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some goon posted: Old construction is better than new construction because older homes were usually overbuilt in structural terms. They'll also usually be in better parts of town, in more established neighborhoods, and closer to city centers and services because they were built before everyone drove everywhere. Old houses were built by tradespeople who treated construction as a career and took pride in their work. They were built to last forever. You'll have a yard and a sidewalk that leads somewhere you want to go. You'll have a cozy fireplace and a formal living room. New construction is better than old construction because it follows modern building codes. You'll have outlets every six feet, laundry connections, a two car garage, cable in multiple rooms, and more than one light in any given room. You'll have a living room built with a TV in mind and a kitchen built with a microwave and dishwasher in mind. You'll have a media room rather than a formal living room. You'll have insulation in the walls and the ceiling, efficient appliances, a complete HVAC system, double-paned windows, and insulation-wrapped hot water pipes. You'll have bedrooms that fit king size beds, an eat-in kitchen, and a bathroom that's wider than a bathtub. You'll have special foundation reinforcement (where applicable) or storm-proof roofing. You won't have to worry about your roof for 20 years. Old construction is worse than new construction because the walls hide horrible problems, like support beams cut in half, old wiring, leaky pipes with lead solder, and asbestos-lined heating ducts. There are never enough outlets and if you use the hair dryer and the microwave at the same time you'll have a brownout. Your drainage to the sewer, if it's present, will be clay pipes full of roots. You'll have tiny rooms with low ceilings and a tiny kitchen that doesn't have a dishwasher. You'll have the most inefficient heating system possible, and if there's air conditioning it will triple your electrical expenses and drop the temperature by 5 degrees and drip water down the inside of your wall. You'll have single-pane aluminum windows and no insulation in the walls. Your roof will have three layers of shingles on it or will be leaking or both. New construction is worse than old construction because it was built by people hired that morning in a Home Depot parking lot, using the minimum amount of material in order to meet the too-lax building codes, designed to last through the three year warranty and not a day more. New construction sometimes employs new techniques in an incorrect manner, which often ends up trapping moisture somewhere in the walls and causing horrific mold or rot problems. New construction is all about the finishes and not about the structure or mechanicals. You'll get a yard that funnels water into your foundation covered in some sod and maybe a 2-year-old tree. Your brand new roof was flashed incorrectly and water's running underneath all of it. All of the above is true, simultaneously. Home ownership is awesome Links http://www.zillow.com/ Real estate search http://www.houzz.com/ Design eye candy http://www.roomsketcher.com/ Used below VVV peanut fucked around with this message at 08:34 on Sep 28, 2020 |
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Mar 28, 2016 05:51
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| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 15:34 |
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This is our house. We have two kids (5 and 5 months.) Not only is there no dining area, but we have to walk through the tatami room to access the single bedroom. Having the toilet in complete view from the front door isn't ideal, either.
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Mar 28, 2016 06:24
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Unfortunately, our house was a steel-frame pre-fab. We couldn't add a second story, and no contractor was willing to start cutting through walls with unknown steel beams. So, we blew it up. RIP house Anyone from outside Japan and/or Asia will probably notice the bare minimum insulation. 
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Mar 28, 2016 06:28
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Good question! When it used to be great-grandma's house, that was a horigotatsu (sunken kotatsu.) The apparatus was old so it was tucked away during our time there. We used a regular kotatsu instead. http://www.spinjapan.net/kotatsu_in_winter_in_japan/ http://sumai.panasonic.jp/interior/miriyo/horizataku/
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Mar 28, 2016 11:02
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Siding spergs - what kind of siding is this? All new houses in Japan seem to use some variant of this. The main reason is probably ease of installation (reduce labor costs) but it also allows flexibility in an earthquake, is fade resistant, and insulates for heat and noise. It comes in an overwhelming variety of designs, but the current available colors are mostly browns and greys. Catalog http://www.kmew.co.jp/shouhin/siding/ Home Gallery http://www.kmew.co.jp/jirei/ There are even some Disney patterns http://www.kmew.co.jp/shouhin/siding/disney/ http://www.kmew.co.jp/shouhin/siding/disney/lineup.html
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Mar 29, 2016 01:54
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The new house will have real insulation and double-paned windows with fancy frames and a special coating.  Japan has separate catalogs for regular/cold regions (Hokkaido) and if we were rich we'd get all Hokkaido-rated stuff. If. But we're not.Our architect said that Japan just doesn't do insulation in internal walls. Idk is that a thing or what?
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Mar 29, 2016 13:31
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Thx for the info about insulation standards and siding (I didn't expect Kmew to have a US site.) Japan has usually just used foam boards up to now but the younger generation of architects uses the fluffy stuff. A domestic remodeling show doing a house right under the flight approach to an airport compared different roof tiles and siding for noise dampening. The architect was disappointed that the cement siding performed better than wood, but rolled with it. Durability in earthquakes is probably more of a cosmetic viewpoint.
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Mar 29, 2016 23:18
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Anything has to be better than the crap they made walls out of in the 60s (hint: concrete and/or mud)
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Mar 30, 2016 03:58
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Ceremony to ask God(s) for their approval before construction starts.
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Mar 30, 2016 23:54
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That's a huge tai (red snapper?) Traditionally the priest would take it all home, but he said it's fine if the family keeps it all, or whatever. We sent the fish home with the priest, gave some fruit, vegetables and sake to our architect (he needs sake for other ceremonies*) and kept the rest for ourselves. *We splashed water, sake, salt and rice at certain spots on the old house before demolition. Food on home altars gets eaten in turn, but idk about food on graves. Only animals and ghosts know.
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Mar 31, 2016 05:05
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They'll finally start digging the foundation tomorrow! The main reason for delay was the city using up its budget for the fiscal year by pouring concrete into nature's gaping hole 
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Mar 31, 2016 10:24
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Toilet spergin' http://www.japan-guide.com/ad/toto/ http://www.toto.com/en/wtjapan/index.htm
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Apr 1, 2016 05:17
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This is the final floorplan, but you can still criticize it. Our jewels and cash will be in my desk in the master bedroom. Edit: the front door is missing and the kitchen door is cutoff, whatever. Sliding doors are arrows. peanut fucked around with this message at 12:58 on Apr 4, 2016 |
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Apr 4, 2016 12:56
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Thanks for the good question. Most of that is typical of Japanese houses, and I have been brainwashed after being here for two long. One bath/shower wet room downstairs, laundry next to do because that's where you get undressed (washer only, no dryer). We have extra space there so we can put up a partition and have a changing/storage area. The single toilet downstairs will have a tank top sink for hand washing. No attic, garage or basement. Ideally the man cave and storage would be entered from the hall, but I had to design within space constraints. We're hoping it will keep the kids out XD It will probably be used for desk work and manga, not tv. The square in the library is a low table. cl is closet sh is shelves peanut fucked around with this message at 23:25 on Apr 4, 2016 |
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Apr 4, 2016 23:18
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Why else would anyone want to see a floorplan?
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Apr 5, 2016 00:03
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Some local ads for comparison.
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Apr 5, 2016 02:02
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Very typical.
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Apr 5, 2016 02:03
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Used apartments/condos (called "mansions" lol)
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Apr 5, 2016 02:04
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Motronic posted:I really love how these trends work. It's legit funny to me. Teach me about insulation, sempai~ (please)
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Apr 5, 2016 12:55
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Man idk but here's some progress
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Apr 8, 2016 03:48
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Babby mixer fills the hopper
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Apr 8, 2016 03:49
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I was expecting a big slosh of cement but that's probably the only truck that could fit down our street.  They used an immersion blender thingy to make sure there were no air pockets. Another guy checked the depth as they went along.
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Apr 8, 2016 17:59
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The neighborhood.
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Apr 8, 2016 18:00
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Dang! That looks like a whole different house. Goongrats Edit: I love those old school tiny stone tiles in the shower. Here's some foundation, with some generic modern houses in the background. peanut fucked around with this message at 13:08 on Apr 12, 2016 |
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Apr 12, 2016 08:24
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Hella earthquake safety. Maximize the beams that go all the way from foundation to roof. Wormil- it's a tricky shape, so I'd probably keep the cabinet but repaint and change the knobs. Swap the round sink bowl out for something big and rectangular, and raise the mirror to line up with the windows. peanut fucked around with this message at 02:12 on Apr 13, 2016 |
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Apr 13, 2016 02:07
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Look on Houzz for more fancy bathrooms than you ever thought possible. Definitely do not use a pedestal sink anywhere you want to do more than a quick hand wash.
peanut fucked around with this message at 06:20 on Apr 13, 2016 |
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Apr 13, 2016 06:18
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Zhentar posted:I figured, though I'm kind of skeptical that tying your closet to the foundation provides any earthquake safety. But then again I would probably go over kill if a 9 magnitude quake seemed like a real possibility. The closets look like overkill, but you can see how the second floor closets line up in the floorplan. You're right about the crawlspace. They are always open vented here due to a high water table. (I'm like 10 feet above sea level.) It only has a waterproof sheet underneath (and a pagan charm from the land blessing ceremony buried within). Insulation will go on top when the floor base is put in. peanut fucked around with this message at 18:58 on Apr 13, 2016 |
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Apr 13, 2016 18:52
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I like the filled-in holes from bolts of other foundations. And the wedge locks on the steel bars. They're taking off the wooden frame tomorrow～
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Apr 14, 2016 10:22
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Plumbing
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Apr 17, 2016 05:59
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Wormil it's ok to change your mind  We like you and want you to have an awesome bathroom <3
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Apr 17, 2016 06:08
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West-facing windows (like those three houses) are the least important because of the "harsh afternoon sun." South-facing windows are the big full-length sliders. Bathrooms and storage tend to be on the North side. Old Japanese houses are like all windows and sliding doors, and not enough walls. It sucks for furniture placement. My generation is still trying to find a balance between function, light, and privacy...
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Apr 17, 2016 07:01
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The window is definitely a priority.  I hope this delay leads to finding something great while you wait.
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Apr 17, 2016 09:13
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Zhentar posted:Hot water lines with no insulation in direct contact with concrete? Definitely would not be my first choice. And that's in a vented crawlspace? I assume you're supposed to close the vents in winter? Hmm... idk if more insulation is coming. The water heater will be Right There, and only the kitchen and shower will get hot water anyway I think I just realized why the bath is always on the ground floor here.
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Apr 17, 2016 21:17
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That is a thing I want but can't afford ( ；∀；)
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Apr 19, 2016 04:00
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It rarely goes below 10 C here I just gave those pink and blue tubes a squeeze. The colored part is an insulation sleeve, with the actual water pipe inside.
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Apr 19, 2016 10:56
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Gettin' framey
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Apr 20, 2016 08:24
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Elegant traditional something. The wood was done by machine in a factory, but the carpenters still need to chisel some pieces to make them fit well.
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Apr 20, 2016 08:26
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I need to decide outlet, switch and niche location by Sunday The more the merrier, right?!
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Apr 21, 2016 04:31
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Zhentar posted:Your framing is bizarre and fascinating. Those little jacks are permanent, I'm guessing? What's in between the sill beams and the concrete (it's much thicker than typical US sill seals)? Those blue squares are insulation (approx 90x90cm.) The subfloor will go on after this rain lets up. The jacks are permanent (earthquakes ). Our builder said that black layer on top of the foundation is a vent for the crawlspace. Older houses have brick-size vents at regular intervals, but this kind of skinny megavent is the new standard. It keeps animals out, at least.Edit: 2018 Link http://www.interra-usa.com/page/joto-vent peanut fucked around with this message at 14:55 on Jun 21, 2018 |
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Apr 21, 2016 06:00
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| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 15:34 |
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3cm subfloor and a buttload of scaffolding.
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Apr 22, 2016 10:44
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