ModusModern

A Few Found Objects

2011-11-03T06:54:00.000-04:00

Had these photos I took sometime during December of last year and thought I would post them with a few comments. All of these items were basically free.

The first is an Eames knock-off that I found on the curb near my house. Not in bad condition - the shell doesn't have any tears or bad scrapes. The legs are a little rusty but I think this chair has spent the last few years outside. We've had it a while - it lives near the sliding-glass door that enters the house from the carport.

Slightly to the left of the chair is the doorway and the original doorbell. I'm not sure if I ever took a photo of it so thought I would post. When we moved into the house the doorbell was painted a matching Kelly green with the trim. It took a bit of scraping to get the original pot metal to show through - I also found an inexpensive doorbell switch to replace what was in there so the button is a new replacement.

I think it's fairly unusual but definitely vintage and probably the original doorbell for the house.

Finally, while rooting around in the basement I found the Howard Miller clock - the balls and stems have been hand-painted the hideous blue and the cord needs replacement. The hands are also a little beat-up but I think this clock is entirely restore-able (another project - yeah I know). I'm not sure what the original color of the balls were - welcome to some recommendations?

It's currently living to the right of the fireplace but will probably get moved. Anyway, that's all for now.

-- John

MODA Exhibit - Passione Italiana - Design of the Italian Motorcycle

2011-10-06T07:07:00.001-04:00

Earlier this year I hit an exhibit at MODA (the Museum of Design Atlanta) - this was in conjunction with a Yelp event.

First a couple of words on each - MODA was formerly the Atlanta International Museum and was located in the Suntrust Towers next to the Marriott Hotel downtown - it occupied two floors with offices and an exhibit hall on one floor and about the same space on another floor. I know a bit about it since I worked on two exhibits there: "Pop Goes the Plastic" (with my now-neighbor John Stephens) and "The Art of the Ndebele" (an exquisite show displaying this South African tribes' Mondrian-ish artistic forms and handmade articles). The last exhibit I saw at the old location featured the design work of Marcel Breuer including furniture pieces and some architectural renderings (plus a model!) - great stuff and of international quality. The new location is right across the street from the High Museum of Art on Peachtree Rd, so if you have time to visit both I would recommend it.

View from street level of the High Museum

As you walk up to the new building you get a great view of Midtown and the wonderful Calder mobile in front of the High Museum. MODA occupies the ground floor and seeing this great, little known museum. I love the new space - it's high ceilings and length allow for much larger exhibits than before - the old location used to have to break things up due to being on two floors - now a thing of the past and vastly improved.

The event I went to was held on April 17th by Yelp - if you haven't looked at Yelp yet you should - or you may have and not realized it. Yelp is responsible for much of the localized restaurant review content you see when doing web searches. Basically anyone can go into Yelp and view reviews on just about any restaurant, and many other venues such as retail stores and events. If you register you can post new reviews and let the world know how you feel about a place or experience. Of course many who post are trolls or shills (trolls disparage anything in general - they usually have only one or at most a handful of reviews and you can usually filter them out; shills are paid to either disparage the competition or write "fake" reviews about an establishment - like trolls they usually have very few reviews and they may have recommendations for another establishment - you should also filter those out). As many of you know, I used to be in the restaurant industry so I tend to write reviews of my various "foodie" experiences. Unless a restaurant visit is exceptionally bad or good, I will try a place a couple of times before reviewing (in case my first visit was a fluke - it happens). If you write a lot of reviews you're asked to join the "Yelp Elite" and you get invited to events - like this occasion at MODA - where you can sample things in a private setting among other Yelp members. Besides being in an exceptional venue, there was food to sample provided by local establishments, plus drinks (this night a Martini and Rossi mix that was actually quite good and something I wouldn't normally order). These events are hosted by Kathleen who is the local Yelp mistress/diva.

Enough already about the venue and Yelp - let's talk about the exhibit "Passione Italiana - Design of the Italian Motorcycle." I've always been a fan of older motorcycles - especially Nortons and Triumphs, so it's not wonder I'd be interested in this exhibit. These were bikes raced by Ducati, some in really amazing condition. The photos I took reflect my interest - I don't think I took photos of every bike that was there, preferring to concentrate on the classic bikes (actually the event was so well attended it was difficult to get shots of most of the bikes without a bunch of people standing in the way). Anyway, I'll let the photos do the talking.

Sorry that the photos meander a bit - I did one photo pass then came back once some of the attendees started to leave (you know, when the food and drinks are gone!). My favorite bikes were the 1959 Ducati 200 Supersport and the 1964 Agusta 500cc Grand Prix. I also got into the industrial design of some of the motor and suspension parts (why there are close ups of those).

-- John

The Allure of the Automobile Exhibit at the High Part 18, the 1953 Porsche 550 Prototype

2011-09-30T07:09:00.001-04:00

1953 Porsche 550 Prototype

This was the first of the racing prototypes built by Porsche that are usually attributed to their sports car market success. This example is the first of two 550 prototypes built and raced (and apparently the only one to survive) - after a year of development starting in 1952, and winning its initial outing in 1953. Most photos you'll see of the 550 are of the spider configuration (this car actually has a removable hardtop - seems they were raced with or without).

In 1953 the two Porsche 550 Prototypes 550-01 and 550-02 ran for the entire 24 hours of Le Mans exchanging intervals but otherwise running nearly side-by-side, crossing the finish line at basically the same interval from which they started the race. The win was awarded by Le Mans scoring officials to 550-02. The end of the season brought the cars to Mexico where they raced in the 1954 La Carrera Panamericana (the paint and sponsorship reflects that latter period). After that, the cars disappeared with only the original 550-01 appearing in later years in a Mexican warehouse.

I love the lines of this car - you'll often find the 550 as a kit with fiberglass panels - here you'll see the original that started it all. The top speed was 125 MPH with both cars clocked near the limit during practice sessions at Le Mans.

Well that's it for the exhibit - glad you've made the journey with me - I was beginning to think I wouldn't ever finish it. Cindi, in this last photo from the museum (odd "log" bench near the coat check) is certainly glad I'm done!

-- Best, John

The Allure of the Automobile Exhibit at the High Part 17, the Ferrari 250 GT Comp Berlinetta

2011-09-19T06:27:00.000-04:00

1961 Ferrari 250 GT Comp./ 61 Short-wheelbase Berlinetta

In the world of automotive racing the Ferrari 250 GT (Gran Turismo) exceeded expections. In an effort to improve handling Enzo Ferrari turned to Pininfarina to design a short wheel-base version which resulted in the 1961 250 GT Comp./ 61 Short-wheelbase Berlinetta (quite a mouthful!). Quite the beauty - sorry about the lack of photos. The High had this one tucked away into a room where I could only get shots from the front. I tried the "wide swing" to get an angle shot and it was just too blurry.

Next up the last car (at last!): 1953 Porsche 550 Prototype

The Allure of the Automobile Exhibit at the High Part 16, the 1959 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray

2011-08-24T06:35:00.000-04:00

1959 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray

This was one of my favorite cars in the show - the iconic Corvette Sting Ray concept car. This convertible boasts a 327-cubic-inch (5.4 L), fuel-injected V-8 of 375 hp (280 kW), and was built on a 1957 Corvette SS chassis (the SS was built as a Le Mans contender but the AMA banned manufacturer-sponsored racing so it was used as a test-bed only). Many of the features of the '59 influenced the '63 model. It was also a technical test bed for several features, including the four-speed manual tranny, the de Deon rear suspension and use of aluminum. This car is simply stunning!

Next up, the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT Comp./ 61 Short-wheelbase Berlinetta

-- John

The Allure of the Automobile Exhibit at the High Part 15, the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham

2011-08-13T07:20:00.000-04:00

1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham

I can't believe that the '57 Brougham actually made it into production, but at $13,074 — twice the price of any other 1957 Eldorado and slightly more than the Rolls-Royce "Silver Cloud" model of the same year, my thought is that there probably weren't very many made. The most outstanding feature to me is the brushed stainless-steel roof - move over John Delorean! This four-door hardtop also came with rear-hinged rear doors, an air suspension, probably the first ever power seats and just about every feature that GM offered at the time - it even had small bottles of perfume. I also love the bits of chrome used throughout and the slightly understated fin (if you're familiar with later years you'll know what I mean!).

Next up, the 1959 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray.

-- John

The Allure of the Automobile Exhibit at the High Part 14, the Tucker Model 48 Torpedo

2011-08-08T07:00:00.002-04:00

1948 Tucker Model 48 Torpedo

Looking more appropriate on the set of "Mad Men" than as part of this group of Modernist Automobiles, we continue with another US manufacturer in this entry, the Tucker Model 48 Torpedo. To be honest, I knew very little about this car and history before watching the Jeff Bridges movie "Tucker: The Man and His Dream" released in the late 80s - a fantastic movie by the way and well worth watching. But then again, any movie that also has Martin Landau playing a role is worth watching, right? In any case watch the movie if you want to learn more about this really special car, that had many feature innovations that we totally take for granted today only 30-40 years before the rest of the automotive world caught up to make them commonplace. My apologies for the lack of a whole body shot - the way this car was tucked (pun intended) against the wall prevented me from getting one, especially with the crowds of people.

Next up, the 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham.

-- John

The Allure of the Automobile Exhibit at the High Part 13, the Dodge Fire Arrow III

2011-07-27T07:05:00.001-04:00

1953 Dodge Fire Arrow III

We finally start getting into some automotive designs by US manufacturers with the Dodge Fire Arrow III. Dodge looked to the Turin, Italy-based firm of Ghia who utilized designs by stylist Luigi Segre for this modernist masterpiece. Powered by a Hemi V8 the Fire Arrow had plenty of steam to impress even the most jaded automotive expert. I'd love to have this as a weekend car for tooling around Atlanta in typical Mad Men style - me wearing the thin lapeled black suite and skinny tie...

Next up, the 1948 Tucker Model 48 Torpedo

The Allure of the Automobile Exhibit at the High Part 12, the Jaguar XK-SS Roadster

2011-07-21T07:13:00.002-04:00

1957 Jaguar XK-SS Roadster

I've always had something of a soft-heart for Jaguars - one of my dream cars is an early model E-Type roadster and at one point I owned and restored a Jaguar MK2S (long gone now but not forgotten). In any case the XK-SS sort of heralded the modern Jag's appearance along with the D-Type (precursor to the E-Type) - this example was really stunning. I wish I had gotten better images but most came out too blurred to publish (and my apologies for the inferior images I've posted here - they really don't provide justice to this fine lady).

Next up, the 1953 Dodge Fire Arrow III.

-- John

The Allure of the Automobile Exhibit at the High Part 11, the Mercedes-Benz 300SLR

2011-07-14T08:47:00.002-04:00

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SLR

One of nine SLR roadsters designed by Rudolph Uhlenhaut, the MB 300 SLR was created to compete in the World Sports Car Championship and won it handily in 1955. Sadly Daimler-Benz decided to withdraw completely from racing the following year after a 300 SLR crashed in the 1955 LeMans 24-Hour race, killing eighty spectators.

This is the first roadster version of the famous 300 SLR gull-wing coup I've ever seen - the coup is often listed in the coveted "Dream Car" category and yes, the doors are cool - however to me the roadster has the streamline modern lines that pull it away from the pack - what a beauty! I had the privilege of doing some body-work on a 190SLR - there's very little comparison to that more common model.

Next up, the 1957 Jaguar XK-SS Roadster

-- John

The Allure of the Automobile Exhibit at the High Part 10, the Aston Martin Zagato

2011-07-06T08:38:00.000-04:00

1961 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato

Designed via a partnership between Aston Martin owner John Wyer and Italian coach builder Gianni Zagato, the DB4GT was intended for competition, as revealed through this stunning design by Ercole Spada. It's evident that the design mimics Ferrari's successful 250 GT Berlinetta - this example as been "dressed up" with bumpers and some additional chrome. Of the nineteen built, only six were left-hand drive.

If the car looks a bit familiar, it's younger brother the DB5 was made famous in Ian Flemming's Thunderball with Sean Connery at the wheel (and behind the switches for all the gadgetry).

Next up, the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SLR

-- John

The Allure of the Automobile Exhibit at the High Part 9, Porsche Type 64

2011-06-30T10:48:00.001-04:00

1938-1939 Porsche Type 64
This is a rather unusual specimen for an exhibit - it's actually a recreation of the Type 64 chassis, based on plans of what's thought of as the first Porsche, the VW Aerocoupe. Sort of the missing-link between the VW (the Type 60) and the later Porsche 356, the body design was made by Porsche Büro after wind tunnel tests for a race car that was never built. Only three Type 64s were made, hand-shaped in aluminum by the bodywork company Reutter - only one survived the war. I consider this model to be a prime example of both industrial and streamline design in automobile manufacturing. If you squint a bit you can see the VW origin (squash a VW a bit and narrow the drivers compartment, then smooth out and extend the fenders and you're there). I like the way they have it displayed - seems to be floating in mid air (reminds you of Earth vs the Saucer Men).

Tough taking photos of the chassis - the High had it tucked into a corner so there was only about 20 feet along one edge where I could find a vantage point.

Next up, the 1961 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato

The Allure of the Automobile Exhibit at the High Part 8, the Bugatti Atalante

2011-06-24T09:57:00.000-04:00

1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante

This is pretty much awesomeness, personified and a very strong offering by Bugatti. Jean Bugatti designed the Atlante as a production Grand Tourer on the Type 57 chassis. This is one of about forty built before World War II which halted all production. This example was restored in 1996 to its original color scheme, placing second in its class at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in that year.

The placard notes: "Ettore Bugatti was a mildly eccentric and utterly brilliant Italian engineer who, from 1911 to 1939, built automobiles of uncompromising elegance and sporting competence. Bugatti's cars were expensive, temperamental, technically complex, and - in the case of this example - hauntingly beautiful."

My favorite bits on this beautiful car are the heavily distended front fenders, the rounded rear and the utterly awesome tail-pipes - we should all have 6 come out back there...

Next up, the 1938-1939 Porsche Type 64

-- John

The Allure of the Automobile Exhibit at the High Part 7, the Delage D8-120s

2011-06-21T11:02:00.000-04:00

1937 Delage D8-120S

French automaker Delage used Parisian coachbuilder Marcel Purtout and stylist Georges Paulin to create this fluid, streamlined masterpiece, the D8-120S. This was one of the first automobiles to be first tested using a scale model in a wind tunnel, now a common practice but unheard of in the 30s. My favorite features are the teardrop-shaped fenders, steel artillery-spoked wheels and lack of bumpers and parking lights. And we're once again treated to the Batmobile-invoking rear.

Next up, the 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante

-- John

The Allure of the Automobile Exhibit at the High Part 6, the Xenia

2011-06-15T09:17:00.001-04:00

1937 Dubonnet Hispano-Suiza H-6C "Xenia."

There's a lot to like about this Dubonnet creation - the epitome of avant-garde streamline, the graceful curves and airplane fuselage-inspired tail lend itself well to being copied by current manufacturers' attempts at a concept car. I particularly like the sliding doors which I believe was a unique feature for the time. I first saw the rear of this beautiful creation as I turned the demising wall at the High (behind the "showcase" car) - it really just knocked my socks off.

Next up, 1937 Delage D8-120S

-- John

The Allure of the Automobile Exhibit at the High Part 5, the Alfa Romeo 8C2900B Touring Berlinetta

2011-06-09T12:10:00.001-04:00

1938 Alfa Romeo 8C2900B Touring Berlinetta

Another beautiful Italian designed automobile, the Alfa Romeo 8C2900B Touring Berlinetta was one of the most sophisticated, technically advanced sports cars of its era, rivaling even Bugatti with its elegant blend of advanced styling and engineering (paraphrased from the gallery placard).

I thoroughly love the Batman-like styling and modernist sweeping curves - check out those hood lines and louvers on the sides, not to mention the fabulous oval grill. The rear wheel-covers are out-of-this world! And it has to be one of the most beautiful sedans from the rear.

Next up, the 1937 Dubonnet Hispano-Suiza H-6C "Xenia."

-- John

The Allure of the Automobile Exhibit at the High Part 4, the MB 540K

2011-06-07T08:45:00.003-04:00

1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special-Roadster

Built by Mercedes-Benz from 1935 to 1940, the 540K Special0Roadster the Friedrich Geiger designed car was a development to the 500K, itself a development of the SSK.

This is really a spectacular example in pristine condition. According to Wikipedia they only produced 58 of these as roadsters, so this is indeed one of the rarest cars. I love the long lines, sweeping finders, chrome accents and exposed side-exhaust piping. I also love the lines of the rear bumper - they just don't make anything as elegant...

Next up: 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C2900B Touring Berlinetta

The Allure of the Automobile Exhibit at the High Part 3, the Packard LeBaron Speedster

2010-12-22T09:19:00.006-05:00

The next installment to the Auto Exhibit at the High...

1934 Packard LeBaron Runabout Speedster

One of 4 build Roundabouts built (of 960 total built V12s mostly coups) - I love the "suicide" doors and pontoon fenders. This car was indeed a thing of rare beauty. Can you imagine tooling around with the top down and visiting all the clubs? I took a lot of photos so bear with me...(some are a little blurred - lots of elbows to joggle the camera).

Next up, the 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special-Roadster....

The Allure of the Automobile Exhibit at the High Part 2, the Pierce-Arrow Silver Arrow

2010-11-21T09:45:00.001-05:00

Continuing my visit to the High Museum

1933 Pierce-Arrow Silver Arrow

The next car we saw was this Pierce-Arrow - I loved all the red detailing - the wheels, stripes, etc. You can sort of see the bicycle manufacturing heritage of the original founding George Pierce. As one of only three survivors of this model, it was indeed a treat to view it in-person. Notice the beautiful woods used in the interior - makes the woodworker in me giddy...

Next up, 1934 Packard LeBaron Runabout Speedster

The Allure of the Automobile Exhibit at the High Part 1, the Duesenberg JN

2010-08-14T19:56:00.001-04:00

I had the opportunity to visit the High Museum in Atlanta while "The Allure of the Automobile" was exhibiting. If you know me personally, you'll also know that besides modernism I have a fondness borderline-ing obsession with classic automobiles. This exhibit brought both of my interests together and resulted in my taking a rather excessive number of photos, which I'll feature as separate articles in my ModusModern blog.

From the High Museum of Art pamphlet:

The Allure of the Automobile

March 21 - Jun 20, 2010

Built from the 1930s to the mid-1960s, the eighteen rare and limited-edition cars in this exhibition represent the best of the best - luxurious, one-of-a-kind designs from legendary car makers such as Alfa Romeo, Bugatti, Cadillac, Duesenberg, Ferrari, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Packard, Porsche, and Tucker. Former owners of some of these award-winning autos include Hollywood legends Clark Gable and Steve McQueen.

I attended the exhibit on 2010.06.20 - it had been extended by a week or so. The exhibit was quite crowded so it was very challenging to get photos of everything I would have liked (counting back through my photos I seem to have missed on car) - I hardly got any photos of some cars like the Tucker 48. I took many photos of others as I had more opportunity to get unobstructed views. You'll find that I have an afinity for certain details and the justaposition of shapes - there are several close-ups. I also tried to take images of the display plackards but the glare from the lighting made it difficult - I don't believe most can be read (I've included those that are nearly legible). Enjoy!

1935 Duesenberg JN Roadster

Walking into the main hall the first automobile you see is the 1935 Duesenberg JN Roadster. I believe this is the car mentioned in exhibit literature that was a gift to Clark Gable from his wife Carole Lombard. I took many photos of this car as it is quite beautiful. There's also a YouTube video I found and added at the end of artist Alan Johnson who applied pin-striping during the restoration.

Next up: 1933 Pierce Arrow Silver Arrow

-- John

Robert Green's Gould House

2010-05-14T19:35:00.002-04:00

I was contacted sometime in February 2010 regarding the upcoming sale of a Robert Green property. The email was from the listing agent, who provided a couple of images but not much else in detail. Using the images I determined that the home was the Gould House, and from my copy of the RG website (http://www.modusmodern.com/RobertGreen) deduced the location by back-tracking the hint regarding its location on Lake Phoebe (I had to do a bit of sleuthing as the lake is only known as Lake Phoebe by the residents, it's actually now known as Silverlake). Using the floor-plan and images I looked at homes around the lake via aerial photos on Google Maps. A couple of weeks later my guess was confirmed. The home is one of the most well-maintained examples of an RG structure I've seen to date - probably because the family it was built for owned and lived in the residence until recently.

I have some images up from the original RG website here:

http://www.modusmodern.com/robertgreen/gould.asp

Note the intentional resemblance in the floor-plan to the well-documented Hanna House in Palo Alto, done by the master himself. When we first pulled up to the drive I knew we were in for a treat - the roofline from the road, the natural stone, and great fireplace all provided hints of a wonderful structure. I took a few moments looking around the empty house before entering, as evidenced by the photographs in my flickr gallery.

The entryway was simply wonderful, with a custom-made door that was heavier than it first appeared. The short foyer opens into a hallway to the right (where the baths and bedrooms are) and a kitchen to the left - ahead lies the large living room. The home is similar to the Arrow Head House in many ways, only with the living room more centralized. The entire back of the house is glass and provides a magnificant view of the lake below. I spent some time taking photos, probably more than many of you will ever want to see, but I wanted to take the opportunity to document the house through photos as I wasn't sure if there would ever be another chance.

The bedrooms and bathrooms, with the exception of the master, are small, featuring built-in dressers (the drawers are often built as parallelograms to match the angles of the walls. The beds and nightstands for the most part are also built-in. The spaces all take as much advantage of the view as possible by providing floor-to-ceiling windows and utilizing the remaining space as efficiently as possible. The master has an additional private room with balcony which is overlooked by the bed, which is surrounded by built-in shelves. There are many areas providing natural light both in the walls and ceiling via skylights.

The living area is one of the best I've seen by Green, slightly sunk-in with a two-sided fireplace that comes to an acute point (the other side services an angular seating room). Built-in cabinets cascade down a short flight of stairs to a small end-table. There's provision for television sets, stereo and speakers, all built-in.

The kitchen is expansive, running around the outside of the angular seating room - it features an amazing amount of counter space and what appears to be all original appliances. The floors throughout are the red-stained concrete in triangular motif or carpet. All I can say is, what a fantastic home. Please visit my gallery to look at all the photos - I don't think you'll be disappointed.

For my previous Robert Green posts, follow this link or click Robert Green in my Tag Cloud to the right:

http://modusmodern.blogspot.com/search/label/Robert%20Green

-- John

Restoring Metal Carport Posts

2010-01-28T12:22:00.004-05:00

I recently was tasked with replacing two metal carport posts and thought I'd share the experience. While at first this might seem a bit daunting, I think you'll find as you read that it's not as bad as it sounds. Most of the homes in our Northcrest neighborhood have metal posts supporting the 4" x 8" douglas fir support beams that are exposed in the carport and the front patio (if the home has one). This was a very common building practice by P&H Home Builders and is the norm for all the tri-level modern homes in this neighborhood, and those homes built by P&H in Northwoods and other local communities. Howard Hardrath's brother, Buddy, continued with this practice in his version of the P&H Split in Lilburn, Stone Mountain and other areas. It was also used by very many other modern builders in the area, although the pipe diameter may vary a bit.

Let's talk a bit about the construction. These posts are mostly made of 2 1/2" diameter steel pipe welded to a 1/4" thick metal plate with dimensions of about 3" x 6", offset (meaning the pipe is welded to one end of a rectangle). I've found the plate to vary a bit in length, with a minimum of about 5" and getting up to about 5 1/2" at a maximum - the plate always has four holes drilled at the corners where nails were pounded into the beam above for stability. The pipe used provided almost 1/2" of additional diameter provided a total diameter of around 3" (metal pipe is measured by the inside diameter so in order to get 3" on the outside, you buy 2 1/2" pipe, which has a wall thickness of slightly less than 1/4" providing the total diameter). What I find interesting is that almost all of the original posts in the neighborhood only have a plate and are attached at the top - the bottom is the open pipe, usually sitting flat on the concrete pad or brick wall below. I'm not sure if you can get away with this method in modern construction - seems non-code to me. I think this method was used for a practical reason, rather than as a cost-savings one - as the home expands and contracts with weather, there's some movement in the wood - by "floating" the bottom post it's possible to allow for this movement - however this is conjecture on my part. Some of the posts I've seen also have a bottom plate, but strangely they aren't attached either (no nails, lags, etc) so that's not really a clue.

In any case, as with any metal and especially metal that touches concrete, over time and with repeated exposure to weather produced rain water, the bottoms frequently "rot out" - usually it's the posts closest to one end of the building's side or front. With this home it was the two to the outside of the carport, which would have the most access to rain. Normally a little pitting or rust can just be treated - but these posts each had quite a bit of rotting - one was actually hanging from the beam above and both could easily be moved around by kicking around the bottom. (as an aside, if you want to just treat the posts a bit of sanding or grinding of any rust, body filler if there's only some slight pitting, and a bit of good metal primer and paint will go a long way to preserving what's there).

My first task was to determine the width - I initially did this with a good tri-square ruler to determine the general diameter - I later confirmed using an outside-caliper - these posts were just slightly under 3." The next task was to source the goods - there are many good steel fabricators around the area - I got a list of three that were north of here from a friend who used to build homes in Forsyth and Cherokee County. I decided to go with a local shop near Tucker, Dekalb Steel.

You'll need to determine the actual length of the post (make sure you include the plate thickness) by measuring the actual distance from the beam to the floor (concrete or brick) - this can be off by a bit if you think the beam has sagged with the deterioration of the post - just make sure you go over-sized and not under-sized! It's also good to provide a small sketch of the construction for the plate - I did this by going into SketchUp and producing a nice 3-D rendering, and then making a jpg image to fax to Dekalb Steel. By doing this and showing the location of the drill holes, you'll get something closer to what you're asking for - welders produce good results when giving good images and instructions.

It can take anywhere for a couple of days to about a week to turn around the fabrication. If you have access to a good metal shop you could do the task yourself - just make sure you can get a good 90 degree cut on the ends so they're "square" - this typically takes a metal bandsaw. Drill the end plate before welding so you can use a drill-press. Unless you specify otherwise, the post will come "raw" - complete with surface rust and any marks used by the handlers - you can have them paint it but it'll cost more and they usually just spray some paint on it, meaning that there's not much effort involved in doing the prep before painting so you may get mixed results (sometimes the rust and/or clay or wax scrawl on the metal bleeds through - other times the paint may flake off as there may be some oily or waxy residue on the metal). I chose to get the post bare and do the prep myself. The prep involved a light sanding followed by two coats of metal primer. It was about 16 degrees outside when I started the install so I spent a day doing the sanding and priming the posts on saw-horses, to give the primer a chance to set up. This was done in the sun so that helped harden up the paint. Usually it's too cold to do this type of work but I've found primer to be an exception to the "too cold" rule - later I'll relate how I got the black paint to dry in this type of cold.

The next step is to remove the old posts and replace with the primered new. To do so there are various methods, but as I had an extra screw-type jack-post I decided to use it. I nailed a short tubafor to the bean near the first post - with a bit of the nail-heads left proud of the surface for easy later removal. Next the post was adjusted so there was plenty of threading left to lift the head of the post (the head is a plate that can be screwed to the tubafor to help keep it from slipping off) - there's a flat threaded collar that can wrenched on, which drives the threaded part of the post up or down, lifting whatever weight is above it. I wrenched up until the old post easily cleared the concrete below - about a half inch. I then measured, cut and placed a forbafor post next to the jack - this was a little added insurance as I don't completely trust the post - probably not necessary but I wanted a bit extra for piece of mind.

Prying the old post off was relatively easy, as was attaching the new post. You'll want to use along level to make sure the post is plumb, holding it in place as you turn the jack screw the opposite direction to bring the beam/roof down. Before taking everything apart, check for plumb again and make any adjustments if you need to. I then repeated for the second post (this one involved the removal and later reattachment of a gutter).

The final steps were to float some concrete along the bottom (there was a depression in the existing concrete where the old posts had "drilled" into the substrate below) and paint the post. I waited until it was a bit warmer to do both of these, as concrete does not set up well in freezing temperatures. I used an oil-based enamel Rustoleum product in gloss black - being the closest color to the existing posts. Because of the cold I added a cap-full of Japan dryer to the paint in a paper cup. Japan dryer is a mix of chemicals (mostly naptha) that accelerates the evaporation of the paint's solvents - in this case the paint was dry to the touch in about an hour and completely hard in a day or two. The hazard of painting oil paints in cold weather is that they just wont harden - there isn't enough temperature for the solvents to evaporate so they remain tacky. Using the dryer is an old painter's trick - just make sure you mix enough to do the whole project and throw out any remaining in the mixing cup instead of pouring it back into the can. A little clean up and I was done.

-- John

Installing Whole House Surge Suppression

2010-01-01T11:49:00.003-05:00

I recently installed a whole house surge suppressor in my electrical panel and thought I would relate the experience. In all it wasn't a difficult install, however it involved some planning, especially to determine how I would make room in an already crowded panel. As with anything that is involved with electricity this is one install where I'd recommend a certified electrician if you're not confident of doing the work yourself.

Why Surge Suppression?
Surge suppressors, also called surge protectors, stop voltage spikes from harming your electronic appliances in the home. One type connects to the main electric panel off a circuit breaker or directly between the meter and panel, while the more common type are point-of-use surge protectors for electronics such as computers, telephones, printers, etc. You often see the latter integrated into office-style strip outlets or better yet, back up battery devices (like those made by APC). We have several of these that our computer systems and TV/Stereo systems plug into - a few years ago a broken electrical pole next to the house sent a spike through the cable system frying the cables and knocking out the suppressor on the TV - since we were out of town when it happened all the computers, modems, etc were off so they weren't affected. The suppressor on the TV/Stereo protected all those components as the cable fed into it, saving us a bit of money in replacement costs (or at least the deductible on an insurance claim). Not to mention the threat of a fire - having suppressors just makes good sense.

Electrical disruptions in power are real and they are becoming more of a threat to electronic equipment regardless of whether or not you live in a new home and constant fluctuations happen all the time in my neighborhood. A voltage surge or spike caused by a blown transformer (which happened just a few days ago on my street), downed power lines (ditto last year), lightning, electric power grid switching, etc. are all examples of what can happen to affect your home's systems and appliances. Additionally, over 50 percent of the power surges your electronic equipment will experience are created within your own home when appliances with large motors (air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, compressors, etc.) turn on and off. What's more, most electronic devices manufactured today contains micro-processing chips that are sensitive to voltage spikes - even your light bulbs are affected. If your light bulbs seem to wear out quickly then you're probably already experiencing fluctuations that the whole house suppressor can help smooth-out. You need surge protection and lots of it if you want to protect everything connected to your house grid.

The focus of this post is a whole house surge suppressor (I'm hoping most of you already have the type that connects between your more expensive equipment and the outlet). These devices are designed to stop harmful surges and spikes before they can travel towards the electronic equipment in your home. They are not DIY friendly so my recommendation is for a professional, licensed electrician to install a whole house suppressor. A good electrician can complete the task in less than one half hour in most cases and the suppressors are affordable as there are several in the $200 range (figure in about an hour of an electrician's time and you'll see it's not out-of-reach). When calling around you may want to note what type of panel you have (it's usually marked on the panel or you may be able to find a manufacturer on a breaker) as it could reduce the costs of the unit - there are some that install directly in the panel where the first couple of breakers sit in the box.

My Electrical Panel
In my case our home has a 150 amp Cutler Hammer panel with corresponding breakers. I mention that as it's unusual in Northcrest to have 150 AMPS and an original panel from 1964 (when the house was built) - most homes on my street built around the same time have 80 amp fuse boxes or have at some point been upgraded to a 100 amp panel. Apparently the original homeowner of my house sprung for the additional costs - this is both a boon (as the larger panel makes changing things more flexible) and a curse (Cutler Hammer breakers are a great deal more expensive than other manufacturers for some reason, so it can be difficult locating what is needed, especially at a reasonable price). I went through all this last year when I started building out a workshop in the basement - first adding a 100 amp sub-panel dedicated to the equipment, and then finding tandem breakers (those are breakers that make two switches available in the same slot as one - allowing me to move circuits down to make room for the larger, two-pole breakers necessary to power the sub-panel). Once again I needed to move things around to make room for the 30 amp two-pole breaker needed to power the surge suppressor. While in the panel I freed up the first two slots for the breaker required for the suppressor, which hangs off the side of the panel. Finding two tandem breakers wasn't difficult - but at $25 each rather expensive. I found a seller on eBay that had four new tandem breakers for $25 shipped - much more reasonable (as a comparison a single comparable SquareD tandem breaker is $7 at Home Depot).

Choosing a Surge Suppression Unit
There are a variety of units available but in general there are a few things you need to look for:

Joule ratings of 1,900 or greater - Suppressors work the way they do through the use of sacrificial metal oxide varistors (MOVs). Small surges that enter your home over time slowly destroy the MOVs. A large surge can cause instantaneous destruction of all of the MOVs in an instant (you want the MOVs to take the load instead of your appliances and components). The MOVs ability to block surges is measured in joules (how electricity is measured, also called a Newton-Meter). Purchase a surge suppressor that has a high joule rating - 1,900 or more if possible.
Clamping voltage is the next thing to consider - This rating tells you when the surge suppressor will react to a surge. High quality suppressors have low clamping voltages - the suppressor should have a clamping voltage of 330 volts or less. The package will have a Underwriters Laboratory (UL) UL-1449 voltage rating - this is the true measure of clamping voltage.
Warning Lights - Because surge suppressors wear out (due to the MOVs being constantly worked), look for a unit that has lights and/or audible alarms that tell you when the MOVs have worn out. Both the whole house and point-of-use surge suppressors are available with this feature.
Replacement Warranties - Look for suppressors that come with connected equipment and total replacement warranties. Numerous manufacturers will send you a free replacement suppressor when and if yours fails - so the initial cost of the unit pays for itself the first time it fails (provided it happens during the warranty period - most warranty for 5 years or so) - some will pay up to $100 towards the electrician's repair bill when your whole house suppressor needs to be replaced. The better units I researched will also cover repairs of appliances and/or devices if the unit fails to stop the surge.

The unit I selected is made by Panamax - the SEP-200. If you'll look at the stats you'll see it complies with the 4 items above - I also have a bit of brand loyalty to Panamax as it was a Panamax suppressor that saved my TV and stereo equipment when power was forced into my cable lines (see above). If you're into HiFi you'll probably already know about Panamax as they've been a top-tier provider for surge suppression - one of the only providers that guarantees against lightning strikes - they also provide up to $10,000 in appliance replacement costs if the unit fails. This unit can be installed inside our outside of the home, attached to the panel (using a 30 amp two-pole breaker) or between the meter and the panel (not an install I'd recommend to a DIYer unless you're a qualified electrician). I chose to wire it into a breaker - something within my level of confidence to do. Since these units eventually wear out, I wanted something that would be easy to replace when the time comes - another consideration

The Install
I tackled the install in three phases (being the anal-retentive that I am, I actually wrote up a short project plan).

Examine the panel and make a plan, including picking up all components and parts
Rework the panel to have room and prepare all components
Install the unit and test.

The first part was one of the more crucial - I took off the panel cover and sub-cover (my panel has an extra cover that protects the breakers) and examined what I had to do to free up the first two slots. This is where I determined I could combine four 15 amp single slot breakers into two 15 amp tandem breakers. I then sourced the breakers from an eBay seller - who incidentally also sold me the 30 amp breaker necessary for the install of the surge suppressing unit - buy buying it all together I additionally saved on tax (not to mention the tandem breakers were half what I would have paid for a single at Home Depot). Turn around time was less than a week. I did all this stuff before tackling Allen's Tankless Water Heater install (see previous posts).

The second part I tackled one evening while there wasn't anything going on that would require power - I like to disable the entire panel by turning off the main switch while in the box. I'm still very careful as there's still power coming into the panel - but this way I'm not inadvertently taking any risks. I moved circuits around and combined into the tandems to leave the first two slots free. This took about 30 minutes or so of careful striping, wiring and the screwing of clamps (in the breakers)

The third part required that I remove a "knockout" from the side of the panel (the panel has cuts in the sides so you can knock out holes for wires to feed through) - I also removed an unused wire that formerly occupied the same space (went to the steam shower heater which I'm removing). I attached the unit directly to the pane using a spin-clamp - the wires were fed in and tied to the 30 amp breaker and ground/neutral bus (in my panel they are the same - in newer panel they may be separate bars). There's plenty of force in the clamp to hold the unit to the side of the panel - in your install you may want to screw the unit to the wall or extend the box slightly using some conduit. I then tested the unit by turning on the power - everything lighted up just fine. I replaced the two panel covers and was done. Total time about another 30 minutes or so.

A couple of days after the install I was at Allen and Susan's house - it had been raining most of the day and there were several people over for Christmas dinner. Suddenly there was an explosion that caused us all to rush to the front window. Subsequent explosions literally lit up the sky - the transformer right in front of his house (he's about 3 doors down from my house) had been hit by a falling limb - luckily the wet ground prevented any of the flaming embers from igniting anything. It took several hours for Georgia Power to restore power to this portion of the neighborhood. All I could think about was how fortunate I was that the Surge Suppressor was already installed at the house - it provided a level of piece-of-mind that I wouldn't otherwise have felt. Returning home later I found everything to be fine - the unit worked flawlessly.

-- John

Installing a Tankless Water Heater Part 2

2009-12-26T14:20:00.002-05:00

Continuing from the previous post.

Day two basically began with the previous 19 point list. However as we got into the panel there were a few things that "added on" to the list of tasks. The initial reason we did some mods to the electrical was to ensure there was plenty of juice going to the outlet that both the washer and water heater would share. Looking at the amp loads there should be plenty on the existing 15 amp circuit - however I discovered that the outlet was wired with 12-2 Romex which would allow a 20 amp breaker without much modification so I suggested that change to Allen - it would also allow us to more easily move the outlet to a more convenient spot. A "radiused" piece of conduit was the ticket, and to make things more flexible we inserted a tandem breaker (allows for two 20 amp circuits) into an empty slot - the extra is for the future expansion of an extra circuit and the cost difference between a single and tandem is negligible. The box used for the outlet was also expanded to a two-gang (allows for four outlets) and the outlets were also upgraded to 20 amp - that way if Allen or Susan needed an outlet in that area they wouldn't be taxing the existing circuit - say for a shop vac or power tool.

While in the box I also suggested to Allen that moving the dryer 2-pole receptacle up a bit would make it easier to reach, so that was also done. Everything electrical was done to current codes - meaning the appropriate wire, clamps, etc. were all used so the house would pass inspection if ever sold in the future. If you're not sure about codes or not experienced working in an electrical panel I strongly recommend that you leave this stuff to a professional electrician - it's just not a good place to do something wrong as there's a possibility of electrocution or fire.

Once the electrical was tidied up the next task was to locate where to knock out a hole for the exhaust vent. The exhaust vent was hand-fit to the top of the unit so we could make sure that there would be clearance. You can see the initial location drawn by Allen on the block wall (image in Part 1)- I suggested that it be moved over one vertical course to ensure it wasn't in-line with the bath vent (I wasn't sure if it would really be an issue but I didn't want any obstructions, especially when attaching the outside flashing) - that exposed a conflict with the current placement of the water supplies (both the existing copper lines and legacy galvanized steel supplies) for the washer/dryer hook-ups - those would have to be moved. This was done - we also added a "laundry box" kit so the valves would be easy to identify and have a stationary mount. The new Pex pipe was tied into the existing copper using a Sharkbite fitting (more on those later - see image below).

We started out by drawing a 6" circle in one-half of the block, drilling 6 equally spaced holes along the circumference with a hammer drill, then carefully chiseling using a one-handed sledge. This was repeated on the outside until an opening was large enough for the exhaust vent to fit properly - note that the horizontal run has to dip slightly according to the manufacturer's install instructions - also the entire unit couldn't be assembled then attached - it had to be inserted then assembled piecemeal to clear overhead joists and pipes.

The valve kit was carefully threaded onto the bottom of the unit (follow the directions as the pressure relief valve is attached to the hot water valve before placement on the unit). Next the unit was hung and sited along the level. There are brackets to the top and bottom that hold the unit to the wall, with the majority of the weight transferring to the wall itself. The venting was attached piecemeal until secured with the supplied screws and some towels were stuffed into the remaining opening in the block to keep out bugs or curious animals (mostly a piece-of-mind thing). Now that the unit was in place some of the serious work can take place. The idea with all plumbing is to be as efficient as possible when assembling pipe, trying to keep down waste from miss-cut pipe and also providing enough clearance so none of the piping is snagged when walking through the space. I had already mapped out a couple of paths for the water lines - we decided to re-use the existing water heater attachment points so it was a matter of piping over the space as tight to the ceiling as possible while using as few fittings as can be accomplished.

Now a few thoughts on Pex pipe - it's certainly more expensive that PVC, however it's less expensive than Copper. The real benefit comes in its flexibility and ease of installation. Pex uses a black coated, copper crimp ring, tightened to fittings to form a joint. You cut the pipe to length using plumbing cutters (these are the same as what you typically use when plumbing PVC or CPVC). You next slide a crimp over the end before pushing the "nipple" of the fitting into the tube. The ring is then slipped over the fitting "nipple" and a crimping tool is applied to the ring, which applies even pressure inward. If the crimp is successful the joint won't leak when water is pressured back into the system. Crimping can be a bit tricky - if the ring isn't on straight or if the action of the crimping tool is precise, the ring can be twisted a bit on the fitting. It's my experience that usually these poorly crimped fittings won't leak, however you do increase the chance of leaks as there's less surface area for the ring to apply consistent pressure on the "nipple" of the fitting - you're basically taking a chance with these when improperly crimped. The solution is to cut off a little of the end of the hose, grab a new fitting and try again. You can carefully remove the bad crimp by cutting and re-crimp, however once the Pex tube has been compressed it becomes suspect, so you may as well cut off and start with fresh.

Some of the other advantages of Pex - once a 90 degree joint is made the pipe can still be twisted without causing a leak - something you can't do with CPVC without adding additional fittings and pipe (or cutting and re-placing the rotation angle with a slip coupling). Another advantage has to do with the flexibility of the pipe itself - it can be carefully bent to go around obstacles and the material won't split if the water in the lines freezes - making it an appropriate replacement pipe for a supply line out to your meter. If you've ever dealt with copper piping you know there's preparation involved in sweating the joint with solder - and if you aren't successful in making the joint it becomes problematic after water has been added to the line. With CPVC you have to deal with primers and glues that can get a bit messy (don't spill the primer on a good linoleum floor - ask me sometimes how I know). With Pex it's all about the line, the crimps and the fittings. There's some additional cost involved with the crimping tool - I bought one that has both the 1/2" and 2/4" in the same tool - it was purchased while I was working on my own plumbing so I was grateful for the opportunity to use it again - I think it cost about $65 or so.

All the Pex was run back from the unit back to the location of the supply line (cold water) and system tie-in for the hot. By reusing the existing we didn't have to worry about blocking off the old hot water and making a connection elsewhere - however you may want to rethink that based on your own circumstances. If you can tie-in closer to the unit you will probably have a faster delivery time for the hot water, depending on the placement of the spigot. All the water lines were run and any additional parts, bits or pieces were noted. Next careful measurements were made to run the gas line to the unit. This is where it can get tricky - since the gas line has to be 3/4" all the way to the unit you need to find that size pipe to tie-into - also you can't use the flexible connecting pipe as it reduces the line size to 5/8" or smaller (there is commercial flex line available but it's a bit expensive). Since it all runs through galvanized pipe the measurements need to be very precise. Also you'll need a slip-coupling or two to make sure you have room to place the final couple of pieces - the slip-coupling uses a compressed o-ring so you can turn either end of a pipe with a wrench, providing some flexibility in install. We saved the gas-pipe install and actually connection to the house for the third day after making a list of all the fittings we thought we'd need - we also added plenty of extra to prevent an extra trip or two.

On the third day we purchased everything we'd need to complete the job at Home Depot - we also made sure to buy extra nipples (in plumbing the short pieces of pipe that are threaded on either end are called nipples - don't ask me why) in various sizes in case we needed them. One tip - if you buy this stuff at Home Depot - use the same credit card for all purchases on the project - when you're done you can take back anything unused without a receipt - the do a reverse look up based on the credit card number - it makes it much faster and convenient and you don't have to hunt down receipts (I believe they keep these records for several months which is real handy when your projects get extended for whatever reason).

Preparing to tie-in the gas line the supply was turned off outside of the house after turning off all gas appliances like the furnace and old water heater. This time we started piping from the house and worked backward to the unit. A cut off was added near the beginning so that if something caused a delay in the install the new pipe could be isolated from the old and the old water heater be used. Everything was done with this is mind so that Allen and Susan wouldn't be inconvenienced with the lack of hot water. The pipes were carefully threaded together using pipe-threading compound - basically a Teflon paste that seals everything up once dried. The pipes went up-over just like the water lines and then down the wall, across and up to the gas supply valve on the unit. This actually went together very well. Once together the system was tested for leaks. There are a couple of methods to doing so - With all the supplies to other appliances cut off using supply valves, you can look at the gas meter to see if there's any movement. If none it's a fairly good indication that the system is air-tight. We went further and added a few drops of soapy water to each joint to see if any bubbles appeared - we got lucky - no leaks on the first try! Perhaps a better way to check is to pressurize the line with 30-40 pounds of air using a compressor - any leaks are very noticeable.

There was one additional task before hooking up the water - the control pad was mounted to the wall and tied-in (there's an image above that shows the control pad mounted). I found it interesting that extra pads could be added and placed about the house providing some heating customization depending on the task - basically if you want the water to be hotter for the dishwasher, for instance, you can add a control to the kitchen so that the water temperature can be adjusted just before use. That's something you can't do with a tanked water heater.

Finally the Pex was tied into the house lines using Sharkbite fittings. I mentioned these before - Sharkbites are a product that allows for the connection of dissimilar piping. I discovered these while working on my own home - I had Pex coming from one direction where it needed to attach to 1/2" CPVC at a right angle and Copper going straight out. The Sharkbite allows for the end of each pipe to come together as one connection. In Allen's home the majority of the piping is copper - using the Sharkbites allowed the Pex to tie-in directly to the copper. If you've ever had to do this in the past it usually takes several screw-fittings and a sweat joint (if copper) so the Sharkbite cuts down on install time and works great.

The last task was to fit up the water filter that was recommended to Allen - apparently if you filter out as much as you can before water enters the unit you save having to descale the unit (water in Atlanta has quite a high level of mineral content) - this serves to extend the life of several parts. The filter was added between the cold water supply, extending outward as there will be a wall added to section off the home's systems from the rest of the basement. Finally, we turned on the water and checked for leaks - surprisingly there weren't any (rare when doing any plumbing) - the gas was turned on at the unit and the power was set to "on" - the final test was to go to a sink and turn on the hot water. I think the most amazing thing was in how quiet the unit is - you can only hear it when standing right next to it.

Here's an image of the final install - note that the drain line for the pressure relief valve was moved to the front - it was a bit too stiff to be workable in the back and still make it into the washer drain. Allen set the temperature to 120 degrees (see the read out) which seemed to be optimal for their household. In all, the installation wasn't too bad - I can totally see why the installers charge so much though - lot's to think about here and many systems that need to be "touched." If you aren't a very handy person I'd leave the install to the pros - of if you feel confident on parts of the install you could do what you know and bring in someone to do those bits that are uncomfortable to you. On a scale of 1-10 I'd call this about an 8. . I'll update again once the unit has been in a while to reveal how it's working out for Allen and Susan.

-- John

Installing a Tankless Water Heater Part 1

2009-12-17T13:42:00.002-05:00

I've been researching the Tankless Water Heater for a bit over a year as I have an old tanked unit - the current energy tax credit makes it very desirable - however being the conservative that I am, I'm waiting for the old unit to kick-the-bucket as it were. My current hot water heater is over ten years old so it should be getting close, right? In any case, I've been looking at this stuff for a while in preparation for my own install. It's interesting when you research products on the web - the first thing you find are all the things that people don't like about something. You also learn what people have done that incurred the wrath of the pros - mostly improper installs. I'll get into that later as it's all good information and stuff you'll want to know if you consider doing this yourself. All this came to a head when my neighbor Allen across the street told me that his old tank was leaking and that he was about to put one in - he was asking me questions about the install. I told him I hadn't done a tankless install yet (I have done the old-fashioned tank though) and was willing to help him put his in, as I'd like to get some practice in before tackling my own.

About my own experiences - I was a general contractor many years ago (over 10 years) before getting into software design. As such I worked with several other contractors that allowed me to practice plumbing, electrical, HVAC, building and other disciples that helped to increase my confidence level in tackling various building and/or remodeling tasks. Luckily the contractors I worked with were very good and up to and enforced the various building codes - they also instilled in me a desire to do good, neat work that both complied with codes and also incorporated the latest in best practices. Doing an install of this nature incorporates many disciplines so if you want to try part or all of this, I suggest you bone up on: electrical installation, plumbing installation and gas (in this case Natural Gas) piping installation. After reading this if you feel unconfortable with any part, HIRE A PROFESSIONAL! I can't stress this more - if you wish to proceed, read everything in the install manuals several times before and during the work. Also, if at any time you're not sure, stop and do some additional research. This isn't something for the weekender to attempt. More on this as we proceed.

First on the Tankless Water Heater:
The technology has been around for many decades - so there's been plenty of time to perfect the technology. One of the oldest producers that's availabe in the US is Bosch (most have heard of them as a tool manufacturer but they've been making and selling their tankless water heater in the US for many years). Most of Europe and a good bit of Asia have had tankless systems for a very long time - the US is way behind, mostly because cheap energy has been available here for so many years that the cheaper "big tank" units are simply easier to install and incur the least materials cost. This has all been changing with energy fuel costs all over the place.

There are basically a few considerations - first is the unit to be inside or outside? Second, what is the type of fuel or energy you're going to use to power it? In the Atlanta most will place the unit inside and in the Northcrest community, most will have the unit in the basement where all the house systems tend to congregate (most Northcrest homes have a single room in the basement that's home to the electrical panel, furnace, water heater and often the washer and dryer hook-ups). Natural Gas is plentiful and cheap in this region, it's also probably the most efficient and cost effective to use, so the focus will be on that install. The other options are LP/Propane and Electric. Solar doesn't generate enough amperage (I don't believe) so it's not an option (however if you're in Florida or one of the states that gets more than its share of sunlight, you might want to consider a solar water heater - but that's an entirely different animal). Outside tankless units are usually used on cabins or otherwise in installations where space is a premium.

Available Tankless Water Heater Options:
I read quite a bit about the various options, who to purchase from and where to source. There are a lot of opinions, and I'm sure the list will change by the time I eventually buy one for my own home. I had pretty much selected either the Bosch or Rheem units. Another manufacturer that is highly recommended is Rennai - however you have to be a certified Rennai installer to purchase one. In this case Allen purchased a Rheem unit at the Home Depot (Rheem EcoSense On Demand 6.6 GPM Natural Gas Indoor Direct Vent Tankless Water Heater Model # ECO-180DVN). With this kit he also purchased the venting kit (3 In. x 5 In. Concentric Direct Vent Kit for Rheem EcoSense Tankless Direct Vent Units Model # RTG20147-1) and the valve kit (Tankless Water Heater Installation Valves Model # TWH-FT-HCN).

What you need and a comparison of costs:
AT 6.6 GPM the unit is sufficient for most homes in the 3 bedroom, 2 bath range. You may want to consider something larger (7.4 GPM) if you often have two people bathing at the same time the dishwasher or washer is running - for both Allen and my own home, this is not the case. The vent kit is necessary as you cannot use the existing B-vent. It's simply not rated for the bursts of heated air that the tankless produces - also the new kit is stainless steel and vents directly through the wall to the outside - you'll need to use the right kit for the manufacturer's warranties to apply. Finally the valve kit just makes the install a bit easier - it's not necessary but it does make things more efficient by providing the parts/pieces that you'll need for the required configuration. The extras add about $300 to the price of the heater. Along with all this we ended up buying about $300 worth of pipe fittings (water and gas), valves, electrical supplies and a water filter (more on that later). The unit was about $1k so a total of about $1600 in parts. Most installs of this type are going to cost in excess of $3000 with labor so you end up saving about half. To compare to a tanked unit - you can re-use most of the existing bits that currently hook up your tanked water heater, so there's very little material cost with the exception of the tank. A 60 gallon GE unit is $678 (anything smaller makes it hard to fill the tub - if you have a jacuzzi you may need something even bigger). With the tax credit of about 30% on the tankless you'll get back about $480 (not sure if you can get a credit on all the bits/parts so this may vary). So it's about $700 for the tanked unit compared to about $1100 on the tankless, give or take. The $400 difference will probably be offset by the energy savings within 5 years or so (probably less, I'm being conservative but it depends on your hot water usage - if you have a family it will be more).

The Gotchas:
While doing research there are some very good posts on what went wrong - there's also a huge share of posts basically slamming the various units for one reason or another. For one, it can take 20-30 seconds longer for hot water to flow, depending on how far from the unit the tap is. There are also several posts by professional installers providing insight into the various units. The Bosch unit, for instance, is highly recommended, however it has a wear part that's about $300 compared to the comparable part for the Rheem that's about $80. Something to consider. Also, most who complain and have had to have a pro come in and fix and installation did one of the following:

Improper plumbing installation. This usually involves the size of the pipe coming into the unit. A 3/4" supply line is requried - this doesn't mean you can connect to a 1/2" line with a larger 3/4" line and everything will be fine. This is all about capacity -when it's time for the water to be heated enough has to enter the unit to fulfill the units requirement - if there's a pressure drop the unit will red-flag and not produce enough hot water - it can cause the unit to be less efficient and certainly may reduce the life of the unit. There are many safety features in the tankless units to account for fluctuations so it may not shut down, however it could produce a condition that isn't conducive to producing the desired amount of hot water when needed.
Improper gas installation. This unit requires a 3/4" line coming in with natural gas. As with the water line above, if the available gas line capacity is not great enough to power the unit, at minimum you wont get the hot water desired, and at worst it may cause the unit to fail. As I've stated previously, make sure you read the entire install manual and prepare to make any changes necessary for the unit install - if your pipes keep reducing until they come to where you need to place the unit, you'll need to tie-in earlier (closer to where the pipes come into the home) where larger piping is available. Another issue comes from re-using the flexible gas supply line commonly used on furnaces, appliances and water heater tanks - this line may have a 3/4" fitting on either end, but is usually 5/8" in actual tube diameter which may cause issues (most home flex is rated at about 110 BTUs - the tankless unit requires 160 BTUs or more so they aren't rated for this application). The best solution is to tie your piping directly to the bottom of the unit.
Improper venting. These units produce short bursts of heat that far exceed the rating of the current B-vent that goes through your roof (what your old hot water heater and furnace tie-into). When you tie into the existing it produces a lot of heat and back-pressure at the unit, usually resulting in a shut down - the result is you don't get enough hot water. It can also kill the longevity of your unit as a worst case scenario and will void your warranty. Along those same lines, you must use venting that's rated for this application (stainless steel) and follow all the manufacturer's directions as to proper install.
Electrical: These units have to be powered, so there needs to be an outlet available - at about 2 amps the needs aren't high, but don't tie the unit into a heavily used circuit where there are many peaks in amperage or this could affect the units ability to work effectively.

Starting the Project
So the first think we looked at was where Allen wanted to place the unit. A place on an outside wall opposite the furnace was proposed. As the washer and dryer are beneath we needed to make sure there was space with the vent kit above, and the valves and connections below. This required that the vent kit be loosely placed on the unit and the valve set below. When doing this, make sure that there aren't any obstructions on the outside (for instance there's a vent cover for the bathroom exhaust fan that made one location undesirable - it's better to not have the exhaust for the unit in direct line with anything above; on the other side of the panel the electrical meter is mounted on the outside wall, precluding that area from being available for the install). Another consideration is future planning - Allen wants to wall up the room holding the furnace, washer/dryer and tankless unit, so we tried to maximize space usage. This would require the removal of some legacy steel plumbing pipes (no longer in use) and the move of the washer/dryer supply lines. Note the image above - this was the initial placement - after reviewing that there's a vent above that location it was moved over to the right (which necessitated the move of the supply lines for the washer).

Another consideration on the placement was the availability of a circuit - currently there's a 15 amp single outlet for the washer - we decided to upgrade to 20 amps (there was already 12 gauge romex) and place a two gang box on the end of some shielded piping. While at it I suggested that the outlet for the dryer be moved up to make it more convenient. Next I took a look at where the best places for hooking up the water and gas would be and started loosely maping out the best routs to the new tankless unit. I drew up on a large piece of paper all the drops, changes of direction and connections needed - we choose to use Pex piping which I've recently done a bit of work with - since I felt really comfortable with it and also owned the crimping tools, we based all the fittings for water on Pex. After laying everything out we worked on an initial project plan. Whenever there are lots of dependencies it's good to make a list of the order for getting things done. It went something like this:

Shut off power at panel
Move electrical circuits, upgrade to 2 gang box, feed into new 20 amp breaker
Power on panel and check new electrical fixtures for good grounds, etc.
Locate hole for venting kit, break through and secure venting piping
Prepare tankless unit for install

Mount inlet valve set
Mount outlet valve set
Mount gas shut-off (supplied)

Mount unit to wall
Pipe water inlet backwards to a source pipe (we chose to pipe back to the supply lines for the original Water Heater - this would provide a convenient location for the in-filter).
Pipe water outlet backwards to ti-in pipe (once again it was easier to tie-in back at the original Water Heater outlet point since we would have had to address the open line there anyway.
Turn off gas
Add a "T" style connection to the gas system, along with gate valves back to the unit.
Turn on gas
Check all Gas lines for leaks and correct if necessary
Turn off water
Do final connection to inlet filter and water supply
Do final connection to outlet to supply home hot water lines.
Turn on water and check for leaks
Mount electrical control unit and plug in unit
Turn on tankless unit
Test

We made some modifications as we went along, however the above is what we came up with the first day. We both went on to further read and study the installation manual and met up the next day. At this point there was more than a small leak to his original tank so it was imperative that we get the job done. However we still didn't rush. The next day was set aside for the majority of the install. The goal was to get the unit hung and the water mostly plumbed. Day three would be for system tests and final hook-ups. More on the next post.

Continued in Part 2

-- John

Building a Shell Chair

2009-12-16T09:03:00.002-05:00

I was sent this from a friend. This video shows the process of mold creation through production and assembly of a variety of Herman Miller produced and George Nelson designed shell chairs. Notice all the manual handling (especially the ungloved hands around the fiberglas materials!).They certainly don't make them like this anymore!

-- John

Restoring an Original Kitchen Sink Base Cabinet

2009-12-06T01:55:00.001-05:00

In this first of a series of Restovation posts I'll describe a small project to preserve an original kitchen sink base cabinet. In this instance the original supply lines have been replaced by Pex pipe and a hole cut into the floor for access. Also, multiple leaks from the sink and garbage disposal have completely destroyed the cabinet "floor" to the point of bowing the floor in the middle and delaminating the plywood layers all about. Besides being unsightly, it's unsanitary, allows bugs to congregate and provides moisture for all manner of undesirable substances. The easy solution is to replace the unit - the issue is that the cabinets made back in the 50's/60's (when this particular home was built) were commonly built in-place, often at the whim of the particular carpenter who built or installed the cabinet (if by chance it was made off-site). It's not like today where you can buy each cabinet as a separate component and level them up on site - modern cabinets have interchangeable parts, something your very rarely see in cabinets from this earlier era (with the exception of some of the custom European cabinet makers).

To make the task more complicated, cabinets from this era also rely heavily on mortise-and-tenon joinery for the face frames (as does this particular example). This makes it difficult to replace the "floor" of a cabinet with a single sheet of plywood, as there may be a separator in the middle of the face-frame (the doors rest upon this separator and there is often a latch involved in these old cabinets).

I'll describe briefly the term for those not familiar with that mode of construction - the mortise-and-tenon allows sticks of wood to be joined at right angles to one another - this is accomplished by cutting a groove or slot in the flat side of one board (the slot is called the mortise and the stick in this case is the rail or cross-piece) and having an extension in the perpendicular board by extending a "tongue" at the end of the other stick (the tongue is called a tenon and the stick in this case is called a rail). This joint is very strong and still used today, however in production shops it's nearly been replaced by the use of pocket screws (screws that are inserted from the back so they are hidden, angled down into the cross piece from the end of the "stick". This comes into play as the face of the cabinet (basically the surface that all the doors rest on) is made up of a frame or multiple frames of wood - thus the "face-frame"...

So the task is to first remove the mortise-and-tenoned face-frame separator, cut out the existing rotted floor and replace with a single piece of plywood. In this example I noted that much of the problem was caused or at least exacerbated by the discharge pipe leading from the bottom of the garbage disposal through the floor into a trap in the basement. Modern dual sinks share a common trap, so I thought I would reconfigure the drains and remove (and cap) the extra below-floor trap. This did require a bit of head scratching to get the pipes all aligned and working correctly - as an additional benefit, there's now more room under the sink.

In this next shot you'll see the separator removed - to do so I developed a technique of jacking up the front of the cabinets to extend one tenon from the mortise - in this next photo you can see that the floor ahs been removed and the tenon removed - note that the other end has been carefully cut apart from the stile above. In some instances both ends of the rail's tenons can be successfully removed - however in this case only one end would come apart (don't worry I have a plan for reattaching it).

Also note that I've begun reworking the plumbing and that I've added some two-by-four supports for the floor to help prevent any future sagging.

The next step is to carefully measure and install the new floor. The trick is to get as custom a fit as is possible - so the same dimensional thickness of plywood is used and very little gap is allowed between the old and new floor. The floor back is drilled with holes just slightly larger than the Pex pipe to allow access for the supply lines. The floor is then installed using brad nails to minimize exposure of the fasteners.

After attaching the new floor comes the final step, which is preparing the removed rail for reinstallation in the cabinet face frame. I earlier mentioned the use of a pocket hole - well here is a photo of a Kreg pocket hole jig clamped and ready for drilling. The Kreg kit uses a flat-faced vice-grip style clamp to ensure that the two parts of the face frame are exactly on the same plane. The jig provides a guide for the special Kreg bit to drill the exact angle and depth needed for the thickness of the face frame. Once the screws are tightened it creates a very strong joint and since they're on the back of the rail the replacement is invisible.

For this particular example the last thing to do after face-frame reassembly is to complete the changes tot he drain plumbing. You can see in this final image how much neater everything looks - also there's a bit more room under the drains for cleaning products, sponges and whatnot.

Sheet 1/4" Luan plywood: $8

Scrap 2x4" material - Free

Misc PVC Drain bits: $16

Saving the original cabinets - priceless.

-- John

Restovation

2009-10-14T22:40:00.006-04:00

I've been using a term lately that I picked up on one or more of the fora I frequent but I thought I would talk about it a bit - restovation. It's being used as a catch-all when a homeowner is doing some remodeling and he wants to be sensitive to the original architecture - a composit of Restoration and Renovation. Sort of the opposite of a remuddle (another meme indicating that a remodel done poorly, especially one that isn't sensitive to the building's intent or architecture) - I'll discuss both in regards to mid-century modern homes:

Restovation
My take on a restovation is to make architectural changes that are close to the same or at least sensitive to the original builder's intent - basically to make alterations that either can't be detected, or to remove a poorly applied remodel by replacing or "fixing" with something that could have been part of the original builder's construction. When at all possible I try to keep original features and refurbish when necessary (at minimum a good cleaning does wonders - sometimes I'll try to fix fixtures and such or replace with something that's close). Of course there's varying degrees of restovation - some things that are missing simply can't be replaced and compromises have to be made, especially when fixing a bad remuddle. The trick here is to find replacements that aren't complicated - usually the simpler the better. The other trick to being successful is to use patience - that missing something or other could be waiting on the curb in your neighbor's trash a year from now.

Remuddle
In general a remuddle is any remodel that isn't sensitive to the architecture - like replacing the front door with some obnoxious Home Depot purchased beveled glass monstrosity or putting a bay window on the front of a modern house. Neither of these would have been part of the original mid-century modern design and only "muddles" the clean lines or hides that the house is modern. You'll see variations of this - the addition of shutters, ornate exterior sconce lighting, an added Bay window, the list goes on.

A good restovation would incorporate good, clean design changes, keeping elements that are both appropriate and still useful for the time we currently live in. I'm not at all opposed to updates, especially to the kitchens and bathrooms of mid-century modern homes - often the tile is cracked or otherwise rundown and defective, or the original cabinetry is failing and it's simpler to replace rather than repair - plus you can't beat the new cabinet hardware and storage doo-dads that are available now. The trick is to remain sensitive to the original house design and intent (French Provincial cabinets simply look ridiculous in these houses). When possible I like to keep the original kitchen provided it's in good shape and restorable - I'll discuss this more in future posts by showing effective methods of doing so.

A bad remuddle would have one or more of the following :
(I lifted this from the Lotta Living forum post "100 Ways to Screw Up Your Mid-Century Modern Home" with a couple of edits)

1) Adding a steeper roof on top of your flat or shallow pitched roof.
2) Ornate front door. (Etched glass windows)
3) Adding a second story.
4) Putting in a country kitchen.
5) Installing a white metal colonial style garage door in place of the original redwood sided door
6) Adding vinyl double hung replacement windows
7) Heading to Home Depot/Lowe's with home equity loan money in hand
8) Adding inappropriate window treatments i.e.-paned windows, decorative shutters, fancy storybook scrollwork/moldings.
9) Replacing your tar & gravel roof with Spanish tile.
10) Covering your tongue & groove ceiling and wood beams with sheetrock
11) Roof over the atrium and add desirable square footage
12) Putting a white picket OR Wrought Iron fence in the front yard (or ANYWHERE for that matter)
13) One word: Stucco
14) Two words: crown molding!
15) Three words: 70s wall paneling (unless your home was built in the 70's and it was already there)
16) Carriage lights
17) Slathering one color of paint over everything - double points if it's Peach, Pink or Yellow.
18 ) Painting over stone or brick
19) Replacing single pane glass in the glass end gables with plywood
20) Vinyl siding
21) Installing gaudy brass light fixtures.
22) Covering up glass or painting over it.
23) Replacing in slab ductwork with overhead ductwork (exception for low-homes in the flood plains!)
24) Enclosing the carport / Converting the garage into living space
25) Granite!!!!!!!!
26) Install over-sized "professional grade" appliances (Viking, Subzero) in small galley kitchen.
27) Covering poured terrazzo with Home-Depot ceramic tile
28) ANYTHING made out of bright, shiny brass
29) Tear it down to build a McMansion
30) Tearing out the original flat panel, flush faced kitchen cabinets and replacing them with fancy, ornate routed ones
31) Replacing original wood framed windows with aluminum framed sliding glass doors
32) Basin sinks / oversize tubs / Anything described as turning your bathroom into a "personal spa" or "retreat"
33) Installing inappropriately decorative house numbers.
34) Selling off all the one of a kind, original architect designed furniture and light fixtures because it "doesn't fit in"
35) Putting in grid windows
36) Installing a ceiling fan in a vaulted, exposed beam/t&g ceiling
37) Using a pick axe or jackhammer to remove original 8x8 linoleum tiles so one can install Home Depot terracotta pavers
38) Installing hardwood floors over a radiant heated concrete slab
39) Dutting down the fascia, removing original down spouts to install gutters.
40) 2hitewash the interior with white paint to make it feel larger
41) Marble!!!
42) STUPID DOOR HANDLES (ornate lever style)
43) Visual overload (too many elements)
44) Big Greek / Italian /Mediterranean columns added to the front (or inside). Also, gaudy statues and fountains containing cherubs, angels, naked people, The Virgin Mary etc,
45) Painting over unpainted exterior wood (instead of stain)
46) Collecting and displaying too many knick knacks in a 1200 sq ft MCM house:
47) Removing all signs of nature outside by putting concrete everywhere, thereby defeating the harmony between house and nature attitude of many modernists.
48) Sticking a mantle on a stone fireplace that isn't supposed to have one.
49) Putting a white lattice archway in the front yard walkway with flowers and vines growing all over it.
50) Plain ole' neglect...having a cool MCM home, and letting it go...chipping paint, rotted fascias, overgrown foliage etc...
51) Paint a redwood or pine tongue and groove ceiling
52) Covering beautiful terrazzo floors with nylon fiber wall to wall carpet to "update the place"
53) Installing an aluminum, free-standing patio
54) Popcorn ceilings
55) Installing the cable box right outside the front door
56) Putting in one of those one-piece molded plastic mailboxes on a post.
57) Fake brick exterior siding (There's a bunch of these on the Neutra tract homes near the Burbank Airport).
58) Compromising your principles.
59) Misunderstanding/confusing "Ranch House" with "Ranch Style" house thus recreating the Little House on the Prairie
60) A sweet barn style shed.
61) Lace curtains
62) Placing ANYTHING in or around the house from Hobby Lobby, Kirkland's, or credited to either Thomas Kinkade or Mary Englebreit.
63) Smothering the interior with cheesy wallpaper.
64) Removing perfect mahogany paneling so that it can be replaced with drywall (this also includes just covering it with drywall).
65) Saltillo Tiles
66) Adding onto the back, after all, all that glass makes a great room divider!
67) Never throwing anything away.
68) Adding exposed conduit, wire mold, or worse, exposed wiring to beams and columns of you post and beam home.
69) Buying a mid-century modern home and then normalizing it to make it look like any other home.
70) Round top windows! (double points on this one)
71) Raising up your slab on grade MCM home and adding a basement under it.
72) Replacing your vintage globe lights with too much cheesy low-voltage lighting.
73) Adding a shingle roof in place of a tar and gravel roof on a pitch that is too low for shingles. IT WILL LEAK!
74) Three or four masonry materials where one or two will do.
75) Invite 100 scooterist over to your house, with a live punk band, and 5 kegs of PBR (no, I haven't done this... yet)
76) Adding an addition not in the style and design of the home
77) Allowing termites to gobble it all up
78) Anything faux
79) Hire an architect who doesn't understand Modernism
81) Stained glass or beveled glass windows
82) Tiling over original magnasite deck... extra points for bad colorful folk art tile
83) Placing a Pink Flamingo in your Garden/Yard
84) Describing MCM houses as "retro"
85) Placing an A/C unit on the top of your roof
86) Refacing an original fireplace, let alone with a thin flagstone laminate
87) Installing arches or rounded corners in a room opening or between rooms
88) Turning the master bedroom into a den
89) Replace your garage door with a brick fireplace
90) Inappropriate furnishings?? (aka flowery couch with detailed, routed wood)
91) Adding brick driveway columns topped by gold stone lions
92) Building a circular turret on the front of the house
93) Adding lattice to the front to "improve the look and privacy"
94) Covering the metal columns with wood to make them look like more like classical columns.
95) Hanging seasonal flags (i.e. santa, the easter bunny) outside your entryway
96) French doors to patio
97) Sawing off the overhanging roof and beams
98) Covering up exposed beams so the house look like other conventional framed homes
99) Adding turned pickets to all railing for that "country French" look!
100) Looking over an untouched, near-pristine P&K home and then declaring , "It has such potential!"
101. Painting over original polished aluminum Nutone range hood and splash shield.
102. Removing original skylark boomerang formica countertops
103. Tearing out original award winning landscaping to plant box woods.
104. Planting boxwoods
105. Planting bradford pears
106. Yard ornamentation
107. Turning your front yard into a playground with playset and/or trampolene
108. Inappropriate landscape lighting
109. Hanging towels up in place of curtains
110. Non thoughtful placement of new thermostat
111. Inappropriate storm doors
112. Bad porch lights
113. Horrible door knockers
114. Fake stained glass inserts
115. Painting your concrete porch green
116. Satellite dishes
117. Less than thoughtful placement of the ac unit
118. White plastic lattice screens!
119. Shutters!...
120. Screwing down additional insulation onto your t&g wood roof deck with screws that are too long and pierce through to the inside.
121. Painting over birch (or any other wood) closets/paneling.
122. Let the realtor do it, so you don't have to
123. Installing a classical European wallpaper mural
124. Letting a real estate agent list a house as "desirable lot" and not even showing pictures of the MCM house.
125. Hiring a realtor who just doesn't get it

Here's a good article about 4 renovation trends that
should go away.

-- John

Bubbling Crude

2009-10-11T23:31:00.006-04:00

Yesterday (10.10.09) Cindi called to tell me there was a large puddle in the middle of the yard. I came home to find water bubbling from the ground - since it was about 15 feet behind the meter I figured it was a leak in the galvanized water line - something we've been wanting to fix but there have always been other things more pressing. After a phone call with our friend Bruce Wilson (Master Plumber), he volunteered to come by today (Sunday) and help hook up a new line. I woke up early this morning and spent time moving things around in my shop where the water line ties in in the basement. I then ate a quick breakfast and went outside to start digging while Bruce purchased the fittings he'd need to complete the job. We decided to use Pex pipe - if you don't know about this stuff Google it - the stuff is amazing.

View from the Meter back to the front spigot

View from the spigot out to the street

I managed to get about 20 feet (total run about 70 feet) dug when Bruce got to the house - Cindi started digging from behind the meter so by the time Bruce had the meter dug up, all but about 15 feet remained to be dug in the middle. I think I started digging about 11, Bruce got here about 12 and we were done with all the hook ups by 4. After Bruce left I finished waterproofing the hole in the basement block and filled in next to the foundation. While the front was open I added a line for an external circuit so I can add an outlet to the front (not tied in yet). I also spread out any remaining dirt and raked up to get everything looking back to normal. It's been quite a day.

Starting my dig

About 25 feet out from the house - that's Bruce working on the meter in the background

-- John

The Modern Doll House

2008-07-23T09:52:00.004-04:00

As some of my acquantences and friends know, one of my other passions is woodworking and restoring Old Woodworking Machinery. So I hope it explains why I have possession of a set of 4 volumes of The Deltagram - books that detail shop projects for the owners of Delta Power Tools. This publication began in 1932 and continued to be published until 1949 - earlier issues seem to have been more prolific but they averaged about 6 issues per year. In 1949 the publication became "Wood Chips" or may have merged into another Delta publication (I'm unclear as to the series of events), which continued to be published into the 70's.

Besides being of interest as an idea storehouse for woodworking, this publication as is true of so many others, also details the styles and likes of homeowners and the US pre-war through post-war. Of particular interest are the modern furniture and furnishing designs featured all through these magazines and aggregated in these 4 volumes. The earlier issues have some wonderful ideas for Deco and Machine Age items, while the later feature "modern" design. Today I'm featuring the latter - and in this instance it also features one of my other passions - vintage toys.

There have been a number of threads over the past several years that regarded Modern Dollhouses offered to young girls during the post-war period. What interested me in this 2-page spread, found in Volume 4 of The Deltagram (originally published in Vol. 16 No. 2 in 1946) and revealed as page 28 and 29 in the hardcover editions, was the floor-plan, the shed roof, corner window and port-a-chere. I don't believe I've ever seen all three elements in a doll-house before. Even the plastic modern doll-houses seem to be based more on the modular Eames house design that this one. Apparently this doll house followed the styles of "Architectural Forum" and used plywood for construction - also a modern building material.

For a higher-resolution image of the above scan
click here.

-- John

Urgent Need for Support of Riverview HS

2008-06-12T11:19:00.004-04:00

I was forwarded this email today and I urge everyone reading to respond:

Hi All:

Sorry for the "crisis mode", but SAF needs
e-mails of your support for the Riverview HS
reuse by this Friday, June 13th when SAF
will submit its proposal. The Board will make
its final decision on Tuesday, June 17th.

If you can spare just a moment, please
address statements of support to:

School Board of Sarasota County, Sarasota, FL. 34231
and send your e-mail to: RVGarvin@comcast.net

Many thanks,
Bill

Bill Liskamm, FAIA

Link to the blog: http://saveriverview.blogspot.com/
Let's save this wonderful building!

-- John

A Visit to Frank Lloyd Wright's Auldbrass

2007-11-14T09:09:00.000-05:00

I was invited by Nelson Brackin (President of the Friend's of Kebyar: http://www.kebyar.com/) to attend the Biannual public tour of Auldbrass in Yemassee, South Carolina. Auldbrass is the only Frank Lloyd Wright designed southern plantation nestled on property along the River. From the Beaufort Open Land Trust site (http://www.openlandtrust.com/auldbrass.html):

Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1939, the Auldbrass Plantation buildings, consisting of the main house, kennels, stables, barn and various outbuildings, were constructed during the forties by the late C. Leigh Stevens who called on Wright to design a self-sufficient modern plantation for farming, hunting, and entertaining.

In keeping with his theories of organic architecture, Wright designed Auldbrass to be in harmony with the landscape of which it is a part. Constructed of native cypress boards laid diagonally at 80 degree angles and held by brass screws, the exterior is intended to conform to the lean of indigenous live oak trees, while the abstract forms of ornamental rainspouts suggest hanging clumps of Spanish moss.

In 1987, the plantation was purchased by Joel Silver, a successful film producer and ardent admirer of Frank Lloyd Wright. Mr. Silver has meticulously completed the majority of Wright’s original plan, thus fulfilling Wright’s and Stevens’ dream of making Auldbrass a great 20th century architectural treasure. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

We drove down Friday so we could get an early start for the tour - actually arriving about 30 minutes before the tour started at 10:00 AM - which was beneficial as they allowed those already there to enter early - the initial group was about 25 people (there were 2000 tickets sold for the 2 day tour). The docents for the tour were standing at the gate for the estate, which is surrounded by a wooden fence (angled at 80 degrees to emulate the other use of 80 degrees in the wall angles - this is repeated continuously in Wright style). The walk to the main buildings allowed for little preview of the actual structures, until almost upon them so the "reveal" was heightened. It was a beautiful day, slightly chilly but warming up nicely as the day progressed. The place is truly spectacular.

Rather than talk about the obvious, here's an album of images I took:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14338634@N02/sets/72157603003163021/

Lunch was held at the Old Sheldon Church right around the corner. Seems the ruins were from the first attempt at a Greek style temple in the Americas. Images and info here: http://www.charmingtowns.com/dir/society/historic_sites/sheldon_church.html

In all it was an exciting and delightful trip, which I hope to do again. It's also exciting to see such a well done restoration (kudos Joel Silver!). From the book (which I purchased on Amazon) it appears Mr Silver plans to build the additional structures planned but not completed (with the help of Eric Lloyd Wright).

-- John

DOCOMOMO Home Tour Reception at context

2007-10-28T19:17:00.000-04:00

I found a few shots that I took at the DOCOMOMO Home Tour reception (this was the night prior to the actual tour on Saturday) at * context * gallery. Images are of the volunteers, guest speakers and some very interesting furniture on display (all for sale - see http://www.contextgallery.com/ for more details).

-- John

Some Interesting Modern Homes

2007-10-24T15:16:00.000-04:00

Check out these Cantilevers:
http://www.mvrdv.nl/_v2/projects/015_wozoco/index.html

Dome House:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/reviews/dome-house-hawthorn/2005/06/21/1119321730611.html

Forest Spiral Building:
http://www.darmstadt.de/en/sights/hundertwasser/index.html

Vertical House:
http://openformarchitecture.wordpress.com/2007/04/09/vertical-house/

Billboard House:

http://www.frontarchitects.pl/PROJEKTY/HOUSES/shauz/sha1.htm

Read the rest of the post "Architecture From Another Planet - 25 Incredible (Real) Abodes"
http://www.intlistings.com/articles/2007/architecture-from-another-planet-25-incredible-real-abodes/

-- John

2007 DOCOMOMO Home Tour - Part 3

2007-10-03T11:05:00.000-04:00

The final house on the tour will be of most interest to this group. This house is owned by Jeff Dowd and his wife and is also in the Amberwood sub-division. It's located on the crest of a ridge so the yard slopes both to the front and back, as well as to one side.

The owner knows very little about the original designer of the house and has spent the last few years since his purchase in doing remodels, adding an addition behind the left side (one bedroom was made into an office, the garage on that side closed off for storage, parking moved to the rear part of the addition and additional family room space added to that side). The house has a full basement that is used as an apartment by Jeff's mother (it has a private entrance and driveway on the right side of the yard, below the decking). The master bedroom and master bath have both been reworked by Dowd as well as the rather involved landscaping.

When purchased, the rear wall had been pushed out to incorporate the patio (original fire-pit style grill is still attached and uses the existing chimney for ventilation, though it's unused). An arbor-style extension (extending the existing beams past the rear wall glass-wall) was added to the back to provide some much needed shade to the rear of the house. The front door has been replaced by a really beautiful, hand-carved mahogany double door from Brazil. The over-all effect is a large living expanse open to both front and back with some amazing birch trees obscuring the street from the living room.

Jeff decided to keep and have restored the original wall-mounted oven with slide-out stove. To the right of the sink is an original counter-top Nutone blender unit. The bathroom remodel is stunning, with a large tiled tub and exterior sliding glass to the exterior and over-head skylight. The real beauty of the house is in it's modernistic, very Asian design elements - the owner had viewed the botanical gardens in Portland used these as influences in the deck railing design (top rail is roof-beveled to shed water).

Photo Album here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14338634@N02/sets/72157602234061713/

-- John

DOCOMOMO GA Home Tour 2007 Part 2

2007-10-01T20:02:00.000-04:00

This is the second part of three describing the DOCOMOMO Home Tour held on 2007.09.29 in Atlanta, GA. The second house on the tour was also designed by Robert Green and construction was finished in 1964, I believe. The story is that RG had designed the home for a client who then decided not to build. Around the same time, RG was designing homes for the Amberwood development - this was a unique neighborhood with a business model of selling unbuilt lots - the buyer would then either purchase plans and construction from the developer or bring in his/her own architect and building crew. In this case, RG built one custom house (the Nicoll house - more here: http://www.modusmodern.com/robertgreen/nicoll.asp) and had been hired to build the entryway to the neighborhood - the developer saw the original plans Robert had created and hired him to adapt them to the lot it's currently on - the developer's name was Robert Witcher (more images and the plan here: http://www.modusmodern.com/robertgreen/arrowhead.asp).

The Witchers lived in the home with their two small children for 7 years before selling to the current owners (actually the surviving second wife of the second owner). The House featured an 8x8 tiled bath that could be filled with water that the children referred to as their "kiddie pool." Unfortunately I didn't take any images of the room, as it's quite spectacular with a full skylight above the space and light green jade tile, commode and sinks. The house is quite unusual with a main structure making up the "point" of the arrow, a long hall with small alcoves opposing bedrooms, and a "tail" family room that was formerly a carport - RG was hired to transform the carport into the current family room and an external 2 car garage was added - at some point the garage was extended upward and a guest house was built, much to RG's dismay. Two additional structures were also added, a pool house and a workshop - neither of these three structures have more than a passing resemblence to the original structure (the garage has obvious lines in the bottom floor and some details were carried over, but the general lines were all abandoned).

The long hallway reveals many surprises, FLW style, with new rooms, alcoves, shelving and geometric shapes around every corner. The main living room comes to a slightly acute point, with a two sided fireplace in the opposite corner. The front eave of the house actually comes down to chest level making this a remarkable construction indeed.

Photo Album here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14338634@N02/sets/72157602225231786/

Part 3, the Dowd residence, will go up shortly.

-- John

DOCOMOMO GA Home Tour 2007 Part 1

2007-09-30T10:22:00.001-04:00

I thought I would provide some running commentary plus some photos from the DOCOMOMO Home Tour yesterday (2007.09.29).

Cindi and I left the house at 9:00 AM but had to run some errands (placing directional signs and ballons around the Amberwood subdivision for the tour) before arriving at the first house. Because we shared responsibilities as docents at the Dowd House (in Amberwood) and were expected to arrive by 1:45 to relieve the first docents, we were limited in time and decided to only view the 3 houses on the tour, regrettably bypassing the condo at Plaza Towers. There were four homes in total on the tour and they were separated by some distance so one would need to factor in some travel time. This year two homes were designed by Wright Fellow Robert Green - the first is the Copeland house near buckhead off of Northside Drive. This first photoset features the images I took in the morning before heading back towards Amberwood (the two remaining homes were both in Amberwood).

As to the Copeland House, there's not much I can say that hasn't already been said. The current homeowners were present and had photos of the original construction and comparison shots of two historical remodels, passed to them from previous owners. The house is simply amazing. The level of detail and use of materials was quite stunning, even the furnishings (I wish I would have taken some images of the Nakashima table) had the effect of flooring me as I crossed rooms. I was running low on disk space so I spent most of my time taking shots of architectural details. I also tried to get shots that didn't contain people, so some of the details are sparce. I hope to aggregate photos taken from others to make a more complete journal of the visit - an hour went by very quickly.

Photo Album here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14338634@N02/sets/72157602207959344

I'll try to get photos of Arrow Head up later tonight or tomorrow.

-- John

Review on "Consider the Ranch" Lecture

2007-08-23T09:33:00.001-04:00

I wanted to report a bit on the DOCOMOMO "Consider the Ranch" lecture held on 8/21/07 at DWR in Buckhead. It was attended by 15-20 people (I didn't do a head-count) and was once again a very informative and enthralling presentation. Part 1 (which I missed on the 14th, however the speaker, Richard Cloues from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Historic Preservation Division, did a quick 15-20 minute review) featured the development of the ranch house in the united states - basically its influences and first appearance outside of a typical western farm or ranch setting (thus the name). He made mention of "Chicken House Gothic" which I found enlightening and humorous, and discussed Cliff May as well as Joseph Eichler's influence (the latter on the post and beam construction typical of Eichler's dwellings). There was also mention of Frank Lloyd Wright's prairie home and his influences on ranch design (in particular the prominent fireplace as a design element).

Part 2 focused on the appearance of the ranch house in Georgia. The ubiquitous "red brick ranch" so popular in Georgia, was highlighted several times, but the primary focus was on classifying the actual building of the Ranch into developments, sub-divisions, in-fill and stand-alone construction in context by year and region. Some significant information I'd like to bring attention to:

The first Development (defined as a large land tract built from a multi-use, community perspective with schools, churches and some commercial properties within the plan) that contained ranches in Atlanta (and perhaps Georgia) was along Buford Highway in the North Woods area - this was the brain child of Walter Talley, funded by "bankers in Boston." The neighborhood features parks, divided roads, churches, schools and homes built with a similar look and feel (even though the home styles changed as the neighborhood was built-out - the earliest are simple boxy ranch houses - the later mid-century moderns and tri-levels).
Walter Talley is significant to me as my own community of Northcrest also had Walter Talley as either a silent or early partner (The original builders appear to have been three gentlemen, Walter Talley, Howard Hardrath and Paul Edwards who laid-in the roads for Northcrest under the name "THE, Inc" (from their last names, get it?). At some point early on, Walter Talley either became a silent partner or bowed out completely - leaving Paul and Howard to continue under the P&H Realty Company name (from their first names - Paul and Howard). P&H Homes, Inc began building Northcrest in the mid to late 50's and Northcrest was probably one of their largest if not their only development.
From part 1, it was noted that the split-level actually pre-dates the Ranch - it's commonly thought that it came after as a variation of the design, but Frank Lloyd Wright used the split-level concept going back to the 20's - the ranch wasn't really marketed until the 40's (whether by that name or any other). A ranch can have a basement or partial basement - what distinguishes the ranch style is a single floor of living space (open stairs to a finished basement would put the structure into a split level classification). It's my opinion that the Ranch attained popularity as builders across the US attempted to do a "cheap" version of the FLW prairie home.
One very good example of ranch development is along Lenox Road - there are very-built ranches along the road and it can be used as a catalog of different styles.

In any case, for those who attended, the lecture was very informative. For those of you who couldn't attend, my hope is that a transcript will become available at some time, as well as some of the photographs used in the lecture.

-- John

Greetings from the UK!

2007-08-19T09:30:00.000-04:00

I received this email from Sharon in the UK

Hello , You may or may not find this interesting, but we have purchased a modernist bungalow in Horsham Sussex uk. 1968 that needs complete restoration. We are currently opening out all the rooms to give a light and open plan airy feel to the house and it's back garden. We love late 50's/ 60's furniture. Perhaps you know of some good web sites that might be able to help us?
Ignore the chesterfield in the pic, isn't so Victorian ha ha. !! Would you like to see a pic or two on our back garden. No grass to cut ! oh bliss.

Regards
Sharon

This is the first Modusmodern "fan" email - thanks for the images Sharon - love the herringbone floor! Keep the images coming!

-- John

DOCOMOMO Atlanta, GA: Consider the Ranch: August 14th and 21st

2007-08-18T18:33:00.001-04:00

I missed this DOCOMOMO seminar on the 14th but plan to attend on the 21st. The host is the DWR store in Buckhead. These seminars are usually very good and informative, plus you get to meet other modernists from around the Atlanta area.

What: Consider the Ranch, a look at the development of the Ranch House

Who: Richard Cloues, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Historic Preservation Division

When: 6 PM, Tuesday August 14th (part 1); Tuesday August 21st (part 2)
PLEASE RSVP: info@docomomoga.org

Where: Design Within Reach, Atlanta Studio, 295 E Paces Ferry Rd, NE, Atlanta, Georgia (404-841-2471). For directions, click here.

-- John

Thinking About a New Roof?

2007-07-29T07:57:00.000-04:00

I put together the following and posted the information on the Lotta Living Forums - the thread was about the differences in roofing methods used both in the past and in the present, on Mid Century modern homes. I believe that readers on ModusModern could also benefit from my past roofing experiences, so with a small amount of editing, here you go...

A New Roof

After being sold on a membrane roof on my house in Atlanta (this is often referred to as a "torch-down modified" roof - it's applied in layers using a MAP gas torch), only to have it fail within 6 months, I can give you quite a bit of qualified advice.

First, if you have a flat roof, it was probably installed as a "built-up" roof, using an underlayment of felt, some type of insulative barrier (my roof had 1 inch styro board - these days they use perlite and possibly ISO board, which is actually for insulation with perlite). These boards were typically nailed - note that if your ceiling is also the roof (in my case the roof boards are the same as the 2x6 tongue-and-groove ceiling) and any wiring for lights is typically nailed to the roof under the boards (be careful and mark where the wires are) with special fasteners - then a layer of hot asphalt is applied with a mop (called hot-mopping). Over this is laid sheets of 15 or 30 pound fiberglass/asphalt felt. This is repeated, possibly twice (for 2 to 3 layers), before a cap of asphalt is hot-mopped. Onto this is spread pea gravel as ballast. The gravel also plays an important part in continuing the life of your roof - the rock reflects light away from any exposed fiberglass underneath - it's actually the UV rays of the sun that causes the most damage to this type of roof, and not the weather per se.

There are usually four avenues for a replacement/repair for this type of roof, depending on the condition (in order of cost - least to most):

1. Rolled touch up using some type of liquid barrier/sealer - the cheapest method, the gravel is brushed to the side and the sealant is applied with a roller - then the old gravel plus any extra for coverage is spread back over the roof. This is usually only good for very temporary repairs - say you need a year to get your money together for a real repair. I would actually not recommend this method but it could get you dry for a little while.

2. Torch-down Modified - with this method, a roll of thick roofing material is melted onto the existing roof using a MAP torch - can be risky as the whole roof can literally catch on fire (asphalt burns!). To meet manufacteror's specifications, the roofer should actually fasten a layer of perlite to the existing roof after brushing off the gravel (using approved fasteners), the roof edges should be built up with a nailer board, the material applied (hopefully melted onto the substrate) and new flashing installed. Typically the old flashing is left in place but cut-off where it extends to the eaves. This method works well if done correctly but understand what is really happening is that the roof will "float" on top of the existing roof. The roofer will tell you this is a 10 year roof or some such. I would consider this temporary at best - you might get 5 years without issues - but if the membrane is ever penetrated you will get wet. Also, because you are not removing the existing roof, any existing wet spots can stay saturated against the original asphalt (I added below what happened to me using this method so read on).

3. Asphalt Built-up - this is the original technique used by the builders of these homes - however it requires the removal of the original roof which can add quite a bit to the expense. Since you are pulling everything off, this is the time to replace any rotted or twisted boards. This is also a good time to locate any additional lighting and shore up any rotted beams, etc. The original flashing will be removed along with everything else. If you don't mind the look, raise the roof slightly by going to 1.5-2" of ISO board - it will add an R-value of 10-14 and improve your utility bills. You will also need to add a wood nailer around the perimeter to raise the flashing to the height of the ISO board. I've described the methods used above and this is still the most common method used on commercial buildings. This type of roof can last 20-25 years or more (manufacturer usually states 10-15, but the reality is that this last a long time).

4. Asphalt built-up with a Modified cap - this is the method that I actually chose (the most expensive method but worth it if you plan to living in your house forever). This method is similar to the Asphalt built-up above, only a hot mop-down modified membrane roof is attached to the top of the asphalt layers. This can be doubled up to extend the roof even longer.

The initial Torch-down modified roof I had put down was improperly installed. The roofer (who was supposed to be qualified with experience in this type of installation and was also highly recommended) gave me a very reasonable bid of $5k do do the roof (the roof is approximately 40 squares or 4000 square feet - I should have figured it was a scam and too good to be true) to place a membrane roof over the existing asphalt "built-up" roof. As the other bids I received were over $10k for the roof, we went for the cheap, thinking that we would get 5 or so years out of the roof - the plan was to eventually get a better roof through a complete tear-off and rebuild. We actually got about 6 months before things started to go wrong.

First, the roofer used a shovel to scrape off as much gravel as possible - this turned out to be stupid as everywhere a stone was pulled from the existing asphalt, a gap appeared in the existing roof as a potential leak. Second, the roofer did not cut off or replace the existing flashing. Third, because the substrate was not reinforced with some type of nailer, the new roof was not truly melted onto the old - the roof basically was sitting as a flat sheet on top of a sieve. Because the flashing was not replaced, the edges were not sealed - this made this worse as the roof "crawled" across its expanse, water crept under the edges and found the missing rock holes to penetrate - the result was massive leaks, with water coming down almost every wall. Every attempt to get the roofer back to fix the issue was ignored - ultimately we had to litigate (we won, but have as yet received no money on the judgement, nor do we anticipate we will).

When reality hit we knew we needed to do something quickly. Not wanting to get bitten twice, we heavily researched roofing methods and applications. That was when I discovered that 90% of the roofs for our type of house in the area are incorrectly installed - meaning that even if we had a claim against the manufacturer of the roof with a 10 warranty, etc., the claim would have been invalid as the guarantee is only good if the roof was properly applied. We ended up getting 12 estimates, ranging from $7500 to $40k (ouch!). We decided to go with a real commercial roofer who did a phenomenal job. The original estimate was for $14k, however we went with 1.5 inches of ISO board and replaced several hundred feet of rot, including the ends of two beams. This brought the price up to about $17K plus an extra thousand for additional wood materials.

I think the greatest lesson learned is to research the roof options, then really question the roofers to make sure they know what they are doing. Our final roofer actually had the GAF rep come out and do a core sample so that the warranty was registered with them. The cores they cut exceeded the manufacturer's specifications. I'm happy to report that three years have gone by on the new roof without any issues.

John Eaton

(Originally published 2005.01.10 in the thread: "Flat Roofs Don't Like Rain" on the Lotta Living forums)

Modern Landscape Design

2007-07-27T11:43:00.000-04:00

I attended a really wonderful DOCOMOMO lecture last night in regards to Modern landscape design. James R. Cothran lectured and featured images from a recent tour of Thomas Church designed gardens in the San Francisco area and locally, plus a pretty much intact garden in Columbus Georgia designed by James Rose - the current owner's of the latter property were also in attendance, as well as some faculty that worked with both architects during installations at UGA. Although I had an above-normal awarness of modern landscape architecture, the lecture really brought things into focus for me and provided some great ideas - also the reference materials got me searching for some books (two that I bought online today were "Invisible Gardens" on Amazon and "Modern Garden Design" by Janet Waymark) - both featured works of Church and the former James Rose.

If you're into Modernism and live in Atlanta, I highly recommend the DOCOMOMO sponsered events and lectures. Blog is here: http://www.docomomoga.org/wordpress/

-- John

Welcome

2007-05-14T07:13:00.001-04:00

Welcome to ModusModern's blog on the web.