BobVila.com

Reviewing the Home's Layout

Bob meets developer Joe Valle and general contractor Wes Lohr at the Mashpee affordable home site. This three-bedroom starter home features an open floor plan with integrated space and living activities. Kitchen and dining areas are shared and adjacent to the living room on one side and the laundry on the other. The large open spans are made simple with the use of engineered lumber products like the joists and glulams. The open plan is enhanced by a cathedral ceiling in the living room that is produced by a jack valley. Lohr explains how construction of the jack valley differs from the standard add-on peak that is typical of the modified Cape design. This framing method brings dramatic, usable space to the interior of the home, making it seem much larger and more spacious. More information