Usable Open Space

A problem solving equation of a sort. a parcel of land is 8313.2 sq m. We know that the net developable area multiplied by . 6 would equal the total interior sq footage. In other words,
8313.2 x .6 = interior sq footage. We also know that the maximum number of lots the parcel of land can be divided into is 40.
We know that a parcel of land { 8313.2 sq m in size } can be sub-divided into 40 strata lots. { row housing } We know that each unit will be 2.5 stories in height. We know that each unit will have a maximum of 1346 sq ft{not including 50 sq m of under ground garage} of interior sq footage. We know that each building envelope will contain 5 units within it.
What we don’t know is …how much usable open land area will be left over.

I inherited a home, when should I have estate sale vs. sell house?

I inherited a home when should I have estate sale vs. sell home

My parent’s home was left to me and I am a bit lost as to when the best time to have an estate sell and when should I sell the home.  There are 3 of us and everyone wants to do something different.

P Ellis

Response

Dear P Ellis

You should schedule the sales in a way that works best for everyone.  I would note that keeping some furniture is good for staging, so selling the home before the personal possessions makes sense.  You can store the items not used to stage the home, perhaps in the garage, and have your estate sale when the home is in escrow. 

If the home needs a lot of repairs, having your estate sale before listing the home makes sense too, to allow clear work areas for repairs. 

The use of a REALTOR is helpful with deciding the timing.  They know the area and the market.  One of the best parts of having a REALTOR involved early in the process is they will assist you with the estate sale, and most importantly, be a go-between between the parties.  It is always good to have someone not related and not emotionally vested be responsible for major decisions.  The family relationships can suffer at these times without a professional to assist with these types of emotional decisions.

I need help fixing my cabinets before I sell home.

I want to sell my house and want everything to look the best it can.  I know I need to paint the walls but what should I do about my kitchen and bath cabinets?  They don’t look very good, particularly the areas around the sinks which are damaged by water.  The finish, which is a natural stain, has cracked and broken down due to long term water exposure.

CC

Response

Dear CC,

First you are right, paint as much as you can.  Try not to pick colors that will offend a potential buyer.   Don’t forget to clean or replace flooring and touch up or regrout tile areas.  Caulk cracks at base boards and around wood trim, including cabinets and around sinks/tubs.  Do everything you can to clean and tighten up your home.

As for the cabinets, you can repair the cabinet finish often by just cleaning and then rubbing the surface with lemon oil.  I like Formby’s Lemon Oil Treatment.  The lemon oil will restore the finish and prevent the wood from absorbing water.  It also sounds like your cabinets have a lacquer finish, which will repair well after being treated with lemon oil.  Cabinet finishes after 1991, in California, are water based but if your cabinets were finished before 1991 you can use a Deft Clear Wood Finish spray lacquer to add to and repair the depleted finish material.  Be sure to select either the satin or high gloss finish that matches your cabinet finish.   Apply lemon oil after spraying to blend the old and new lacquer.  Always pick an area to test first, like the inside of a cabinet door.

To upgrade your cabinets relatively economically, you could consider replacing just the cabinet doors.  I would highly recommend hiring a cabinet maker to either order the doors or make them.  Also hire him, or a qualified painter, to finish the new doors to match the cabinet frames, which is probably beyond what most do-it-yourselfers can do well.  One more option for your cabinets is to paint them.

I am looking to buy a house with unpermitted additions

I am looking at a home to buy which has a large addition that was built without permits.  The Realtor said the addition was definitely built to code and should not be an issue for us should we buy the home.  We asked if the seller is willing to obtain the permits as a condition of a sale.  The listing agent said the seller will not. 

What type of problems could I run into with this home?

DM

Response

Dear DM,

The listing Realtor should know the home and had several conversations about the home with the seller(s), however the agent is just an agent.  The addition might be built very well, nobody knows and even getting it inspected and permitted by the local building department can give you the assurance that the work is good. 

I will tell you this, the first portion of the Building Code states what types of construction requires a building permit.  The list includes all, electrical, plumbing, insulation, framing, roofing, drywall, HVAC systems, etc., all the components of a home or addition.  So if there is no building permit, the addition is not built to code, and any effort to obtain a permit will include proving it was built to code.  Even the areas covered by the interior finish, roofing, soils, etc…  Plus, the building code states permit fees for non-permitted work are to be doubled.  Most building permits trigger additional fees and permit costs, such as DIF (Development Impact Fees) and School Fees.  School Fees in California can vary; I have paid as much as $5.25 per square foot for a project.  That would be $3,150.00.  The total costs of inspections, fees, permits, etc could be many thousands of dollars.

As for the real estate transaction, some Cities require an occupancy inspection triggered by a sale.  It is possible that the City could require the addition to be inspected, bought up to code and permitted or removed before a C of O is issued.  The City should allow a specific time allotment before taking action, should the addition not be legalized.   That time allotment would probably come to an end after the sale, when you become the responsible party.  It is most likely that the REALTOR marketed the home knowing whether the home would be subject to a City inspection.  I suggest you check with the local building department.

Another problem could be the appraisal.  The appraiser will measure the home, check the County Assessor’s records and verify they match.  The lender will only lend on permitted/approved area, so the appraisal could be short of the market price, assuming the seller is seeking to be compensated for the addition too.

There are risks in purchasing such a property.  I know people who felt the home was still worth the risks, you must keep in mind that at some point, someone will be made to legalize the addition — and pay the costs associated with doing so.

Thank s and good luck,

Curt V. Schultz, Architect, General Contractor and REALTOR®

I need a new roof and my roofer says I need plywood put down first.

I need a new roof and my roofer says I need plywood put down first.

I hired a roofing company to replace my asphalt roofing.  They are telling me I need to apply a plywood (OSB?) base over my roof framing first.  Why can’t tell just roof over the old framing?  Why can’t they install the new roofing over the old roof too?  Would that make the roof more water proof?  This seems a little expensive.

John K.

Response

John,

Years ago builders used 1×6 boards laid next to each other over the framing as the base surface for roofing.  Plywood sheathing has important structural value that the 1x 6 boards do not.  Plywood is applied perpendicular to the framing and laid in rows with staggered (offset) joints.  When wind and seismic forces are applied to your home the walls form a lateral resistive system to resist those forces.  It is the roof that ties all walls together and transfers the forces/loads to the rest of the structure and other walls.   Individual 1x 6 boards do not have the ability to tie the roof surface together.  Plywood creates, for structural purposes, a single surface for the entire roof area.

Plus, if your roofing company is a good company, they are getting a permit and the building code requires the plywood sheathing applied before a new roof can be applied.  If you live in Southern California, we will have another earthquake and your home will have less movement because of the new plywood roof sheathing, and less damage to home and property too.

On an older home, you always want to remove old roofing before installing a new roof.  There are several reasons, including to apply plywood sheathing.  A major consideration is the added weight of additional layers of roofing which is not good for your home.  Rafters might deflect (bow), and the added weight will add to the movement the home incurs during an event, such as an earthquake or wind storm.  Most building departments and the building codes require asphalt roofed structures to be engineered to support 2 layers, but nobody knows what older homes can support.   

OBS is a type of plywood sheathing, an acronym for oriented strand board, OSB is usually cheaper than a 5 ply plywood and has the same structural qualities.

Thanks and good luck,

Curt V.  Schultz, Architect, General Contractor and REALTOR®

My Ceilings are a mess!

My Ceilings are a mess!

I have a home built in the late 40’s and the inside is plastered.  I keep getting cracks in my ceilings, which I patch and a few weeks later they come back.  My neighbor told me I should tape the cracks which I tested out in few places but I can now see where the tape is when I enter my home and look up (which I can’t keep from doing now).    I pulled out a chunk and used a drywall mix to fill it, but it took days for it to dry at kept cracking.  The ceiling has areas that look blotchy too, it is just is a mess.  What would you suggest I do, I can’t afford to replace them?

Tim

Response

Tim,

You appear to have a few problems and mostly fixable with novice level skills.  My first guess is that your ceilings are painted with an enamel paint.  Enamel paints, particularly high gloss enamels, are harder to paint than people think.  Personally, I hate enamel paints on ceilings, I use glossy paints on ceilings only when I have to.

The problem with glossy painted ceilings is they reflect light, without intention, highlighting the surface flaws.  Old home as well as new homes have flaws.  After you repair the cracks, repaint with a flat latex paint, that will help greatly.  So will painting your ceiling white, or a light color.

Taping the cracks is best, the most important detail when repairing plaster is to dig a deep ‘V’ shaped groove in  and along the crack before filling and patching.  This is the key to preventing the cracks from returning.  Fill the v-groove with a plaster mix, or a 20 min drywall mix.  Both can be bought at any local hardware store.  The 20 min is a dry mix, just add water.  It is a quick dry, or hot mix and hardens in 20 minutes, so just mix what you need and can use in less than 20 minutes.  Do not use a drywall topping mix to fill large voids. 

It is best to tape the joints using drywall mud, for cracks I prefer the fiberglass mesh type.  If you use tape you should use 3 coats of mud to tape, blend and feather the cracks/joints.  That is, to spread out the elevated area at the tape so it appears to be a flat surface to the eye.  You can use the 20min mud for the first coat, if you are in a hurry.

Good luck, I think you can do it.

Curt V.  Schultz, Architect, General Contractor and REALTOR®

Does granite countertops need to be sealed again and when?

We bought a home 2 years ago that has granite countertops and our neighbor said we need to be  sealing them.  Is this correct and how often?  With what?

KP

Response

Dear KP,

Granite, like concrete is a porous material and will absorb water. They should be sealed to keep from holding in water and to prevent stains.  Unsealed granite can also hold bacteria and salmonella.  Most granite installers use a water based sealer that needs to be reapplied once a year.

Applying the sealer is a matter of pouring it on and wiping it off.  You can find a granite and stone sealer at your local home improvement store in the tile section.  Read the instructions and make sure the granite is totally clean and totally dry, or you will be sealing in soil and sealing in the water in as well as sealing it out.  Some products require excessive mixing of the sealer before applying and it is important that the sealer is mixed well before use.  Sealing it should not change the color of the granite.

Thanks for your question,

Curt V. Schultz, Architect, General Contractor and REALTOR®

I have 1 window that won’t stay open

Our home is nearly 80 years old and still has the original windows.  One window just will not stay open, if we want to open the window we must put a stick in the window to keep top half open.  Do I have to replace the window and if so how do I get a new window that matches the old windows.

Ken in Monrovia

Response

Dear Ken,

It sounds to me that the only thing wrong with your window is the balance needs repair.  Old wood double hung windows use a steel balance or counter weight which is attached by a rope that often breaks with time.  The balance is located inside the widow, between the side frame and the vertical framing members.  There should be a metal cover that you can remove by removing the screws.  The rope can be replaced and is easy enough that most homeowners can do it.  It may be accessed by removing the casing trim too.  Most local window companies will service your double hung windows if you do not want to do it yourself.

It’s great that your windows are in such good shape after so long.  I would suggest you service all your windows with new balance ropes, soap the sides to keep them sliding smoothly too.

Thanks for your question,

Curt V. Schultz, Architect, General Contractor and REALTOR®

Do I upgrade appliances and countertops before I sell?

We plan on listing our home for sale soon and it is in great condition except for the kitchen.  The countertops are a 3”x 3” tile with ¼” grout spacing.  The appliances are from the mid 80’s.  We feel if we upgrade these areas the home will be perfect and should fetch top dollar.  What would you recommend?

D & D

Response

Dear D & D,

This is always a tough call.  You could have a point that if these are the only items keeping your home from being “perfect”, upgrading them could put your home in a good position to maximize the amount it sells for.  However there is no sure answer for this type of problem.  The right buyer may have just bought a home or hasn’t started looking yet.  You can never plan timing and luck, I have designed and built great spec homes that sold after much lesser homes did for the same price.  One just doesn’t know how the market will play out.

With that all said, in this market where there is such a low inventory, I would lean towards not making the upgrades.  Keep the kitchen as is, price the homes at the top of the market and as part of your REALTOR’S marketing plan obtain an estimate for the upgrades from a licensed contractor to show to prospective buyers who indicate they have a problem with the condition of the kitchen.  You never know, they might not care and will still pay top dollar for the home as is and you save the upgrade cost.  If a buyer wants the upgrades, provide the estimate and reduce the home’s price the amount of the upgrades that you were willing to pay for anyway.  The best part of the latter option is, when the buyers become owners they can choose the upgrades themselves, which may be much different than what you would have chosen.

Thanks for your question

Curt V. Schultz,

Architect, General Contractor and REALTOR®

What do you think about carpet tiles vs. standard carpeting?

I saw an ad for carpeting that comes in 18”, 24” and 36” squares.  They can create great patterns and I think I can install it myself and save some money.  Is there a down side to carpet squares?

Thanks,

Eric S.

Response

Dear Eric S.

Carpet tiles today are intended mostly for commercial applications.  They have minimal padding and a low pile and although they can create stylish textures and patterns they are very taste specific.  As an Architect, I would recommend such a flooring choice only if it was part of your home’s design concept or if this is for a home you do not plan to sell for some time.  As a REALTOR, I find most buyers do not like carpet tiles and would expect to replace it if they were to buy your home, maybe even reduce their offer because of it.

Carpet tiles have been around since at least the 1960’s and haven’t had the best reputation.  The other factor you mentioned is that you can install it yourself and save the installation labor.  While you can save the labor costs, quality carpet tiles are not cheap and typically cost several times the cost of traditionally installed carpet.  When pricing carpet tile you must include glue, razor blades and wasted materials as well.

Thanks for your question,

Curt V. Schultz, Architect, General Contractor and REALTOR®

My husband insists on a home with a tile roof

My wife and I are looking at buying a house in Pasadena or Monrovia.  My husband insists on a home with a tile roof and that has made it harder to find a house.  He says a tile roof is better and he doesn’t want roof problems.

Thanks, DF

Response

Dear DF,

There are several factors which would need to be considered before I can really give you an answer and then still it is largely personal choice and architectural style which will dictate a preference.

The first issue for me is structural, tile roofing is much heavier than wood shingles or composition roofing is, which can be an issue with older homes.  The older homes have little lateral resistance and the added weight of a tile roof increases the force velocity on the house during an event such as an earthquake.  The added movement probably will not cause the home to fail, but will cause substantially more damage to plaster and windows as well as the home’s contents.  For future considerations, while engineering a home, I would often design a composition roofed home using the loads of a tile roof  and there can be a substantial increase in requirements.

For me, the other factors regarding a tile roof would be roof pitch, (not too flat and not too steep), architectural style of the home fitting with a tile roof and can the roofing be matched if a repair was needed or addition added.  Especially with the down turn in the construction industry, most roofing manufacturers have greatly reduced the number of styles and colors they manufacture.  So matching a tile roof, even a newly installed roof, may be very difficult in the future.

A wood shingle roof on the other hand has no fire resistance value, and some insurance companies may deny you a homeowner policy because of a wood shingle roof, particularly in the foothills.

A composition asphalt roof will not be more likely to leak just because the roof pitch is too low and will not want to slide off because of a steep pitch.  Walking on a composition roof will not damage it and cause leaking plus the ability to match it for repairs and additions is much more likely.

In some cases a home with a tile roof may appraise for more, but that could be a minimal amount.  As a REALTOR, the bottom line for me is to just find the best home you can.  Neighborhoods and other architectural factors will have more importance than whether the home has a tile roof or not.

Good luck,

Curt V. Schultz, Architect, General Contractor and REALTOR®

Why would my house have different wall & ceiling textures?

My house must have 3 or 4 different wall textures, one looks like an orange and another is clearly the original plaster with the “popcorn ceiling”.  Can you explain this, why the different textures?

Tony B, Pasadena

Response

Dear Tony B,

I am guessing your home is an older home with lath and plaster interior finish and has been remodeled and/or added on to in the past and the contractors used a gypsum board drywall interior with a texture that was in style at that time. 

Before gypsum board was used for an interior wall surface material, buildings were finished with a lath (wood slats or gypsum board with holes) as backing and had a plaster finish or topping — sometimes with a heavy sand or a trowelled finish.  Often the old plaster finish would not be completely smooth and the trowel would leave a texture as well, so the imperfections would become the texture.   A sanded plaster finish would  create a surface that once painted would have tiny points very close together.  This is usually very abrasive and is not good for hallways or areas one could rub up against.

Gypsum board, or drywall, is a great labor saver over plastering and is now the standard for building interiors.  It also adds lateral resistance to the structure and is not subjected to cracking as traditional lath and plaster is.  Once the gypsum board is installed the seams must be mudded and taped (this reduces cracking) and 2 more coats of smoothing is applied before a final texture is applied.

The purpose of wall texture is to conceal surface flaws.  A wall texture creates an illusion that the surface is straighter than it is.  A similar concept was used by ancient Greeks when vertical fluting (grooves) were adding to their columns to hide the horizontal lines of the stacked stones which made up the column. 

The “popcorn ceilings” is another way drywall contractors conceal a less than perfect ceiling and save labor time.  In the trade it is referred to as a “sprayed acoustic finish”, which was promoted as being a less expensive finish that improved the sound qualities in building.  Be aware that some older applications used asbestos in the mix, if you are thinking about removing it.

The commonly used drywall textures now are Knock Down and Orange Peel finishes.   The Knock Down is a heavy blast of texture material which is knocked down with a blade just as it begins to dry.  This is a hard texture to match.  Another is called an Orange Peel because the texture resembles the surface of an orange.  It is easy to spray and fairly patchable.  More expensive textures currently used are a faux plaster finish or a smooth finish, which is really no texture at all.

Ideally your home would have the same texture throughout.  As an Architect I would say not doing so is a bad design, as a Contractor I say it is not good contracting and as a REALTOR I say, I hope buyers aren’t turned off by the different textures and few aren’t turned off by the acoustic ceilings.  If I had buyers looking at a house with 3 different wall textures, I would advise them to look at the home very carefully, as it is a sign the home may not have been built well.  Like a car that has been in an accident, additions by multiple contractors may not work as well as you expect them too.

Good Luck,

Curt V. Schultz,

Architect, General Contractor and REALTOR®.

How does the hole in the ceiling over a range in an old house work?

How does the hole in the ceiling over the range work.  I am looking at buying an old house and it seems a strange way to vent cooking smells and smoke.

AL

Response

Dear AL,

This was the typical manner of venting over a kitchen range in an average home before sometime in the early 1950’s.  It is surprisingly effective.  Clearly not as effective as the vented fan in a cabinet 30” from the cooking surface as most home use today.

The basic premise is; Cooking uses heat, hot air rises and as the air rises it is funneled into the hole (vent shaft) and rises up and is released to the outside air.  The condensing of the air into the shaft and releasing at the top increases the velocity of the air movement and creates a suction which takes more air and smoke up and out than it would normally allow when not generating the heat of cooking.

When not cooking in the summer, the air at the ceiling escapes through the hole (vent shaft) at a very slow rate for two reasons; One, because the air is not as hot as when cooking, thus there is no suction created as the hot air exits the shaft to the outside.  Two, It can only release as much air out as your home allows in, so with doors and windows closed very little air can be released without new air from the outside being reintroduced inside.

When not cooking in the winter, the air at the ceiling is hotter and is released, but again with all doors and windows closed very little air can exit the home through the hole and vent shaft.

The new vents today draw the air up and out, like the old systems, and require new outside air introduced into the home to make this possible.  This will happen even with the doors and windows closed due to the force of these mechanical fans pushing the air out, creating a suction force throughout the house with air void being satisfied by air drawn from the cracks in your doors and windows.  To save heat in the winter, use the exhaust fan only when cooking.  The exhaust hoods in commercial cooking locations require so much air removed from the interior envelope a “makeup” air system must be installed near the exhaust fan to keep the conditioned air throughout the building interior from being sucked out with the exhaust air.  Most commercial makeup air is provided by evaporative coolers (swap coolers) running without any water to them.

One main advancement with today’s exhaust systems is their ability to remove much of the fine particles of grease produced during cooking.  These grease vapors are unusually too heavy to exit the vents without mechanical assistance.  The walls, cabinet surfaces and the tops of appliances such as the nearby refrigerator usually collect much more grease and dust than when a mechanical exhaust system is used.

Thank you for your question,

Curt V. Schultz,

Architect, General Contractor and REALTOR®.

I have an odd wire coming out of an electrical outlet

I have an electrical outlet that has a green wire ran from it to a bracket attached to the washing machine water supply pipe.  The house was built in 1920 and the electrical service panel appears to be no more than 5 years old.  I have never seen a wire from an outlet to a water line like this.  Can you explain this?

LM

Response…..

Dear LM,

The house being built in the 20’s tells me the original electrical system was a 2 wire system of knob and tubing.  The wiring of that time usually is insulated well enough and the wire size is adequate.  If we are talking about one or two receptacles, the old wiring is good enough, except that today’s codes require a three wire system, with the third wire being an emergency ground.  It is not uncommon for a few original receptacles to remain, if too difficult to replace.  This receptacle probably has the original wiring and without a grounding wire.

With a new service panel, I would guess that there were new outlets installed too, as the homes of that period typically don’t have enough receptacles.  There probably was an inspection because of the new service and the inspector found that the subject receptacle was not grounded.  To pass the inspection, the contractor just ran a grounding wire to a water line and then the receptacle tested as grounded.  The proper color for a grounding wire is green (a bare copper wire is also per code).  Hot wiring is black (sometimes red) and the common wire is white.

Electrical systems are required to be tied to a grounding rod as well as both the gas lines and water lines.  You can buy a tester at a hardware store for around $5.  It will show whether an outlet is grounded or not, or if the black and white wires are reversed.  The method of grounding is not ideal, but is probably adequate and the tester will confirm this. 

It is always best to have a qualified electrician look something like this.  I would also get a copy of the permits from the Building Department to verify the electrical system was inspected and approved.

Good Luck and be safe.

Curt V. Schultz

Architect, General Contractor & REALTOR®.

Q on shower granite

Our shower is made of granite and the color of the stone is spotty and changed.  Clearly, it is wet under the surface and I am afraid there may be standing underneath, especially under the seat if the granite is not sealed correctly.  We have not used it for several weeks and it appears to be drying out now, how should I seal it?  I have an access panel under the seat where I can look into and see the wood framing, as of now I do not see any standing water.  How can that be?  Clearly, the granite is not waterproof.

B Bonnie

Response…..

Dear B,
Your granite is made of stone, and stone is porous, which means it will absorb water. Should it absorb water, you are correct, there may be water beneath the granite. The fact that the framing beneath the seat is not wet is a good sign. It is also a good sign that your granite is drying out. I would guess that the shower installer did a good job. Granite is generally applied to a layer of mortar and between the mortar and the framing is a waterproof membrane. That waterproofing membrane is the most important barrier here.

Still the granite should not be wet and it should be resealed. Most granite installers use a granite sealer which has a 1-year lifespan. If you have not been resealing every year, this is your first problem. I prefer to use a 30 year sealer like Lifeguard. It comes in a flat finish or a Wet Look version and is about $55 a gallon. It is an easy job, even for a novice, follow instructions on the can closely.

You may also have a problem with the caulking at the joints. You can recaulk with a silicone caulking, particularly at the pan and around the seat as well as around the shower handle(s) and head. First, remove as much of the old caulking as possible, cut it out with a razor blade and use a liquid caulking remover. A clear caulk might work. The best way is to use a colored silicone caulking that matches the granite. That should be done by a granite/tile contractor, if you want to be sure it matches and has a good seal.

http://www.lifeguardwaterproofing.com

Good Luck, and thank you for your question,

Curt V. Schultz
Architect, General Contractor and REALTOR®.