Reading Blueprints - 15 Tips to Help You Understand Drawings, Elevations and Floor Plans

Blueprints are nothing more than copies of the final plans drawn up for the home owners' approval. Very detailed, these documents comprise a wealth of information. Typically, a blueprint box includes a set of drawings called elevations, illustrating face and interior walls. But that's not all. The box contains other drawings. One is of your construction site, and other drawing illustrates the foundation of the house. The reflected ceiling plan reveals where light fixtures are to be placed.

In addition, each blueprint incorporates a materials list with sizes and quantities of all valuable components required to construct the construction features. This facts enables the undertaker of a package deal to compile construction costs. There is one added kind of blueprints-the floorplans-with which habitancy are probably the most familiar. Here's an insider's guide to reading the plans to your dream home.

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1. Scale and dimensions are clearly indicated.

The scale of blueprints may be 1/4-inch or 1/2-inch to the foot. Whatever the scale, it will be noted in one of the lower corners of the blueprint. All blueprints to the house are drawn to the same scale. Dimensions are noted in feet and inches. In most cases, the length and width of all the face walls are shown in addition to dimensions of each room. With this facts in hand, you can as a matter of fact decree which rooms are best sized for varied family activities. You can also plan for the arrangement of furnishings.

2. face walls are represented by thick parallel lines, and interior walls are represented by thinner lines.

The placement of the walls, particularly the decisions you make about the interior partition walls, greatly sway the layout of your home. And, if you can understand the exact placement when you first receive the blueprints, you'll likely make fewer changes as the process evolves, cutting down on unnecessary and unforeseen expenses to your project.

3. Rooms are clearly labeled by function- kitchen, living, dining, etc.

Built-in items within rooms also are presented in a logical fashion. For example, as you study the documents, fireplaces, closets and built-ins come to be obvious. Also apparent are the placement of kitchen and bathroom fixtures, counters, sinks, cabinetry and kitchen appliances.

4. It's easy to decree ceiling configurations and two-story rooms.

A series of parallel dashes over a room denotes a ceiling beam; an arrow accompanied by the word "sloped" marks a cathedral ceiling. A double-height room is easy to spot. The blueprint of the lower level bears the notation "open to above" and the upper level "open to below."

5. Doors are represented by a level line.

When you study the blueprint of the floorplan, pretend that you are walking straight through the actual house. Visualize the two-dimensional blueprints in a three-dimensional form. This technique helps you transform the data and symbols into something more real. A good place to start is at the entryway. From there, you can clearly see the wide organization of the home's interior. In houses designed today, rooms are located into one of three zones dedicated to living (family room, dining room and living room), work (kitchen, laundry and utility rooms) or sleeping (bedrooms and corresponding bathrooms). They appear as if open with a thinner, curving line showing the space required for them to close.

French doors have two level and two curved lines. Two overlapping sets of level lines is the sticker for sliding glass doors. Parallel solid lines within walls are windows. Like doors, overlapping lines indicate sliding window units. As you study the placement of windows and doors, you can decree if they will permit good ventilation and natural lighting of the interior, as well as make the most of face views and furnish sufficient way to the outdoors.

6. On the blueprints of a two-story house, you will encounter a staircase, revealed by a group of parallel lines.

The estimate of lines is equal to the estimate of steps. The lines are accompanied by arrows. Those labeled "up" mean that the staircase leads to a higher level; conversely, those labeled "down" lead to a lower level.

7. Letters on the drawings serve as keys to the facts listed in the margins.

For example, on the blueprint of the floorplan, a series of circled letters starting with "A" refer to the types of doors selected. This "door schedule," as it is called, coordinates the location of each door, as well as the style and size. A closet door, for example, has a circled letter at the permissible place on the blueprint. In reading the blueprint, the corresponding margin notation may read something like "2'-0" solid core flush door, paint-grade veneer."

8. Openings on the blueprint for windows bear a estimate within a circle.

This marking refers to the list of window styles and sizes cited in the window agenda in the blueprint margin. As an example, a bathroom window may bear the designation of "1" in a circle. Finding at the window schedule, the circled 1 may be listed as a "3'0" x 2'10" awning window."

9. The same arrival applies to electrical symbols.

Here are some coarse examples: A capital "S" stands for a wall switch that controls an overhead light fixture. A capital "S" with a subscript "3" refers to a three-way wall switch. A capital "J" in a box marks the location of a junction box. A capital "L" in a circle is the site of an face light fixture. A triangle indicates the location of a telephone receptacle.

10. Large letters accompanied by carets (>) pointing toward each wall refer to an elevation, or drawing, of the wall as it will appear when built.

An face elevation is descriptive by a large letter and a 90-degree, angled line to the side.

11. The placement of appliances and fixtures is easy to determine.

The sticker for a kitchen range or cooktop is four circles within a square. Bird's-eye drawings are used to characterize the refrigerator, kitchen sink, bath sinks, toilets and showers. In the kitchen, a series of dashes accompanied by the notation "Dw" mark the location of an undercounter dishwasher. Look considered to see that the appliances have been located where you want them. Again, visualize yourself inside of the home, establishment meals (or doing the dishes).

12. Tile flooring also is easy to spot.

It is descriptive by an expanse of small squares in the bathroom or in front of a fireplace drawing.

13. Elevations characterize how the walls of the house will appear when built.

Interior wall elevations comprise drawings of fireplaces, cabinets and shelving, windows, doors and other desired built-in elements. face elevations note the location of windows, doors and other items such as roof eaves.

14. Accompanying the elevations may be some drawings which shape the construction details.

Frequently, you'll find drawings outlining the configuration of face corners. Or, you may be given the foundation footings and column bases, indicating depths and widths.

15. Sections furnish a see-through representation of the house.

You can visually see how varied elements of the house will align when construction is completed. This is helpful in visualizing porticos and other details of the facade, as well as outdoor decks, arcades and any attractive aspects. If this seems too overwhelming, don't try to discharge all of the facts that blueprints furnish at one sitting. Study them in a slow manner, allowing the house to recite itself to you gradually over time. Then, when you have a firm idea of what your new log home will look like and how it will function, you'll have much more reliance in your leap of faith to start building.

Reading Blueprints - 15 Tips to Help You Understand Drawings, Elevations and Floor Plans

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