Think again about hiring an architect or an architectural designer out of the country to save costs.
For this reason, your local architects and our engineers are experts in their field in a regional market. A firm outside of the USA drafted the below home to save cost. The disconnection between architecture and engineering often results in faulty construction that may have appeared correct in the drawings but should have been noticed during the detailing and inspection of the project. This exterior wall should have been framed to the edge of the foundation.
Instead, the builder framed this home flush to the interior ledge of the foundation so the drywall may appear flush with interior concrete. Little did the builder realize they created waterproofing issues on the exterior of the building. In addition, the homeowner has lost 1’-0” of area throughout the entire building. Yikes.
You may ask, maybe it’s a ledge for a brick? I wish that were the case. Furthermore, because the home was framed incorrectly and is too far along in construction, all the hold-downs are now in incorrect locations. You may also ask, how did this building pass inspection? This homeowner chose the city inspector to perform all inspections, and scarily, they all passed.
This is a rare example of when things go wrong in many planning, design, and construction stages. This homeowner has yet to save money in the long run. Save yourself a headache and choose reputable designers and contractors who can provide a quality product and have proper training and knowledge. Yes, it may cost more in the end, but like they always say, you get what you pay for.
Maciek Gesikowski
Structural Project Designer
