Istockhouseplans Blog

Of course, good design and material optimization are important but there's a third leg to stabilize the whole thing. Optimizing mate...

The mere design of your house can have a big factor on your lumber bill. Think about the jogs and other dimensions in light of the dimen...

After all the work of optimizing the rest of the house, you might think we could call it a day and cap our house. But wait, there's ...

Walls are so misunderstood. In a world of "More wood is better!" it's hard to know what to cut. Efficiency by Design can ...

What's the difference between a floor and a ceiling? Not much. If it's unfinished below, it's a floor. If it's unfinishe...

The foundation of your house is perhaps the most important feature. Get it right and the whole house can last for a hundred years or mor...

We spent some time harping on material optimization a few years back. Touted as advanced framing, there was some push back on implement...

The news is out. It seems like Multnomah County is taking advantage of the accessory dwelling unit (ADU) situation in Portland. In 2010 the ...

It's been a while since posting. The creativity muse hit hard the other night. Think 2x4 and back of the head. When consciousness was re...

About two and a half years ago we promoted Simpson Strong-tie's Wall Bracing Calculator.  A new contender has entered the ring, APA (th...

"200 Square Feet" our first ebook is now live and free for a limited time.  You can find it on Amazon or check here for other int...

For the last few months we have been busy writing.  Not on this blog, obviously.  All of our wordsmithing efforts have been going into creat...