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Typical Builder/Home designer Home
This white paper lists eleven common mistakes home designers or builders make that negatively impact architectural Aesthetics on residential exterior elevations. Warning: Ignorance is bliss. Once you see the issues, you can’t un-see them, so if you would rather not know s t o p h e r e.
Thin brick between windows: If windows are close together there is no reason to put a thin vertical strip of brick between them. At least a full brick width is required to reasonably 1. Resolve the visual or actual weight of the masonry above. 2. Continue appropriate coursing pattern. Best to simply ‘gang’ windows together; factory fitted or match trim the rest of the house.
Arches that don’t resolve gravity forces or Brick below an arch. Arches do a good job transferring gravity and visual loads to the sides of an opening. Unfortunately builders often decorate with arches and don’t consider the visual impact of poor arch design. The material loads need to be resolved and brick should not in-fill the underside of an arch.
Brick veneer used like wallpaper. The general public is largely unaware that less than 1% of homes are actually load bearing masonry(brick). Brick simply implies permanence, but bear just its own weight, and secured laterally to the wood frame. Wood frame accounts for the lion’s share of structure of most homes.
Keystones used inappropriately. The worst offense of exterior decoration; every arch doesn’t require a keystone. Flat spans definitely don’t need keystones. The angle of the sides of a keystone should match the grout joints in the masonry, all Joints should radiate from the arch center.
Converging slopes The overuse of gables on the front of a home will result in a watershed problem. Bulk rain water is slowed at low slope valley. Leaves and debris will accumulate, and cause roof deterioration, leaks become inevitable.
Inadequate roof overhangs: This saves the builder on first costs of materials and is fine in cold climates. In southern, especially in tropic and sub-tropic latitudes, the extra protection of adequate roof overhangs block direct sunlight from cooking the interior spaces through walls, but primarily windows. Once the heat is inside the house it has to be removed at a cost. Best to keep yourself aware of this phenomenon, and avoid the familiar Saltbox aesthetic, better suited for Colder climates.
Large expanses of wall on sides of homes. The reason for this phenomenon is twofold. Homes are often close to the neighbors so the walls are not prominent as a buyer experiences the home on a walkthrough. Also, it avoids Fire jumping from one house to the next and building codes limit openings when close to property lines. When homes occur on a corner the vast, stark, monotonous expanse of wall (brick and/or siding) is exposed.
Poor flashing details: metal flashing essentially keeps water from migrating into the exterior walls. Unfortunately if painted differently than the roof below or adjacent material, the contrast creates a jarring eyesore.
Dormers on a low slope roof: an often desirable ‘feature’ on roofs are dormers. These mini roofed, windowed protrusions have appropriate historical use to bring light into attics, or top floors with low or sloped ceilings. Unfortunately, ridiculously deep on slopes less than 10/12, and are sometimes blacked out with paint from the inside. Please don’t decorate your roof with these unless appropriate to its style and roof pitch.
In-plane material changes: To save material costs bricks may be used as a veneer over wood frame for the appearance of permanence and stop after wrapping the sides of the front elevation (street face). Thereafter, or on the back of the house the cheaper siding is often the finished face of the wall. It’s an obvious cost cutting effort.
Poor orientation: The worst offense! The common logic of not having many west facing windows hints at the problem. Best to minimize East windows also. South windows should have protected overhangs to let some light and heat in the winter, No heat but indirect light in the summer. North widows should be plentiful but insulated and if possible, protected from wind by hearty, low to the ground evergreens. Unfortunately, Developers/Builders without careful architectural design, site stock home plans randomly on lots like dice on a craps table. No telling if the locations or numbers of windows will perform adequately or poorly. Often a homeowner will feel they have to resort to Black out ‘solar screens’ on windows. They degrade the intended look of windows and block out daylight, needing supplemental electric lights, and/or suffer from inadequate daylight that negatively impacts occupant mental health.
There are many other conditions that builders ignore or overlook simply to help their bottom line, but this list covers the most egregious. Hopefully this will help evaluate your next home purchase!