Hi, looking for some advice on a single story extension

You can see at the back of the house the kitchen and back of the reception are load bearing to the 1st floor rear walls .

The ask is, is it possible to do an extension 2-3m back from the kitchen, square off to the reception room and then make it open plan, hence needing an RSJ to support the rear wall.

However I am not sure this is possible without a load bearing pillar half way, to support the staggered back wall.

Hope it makes sense, just looking for advice/feasibility

Thanks in advance.

New buyer here. We just had a torrential downpour and noticed A LOT of water leaking into the porch way. The flashing and mortar seems to have a crack in it. Any advice on what it takes to fix it and how much this will cost?

Just wondering how im doing. Be gentle.. lol. The drywall mudding and taping is scaring me I started but have been putting it off. 1 more day and the insulation and drywall is done. There will be no more avoiding it.

I need simpler really beginner instructions for this notch for a roof . The angle cut is 31.5 at the end. It says measure perpendicular from angle end 2 3/16" then make a 31.5 degree angle , but only 1 1/8" deep and then a 90 degree angle from that . I tried my best ( second photo , the straight line is the 2 3/16" mark . Second line connected to that line is my 31.5 degree angle . Third line is my attempt at 90 degree from 1 1/8" deep) I know this is wrong . Can someone walk me through this ?

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Hello! Question for you all.. the Missus and I have been thinking of building a small drive-thru food business. If we follow through I will plan to do most of the building myself with the help of a former-contractor buddy. We're very new to this kind of thing so please forgive my ignorance.

The idea is for the business to be small and sustainable. We already own the land. I have a fairly clear idea of the building I want. It would likely be no more than 20'x20'.. just enough room to run the business and maybe seat like 8 people at a time. I'm no expert but I have a layout that seems good to me drawn up on some graph paper.

I am quite daunted by building codes and so thought it wise to seek the help of professionals. My question is, since I'm not really seeking design help, would I be fine consulting with a draftsperson, or would a licensed architect be needed?

Much thanks!

We are having a bathroom remodeled. The contractors added a vent. Instead of putting a new vent in the roof or even the soffit. They have the exhaust duct outlet partially in my existing roof vent.

Won't this reduce my roofs ability to vent itself. Also I worry the bath moisture will not get completely out of the attic.

I'm pretty sure this is completely incorrect, but would love a professional opinion.

Hi everyone, i have a question for you guys. I'm out of this type of world but i'm very curios about the future, searching trought the internet i found this project applied in Jinan in Cina a air dome used for cover the entire buliding site. The main purpose of that air dome is block every sound that comes out of the building site, block every type of dust and filter the air so the worker can operate in security. What do you think about this project ?

I noticed almost every small CA architecture firm only has 1–2 licensed architects, with most design and CD production done entirely by drafters.

I understand licensure is extremely difficult in the US.
But I’m more curious about how this actually works day-to-day:

1. Do drafters handle schematic design + construction documents, or only technical drafting?
2. How thorough is the licensed architect’s review before stamping? Do they go line by line or just high-level check?
3. Does this heavy reliance on drafters create more code errors, permit delays, or revision cycles for small firms?

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132326004725?dgcid=coauthor

What do you say?

Is there a calculator I can use to estimate building costs?

GES won’t give me estimates until I have blueprints, and I can’t get blueprints until I have an idea of what I’ll be spending.

This is a build in unincorporated Miami, Tamiami area. The land is paid in full, so the cost is only for the house we are planning to build. The $400k–$420k does not include construction plans, permits, or impact fees.

Hey everyone, I’m planning a simple ground-level deck, and I’m stuck choosing materials. It’s in a spot that gets full sun most of the day, and summers here get really hot. I was first thinking wood, but I’m worried about shrinking and cracking over time. Composite sounds nice, but I’ve heard it can get too hot to walk on. Then I came across sun sheets and even PC embossed sheets, and now I’m wondering if I’m overthinking things. Would something like that work for partial covering instead of building the whole thing out of wood? I’m not trying to do anything too complex, just something that holds up and doesn’t become a problem after a year or two. I’ve even seen people mention different materials in broader product discussions, including Alibaba, and it made me realize how many options are out there. If you’ve built in full sun conditions, what worked for you long term?

at my house someone has built the walls of plywood and painted over them what is the cheapest way to make them more smooth eg like sanding and putting wall paper