;HOW T O R E D U C E C O S T S

CONTENTSPage

Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Style or design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Interior arrangements. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Kitchen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bathrooms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Laundry . . . . . . . ; . . . . . . . . . .Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Selection of materials . . . . . . . . . . . . .Walls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Floors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Fireplaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Windows and doors . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Handling materials . . . . . . . . . . . . .Working tips and precautions . . . . . . . .Construction practices . . . . . . . . . . .

Utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Heating, cooling, and ventilating . . . . . . .Plumbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wiring and lighting. . . . . . . . . . . . .

345577899

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The authors gratefully acknowledge the cooperation and assistance ofthe members of the Western Region Plan Exchange Committee of theCooperative Farm Building Plan Exchange.

W&hington, D. C. Issued August 1969

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing OfficeWashington, D.C. 20402 - Price 10 cents

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t=lOUSE CONSTRUCTION-T

HOG to Reduce Costs

By JERRY 0 . NEWMAN, Agricdtural En$-inecring Research Diuis*iq and NORMAN

C. T ETER and CONSTANCE D. O’BRIEN, formerly of Agricultural EngineeringRcscarch DiGsion, Agricultural Research fhwvicc.

You’re building a house and LOCATIONwant to keep down the cost. Howcan you do it ? Choose the house site carefully.

First., plan carefully “on paper” By doing so, you can avoid futurebefore you ’ start construction. By problems that could be expensive todoing so, you can avoid costly mis- corre& For examPl% Poor miltakes in th,e building and in the drainage could lead to a wet orpurchase of materials. Careful plan- damP basement.ning and proper design will reduce Look for these features:not only the initial cost but also the Firm, well-drained soil.-Avoidcost of furnishings, utilities, and poorly drained or unstable land. Inmaintenance. some cases, it may be necessary to

Second, avoid unnecessary fea- provide good drainage with tile andtures and expensive “frills.” Nu- ditches. Well-drained sloping sitesmerous features found in toda.y’s are ideal for basements.homes could probably be eliminated Good air cira,Zation.-Avoidwithout sacrificing .living comfort building in low places where the lairor e.fficiency. may be trapped.

Third, do some of the work your- Good access&Zz’ty.-Private roadsself. Limit yourself, however, to and driveways are expensive to

those jobs that you know you can build and maintain.

do. Mistakes can be costly.. Availability of pub Zic utiZities-

Economical construction does not gas, water, electricity, and sewage

mean inferior construction. Poor diqos&.-If the site is not conven-

workmanship and shoddy malterisls ient to a public sewer system, make

nre not economical in the long run.sure that it is suit,a.ble for an in-

Maintenance and repair tiosts coulddividual sewage-disposal system.

soon nullify ,any init.ial savings.Check with local health authorities.

Following are many specific waysSewage disposal must be down-

to reduce the ‘cost of a house. Yourgrade from the house and well away

builder may know additional ways.from t,lie house water supply.

You yourself may have some ideas.Good om’entation.-Can you t,ake

ndvanta.ge of winter sunshine for

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?

warmth and summer breezes forcooling? Large picture windowsshould faca south for maximumsunshine in the winter.

Adepwte distance from otherGldings.-Winds can carry odorsfrom animal shelters or otherbuildings.

STYLE OR DESIGN

Design or plan the house to meetyour family’s requirements. Toosmall a house, for example, wouldbe false economy. Here are someprinciples of economical design :

l Two-story houses cost less persquare foot to build than single-story ones. The main reason is thatless roof area is required to cover anequivalent amount of living area.

l Rectangular floor plans costless per square foot to build thanL-shaped, u-shaped, or other irregu-lar floor plans.

l Simple gable roofs are the mosteconomical. Flat and shed roofs are

Consider Your Futtire beds J 1

In planning your house, consid,your future needs as well as yol ;present. In time, you may need mo: 1bedrooms or another bathroom (two.

The space for additional becrooms can be an unfinished attic G

a clean, dry basement. The heatin.and electrical work can be roughecin.

For. future bathrooms, you carrough-in the plumbing in the atticor basement, or in a large walk-ncloset.

This additional construction wilincrease the initial cost of the house,of course. However, it may be moreeconomical in the long run becausesuch work can usually be donecheaper at the time the house isbuilt.

cheaper but have poor drainage andhigh maintenance cost.. Ridges andvalleys increase (the cost of a roof.

Well-drained, gently sloping sites are ideal for basements. Economical featuresof this house include the one-story rectangular design and the plain gable roof.

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. .Shed dormers provide more usable space than the,gable type.

l Basements add low-cost spa.ce toa house. If well lighted, well venti-lated, ,and dry, t,hey can be used forliving quarters.

l At,tics also add low-cost space.And shed dormers, while they maycost a little more, provide moreusable space t,han gable dormers.

l Slab-on-grade construction ischeaper than crawl-space construc-t.ion. However, crawl space may beused for militie,s equipment such aspumps, furnaces, air conditioners,water tanks, and piping. This willfree valuable space in the living3rea.

l In most climates, large porchesare an expensive feature becausethey provide usable living spa.ceonly during the warmer months oft$he year.

INTERIOR ARRANGEMENTSAs with the overall house design,

plan the interior arrangements toinsure your family’s comfort andsabisfaction. Yet there are manyways to economize :

l Make rooms mult.ipurpose asfar as pracTica1. For example, com-bine family room and kitchen orfamily room and dining room.

Large openings between roomsmake small areas functiona.llylarger.

l If room dimensions conform tostandard rug sizes, carpet widths, orresilient flooring sizes, you can savea great deal when furnishing andfinishing the house. Standard rugsizes, in feet, are 3 x 5, 4 x 6, 6 x 9,9 x 12, 8 x IO, 10 x 14, and 9 x 15.Carpet,s ,are sold by the square yard.Standard widths are 12 and 15 feet.

l Limit hallway space $0 vvhat isnecessary for good traffic circula-tion. Hallways that include built-instorage and laundry equipmentareas become multipurpose.

Kitchens

A good kitchen can be designedfor a limited space. In fact., smallkitchens can be more efficient thanlarger ones. In an efficient kitchen,the work areas and equipment arearranged for use in a step-savingmanner.

l Make maximum use of thespace in an economy kit.chen. F,orexample, you can install an under-counter hot water heater in tanotherwise unusable corner basecabinet. Or, you can turn t.he un-

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LIVING

Rectangular floor plans are the most economical. Other economical features ofthis arrangement are the combination kitchen and dining area and the compactutility room,

usable corner space into a conven-ient “passthrough” to the adjoiningdining room.

l Plan storage carefully, keepingcabinet space t.o a necessary mini-mum. Seldom used items may bestored on top of cabinets or in theattic or basement. Leave adequatespace for any cabinets you plan toadd later.

l Both wood cabinets and metalcabinets come in a wide range ofprices. However, if well made, cus-tom-built cabinets may be more eco-nomical in the long run. Cabinetsthat are to be painted may be madeof less-expensive wood.

l Open shelves are cheaper thancabinets. Closures can be addedlater.

. use standard-size cabinets,countertops, and appliances. C,us-tom-built cabinets should conform

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to the 3-inch kitchen module sizes(6-, 9-, 12-inch, etc.) to facilitate

later additions to or remodeling ofthe kitchen.

l Conventional ranges take upless space than separate eyeleveloven and counter top range units.And they are cheaper when youadd the cost of cabinets to contain

U-shaped kitchens are very efficientarrangements.

Maximum use is made of the space in this kitchen.

the separate units to the cost of the other, two or three persons can useunits themselves. t.he bathroom at the same time.

l Single-bowl sinks cost l&s than l Utilize &he space above thedouble-bowl ones and take up less toilet (water closet) for storagespace. Porcelain sinks are the cheap- cabinets for bathroom linens andest type. supplies.

Bathroomslaundry

Bathroom facilities may be fullbath, half bath (lavoratory and Laundry equipment should be intoilet), or lavatory or shower only. a convenient but inconspicuous

l For the most compact, efficient, place :and economical fixture and plumb- * Besement.s or utility rooms ining arrangement, install tall of the basementless houses are the favoritebathroom fixtures along one wall. locations for washers and dryers.

l For the most economical l Combina.tion w a s h e r - dryerplumbing arrangement, install two units or stacked washer and dryerbathrooms one above the other or uni,ts take up less floor space thanback to back. separate units.

l Well-planned compartmented l In warm climates, washers andbathrooms cost less and take up less dryers might be located in the car-space than two separate bathrooms. port or garage. This is relativelyWith t:he tub and toile,t in one sec- “cheap” space and more convenienttion and one or two lavatories in the to outdoor drying lines should they

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, ,

FAMILY BATHROOMS ONE PERSON

LIMITED* I LIBERAL** MINIMUM BATHROOMS

THREE FIXTURES

d- 0” 1

.

Many different bathroom arrangements are possible. In the top group, allfixtures and plumbing are along one wall. This is the most economical arrange-ment. Fixtures and plumbing are along two walls in the bottom group.

be needed. Also, you save in the cost also need more convenient “every-of venting the dryer. day” storage room:

l Storage walls may be used in

Storage lieu of conventional walls. You canbuy them as assembled or ready-to-

Attics and basements (dry ones) assemble units, or you can buildprovide good storage space. But you your own. They help buffer sound

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F O U R F I X T U R E S

Compartmented bathrooms are more economical than two separate bathrooms.

between rooms as well as providestorage space.

l Shop around to get the most for

l Use well-planned closets. Makethem no deeper than necessary. Un-less arranged as “walk-in&,” deep,dark closets waste space.

l Make walk-in closets wideenough for storage on both sides.Single hung doors are satisfactoryfor these closets.

l Gain space by installing hooks,racks, or shelves on the back ofcloset doors.

SELECTION OF MATERIALS

Your builder may buy most of thematerials, but you mainly decidewhat to use. Mutual agreement onthe type of materials, the sources,and the prices is necessary. Here aresome general ways to economize:

l Buy locally to avoid shippingcharges and in quantity $0 avoid thehigher cost of small deliveries.

l Buy stock ma.terials in stand-ard sizes.

l Buy the cheaper material whenit will do the job satisfactorily.Never compromise, however, on thequality of plumbing fixt,ures andfittings ; light switches; furnaces,pumps, and other mechanical itemssubject to wear; paint ; and lumber.

y o u r m o n e y .Check independentperformance ratings of materialsand equipment. Take aIdvantage ofsales and pre-season promotions.

l Know what materials you needand where you oan substitute shouldyou find a bargain.

.k Limit the number of differenttypes of materials used. This willreduce waste and save on construc-tion custs.

WC&

l Walls made of materials thatform both the exterior and interiorwall surface are moe economicalthan composite walls (several layensof material) of similar quali(ty. Forone thing, they mt?,sT, require lesslabor to build. Concrete block wallsare a good example.

* Large-dime.nsion wall unitssave time and labor. For example,8- by 16-inch concrete blocks go upfaster than 2- by 8-inch bricks. Or,4- by &foot sheet.s of plywood go upfaster t,han sheathing.

l Use insulation board instead ofshe.athing where it will be strongenough *to resist the wind load ands~zpport the other loads that it must.

l Prefinished wood, hardboard,and gypsum wall paneling are rela-

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tively expensive. But they are easyto install and require no finishingwhich saves time and labor andhelps offset the higher cost.

,,’ F l o o r s

Hardwood floors are expensiveboth to buy and to install. Prefin-ished wood flooring is even more ex-pensive, although ‘the time and laborsaved by not having to finish it helpsto offset the additional cost. Con-sider using! tile flooring or carpetinginstead of finished hardwood floors.

l Thick .tile flooring costs morethan the thinner type, but it lastslonger. It may be more economical

in the long run for areas of .highwear such as t.he kitchen and hall-ways.

l Dark-colored tile costs less thanthe lighter colors. Dark aspllalt tileis the cheapest type. It is satisfac-tory for use in all areas except thekitchen. Asphalt tile c.oa!ted with aplastic film should be used there.

l Vinyl asbestos tile and sheetvinyl floor coverings, which arecomparable in cost to light asphalttile, are favored for general use inlow-cost housing. Vinyl asbestosand asphalt. tile may be used forbasements or ground-level floors.

l The new indoor-out-door-typecarpeting is easy to install and to

Storage walls, which may be used in place of conventional walls, come asready-to-assizmble units.

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Assembled storage wall units can accommodate a variety of items.

maintain. While it may be slightly Windows and Doorsmore expensive than regular car-peting, it is also more durable. l Buy standard-size window and

door frames from mill stock.Fireplaces l Factory-assembled w i n d o w

units ready to drop into rough open-Fireplaces are neither an efficient ings save labor.

nor an economical source of heat. l For large window areas, pre-One may .be too much of an expense fabricated window walls may beunless you use cheaper materials and used. These consist of a wall, frame,do much of the work yourself. window frame, sash, ,and an integral

l Stick to a simple design. Raised exterior trim.hearths, mantels, and decorative l Consider standard ready-made-molding are attractive but unneces- drapery measurements when choos-sary features. ing window sizes ; custom-made

l Prefabricated fireplaces and draperies are expensive. Standardchimneys are cheaper than masonry drapery lengths are 36,45,54,63,72,ones. 81, 84, and 90 inches. Standard

pleated widths per pair are 4, 6, 8,and 12 feet.

l Double-track storm windowsare cheaper t,han triple-track ones.

l Door prices vary consid,erablydepending on the material and qual-ity. Consider factory-hung doors,especially if an experienced doorhanger is not readily available.

CONSTRUCTION

Handling Materials

Keep the handling of materials toa minimum. This will save laborand speed up the work:l Schedule deliveries to corre-

spond with the work progress.l Unload and stack or pile the

materials as close as possible to theplace of use.

l Stack lumber in separate pilesaccording to the sequence of use. Ifspace is limit,ed, stack it in one or

Wide, shallow .closets are convenientfor storing frequently used items.Note the additional storage pro-vided by the wide-opening, double-hung doors.

Prefabricated Fireplaces usually costless and heat more efficiently thancomparable size masonry Fireplaces.

two piles with that to be used firston top.

l Lift materials into place bymeans of ,a . front end loader on atractor or other such equipmentwhen possible.

Working Tips and Precautions

To speed up the work and preventpersonal in jury-

. Avoid working on your kneesand tiptoes. These positions are un-comfortable, time-consuming, anddangerous.

l Avoid working on ladders andscaffolds. If necessary to do so, besure the ladder or scaffold is secureand stable.

l Keep scrap and debris clear ofthe working area. Clean up aftereach day’s work.

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. . l

*

Cpnstruction Practices l Fabricate trusses and gableends on the ground where a jig can

These construction practices canspeed up the work, save labor, and

be used to speed up the job and im-

reduce costs. All may not be appli-prove workmanship.l Build the wall panels on the

cable to your house, however. platform of the house.l Grade and stone the driveway l Omit non-load-bearing parti-

before you start construction of the tions until after you finish the floorshouse. It will be convenient for and ceilings. you can then installmaking deliveries of materials andfor getting to and from the site in

the flooring .land ceiling in two ormore rooms at one time and save

bad weather. some cutting and fitting of mate-* Place all utilities before YOU rials. ’

pour the concrete slab in slab-on- 0 In crawl space construction,grade construction. floor joists generally span about

l Install all utilities before you half the width of the house withenclose and finish walls and floors. the ends near the center of the house

l Place drains and sewers before supported by a beam. Shorter spansyou pour the foundation footings. will allow the use of smaller joists.

Foundations must be carefully designed to avoid uneven settlement of the houseor other trouble. Increasing the thickness of the concrete slab under load-bearing walls saves pouring separate footings.

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Support the joists with two or threebeams. However, don’t spend moreon beams than you save on joists.

l In concrete-slab construction,increase the thickness of the slabunder load-bearing walls instead ofpouring separate footings.

l Design to meet the minimumstructural standards for loads set bythe Federal Housing Administra-tion (FHA) or local buildingcodes. FHA standards, which cor-respond to most of the predominantbuilding codes, are :

Pounds per squarefoot

Exterior walls. . . . . . 20Interior walls. . . . . 15Steep roofs. . . . . . . 15Low-pitched roofs. . . . . . . 20Flat roofs. . . . . . . . . . 40

l Design to meVet maximum codedeflection. FHA standards are :

Rafters . . . . l/l80 of span or1 inch maxi-mum

Floor j o i s ts . lj360 of span or1/Z inch maxi-mum

Ceiling joists. . . I/240 of span ora/h inch maxi-mum

Girders . . . l/360 of span or:‘/a inch maxi-mum

l Have the structural strengthrequired for foundation walls cal-culated by a well-qualified person.Considerable material can be savedif a thinner wall will be strongenough.

l Design the foundation andfootings carefully. Too often chim-

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. .ney or column footings support’ a ~heavier load per square foot thansidewall footings. This causes un-even settlement of the house whichin turn causes cracks. Size the foot-ings in proportion to their load-large footings for heavy loads andsmaller footings for lighter loads.

l Wall studs may be placed 24inches on center instead of the usual16 inches, if building codes permit.

l Allow beams to be continuousacross supports. If two beams meetover a center support, overlap themand fasten them together securely.While this will not strengthen thebeam appreciably, it will reducebeam deflection (make the beamstiffer) .

l Allow beams to overhang theirsupports when possible. This willcreate a balancing force on the beamand reduce deflection of the inter-mediate spans. It will also decreasethe intermediate beam span (mak-ing it stiffer).

l Wall sheathing is not requiredif the structure is strong enough toresist the racking of a 20-pound-per-square-foot wall load. A rackingload is one that acts parallel to thewall.

UTILITIES

Economy is possible not only inthe installation of utilities but alsoin the operation.

Heating, Cooling, andVentilating

l In basementless houses, centralheating and cooling equipment maybe inst.alle,d in ,an attic or crawl

AIR DIFFUSION SYSTEM USING UNDER-FLOOR PLENUM WITH PERIMETER SLOT

The peripheral circulation type heating system is economical For one-story houseswith crawl space.

space to free space in the livingarea.

l Large windows facing northa,nd south are cooler than those fac-ing east and west. And with win-dows facing south, you receive morewinter sunshine. This helps keepthe house warm.

l Light-colored roofing materialsabsorb much less of the sun’s heatthan darker materials. This keepsthe house cooler.

l Shade the house against directrays of the sun with trees, awnings,and other natural or artificial shad-ing. This too will keep it cooler.

l Black-top or concrete areas ad-jacent to a house reflect or radiatesolar heat into the house. Thismakes it harder to keep the housecool.

l A hood and blower unit overthe range or oven is a good way toventilate a kitchen, alt.hough wall

and ceiling fans may be less expen-sive. If the range or oven is alongan outside wall, it will be cheaperto exhaust through {the wall insteadof the roof.

l Attic fans provide good ventila-tion at relatively low cost.

l Install air-duct systems with asfew turns as possible. Turns createresistance to air flow and thus re-duce effective heat distribution.

l Pipeless furnaces are more eco-nomical for houses with crawl spacethan furnace-and-duct systems.

l The peripheral circulation typeheating system is especially adaptedto one-story houses wit.h crawlspace. It is illustrated in the draw-ing above, and described in USDAProduction Research Report 99,“Economical and Efficient HeatingSystem for Homes.” For a copy ofthe report, see the box on the nextpage.

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Plumbing

l Concentrate plumbing fixturesas mu& as possible to reduce theamount of piping required. In atwo-story house, “stack” the fix-tures-locate the bathroom directlyabove the kitchen or a downstairsbathroom with all fixtures on thesame wall. Or, in a single-storyhouse, locate the kitchen and bath-room or kitchen and laundry roomback to back with the fixtures backto battk.

l Install an electric water heaterin an area not suitable for other use.For example, you might put itunder a st,airway, in t.lle crawl space,or in a corner base cabinet in thekitchen.

l Automatic washers, dishwash-ers, and garbage disposals increasethe load on a septic tank. Too smalla tank will ne.ed more frequent

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cleaning. It is much cheaper to in-’stall a large tank at the time ofconstruction ‘than to replace aninadequah system later on.

Wiring and lighting

Never compromise on the qualityor safety of your electric wiring. In-stallation by an experienced electri-cian is recommended and may be re-quired in m.a,ny areas. In all cases,have the wiring inspected.

l Install adequate outlets andswitches. Wire for your futureneeds as well as your present.

l Switch-controlled outlets mayb’e installed instead of ceiling fix-tures. This is more practical if youalready have lamps. If you have tobuy lamps, it might be more expen-sive.

l Omit lights in closets wherehallway or room lights will providesufficient light.

Free copies of the following publications are available from the Officeof Information, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250.Send your request on a post card. Include your ZIP Code in your returnaddress.

F 1869, Foundations for Farm BuildingsF 1889, Fireplaces and ChimneysF 2227, Fire-Resistant Construction of the Home . . . of Farm

BuildingsF 2235, HomeHeatingG 100, Equipment for Cooling Your HomeM 1006,3-Bedroom Farmhouse-Masonry Construction, Plan No. 7170$f 1011, S-Bedroom Farmhouse-Slab on Grade, Plan No. 716’7These publications are available from the Superintendent of Documents,

U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402, at the priceindicated.

M 1020, A House-Farming System for Low-CostLConstruction (15cents)

PRR 99, Economical and Efficient Heating System for Homes (20 cents)

16U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1969 O-335-276

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