How sound travels in a home if you are getting tile and hardwood floor. We should have researched more on soundproofing and acoustic materials.

There's an older thread that I think went on to a follow up on this very topic, called Small things that get forgotten. You might want to take a look.

Collfoster, did you install both? What would you have done instead? I've thought about that and the alternative I have seen is vinyl plank and tile. Suggested by the builder. Some are nice, but I'm still not convinced at this point.

sorry einajr, did not see your reply. Bottom line - no!! We asked for quiet rock insulation and rock wool in ceiling. The builder said we didn't need it and just put regular insulation in the walls and ceilings. It did not work at all!! I have spoken with several acoustic places that specialize in this type of work and we plan to add an extra sheet of drywall with green glue sandwiched between on all shared walls. We have added carpet to the stairs and thick curtains. That has helped some....but underlayments in between the subfloor and the quiet rock and rock wool would have been so much better. I encourage you to look at your options so your home will be comfortable if you have all hard flooring. I absolutely love our hardwood look tile - can not be damaged by dog/teen/kids - I have had many samples of the vinyl plank and was able to scratch them in a heartbeat - get yourself some samples and see for your self. Good luck on your home!!

At the planning stage, before architect finalizes the drawings make sure there is an HVAC plan in place. We didn't do this (mistakenly assumed architect would think this through) and now we have an ugly bulkhead running through our main rooms. :(

Good point, Michelle. We have an enormous cold air return right smack in the middle of a prominent wall. The extra bulkhead on the main floor almost looks like a feature - but not quite.

collfoster,

Why would you have needed both Rock Wool and Quiet Rock insulation. Why not just Quiet Rock alone?

What did you end up working out MIchelle about that bulkhead? I second Michelle's idea about getting an HVAC plan done. We found an HVAC designer (former installer now makes living only as a designer). We should have done that from the start, as we ran into troubles and had to back track and redo part of the HVAC -- $ that was wasted. The architect had done a very basic HVAC plan so we could get building permits, but it was not very useable in the end.

Carol

Concur with HVAC and all of the other electrical equipment that is on the OUTSIDE. So we have a screened porch and right next to it is the a/c unit and some pipes sticking out of the house that I really would prefer not to be looking at while I am enjoying the woods. I had no idea that is where they were going to be or I would have changed some things. So make sure you ask a lot of questions, it's hard to know what you don't know though. It was a huge learning curve. Wow.

I would say at the planning stage there are so many details it is overwhelming. I knew the things I didn't want to repeat but forgot to clue into the things that I DID like as far as what worked for door positioning, entry's into rooms, sound travel, where you have your bed. For example, I didn't realize how different a bedroom could sleep until we built. The room is a bit larger than before but it's laid out differently. The doors are not at the foot of the bed, they are on my side. It's taken long months to get used to that since if dh gets up he walks right by me to get to the bathroom. Maybe I'm an odd one but after sleeping in the same house for 15 years on the same side I have had quite the adjustment sleeping facing doors and doorways vs. a cozy quiet wall. Dh thinks I'm nuts but oy, waking up every night WILL make you nuts. :D

I would have taken more time to zero in to the details, be sure to go room by room and if something sticks out and you think - oh no big deal it will be fine that should be a warning that you should stop and really look at it because if it slightly bothers you on paper it could really bother you later even if it IS fine.

It will never be perfect, I don't think there is any such thing but it can be pretty darn good! Good luck!

Thank you. Do you have any recommendations of books or blogs or houzz lists to read that helps with the planning aspects that are important? For example, the hvac. Never thought of that. Thanks!

We are going to utilize columns and coffers in hope to make the bulkhead look more intentional. And I really hope that it helps. Right now it's awful.

I never would have allowed them to build that bulkhead.

Rmverb, we had no choice. There were no other options. Yes, it pisses me off, but what do we do?

Annie, That's perhaps the best thread on this whole site. In the spirit of that thread, I'll recommend a book: Better Houses, Better Living by a Mr. Ferguson. I may not have that name exactly right, but it's well worth your time. The man who wrote it spent a career working examining houses, and he really knows what makes a house work. His writing could be better -- for example, his organization could use some work; he keeps coming back to his favorite topics over and over. Still, trust, me, you won't regret reading this.

As for HVAC, I have a suspision as to why this is a problem: Great rooms are all the rage now ... and that means fewer hallways. My house has its air return in the hallway, as did the house we lived in before this, and my mother's house ... but without some hallways, that air return may well pop up in a more visible place!

Regardless, I appreciate warnings, and I have added a note to my already-copious files ... a note to question the locations of my HVAC workings!

Michelle, I agree that I don't like your bulkhead ... but I do like to be warm and cold, so I agree that you had no choice! I suspect that once the house is finished, you'll not not notice it.

mrs. pete - mmhmm, my air returns are in the arches flanking the fireplace because there wasn't another wall to use. There aren't any (open plan, bleh). Not the cozy picture I had in my minds eye by any stretch. I painted them to match the wall but they are still very there. Ah well, one of several things that were not foreseen. I have that bulk head that Michelle has but it's only in the kitchen and it is sort of not visible because of the cabinets. We have one large beam that spans the house that is holding up the second floor. I guess that is more important. ;) But I still don't like it, I don't loathe it anymore now though so there is hope Michelle!

Michelle, I think it looks tons better now that the bulkhead is drywalled over (compared to the open beam pic your posted in another thread). I too think you will notice it less as time goes on. On the subject of HVAC, we ended up using a high velocity air conditioning system. The ducts for this system are generally only 4 inches so they fit inside our i-joists. We did have one round 6 inch duct for the system, but it also fit inside the i-joist. This system heats and cools. However, our heating (when and if we are ever done this build) will be in-floor heat.

My favourite book for not forgetting important details is called The Difference is in the Details. It is an ebook that can be downloaded from her site. Take a look. I think the book was well worth the price and better than many we bought.

Book: Difference is in the details

Carol

ontariomom, we wanted the rock wool insulation for in between the floors and the quiet rock sheetrock for the walls.

Jdez- lol, that's the truth. Michelle- I look at that bulkhead as an art gallery... we almost had one in a tiny bedroom upstairs. I knocked out hvac space in the "secret" room instead.

I think I would have installed phantom screens on my most used patio doors. The breezes we get being up high off the lake are very nice but the bugs aren't.

Hi musicgal. I think they have some after market phantom screens out there. Dont know about quality tho.

Thank you all so much. Annie, that was extremely helpful!

Speaking of the garage....INSULATE IT. I wish I had done that at the time. I have an airplane hangar and garage roughly adjacent to each other in my house. It took me a while to realize why the hangar was always more comfortable than the garage (the hangar has heat but no AC, the garage neither). It then occurred to me because the hangar was heated, we'd insulated it and didn't bother with the garage.