Keeping The Vision : Through Thick and Thin

We all know that walls have varying thicknesses. The evidence is all around us. Concrete walls, brick walls, framed walls, chases and wet walls each have their own thickness depending on what function they're serving. When reviewing plans it's important to verify that these needs have been accounted for.

This review starts with the town plan. Most lot sizes have been set with an intent as to unit type. If the unit type is a side hall or center hall certain assumptions need to be made to ensure the resulting room widths serve the intended use. Sometimes the lot width doesn't accommodate the type when wall thicknesses are taken into account. This is typically, though not exclusively, found in attached units. The lot width often turns out to be the exact wrong size. It's two wide to economically be a side hall but too narrow to be a center hall since two rooms cannot fit in the width provided side by side. This leads many to overbuild on the site and the value proposition of the unit type is undermined.

When reviewing its also important to note if chases or wet walls have been provided where needed. This sometimes isn't found out until the building is under construction. When building small (to live large!) every inch counts. After construction starts the only way to shoehorn in the plumbing and ducting required is to cannibalize space from adjoining rooms. Classicists, being a refined and accommodating lot, have a preference for designing with poché so there is usually ample room to accommodate these services. If extra room cannot be found, then the best time to resolve the issue is before construction starts.

Common conflicts involving wall thicknesses I've found during reviews include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Pocket door with no pocket and/or conflicting with outlets and switches
  
• Washer/dryer with no vent or wet wall for connections
• Exterior walls with no furring for finishes, plumbing, wiring, outlets, or switches
• Windows conflicting with wet walls

These are simple to find and usually easy to correct if found early. This sometimes lead to major surgery if the rooms have been designed so tight that any loss of space makes it unusable. The best way to deal with these issues, of course, is to prevent them from happening in the first place.

Posted via email from Kenneth Hitchens