Ask The Expert

Posted Thursday, December 14, 2000 12:00 am

Monte Leeper

Q. I'm in the middle of getting a contractor. I've spoken to three and a few have been hard to get to call me back. So far the bids have been all over the place. One was almost twice the lowest number and the one in the middle told me he could save me a lot of money by structural changes. It makes me nervous to change the structure on the architect's plans, or to even challenge the architect to make the changes, because I'm probably going to start a fight. The contractor says that my roof can be 2 x 8 instead of 2 x 10 and floors are totally over designed. What should I do? I really need to save whatever I can?

A. I can understand your concern, since changes to plans means resubmitting them for permits, re-review, and possible objection by your building department, after the delay of redrawing, since all the heights of the house change, and ceiling depths and heights as well. You didn't give me any idea as to the types of ceilings, vaulted or flat, the qualifications of your contractor to design structures, or what kinds of distance your rafters, beams or floor joists are spanning. I really do not need specifics to give you some general advice. In most cases, a stronger structure is not the only criteria for why lumber sizes are selected. Several factors should be taken in account that the contractor may not be looking at, such as the need for space to allow thick insulation and good, unrestricted ventilation. Another factor may be wind load if you are near to open areas where whipping winds may cause a smaller structure to wrack. And recessed lighting, referred to as "high hats" need room, especially in a cathedral ceiling, for clearance and ventilation as well. Yes, it is true that there are shallow lights on the market, but the insulated units are better when allowing for the depth to also include insulation. And then there is the least obvious and most noticeable problem to solve. That is getting roof rafters cut on the diagonal to meet angled valley rafters and adjacent ceiling joists, when the sizes are not thought out in advance. Every once in a while I look at a ceiling with beams that hang below the rest of the surface, "bumps" if you want to call them that. It looks sloppy and can be truly annoying unless you like uneven or "drop" beams. So before you challenge the architect, nicely ask them if it will save cost without sacrificing quality of the installation. Over-design is really not that much more than just adequate design, in most cases, but it is a cheap form of insurance against repairs caused by movement and even subsequent water damage. I hope you make the right decision. Best of luck!

Readers are encouraged to send
questions to: HERALD Homes, 379 Central Avenue, Lawrence, N.Y. 11559
Attn: Monte Leeper, Architect.

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