supplier. These classes cover the physics of proper basement construction, backfilling techniques, and appropriate landscaping around foundations. Hancock emphasizes a comprehensive service model, offering everything related to the basement, including drainage, waterproofing, and flatwork, allowing builders to focus on framing. Additionally, the company offers structural engineering services for framing, decks, and HVAC system design, and can extend its concrete work beyond basements to include concrete decks, structural staircases, and above-grade walls. Currently, basements account for about 70% of the company's sales, with home and commercial building making up 15%, and other areas such as engineering and specialty applications comprising the remaining 15%. Approximately a decade ago, Basement Contractors expanded into building insulated above-grade concrete walls, completing about 20 homes and several light commercial properties using this method. Hancock notes a growing momentum in the green building market, though he acknowledges that economic considerations often influence homeowners' decisions. He highlights that an insulated concrete home, leveraging the thermal mass of its walls, offers superior environmental stability and represents a cost-effective green building investment for homeowners, with returns realized through energy savings. In the commercial sector, there's a rising inclination towards thermally efficient construction to minimize exposure to damage in industrial zones while maintaining architectural appeal, where concrete, in various forms like tilt-up, poured-in-place, or Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs), is a suitable material. Basement Contractors' crews are proficient in multiple insulated concrete systems, including Thermomass, ThermaEZE, and E-MAXX, all used with aluminum forms, and are trained on major ICF brands. Hancock selects the optimal system based on project specifics, for instance, favoring Thermomass when both sides of a wall are exposed for finishing, or using E-MAXX or ThermaEZE with external foam when brick siding is planned. For enhanced soundproofing and internal sheetrock, foam can be placed on both interior and exterior. ICFs are utilized for specific construction scenarios like one-sided pours or against existing structures in remodels. For energy efficiency, particularly in southern climates like Oklahoma, basement walls are often left uninsulated to exploit the consistent 65-degree Fahrenheit soil temperature, which helps cool the house. In such climates, the priority is to insulate against exterior heat transfer, allowing warmer indoor air to dissipate into the cooler ground via uninsulated basement walls. The company also incorporates fly ash and blast slag into concrete mixes, substituting cement with industrial waste for a greener product. A recent significant project demonstrating the company's green building expertise is an 8,000-square-foot Greek Orthodox church in Norman, Oklahoma, featuring insulated concrete walls and a walk-out basement. Initially planned as an ICF build, Hancock re-engineered it into an insulated poured-wall project, proving more economical and energy-efficient. The use of Thermomass panels within the concrete walls mitigated concerns about hail damage to external foam. The church also includes stained concrete floors, stucco exterior, plaster interior, and a design that eliminates the need for a joist ledge. Basement Contractors of Oklahoma has successfully demonstrated the versatility and benefits of concrete construction, establishing a basement market where none existed and delivering energy-efficient buildings that result in long-term savings for owners. The company recently commenced construction on its 500th basement, an 8,000-square-foot house aiming for LEED for Homes Platinum and NAHB Emerald green certifications. This project features concrete construction from the basement to the roof soffit, with Thermomass-insulated concrete walls, a high fly ash concrete mix, and factory-pre-cut foam panels to reduce on-site waste. Additional green features include geothermal heating/cooling, a clay tile roof, and reclaimed materials like wood floors, rafters, doors, and antique fixtures. #BasementConstruction #ConcreteFoundations #GreenBuilding #EnergyEfficiency #InsulatedConcreteForms #Thermomass #ResidentialConstruction #CommercialBuilding #OklahomaConstruction

The article 'Doorway to heaven' by Aparna Karthikeyan explores the evolution of doors from mere functional elements to significant design statements in modern homes, particularly focusing on their role in home décor and aesthetic appeal. Traditionally, doors in South India were crafted from solid wood, often teak, featuring intricately carved panels with devotional or mythological themes placed above the frame, complemented by carved niches in the wall for oil lamps. This traditional approach prioritized cultural and religious symbolism alongside functionality. With the advent of urban architecture and the rise of apartments, the perception and design of doors underwent a significant transformation. Doors evolved beyond simple entry points, becoming integral components that contribute to the overall impression and style of a home. For instance, an intricately carved door now suggests a home with strong Eastern influences, while a stark brown veneer might indicate a contemporary aesthetic. A kitschy door, adorned with ceramic tiles spelling out names, brass numerals, and wooden beading, subtly hints at an eclectic personal style. Experts in the field, such as M. M. Philip, managing director of Barausse India, a high-end Italian door brand, affirm this shift, stating that doors are no longer just part of the civil structure but are viewed as pieces of décor. The contemporary market offers a diverse range of doors made from materials like glass, aluminum, wood veneer, or combinations thereof, often finished with high-gloss lacquers to suit modern homes. Beyond materials, the functionality of doors has also advanced, with hinged, folding, and sliding options becoming popular. These innovations not only free up valuable floor space but also maintain the privacy and sanctity of enclosed rooms, aligning well with minimalist home décor trends, especially those inspired by Scandinavian designs characterized by light wood, crisp lines, and clutter-free interiors. A. Sampath, director at Artistick’s, an architecture gallery in Chennai, highlights the creative fusion of art and aesthetics in high-end doors, which now often incorporate metal inlays on wood. Contemporary designs might feature hand-beaten strips, squares, and rectangles of white metal embossed on wood, while classical designs might include brass or copper inlays with Victorian or decorative motifs. Traditional Indian wood-and-metal doors commonly showcase brass inlay work depicting gods and goddesses, frequently doubling as 'pooja' doors for spiritual spaces. The current trend leans towards contemporary designs, emphasizing solid colors and clean, straight lines to complement minimalist interiors. Despite the popularity of modern designs, antique doors continue to hold a niche market. These heavy, intricately carved doors, often originating from the Chettinad region and made from Burma teak, are prized for their historical and aesthetic value. Companies like Indika Creations offer reproductions of antique doors using recycled wood for those who prefer the aesthetic without the perceived negative vibrations associated with genuine restored antiques. When restoring antique pieces, a common modification is raising the door's height, as older doors typically measured only about 5 feet. Hand-carved teakwood doors remain a timeless choice, serving as statement pieces that can be customized in various designs and finishes. Maintenance for contemporary designs is generally straightforward, and modern techniques like polyurethane coating over melamine and sealant ensure that wood finishes remain fresh, unwarped, and moisture-resistant for extended periods, as noted by Prasad Nair of Arya Bhangy, a specialist in hand-carved doors. Carvings are no longer restricted to religious or floral motifs but now encompass patterns from diverse cultures, including Aryan, Mughal, Islamic, and Georgian. For those seeking unique designs, bespoke doors offer personalized artistic expression. An example cited is a customer desiring a Mediterranean feel, for whom Indika sourced local wood and incorporated ironwork to achieve the desired aesthetic. This evolution underscores that doors have transcended their basic function of providing shelter, now serving as significant elements that express personal style and, especially in the case of wooden doors, can be considered an investment. #HomeDesign #DoorDesign #InteriorDecor #ArchitecturalElements #ContemporaryDesign #TraditionalCraftsmanship #MinimalistStyle #AntiqueDoors #Woodwork