Low Maintenance Coastal Homes
Nearly everyone we work with requests a home that is low-maintenance. Our creations are often used as second homes, and our clients don’t want to spend their limited time painting or doing repairs.
And since our clients can’t watch their homes 12 months out of the year, they desire a home that withstands the harsh coastal climate including high winds, cold winters and periodic flooding.
Our first concern as designers is to deal with the environmental issues. Winter conditions require that a home’s plumbing system be shut down with a “quick-drain” system to prevent broken pipes. Good thermal windows are a must, as are tight air infiltration barriers. Insulation is one of the most cost-efficient ways to reduce energy costs. Keep in mind that despite our best intentions, heat-loss transmission will occur through the over-abundance of windows that are typical of homes with water views.
Moisture is a big problem along the coast- from the high humidity levels to the after-effects of storms and flooding. Proper ventilation in crawlspaces is essential to the life of a home. Moisture trapped in a structure can render insulation ineffective and cause unhealthy mold and mildew to grow in areas such as ducts and wall spaces. Vapor barriers and concrete dust caps are ways in which moisture levels can be reduced in crawl spaces as well.
It’s important for exterior siding systems to prevent rain from entering a walls system and as important to allow precipitation to drain when it does penetrate the siding. While we only use exterior grade plywood in our wall systems, we do occasionally see others use inferior materials (OSB) that is prone to deterioration in high-humidity conditions.
Low Maintenance Materials
As architects we really enjoy designing homes utilizing real cedar products- we can design the look and feel of traditional style homes that have existed along the coast for over a hundred years. Most of our clients are hesitant to use real wood siding because of the need to stain or paint every five years or so.
To satisfy the client seeking a low or no maintenance exterior we look toward vinyl, and cement board products. Vinyl siding has come a long way since its emergence on the scene. Vinyl carpentry has gotten better, and there are now great variety of colors and textures. We also specify solid vinyl trim in most circumstances thus eliminating the need for any exterior painting or staining during the life of a home.
Good examples of vinyl siding selections can be found at www.certainteed.com. Low –maintenance exterior trim materials can be seen at www.fypon.com.
The use of fiberglass is prevalent in coastal homes for its water-proofing qualities and resistance to wear and tear as decks. Some of homes, especially our contemporary homes, are built like “upside-down boats”. Fiberglass can be finished in practically any color, and can take any shape that we can imagine.
Railing systems used to be one of the most difficult areas to maintain. New vinyl railings never need staining and come in many different shapes and designs. Tempered glass guardrail panels are used when water views are important. Railing systems can be found at www.avcon.com.
The Gray Area
One of the first issues confronting a beach property owner is whether their existing home is worth renovating or adding onto. Often times, an existing dwelling is better off being torn down to allow for a nice new home. Some homes in the Gray Area need to be investigated before an intelligent decision can be made with confidence.
One of the first questions we ask is if there are compelling reasons to keep a structure. A grandfathered footprint that wouldn’t be allowed by current zoning regulations would be a good reason to go through the cost and effort of maintaining and improving a poor structure. Maybe the home is too large by current standards, or infringes in a setback, which allows it better views than it would enjoy legally.
In these cases it may be better to hold onto the existing structure and give it new life. Its usually a much more expensive way to create a new home however. The costs in renovating a structure are very high. Any demolition must be done by hand, and with laborers that will not destroy the elements of the home worth keeping. Existing systems are typically incompatible with new standards and have to be replaced while working within finished areas. These are two of the many reasons why renovation costs exceed those of new construction.
Sometimes sentiment for an older home, particularly one that’s been in the family for several generations, can be a reason to avoid the bulldozer. In cases where the tear down still makes the most sense, we can offer to integrate into the new design some of the actual elements of the older home, such as the old front door, an interesting window, or fireplace mantel.
The Trigger
Do you have to remove and/or expand the existing windows? Then you might as well tear it down. The new requirements for wind-borne debris resistant windows call for specific performance that can’t be met by typical replacement windows. Once a window is re-framed, the interior finishes including drywall, window headers, insulation and electrical wiring are affected. The costs of window removal tend to snowball quickly. If your windows of your beach house need to be replaced in their entirety, then that typically becomes the trigger to remove the dwelling and start new.
