Getting down to the “nuts and bolts” has always been synonymous with looking at the essential parts, integral to the successful completion of a project; when you’re talking about a construction project, saying this is as pertinent as ever. It is easy to overlook fixings and fasteners when you are first planning a project, but without the nuts and bolts your build will never get built.

There are hundreds of different types of fasteners, each designed specifically so that you have the right pieces holding parts of your project together. You will need to consider a number of factors when choosing the right fastener; if you are building something out of wood (for instance), then there is a good chance that you will want to use wood screws. But selecting the right screws for the material is only part of it, because then you need to consider the purpose and required fit.

You might need your screws to fit flush with the material and have them protected from removal, or you might want a raised fit with screws that are easy to extract and replace. Fixings exposed to the elements may need to be waterproof and have some level of corrosion resistance. Size is another factor that you should bear in mind; in the case of wood work, a smaller screw is less likely to split wood than a large one (depending on what type of you are working with).

When you are working with a spot is hard to reach, some fixings and fasteners will not offer the level of flexibility you require should you need to make repairs. In this case you might find that it’s a good idea to use self-drilling screws to give you the best chance of driving it home on the first attempt. The primary differences you will find between screws (aside from the material and size) are the head shapes, driving methods and thread types; these factors will also have an impact on the type of task you require them for. Below is a brief list of some the different heads, threads and driving methods available.

Head Shapes

Pan head screws have the standard type of head profile, which is of an average diameter/height. 

Button head screws are similar to pan heads with a slightly curved top.

Round head screws have a more pronounced curve than button head screws.

Flat head screws are (you guessed it) flat on top, with a tapered underside for countersunk holes.

Oval head screws are tapered on the underside like a flat head, with an egg-shaped top.

Truss head screws have large diameters and low profiles.

Fillister head screws have a thick profile with a slightly rounded top.

Thread Types

Wood screws have threads specifically designed for use with wood and have deep, coarse threads for gripping into timber.

Machine screws have finer threads than wood screws and are generally intended to be used in conjunction with nuts or tapped hole.

High/low screws have two sets of threads with alternating heights, designed for use with plastics and other low density materials.

Self-tapping (or thread-forming) screws have threads designed to tap their own holes which is sometimes achieved by gaps in thread continuity.

Driving Methods

Slotted screws are those driven in with a flat head screwdriver and are one of the most common screws.

Philips screws are an improvement on the slot design, with a larger mating area between the screw and driver, with a cross-shaped groove that fits a Philips head screwdriver.

Hex heads are hexagonally shaped and tightened with a wrench, as they have no grooves or slots for a screwdriver to fit into.

Square heads (or Robertson drive) are square shaped and tightened with a special driver.

One Way heads can be tightened with standard flat head screwdriver, but require special tools to remove.

Torx heads have a six-point recess and can be driven in using torx screwdrivers.

This list of fixings and fasteners hopefully cleared any confusion on finding the right type of item when constructing your own do-it-yourself project whether it be a deck, constructing a shed or garage or any other outdoor project that requires construction and materials.

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Known as the Melting Pot for more than just its people, the architecture in the United States is truly a mixture of architectural styles from everywhere around the world. One of the earliest styles in the United States is known as the Colonial Style because it was developed during the colonial period of America. In coming to the New World, the colonists brought the construction techniques and styles from their homelands to use in their new lives. However, although inspired by their native European countries, it didn’t take long for these Colonial house styles to evolve into their own, uniquely American renditions.

Recently my son took a fieldtrip with his school to see some historical houses and envision how the people lived back then and it really piqued my interest. I found some great facts about the American Colonial Architecture style and it’s really fascinating that these people lived in houses that are actually quite similar to homes today! Nowadays, the Colonial style has been revived and revamped to fit into modern society, while still holding on to the classic characteristics used by the colonists all those years ago.

From the late 16^th century until the beginning of the 19^th century, the Colonial style dominated the landscape of the newly settled areas in North America. The styles ranged between New England and Cape Cod Colonial, Spanish Colonial, German Colonial, Dutch Colonial, French Colonial, and Georgian Colonial. Each style emerged in the specific country’s territories, however the styles continued to evolve in order to perfectly suit each region. I had no idea that American Colonial architecture spanned so many different regions, backgrounds, and styles!

Located mainly in the Northeastern area of the country, modern day Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and New York, the original settlers were mostly English and so, they started to build homes in the styles from their native England.

This New England and Cape Cod Colonial style included a symmetrical front, rectangular shape, two stories, side gables, a steep roof with narrow eaves, little exterior ornamentation, casement windows, a massive central chimney, and a lean-to addition with a saltbox roof.

When I was reading about this style and looking at the pictures, I realized that this is the typical colonial architecture that I immediately thought of, but I found that there are so many more variations of colonial style!

Also developed at the same time and sharing many of the same characteristics was the Colonial Cape Cod style. Again, these houses were modeled off the English styles; however, these houses were modified to fit the turbulent New England weather. Cape Cod Houses have many of the same characteristics but were originally only one room deep and also included only 1 or 1 ½ stories and shutters to block out the storms. In fact, once I read up on the Cape Cod style, I realized that several of my friends own very charming modern Cape Cod houses. It’s so interesting to see the differences between the historical versions and the modern adaptations.

Although they mainly colonized and gained profit from Mexico, Central America, and South America, the Spanish occupation of modern day Florida, the American Southwest, California, and other areas in the southern United States led to the development of the Spanish Colonial architecture in those areas. Whenever my family travels to Florida for vacations, I always marvel at the architecture because it’s so different from where we live

Spanish Colonial architecture is characterized by several exterior doors, small windows with interior shutters, flat or low pitch roofs, and thick walls made of rocks, coquina, or adobe brick and covered in stucco to keep out the heat.

Immigrants from Germany settled, for the most part, in modern day New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Maryland. These houses are, again, a part of the American Colonial style so they are similar to the other styles but they have their own unique features.

Some of the German colonial architecture includes two-foot thick sandstone walls, symmetrical facades, reinforced stone arches above the door, windows on the first floor, wooden frames, and field stone building blocks.

The Dutch influenced American Colonial architecture in New York and along the Hudson River. Those buildings are made with either brick or stone and they have matching chimneys on both ends, symmetrical facades, gambrel roofs, wide flared eaves, saltbox lean-to, and Dutch doors that are split horizontally and can open independently.

Also known as “Creole” or Acadian architecture, the French Colonial style of building combines French, Caribbean, West Indies, and other influences and is designed for hot, wet climates. Located in the Southern United States, especially in Louisiana and Mississippi, the French Colonial architecture provides a colorful addition to the Colonial style in America.

Recently when we took a trip to New Orleans, we spotted some of the typical characteristics of French Colonial architecture like expansive porches, steep hipped roofs that extend over the porches or steep side gables roofs, and French doors.

Coming about mainly in the 1700s, Georgian Colonial architecture swept the New England and Mid-Atlantic regions where it displayed the rising ambition of America as it focused more on ornamentation and grandeur than the other types of colonial architecture. At least to me, this style reminds me a lot of the older New England style, except updated to fit the new American mindset.

Georgian Colonial architecture includes spacious and comfortable floor plans with distinguished living, dining and family rooms. Also, bedrooms are on the second floor, they have square and symmetrical facades, there are decorative crowns and flattened columns around the doors, two-foot wide stone walls, matching chimneys on either side of the building, medium pitched roofs with minimal overhang, and square cuts along the eaves.

After the Centennial International Exposition in 1876, the citizens of the United States of America experienced a renewal of interest in their own history and the Colonial Revival architecture spread throughout the nation. Kind of like my son’s fieldtrip and me!

Colonial Revival mainly focuses on revitalizing the more ornate Georgian Colonial, however Cape Cod Houses, Dutch Colonial, and Spanish Colonial all experienced revivals that brought the architecture into modern society.

Easy details to recognize on a colonial revival house include symmetrical façade, gable roof, rectangular shape, brick or wood siding with simple and classical detailing, elaborate entrances, pillars, columns, dormers, decorative shutters, and central entry hall floor plan with living spaces on the first floor and bedrooms upstairs.

I know for a fact that whenever I drive through my neighborhood anymore, I can always spot which houses are colonial revival houses and it’s amazing how well they fit with the other architecture in our area.
In particular, Cape Cod houses came back into style in the 1930s with additional rooms, strictly decorative shutters, and chimneys on the side of the house rather than in the center. I was very happy to inform my friends that they owned a Cape Cod house and I even showed them pictures of what their house would have been in the 1600s.

The Dutch Colonial Revival kept the original design while updating and varying the materials, details, and sizes used.

On the other hand, the Spanish Colonial Revival also included features from several other Spanish styles and is distinguished by its smooth stucco walls, low-pitched roofs covered with clay tile, small porches and balconies, and other window details.

When I started my little research project, I was just focused on the architecture, but I realized that the architecture is completely entwined with the history and I learned so much about the beginning of the United States! Colonial style houses have withstood the test of time and continue to experience popularity all around the United States today. Renewed, yet still carrying our country’s history, the Colonial houses of today incorporate the same symmetrical and elegant facades with some modern ornamental additions that continue to please the current homeowners.  So even if your Colonial revival house was just built, it still has such a rich history and I’m glad that I took the time to research the architecture. I even shared some fun facts with my family and my son was even more excited about the houses he had seen!

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With so many benefits, it’s no wonder that many families are making the switch to more modestly sized abodes. However, it was important for us to remember the cost: less space!  As we discovered when we were cleaning out our old house, we have a lot of stuff! Over the years, things just started to accumulate and I know in the future we’re going to have to regularly do an inventory and get rid of the unnecessary junk in order to fit into our new place. And for me in particular, no more impulse buys because they simply won’t fit into your new place! I guess I’ll have to cut down on my shopping habit.

When we were deciding on a floor plan, we considered every room carefully and evaluated our needs. For the smaller home, an open floor plan with fewer interior walls opens up the available space and creates the illusion of even more room since pesky walls aren’t obstructing the view. High ceilings also open up the home for a relatively low cost and they help reduce feelings of claustrophobia and restriction. Additionally, certain rooms such as formal dining and living rooms have outlived their usefulness. Only utilized a handful of times a year, converting these outdated rooms into multipurpose spaces or offices is certainly a viable option. For us, our old dining room was only used when we had the family over for Thanksgiving and aside from that, the space just collected dust. Now, we are very pleased to have our own little hobby rooms where we can do our own things.

Doors are another feature to consider in a smaller home. With the limited supply of space, every little bit counts and installing pocket doors instead of hinge doors can free up an average of 10 square feet. We did this and we couldn’t be happier, that’s a lot of space that we can now put to good use!

Some more ways to create the impression of space that we included in our design were large windows and even a skylight. These windows filter in more natural light, which brightens and reinforces the feeling of spaciousness that we want in our small home.

Once we had figured out what elements we wanted on our floor plan, we needed to think about a very important matter: storage. Like I said earlier, when we were cleaning out our old house, we found so much stuff that we never even knew we had, let alone used! The possessions that we’d hardly ever laid eyes on were easy to get rid of, however as we came upon the little knick-knacks that were full of memories, our cleaning job got harder. We certainly didn’t throw away everything and we did retain many keepsakes, but it’s the way that we store those mementos in our new house that keep them from becoming clutter. Organization and creativity are key when it comes to putting everything in its place.

Once we were left with only what we couldn’t bear to part with, we considered storage options in the new place. Built-in shelves, for example, free up a lot of floor space and create a more open atmosphere. Also, hooks on walls, floor-to-ceiling shelving, and storage under the stairs and bed really help to clean up the disorder of everyday life. We decided on open shelving as opposed to closed cabinets because it creates, again, a more open atmosphere and the illusion of more space. And we didn’t forget to utilize our full vertical storage capacity! Oftentimes we neglect to fill up the available vertical space and just try to cram everything in at eye level or below. Now, even though we need to keep a footstool on hand, the added storage space is well worth it.

When we were deciding on colors for our walls, we got some very helpful tips: dark colors create a more intimate, enclosed feeling whereas the lighter hues open up the space. So, according to how we wanted to feel in a given room, we chose cozy, darker colors or fresh, lighter colors appropriately. For the most part, we designed our new home around a lighter color scheme because we really wanted an open, breezy feeling in our home. In creating an effective light color scheme however, it is especially important to choose very pale, soft paint colors for the walls and then use the furniture to create colored accents. But, we are sticking to plain colored furniture because it will keep the small rooms from looking cluttered by bold prints and patterns.

Once it’s time to decorate our home, we don’t want to waste space on flashy, useless decorations. Instead, we will keep the displayed knick-knacks to a minimum in order to reduce the visual clutter and give a more airy feel to our home. Without all of the odds and ends closing in on the visual field, we’ll be free to appreciate the items that are on display without feeling crowded out of our own home. Also, hanging mirrors on the walls will give the illusion of more space and provide an attractive wall embellishment at the same time.

Furnishing a small space can be both exciting and frustrating. Not everything that you see will fit well, so we have to remember to plan out the furniture. Instead of choosing a myriad of smaller furnishings, we picked out several larger pieces to create a focal point in the room and avoid the muddled, chaotic feel of the small furniture. Also, we were sure to consider the multipurpose potential of our new furniture. Things like ottomans and chests can double as storage or coffee tables respectively in our new home. Since we let our creativity reign and we will give our house a unique, yet functional décor that is perfect for living large in a small home!

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An exciting time for us every year is the time we spend planning our family vacation. This year we have been looking at various locations and places to stay that are near the water, mountains and wilderness. We want to rent a cabin or cottage style home design that is away from the city. While searching we found a secluded area and also a particular style of home that really sparked our interest. Come to find out it is called an A-Frame. Our planning session soon became a history lesson on how A-frames developed, where they are built and what makes them stand out among traditional framed homes.

Tee-pee shaped structures have been around since the beginning of time. But in 1957 Architect Andrew Geller took the old-fashioned shape and designed and built a house on a beach in Long Island, New York. The steep roofline began at the foundation on two sides and met at the top forming a letter “A” – After this the triangular-shaped style was called the A-frame. Gellar’s home was named the Reese House and was very widely publicized. It was featured in The New York Times and the style took off not only in the U.S., but around the world.

From about the mid-1950’s through ‘70’s the style became very popular. During this post-World War II era many Americans dreamed of building a vacation home with the disposable income they had. The A-frame fit their budget because it was inexpensive to build and also maintain. Many Americans were living in a traditional style home in the city and the new architectural style of the A-frame was considered creative and modern. For many it was the perfect vacation style they were looking for.

During this building boom Sir Waltar Lindal, who was in the Canadian Army, saw how easy it was to build and maintain the Traditional Swiss Chalet. Many had been built for housing camps and they had gone up easy and quickly. By the 1960’s Lindal Cedar Homes was formed and Sir Waltar transformed what he had learned and developed a kit for the typical A-frame style home.  His company began manufacturing construction kits for residential living for the mass market. This was a huge success and in 1966 the kit was featured on the cover of Popular Mechanics and the trend took off very rapidly.

During this era is when the A-frame’s distinctive characteristics were formed. Its triangular shape with dramatic sloping rooflines is great for areas that get a lot of snow. The front and rear gables have deep set eaves and usually feature many large windows that span from the floor to the ceiling. This combined with few vertical walls or obstructions create the perfect view from everywhere in the structure. A-frames are typically one and one half or two and one half stories tall. The first floor is open living space with one or two bedrooms and a bath and feature a partial floor plan at top. This top floor is commonly used as a sleeping loft, open office or storage. To get the full effect of the roof height the interior of the “A” is usually open to the peak with exposed rafters. The floor plan creates cozy living quarters with a connection to nature.

Now that the history lesson is over and we have booked our vacation the anticipation begins. The rental we choose is an A-frame that has a full wall of windows and a deck that overlooks a peaceful lake. For that added vacation feeling there is a huge stone fireplace that is centrally located in the peak. On our planning center wall is a photo of our vacation home. So when the busy days are running us ragged we can glance at the photo knowing that soon we will be able to kick back and relax in our classic vacation home, an A-frame!

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