If you are preparing to build a new home or remodel and existing one, remember the details make the difference. Some architectural plans are difficult to dismiss, wall height, lengths, roof pitch, and others. Other more minor details can sometimes be overlooked or changed. It is these small details that make the difference in how a home looks. These are the details that set the tone or mood for different rooms. Three examples of architectural detail that have a major effect on the finished product are metal ceilings, backsplash, and crown molding. Metal ceilings have not been in use for very long. In fact, they first became popular around the beginning of the twentieth century. One attractive point of metal ceilings is the fire retardant properties they have. Many businesses have chosen metal ceilings for this reason. Another is durability. A metal ceiling will outlast almost any drywall or fiberboard ceiling. Metal ceilings do not require as much maintenance as other ceiling materials. A tin backsplash used in the kitchen adds a touch of character that is missing when ceramic tiles are used. Tin can be formed and shaped to make a decorative fixture that provides protection from the wall and countertops from water. Ceramic tiles can be very pretty, but they are more prone to breakage in a kitchen area and are incredibly messy to install. A tin backsplash can be secured in place with a bead of a “liquid nails” type adhesive. The use of a backsplash also opens up more options for the material to be used in creating the counter tops and how they should be finished. This allows for far more choice of colors and styles when decorating a kitchen. Crown molding is a material that draws the eyes upward toward the ceiling. It often helps to pull the different elements of a room together in an aesthetically pleasing whole. Crown molding is available in a wide range of styles and materials. Choosing the one that is right for a particular room may take some time, but the effect will be well worth it. Crown molding is also used to set the tone of a room. With all the different styles that are available, it can make a room more romantic, more open, more sophisticated, or any of a thousand other moods that a room can inspire. Many details are taken into account when architectural plans are created. Whether for a new construction, or a remodel, the details are extremely important. Some have a direct bearing on the structural integrity of a building while others are purely aesthetic. These details are what make the most difference in the atmosphere of a home and in its final appearance. Three such details, metal ceilings, a metal backsplash, and proper use of crown molding work together to set the mood for different rooms and create a sophisticated and elegant atmosphere where needed and a quiet romantic atmosphere in other areas where needed. All these details serve there unique purposes.
Posts Tagged ‘Durability’
Architectural Home Details Make the Difference
December 31st, 2009Posted in Articles
Tags: Architectural Architectural Detail Architectural Plans Ceiling Materials Ceramic Tiles Choice Of Colors Counter Tops Countertops Crown Molding Details Difference Drywall Durability Finished Product Fire Retardant Home Home Details Kitchen Area Liquid Nails Metal Ceilings Minor Details Remodel Roof Pitch Tin Backsplash
Leader heads – that extra touch!
November 25th, 2009A leader head can make or break the image that your home projects in general. An appropriate leader head can make “upgrade” it value beyond your moderate expectations. Choosing the right leader head can be compared to an artist applying the finishing touch to his creation. It puts everything in perspective, with its colour, design, and placement. It blends with the façade and provides a complimentary boost to the appearance. It lifts the image of the home from that of an ordinary traditional one to that of one with class.
A leader head or conductor head is primarily used to channel water from the rooftops safely to the underground drainage system. These serve the dual purposes of saving on the plumbing required and preserving the aesthetics of the building. They give an impression of orderliness and safety from dirty streaks forming across the surface, due to leaking joints. Market research has shown that in general people are ready to pay more for a house that may differ from others mainly in the design of the leader head installed. Along with the paint, the garden and the look of the building such individual pieces of art go a long way in making a statement about the architecture. Even a person, who is unable to appreciate art, will readily point out the mismatch between an ornately designed house and a PVC or aluminum leader head. A variety of leader heads are available in the market, which match with different types of traditional as well as contemporary architecture.
The leader heads contain different percentage levels of copper, which lead to difference in shine and durability. Modern ones have ultraviolet light stabiliser material incorporated in them, for preventing damage by long exposure to sunlight. This is important, since the gutters and downspouts can be replaced, but a uniquely designed leader head may be hard to get. These conductor heads are either molded using casts or formed out of sheet metal by stamping. Molding offers single items with no joints and fixtures. Stamping provides more variety in design, variations in sizes and freedom to manufacture within a short notice. The shape of the downspout, whether square or round will also influence the design of the leader head. Buy and install a conductor head that matches with the material and colour of the gutter fixed along the roof edge. Do not buy one just because you like it. Do a good research about the structure of your home, and categorize it into a suitable time period or style of architecture. For example your home may be built according to Moorish or the French way of design. This will help in short listing the designs that may be suitable. It is always better to foresee the type of gutter, gutter guards and leader heads to be fixed before beginning the installation.
Generally, the cost of leader heads increases proportionately with the size. However, the intricacy of design involved also influences the price. While the polyethylene, ones are far cheaper; they are mostly valued for their durability and lightness. Copper or lead coated copper are the ideal ones for a traditional home. The look of class and coppery shine lend a traditional look to the structure.
Hence, if you want to have an image makeover or a better price for your home, adding an appropriately designed conductor head may be the final piece for everything else to fall in place.
By: Mike Milliman