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**Introduction** \\
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* Caution: This article is not professional advice. These are Royce Barber's notes on house renovation and forward-looking home technologies.\\
* This article is: Multipurpose house materials and design ideas. An ultra simple list of modern materials in a house in the USA. Practical articulate advice. This incomplete article will be updated gradually.\\
* This article is not: Technical. Long winded.\\
* This article focuses on: currently existing materials/technologies.\\
* A house should be: A home. Comfortable, affordable, expandable, upgradeable, recycled materials, integration into surrounding climate/grounds (region/climate specific), industrial, elegant, efficient, resellable, acoustics, aesthetics, safety, ergonomics, expandability, well planned out.\\
* A house should not be: Over your budget. Dangerous for children. A money hole.\\
* Similar Articles on RoyceBarber.Com: Multi Purpose Tools. CNC Machine. Resources/Subscriptions.\\
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**Royce's Dream House - Info to Sort** \\
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* Space: Cavern-like great room, reminiscent of the Coarsegold house I lived in. Large crawl space if possible.\\
* Low Cost Construction & Maintenance: Low construction complexity. Cube shape. Minimal windows. Extra insulation.\\
* Designer Look: Clean crisp designer styling. Bright, clean building, with medium color floor which won't show stains as much as white.\\
* Bedrooms: Inviting, cozy, sound dampening.\\
* Efficient: Underfloor heating. Cieling fans to pump warm air downward.\\
* Roof: Gazibo has water collecting tank, to self-water the garden. Garden uses synthetic grass and real hedges. Mix of real/synthetic plants.\\
* Security/Automation: All doors are steel with deadbolt. Mobile RC Camera Bot. Wifi.\\
* Electrical: Floor power plugs.\\
* Entertainment: Roof garden. Wifi. Wall TV. Hot tub.\\
* Materials: Metal roof. Steel frame. PegBoard garage walls. Possibly steel foundation rather than concrete. Minimal (if any) wood in frame.\\
* Industrial: Materials and appliances. Minimal carpeting. Minimal repair/maintence/care. Land has no pipes/sprinklers.\\
* Exterior: No lawn. Natural land topography with added giant rocks. Plenty of random trees. Walking paths.\\
* Dimensions: 14x14ft rooms. House is 4 rooms wide by 4 rooms long. 14ft x 4 rooms = House is 56 feet wide + wall thickness. So house is 64 by 64 feet. 8ft cielings with 2 stories is 8+8, + cieling thickness, so house is roughly 19ft tall. Square footage is lower floor and rooms + loft.\\
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**Basic House Parts** \\
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* Exits: Windows. Doors. Fireplace.\\
* Frame: Steel beams. 2×4 planks.\\
* Wiring: Power. Internet. Phone. Satellite TV. Antenna TV. Cell phone extender antenna.\\
* Major Appliances: Washing machine & dryer. Dish washer. Sink. Sink disposal. Trash compactor. Oven with stove range. Microwave. Computer workstation.Fridge &Spare fridge. Freezer (vertical or horizontal).\\
* Minor Appliances: Blender. Toaster oven. Toaster. Chopper. Waffle grill. George Forman grill. Beater.\\
* Water Heating: Instant On via Electricity. Instant On via Propane. Water heating tank.\\
* Climate Control: Fire Place. Wood Stove. Propane stove.\\
* Natural Gas lines.\\
* Propane Tank: Extremely popular.\\
* Solar Power: Popular. Optional battery cells.\\
* Wind Power: Rare.\\
* Air Ventilation Shafts/Fans/Vents.\\
* House Vacuum System\\
* Rooms (See Rooms Heading).\\
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**Popular Construction Tools** \\
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* Table Saw. Chop Saw. Circular Saw. Tile Saw. Granite Saw. Reciprocating Saw. Nail Gun. Hammer. Crow bar. Chizzles. Power drill. Drill bits. Nails/screws. Pneumatic (air) tools. Battery tools.\\
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**Windows** \\
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* Double pane. Good energy rating.\\
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**Heating / Cooling** \\
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* Sub-floor heating via heat vents or hot wires.\\
* Swamp cooler.\\
* Fireplace.\\
* Pellet stove.\\
* Portable electric upright oil heater.\\
* Heat Pump.\\
* Cool Roof System: Reflects visable, infrared, and ultraviolet sunlight. Reducing heat transfer of the building. Usually a light color. Reduces need for air conditioning.\\
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**Appliances** \\
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* Water Heater: Tankless Propane (uses fire to heat water), Tankless Electric (zaps the water).\\
* Induction Stove/Range: 90% efficiency, saves electricity, cool to the touch, cooks fast.\\
* H-VAC unit and tubing.\\
* Major House Appliances: Stove, Fridge, Redundant Fridge or Freezer for garage, Microwave, Washer, Dryer, Vertical Washer/Dryer Combo, Hybrid Washer/Dryer in One, Water heater, Generator, Air Compressor/Tank.\\
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**Automation / Security** \\
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* Basic cameras and remote internet viewer, window/door sensors, motion sensors, motion lights.\\
* HighRes 3D/QTVR/YouTube Walk-Through of house.\\
* See "Guesstimated Near-Future Technologies" section of this article.\\
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**Roof** \\
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* Stamped Tin\\
* Tile\\
* Metal Sheeting\\
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**Kinds of House Frame** \\
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* Steel\\
* Stick Frame\\
* Trex™ Composite Boards\\
* Outside balcony made of translucent Plexiglas floor/railing.\\
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**Kinds of Rooms Inside a House** \\
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* Entry\\
* Loft or Outside Balcony\\
* Sun Porch\\
* Master Bed\\
* Kids Bed\\
* Guest Bed\\
* Kitchen, Mini Kitchenette, and Pantry\\
* Walk-in Closets\\
* Basement and Basement Storage\\
* Living/Great Room\\
* Baths\\
* Basement Apartment\\
* Garage or Shop\\
* Laundry\\
* Office\\
* Library\\
* Indoor Pool or Hot Tub Room\\
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**Wall Covering, Exterior** \\
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* Brick\\
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* Stone\\
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* Stucco\\
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* Painted Boards\\
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* Metal/Vinal Siding\\
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**Wall Covering, Interior** \\
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* Drywall\\
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* Concrete\\
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**Floor** \\
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* Wood Planks\\
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* Synthetic Wood Look\\
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* Stone Tile\\
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**Foundation of a House** \\
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* Concrete pad.\\
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* Steel frame, such as mobile houses or an RV.\\
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* Raised concrete pillars, supporting your base boards.\\
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* Raised steel pillars supporting your base boards.\\
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**Septic & Drainage** \\
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**Water Well** \\
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**Sprinkler, Drip Line, and 1/4th Inch Irrigation Line** \\
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**Power: Solar Panels** \\
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* Backup Power Cells for power outages. (This is rare).\\
* Recouping cost of solar panel array takes many years.\\
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**Power: Generator** \\
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**Wiring** \\
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* Electrical\\
* Internet: DSL. Cable.\\
* Phone/Fax\\
* TV: Satellite. Antenna. Cable.\\
* Security\\
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**Plumbing / Pipes** \\
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* Water\\
* Septic\\
* Fridge Water Line\\
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**Insulation** \\
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* Blown into attic with blowing machine.\\
* Roll of insulation.\\
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**Electricity vs Propane vs Natural Gas vs Gas Generator** \\
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**Lighting** \\
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* Optical Fiber natural lighting.\\
* LED Bulbs\\
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**Landscaping** \\
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* Rubber mulch (bark).\\
* Synthetic lawn.\\
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**Drainage** \\
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* Gutters.\\
* Sidewalk and land sloping away from house.\\
* Ground water getting into basement.\\
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**Handicapped Accessibility** \\
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* Wheel chair ramps. Self opening doors. Stair grips.\\
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**Climate Consideration** \\
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* Seasonal climate differences.\\
* Tempature, humidity, elevation, vegetation.\\
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**Garage Clutter** \\
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* Organizational: Peg board. Shelving. Cubbies. Velcro. Magnets.\\
* Tool boxes:\\
* Tools: Shop vac. Air compressor. Gas generator.\\
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**Choosing Land Location** \\
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* Near a school, stores you like, activities.\\
* Crime, traffic, noise, air plane noise, seasonal changes.\\
* Commute time.\\
* Family needs.\\
* Influence of locals on your family.\\
* What aren't they telling you.\\
* Resale value.\\
* Local economy and job market.\\
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**House Building Requirements** \\
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* County Permits.\\
* Leveling the ground for the foundation.\\
* Driveway blading and paving.\\
* Land zoning. Residential, Commercial.\\
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**Recommended Books** \\
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* Lowes and Home Depo have an excellent selection of construction/code/ideas books.\\
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**Home Upgrades & Renovation** \\
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* Will you get your money back?\\
* Are the improvements generic and helping resale value?\\
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**Quick Real Estate Lingo** \\
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* Foreclosed\\
* Multiple Listings\\
* Fannie Mae\\
* Loan\\
* Financing\\
* Auction\\
* Closing\\
* Morgage\\
* Equity\\
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**Finances, Home Ownership Maintenance** \\
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* Monthly Bills: Water, Power, Propane or NaturalGas, Trash, Home Owners Association Fee, Television, Cable Internet, Food.\\
* Remodeling.\\
* New Roof.\\
* Driveway ReSurfacing.\\
* Well Pump.\\
* Pool ReSurfacing.\\
* Paint the House.\\
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**Ergonomics (Your Health)** \\
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* Sound-proof sleeping rooms: Dark, sound dampening walls around a bed and or hamock. Nature sounds. Cool breeze.\\
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**House Style/Theme** \\
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* Era: Victorian,\\
* Interior Designer:\\
* Kinds of dwellings: Apartment, Native American TP, Over-a-business living quarters, Mansion, Castle, Bomb Shelter, RV, Mobile Home Trailer, Manufactured (somewhat pre-built) Home,\\
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**Guesstimated Near-Future Technologies** \\
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* Textured Solar Cloth Panels glued to tin "Clay Tile" looking roofing.\\
* AI Experiment: Home automation of lights/computers/temp/security/etc controlled by voice-chat-bot running on Ubuntu Linux OS and or an Android Google Cell phone.\\
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**Worst Case Scenarios** \\
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* Crime: Poor home security.\\
* Family Relations: Divorce. Plans change. People change.\\
* Natural Disasters: Flood. Hurricane. Land slide. Termites. Mold. Wind causing trees to fall. Rotting trees. Untreated deck rot.\\
* Financial Disasters: Home market value changes. Home foreclosed. Lost a job. Hospital bills. No insurance, or insurance rates change.\\
* House problems: Structure not to code. Settling cracks.\\
* County demands.\\
* Financial: Foreclosure.\\
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**Misc Notes** \\
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* Industrial TV Projector. Satellite/Cable/Cellular Internet.\\
* Computer software for home design: 3D home designed. Blueprint software. Budget software. Internet blog of photos/videos.\\
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**Internet Links** \\
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* Wikipedia list of construction articles: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Construction|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Construction]]\\
* Wikipedia list of "Types of Appliances": [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitchen_appliance#Types_of_appliances|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitchen_appliance#Types_of_appliances]]\\
* Wikipedia list of "Home Automation": [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_automation|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_automation]]\\
* Wikipedia list of "Domotics": [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domotics|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domotics]]\\
* Wikipedia list of "Domestic Technology": [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_technology|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_technology]]\\
* Wikipedia about "House": [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House]]\\
* Wikipedia about "Roof": [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roof|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roof]]\\
* Wikipedia about "Carpet": [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpet|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpet]]\\
* Wikipedia about "Drywall": [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drywall|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drywall]]\\
* Wikipedia about "Water Heater": [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_heater|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_heater]]\\
* Wikipedia about "The Home Depot" hardware store: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_depo|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_depo]]\\
* Wikipedia about "Lowes" hardware store: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowes|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowes]]\\
* Wikipedia about "Sears" store: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sears|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sears]]\\
* Wikipedia about "Drill": [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drill|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drill]]\\
* Wikipedia about "Harbor Freight Tools" hardware store: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbor_Freight_Tools|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbor_Freight_Tools]]\\
* Wikipedia list of "Pneumatic Tools" (air tools): [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumatic_tool|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumatic_tool]]\\
* Google Directory:\\
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**Sources Cited** \\
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* To be determined. My work experience is mostly self taught.\\
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**End of Page**
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