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Below are some Home Sense tips that can help educate and guide you through your new home or remodel.

Craftsman homes and bungalows in Southern California

First of all I make no pretence in acting as a learned historian regarding Craftsman and Bungalow architecture, but after 40 years of architectural practice in the San Gabriel Valley I would like to make certain comments as to the unique and significant aspects of these styles which are different and sets them aside from the Craftsman architecture developing in the rest of the country at the turn of the 19th century.

The Arts and Crafts movement began in England with the prolific writings of John Ruskin and William Morris who stressed the virtues of hand made goods as opposed to the machine made items of the industrial revolution. Gustav Stickley in New York was one of the first Americans to adopt the philosophy of the Arts and Crafts movement shunning the Victorian and Classical style in favor of simple unadorned handmade basic structural forms.

In the Pasadena area the Arts and Crafts style was being adopted by Ernest Batchelder the tile maker and designer, Highland Park’s Arroyo Guild, including William Lees Judson the Stained glass artisan and founder of the USC College of Fine Arts, and of course the architectural firm Greene and Greene that opened their offices in Pasadena in 1894.

The work of Charles and Henry Greene has come to represent the soul of the Craftsman Movement with its simplicity and meticulous attention to materials and detail. Starting with the Gamble House plan, where rooms on the first floor open up onto a terrace and the second floor bedrooms open onto an unscreened sleeping porch. The extension of the living space to the outdoors was a revolutionary concept at the time and could be interpreted as a celebration of our temperate climate sans mosquitoes.

Charles Greene, the prime designer in the firm, was said to be under the spell of Japan. The Asian influence can be seen in the corbelled bracing design of the Blacker House similar to many Japanese temples, the cloud lift which is of a centuries old Chinese design, the use of heavy carved structural members, the integration of building and nature, the extension of beams and rafters beyond the roof eave line or columns and the use of the picture rail above the door window openings around the perimeter of the room. The 6” high by 1” thick member serves to unify the various interior elements of a room such as the doors, windows, fireplace, inglenook and built in furniture. Above the rail is plastered freeze to the ceiling. This also has the effect of making the room seem larger.

The Greenes used several interesting details in wood joinery such as strapping several wood members together with a metal strap and clevis. Wood beams of boards where spliced together with a scarf off set or Z splices and square keepers with all edges sanded round. Perpendicular board intersections where mortised with round peg keepers. Board corners where joined with finger joints rather than a simple mortise. The ends protruded beyond the intersecting face with all edges sanded round. First floor parapet walls used indigenous river rock, quite often with a Clinker (partially vitrified) cap. Hardware and light fixtures had a distinctive Craftsman design which to this day is duplicated and in demand.

The cost of the Craftsman home with its beautiful detailing and the use of many exotic woods were just a little beyond the average home builder’s budget. Thus keeping with some of the same characteristics and techniques of the Craftsman home, a more modest design evolved referred to as the Bungalow.

The term Bungalow evolved from an East Indian hut called a Bangala which was anglicized into the word bungalow. In England the term came to describe compact no frills resort of vacation housing. In America the bungalow came to represent an affordable, practical, fashionable home greatly influenced by the Arts and Crafts Movement.

The popularity of the Bungalow movement spanned the teens and twenties and swept various parts of the country particularly trend setting California. The typical Bungalow floor plan started with a generous front porch which could act as outdoor seating area. The front door opened to a living room with a fireplace located along an exterior wall. This room was intended to be the main living area for the family and for receiving visitors. Quite often the living room opened directly into the dining room with a cased or framed opening for visual separation and frequently had a built in buffet. Next was the kitchen with built in cabinets including a cupboard. These kitchens were laid out so that it had enough room for a small informal dining area, a new concept in the kitchen design. To the rear of the kitchen was a screened laundry porch which led to the back yard and garage. Bed and bathrooms were to the side or rear of the forgoing function or on the second floor. The plans generally where compact and quite functional.

Although the above described is quite common there was considerable variation in the style often incorporating classical and Victorian motifs. Southern California was different in this respect with less influence in the traditional style and in some cases influenced by the Mission style. Due to no snow loads the roof has a lower slope with strong horizontal lines. Structural elements were simple and strait forward. Rather than beam or rafter tails having classical or birds mouth profile, they where strait cut with rounded edges and often projected beyond the roof eves or post supports. Parapets, pilasters and fireplace using indigenous river rock was a significant feature of the architecture in the Pasadena area. Large entry porches sometimes extending across the entire width of the house was an endorsement of outdoor California living.

It is difficult to say who was responsible as the major influences in designing the multitudes of bungalows across America. In most cases we really don’t know. Of course there were some instances of custom built one of a kind bungalows attributed to an architect, but such cases are not common. Many of the bungalow designs were the creations of unnamed designers, architects, or anonymous underpaid draftsmen, which were marketed by the use of plan books whose complete plans including details and specifications and were sold by numerous sources such as Sears and Robuck and Montgomery Ward for as little at ten dollars. Another innovation arising from the plan book was complete packages of carefully labeled house parts including structural elements, built in furniture, fixtures and finished millwork all meticulously labeled so that handy home owners could build their own houses for as little of $1500 ordered by mail.

There was no uniformity of style in the plan books they spanned the gamut of architectural influences from Victorian to Classical. Needless to say there was quite a bit of plagiarism between plan books. I personally remember a project where we where designing a remodel to a bungalow. The Cultural Heritage Commission protested that this house was a possible Gustav Stickley original. I found no evidence of this in the city records, but in looking though a plan book offered by Henry L Wilson a noteworthy Los Angeles architect, entrepreneur and publisher in the teens and twenties, I found a house plan and elevations which matched the house I was working on. I called this to the attention of the commission to no avail, they dismissed the information I had gathered from the plan book stating that the house might be a significant copy of a famous architects work.

Our offices are located in South Pasadena home to many Bungalow homes. To the north is Pasadena which is a treasure trove of numerous fine Craftsman and Bungalow style homes. We have done a considerable amount of work in the area as regards to restoring and remodeling these homes. Historically the dining room and the kitchen were separated from the back yard with a utility porch, laundry, half bath, mud room, etc. A common complaint from our clients have is that the house does not face or take advantage of the back yard and the primary family living area is separated from the kitchen. The modern trend is that the kitchen is the social center of the house and opens onto a family room. Our designs take this into consideration. A goal is to have the family room open onto an exterior terrace which often incorporates an arbor or pergola into the design.

The goal should be to seamlessly blend the original design with the new without destroying the character and function of the house. A specialty our office has won several awards in. In order to accomplish this, a designer must understand, appreciate and perhaps love the simplicity, efficiency and the details of the Arts and Crafts movement as a manifest in the American Bungalow.

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Solar tubes vs. Skylights

Solar tubes or skylights are a great way to bring natural light into your home. Solar tubes are easier to install than traditional skylights and offer similar advantages. Solar tubes typically take up less space and offer more options in their installations. A skylight installed can cost from $600 to $3000 depending on the condition of the roof and ceilings. A solar tube will cost you about $500 installed.

A solar tube is composed of a dome at the roof level that lets in the light. That dome is connected to glass panel in the living space through flexible reflective tubing. This flexible tube offers more options and ease of installation than a traditional skylight. Solar tubes can be installed during the construction of a house or at a later as a retrofit with ease.

The solar tube offers passive lighting during the daylight hours that saves on lighting costs. Solar tubes are good to install in otherwise dark internal hallways or rooms without windows to provide a constant light during the day light hours.

After coming up with a good plan for the location of the solar tube the most important thing to consider is the penetration at the roof. This penetration at the roof is the Achilles heel of all solar tubes and skylights. The condition of the existing roof is the most important issue. An improperly installed solar tube can cause more damage than good. An older roof’s waterproofing is often compromised when solar tubes are installed improperly. The condition of the roof and the location of the penetration are critical when installing a solar tube or skylight.

Only a licensed roofer can tell you the best location and installation technique and tell if it is even a good idea to install a solar tube in your roof.

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Natural Stone Countertops

Natural stone is a great option for countertops in kitchen, bathrooms or fireplaces. Granite and Marble are natural products which are composed of various minerals. They are formed under metamorphic pressure giving each martial its unique and beautiful color and veining characteristics. Granites have been formed over millions of years and marble is more commonly formed over tens of thousands of years. Granites are extremely hard materials made primarily from igneous rock (volcanic) and therefore are extremely resistant to acids in the kitchen, hot objects, scratching from kitchen knives and fading of color.

Marble is much more fragile than Granite. Marble is primarily formed from calcium and is less dense than granite therefore making it more susceptible to acid etching of the polish. It is best not used in kitchen application.

All natural stone products are porous to varying degrees. It is strongly suggested to seal all natural stone with a penetrating sealer closing off the pores at least temporarily then resealing over time. This will dramatically help repel damaging contaminates like fruit juices, sodas, perfumes, fatty foods, oils, etc. Marble especially stains when exposed to oils.

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Batchelder Tiles

Ernest Batchelder was a local tile manufacturer in the San Gabriel Valley. His tiles where used extensively in the Craftsman homes that accentuated the Arts and Crafts Movement of the early 20th century. Earnest Batchelder had a studio on Arroyo Blvd just south of the Colorado Street Bridge before moving to Los Angeles as his business grew.

He featured nature scenes in his hand made tiles and accents. He is most famous for his fireplace mantels that are featured today in some of the most beautiful Craftsman homes in the area.

The clay tiles where handmade and air dried. The subtle colorations in his tiles where accomplished by using multiple layers of mineral stains applied with small sponges. After a month of outdoor drying while birds would often land on the tiles giving them minor indents the tiles where kin fired at 2000 degrees to fuse the colors and make the tiles extremely durable.

Original Batchelder tiles are quite valuable. Common 4” square field tile often fetch $40 each. The decorative freezes often go for several hundred dollars. If you are not lucky enough to live in a home with a Batcheler Fireplace there are reproduction tiles available. They are made the same way and reproduce the same beauty the Ernest Batchelder captured some one hundred years ago.

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Redwood Decks - Past and Future

Redwood decks are a big part of the Southern California lifestyle.

You can’t think of an afternoon in Southern California without a thinking of congregation of friends on a redwood deck grilling some burgers. Decks are great place to enjoy the outdoors. Redwood decks are gorgeous when first installed but the elements and time take their toll. Deck owners are always painting and repairing their decks. Most decks have a couple boards that everyone knows to stay away from because they are loose, rotted or just plain dangerous.

Decks and decking materials have come a long way. Typically decks where made of Redwood. Back in the 50’s-80’s redwood was great quality and inexpensive. Many of those old growth forests have long been chopped down and made into patio furniture and wood decks.

Today there are new options available for decks. They fall in three categories; Composite decking like Trex, Exotic hardwoods like mahogany and Ipe and lastly good old fashioned clear Redwood. There are also new ways to install the decking to keep those pesky nails from popping up and boards from getting loose.

Composite decking like Trex has come a long way and is a good long lasting alternative to natural wood. Composite decking runs about $3 to $4 per linear foot of decking material. It comes in a wide variety of colors and textures. Composite decking is made of wood and plastic. The wood gives it a more natural feel and protects it from UV damage and the plastic protects it from rot. This decking material can last 50 years and never needs repainting because the color is integral to the material. Most composite decking is also available with channels cut into the side of the material so hidden fasteners can be used for a cleaner smoother look. Composites are a great alternative to Redwood decking.

Hardwood decking is another great option to Redwood. Redwood decking is very soft and brittle. Hardwood is more resistant to rot and breaking. Hardwood decks are the nicest option. They have a rich natural feel that will enhance your outdoor experience. Hardwood decks are of course more expensive and more difficult to install and maintain. Examples of hardwood are Mahogany, Mangaras, Ipe and teak. They are either installed by either top screwing or installed with hidden fasteners on the sides or bottom. Some are available custom milled with channels to make using hidden fasteners easier to install.

Hardwoods are too hard to accept penetrating sealers. Polyurethanes and varnishes do not hold up outdoors under heavy foot traffic. Typically you use a Penfin or teak oil to seal the wood and it needs to be reapplied every couple years. Hardwood is the best but comes at a price and has additional maintainence issues.

Good old fashion Clear Redwood. Purists go for good old fashion redwood. The problem it clear good quality redwood costs nearly the same as composite decking at about $3 a linear foot. Redwood is typically installed with screws from the top. There decking clips that can be used but they don’t always work well with Redwood. The deck should be painted with a solid body stain every couple years to keep the wood healthy and looking its best.

The often times bigger issue with Wood decks is the structure holding the deck up. Water kills decks. Every effort should be used to keep the decking on top and more importantly the structure underneath dry. Do not put big pots on wood decks unless they are moved around often or on spacers to keep the deck dry. Do not over water these pots. If you want plants on the deck try using plants to sip water.

Keep an eye on what is going on under the deck like broken sprinklers or dirt in contact with the deck structure. Code calls for wood framing to be a minimum of 6 inches away from the soil. Make sure the deck is well ventilated. Code calls for a half inch gap between the decking boards. This may be tough on guests with heels but it helps keep the underside of the deck well ventilated. Check the connections of the deck framing to houses or walls. This is where the deck typically fails. Most decks are built attached directly to another structure. Try to provide an air space between any ledgers and the house and make sure to use pressure treated wood and stainless steel fasteners at deck connections to houses or other structures.

Well now that you have your gorgeous rot free deck for enjoying Southern California’s great weather put your feet up, light the grill and pour a cold one for me.

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