Shhhh! Shouting Shutters

Katie Hutchison shares her thoughts on shutters.

I agree. See my post, Shutters Should Shut, from January ‘07.

Cutler Anderson Architects

My friend, architect Bob Swinburne, has a new website and has started writing a very interesting blog. His blog includes a list of links to his favorite firms, which reminded me of one of my favorites too… Cutler Anderson.

James Cutler’s attention to detail and sensitive approach to siting each project makes every house he designs a true work of art.

Favorite Firms: Cutler Anderson Architects

Porous Paving

My friend Kathleen from House Things I Like sent an email today asking me about gravel driveways:

Hi Mark,

When our construction is complete, we are going to have to put in a new driveway.  It has to be a pervious surface so we don’t contribute to run-off in the Chesapeake.  I’ve been researching the subject and have decided that I want a gravel driveway with a plastic grid fabric underneath to hold the gravel.  The trouble is that not many contractors have done this type of driveway.  Here’s a link to show you what I’m referring to:  http://www.millennialliving.com/Activities/Renovation/gravel-driveways-alternative-concrete-asphalt.htm

What do you think?

Kathleen:

We have been receiving a few requests for porous driveways lately.

Annmarie and I have a gravel driveway (3/8” red crushed slate) at our house that has not needed significant maintenance for about 10 years. No tricks. No additional grids. We’ve had some erosion during major rains (Hurricane Floyd took about 6 feet of the driveway away with him – left us a nice new stream), but we’re on a hill and have no apron or curbing. A flat driveway would do much better. The most damage occurs when the driveway is snow plowed (not sure if you have much of that white stuff down where you are). In the spring, we end up with neat little piles of red gravel in our garden beds. We just rake it out before the daffodils sprout and redistribute back where it belongs.

I have specified grids for commercial projects (grass school fields that require fire truck access) back in the day when I did that sort of stuff. They work very well for that application, but probably a bit overkill for a flat residential drive.

A stone apron at the street and curbing at the edges are all you really need to keep the gravel in place. A solid compacted 8” base (2 layers – 4” each) of item #4 (crushed stone – a stone yard will know what this is) will keep the gravel from sinking into the earth below and give the surface a nice solid feel. I would save my money…skip the grid and put it into some nice granite curbing.

This Old House Magazine had a short article on porous paving a few months back if you’re interested. Here’s a link.

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,20153708,00.html

I hope this helps.

Westchester Green

Since December 2006, I have been posting here at Living Well in Westchester and its been a great success. Dedicated to residential architecture and design, Living Well is a great place for me to share thoughts and information on general topics that interest me most.

This past year, I’ve received many requests for information on green architecture and design. So here you go, Westchester Green is dedicated to just that.

If you have information that you would like to share, please send me an email at blog@fivecat.com.

LEED-Platinum Carbon Neutral

From Inhabitat.com:

Carbon-neutral buildings are not new news, but the first-ever LEED-platinum carbon neutral building certainly is. The Aldo Leopold Foundation Headquarters, located in Wisconsin, has been certified as the the first ever, fully LEED-platinum certified, carbon neutral building in the world, making it the greenest building ever built, with zero footprint and great design.

Read more

Designed by The Kubala Washatko Architects, learn more about the Aldo Leopold Legacy Center here.

Smoke Alarms: New York State Residential Code

In January, New York State began enforcing a new version of the Building Code. We receive many questions about smoke alarms. Where are they required? Do they need to be hardwired?

Well, here is the text from the 2007 Residential Code of New York State:

[F] R313.1 Smoke alarms. Smoke alarms shall be installed in the following locations:

1. In each sleeping room.

2. Outside each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms.

3. On each additional story of the dwelling, including basements but not including crawl spaces and uninhabitable attics.

In dwellings or dwelling units with split levels and without an intervening door between the adjacent levels, a smoke alarm installed on the upper level shall suffice for the adjacent lower level provided that the lower level is less than one full story below the upper level.

When more than one smoke alarm is required to be installed within an individual dwelling unit the alarm devices shall be interconnected in such a manner that the actuation of one alarm will activate all of the alarms in the individual unit. The alarm shall be clearly audible in all bedrooms over background noise levels with all intervening doors closed.

Exception: Interconnection is not required where smoke alarms are permitted to be battery operated in accordance with Section R313.1.2 .

All smoke alarms shall be listed and installed in accordance with the provisions of this code and the household fire warning equipment provisions of NFPA 72.

And here is Section R313.1.2:

[F] R313.1.2 Power source. In new construction, the required smoke alarms shall receive their primary power from the building wiring when such wiring is served from a commercial source, or an on-site electrical power system and when primary power is interrupted, shall receive power from a battery. Wiring shall be permanent and without a disconnecting switch other than those required for overcurrent protection. Smoke alarms shall be permitted to be battery operated when installed in buildings without commercial power or an on-site electrical power system or in buildings that undergo repair, alteration, change of occupancy, addition or relocation in accordance with Appendix J .

And from Appendix J:

AJ504.2 Smoke alarms. When interior alterations occur in existing dwellings, the individual dwelling unit shall be provided with smoke alarms located as required for new dwellings; the smoke alarms shall be interconnected and hard wired.

Exception: Except for bed and breakfast dwellings, smoke alarms in existing areas shall not be required to be interconnected and hard wired where interior wall or ceiling finishes are not removed to expose the structure.

The complete New York State Building Codes are available online here.

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One Day Late

Happy Spring!

Tour Turkey Hill

Erinn, over at the happy living Blog, points us to an online tour of Martha’s former estate, Turkey Hill. Check it out here.

A Great Green Guide

One of our favorite magazines, Fine Homebuilding, has a great website dedicated to building green. Some of the articles are members-only, but there’s lots of free stuff too.

Living Well Link of the Week: Fine Homebuilding Green Building Guide

Saying Goodbye

Well… after 6+ years of service and reaching 190,000 miles, we’re finally retiring the mighty Explorer. It has been very, very good to us.

Annmarie and I were working through the start-up growing pains at Fivecat Studio and our first son was well on his way. Our cottage in the woods is located at the top of a very steep hill. We both had front wheel drive cars and could not make it home if it snowed.

Annmarie’s brother Stephen came to our rescue and gave us a 1994 four wheel drive Ford Explorer as a baby gift. To this day, we are so very grateful. Many winters and three kids later, it is still getting us home. But it is time to say goodbye.

Like the two front wheel drive cars before, the Explorer will go to help the cats and dogs of the SPCA of Westchester. If you have an old car and are considering replacing it, think about donating it. The funds received from the vehicle will help give medical care and support to homeless cats and dogs, and as a bonus, you may deduct the donation from your income taxes.