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Showing posts from October, 2021

Plumbing Systems

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When people think of plumbing, most people do not think that interior designers have anything to do with that.  The further I read in the chapter you see how it can affect the design of a room.  We can also help choose plumbing options that are more environmentally friendly. There are three different kinds of water that flows in the plumbing systems.  There is portable water than can be used for cooking and drinking, grey water that comes from shower, laundry, etc that can reused but not to drink, and last there is black water that could contain sewage.  Black water cannot be reused.    There were many different options for designers to choose to help lower the usage of water.  For toilets there are low-flow toilets, dual-flushing toilets, waterless urinals, and many more.  Low-flow toilets hold less water in their water closets.  More and more codes are changing so that it is a requirement to install low-flow toilets.  Dual-flushing toi...

Ceiling Finishes

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 Ceilings are just one of the many details that we have to pay attention to as designers.  Knowing the structure of the ceiling and how to use it to our advantage can help with lighting, cooling, and heating.  There are many different kinds of ceiling finishes.  Ones that we went over in the book were cathedral/sloped ceilings, suspended ceilings, and exposed structure ceilings. Cathedral/sloped ceilings can be finished in gypsum wallboard or plaster.  Wallboard is similar to drywall and it is most often used in residential settings.  Some major disadvantages are that it does not absorb sound and it soaks up moisture, so it is not recommended in kitchens, bathrooms, or laundry rooms unless it has a moisture retardant on it.  Plaster is the other finish for cathedral ceilings.  It has been used in many historical buildings as well, and was also used for crown moldings and medallions.   This is an example of a cathedral ceiling with exposed woo...

Flooring Construction, Materials, and Flooring Shop

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 Flooring is an important part of interiors.  They are a necessary part of a room, but are often overlooked.  They are so many details that go into flooring that is not often thought about. Construction is the first part of flooring that needs to be discussed.  First, what is the room being used for.  There is wood framing (light and heavy timber), Steel framing that can be combined with concrete as well, and just concrete construction.  Wood framing is mostly used for residential but can be used for commercial.  It is cheaper to construct especially in areas that have local timber mills.  Another common flooring material is concrete.  Concrete is also cheap to buy and very durable.  There are many different styles of construction involving concrete, most options involve pouring the concrete in place.  This image is showing concrete that is poured with concrete joist and steel reinforcement bars.    Another example of conc...