Natural disasters often strike without warning. Earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes and even torrential rains and ice storms can all wreak havoc on your home and leave you wondering where to turn. If you have experienced damage to your home following a natural disaster, following these steps can help you get your life back together.

1.  Call your insurance company.  If you don’t already have homeowners’ insurance, you can begin by getting a quote and comparing rates at InsuranceQuotes.org. Every homeowner should have insurance. Know ahead of time whether your insurance policy covers natural disasters, as some don’t.

2.  Take pictures of the damage.  Your insurance company may require them to help get you the money you need. Photos can also be helpful when speaking to contractors so that they can see the extent of the damage. A contractor’s expert eye may be able to determine from a photo whether the damage is mostly cosmetic or if the foundation of your home was affected.

3.  Be aware of the possibility of structural damage. Even if your home is still standing, it may have sustained serious damage to the foundation. This is especially important in case of an earthquake, as a single aftershock may be all it takes to bring the building down. Do not enter your home until it has been declared safe, even to try to save personal property. Belongings can be replaced; you and your family cannot.

4.  File a FEMA claim. If your area has been officially declared a natural disaster area, you may be able to file a claim with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA. You can file a claim online at the FEMA website or by phone. Keep in mind that it may take time to have your case evaluated, especially if you are living in an area that is highly populated and severely damaged.

5.  Use caution when hiring a contractor.  Because contractor services are in very high demand following a natural disaster, some con artists may pose as contractors in order to scam people who are in a stressful situation. Don’t allow scammers to take advantage of you. Get recommendations from people you trust, insist on only using a contractor who is licensed and insured and do research on the contractor’s track record. Never deal with a contractor who insists on upfront payment.

6.  Make sure to have an expert check your plumbing and your electrical system to make sure that everything is in good condition.  Sometimes damage can occur within the walls of your home. Although you may not be able to see it, it could be causing ongoing damage that will cost you even more to repair. If you have a septic tank, it is important to have that checked and serviced as well. Until the water supply is deemed safe, make sure to boil any water from the tap.

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www.DrummondHousePlans.com - Plan # 3933, Morgan's Walk

Is it a carriage house or a vacation getaway? This tidy little garage with apartment above works well as either!

The exterior puts a pleasing face forward with a simple roofline, generous windows and attractive corbel detailing. The main level provides plenty of space for two vehicles (or one and lots of toys!) and the foyer is accessed either from within the garage or by the front entry. Hobbyists and outdoor enthusiasts will love the washroom on the main floor as well.

Upstairs, the main living area features an open concept with country kitchen, adjoining living area, two bedrooms with Jack-and-Jill bathroom, and even a laundry room. A deck off the middle landing of the stairs provides space for outdoor grilling or relaxation.

Models such as this are popular as secondary suites for inlaws, guests or income potential, not to mention as efficient vacation getaways with secure storage.

For more details on this plan, click here.

Looking for other Carriage House Plans or Garages with Apartment Space? Check our Carriage House Design Collection, Garage Apartment Collection or use our Advanced Plan Search to find homes with specific features.

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Are you thinking of adding a water feature to your garden this year?

A water feature creates great Feng Shui by establishing a sense of reflection, depth and refreshing vitality in your space.

If a fountain, bird bath or small pond are in your future, you’ll want to place it properly and in the most auspicious location to encourage good Feng Shui.

According to the Feng Shui Garden Bagua Map, the best locations for your water feature are the Life Journey, Family/New Beginnings, or Wealth/Prosperity sectors of your garden.

These three areas are nourished by Water in the Five Elements cycle that drives Chi flow in Feng Shui.

The Water element represents your Life Journey and Career, the sector that’s located in the bottom center of your garden, near its entryway.

Likewise it nourishes the Wood element that’s associated with the Wealth sector in the back left corner as well as the adjacent Family and New Beginnings sector.

It’s just as important to make sure that your water feature flows in the most auspicious direction.

Any fountain or stream that you set up for good Feng Shui should flow inwards, towards the center of your garden.  When its flow is directed outwards you will lose out on the benefits of its natural Chi energy.

Good luck with your new fountain!

(Feng Shui advice courtesy of Ann Bingley Gallops of Open Spaces Feng Shui)

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If you live in a climate where there is more than one season, you should store off-season clothing carefully to avoid damage from insects, mildew, and mold. Be sure to wash and dry all garments before storing and never store clothes in plastic bags or airtight containers. Rattan trunks, well-ventilated closets, and vented garment bags are perfect for storing clothing, as they allow air to circulate and the clothing to breathe. Even in a dry area, consider using a chemical desiccant such as calcium chloride or silica gel to absorb moisture and prevent mildew.  You can also reduce dampness in closets by tying pieces of chalk together and hanging them from a support post or from the ceiling.

Here are a few other tips to ensure the safety of stored clothes:

• Remember Clean, Cool, Dark, and Dry. Your storage area must be all four of these in order to protect your clothing. 
• Protect clothing from wood acid by lining dresser drawers with an acid-free shelf paper or fabric.
• When adding mothballs to a clothes storage area, place them in an old sock so they don’t touch the garments.
• Don’t hang silk, rayon, or knit items that can become misshapen by long-term hanging. Instead fold and stack in a clothes storage container with the lightest items on top and heaviest on the bottom.
• Leather and suede should be stored in a closet that is cool and well ventilated. Supple leather garments should be laid flat and padded well with white tissue.
• Linen garments should be rolled for storage. If you feel you must fold them, be sure to refold often to avoid permanently creasing the fabric fibers. 
• Garments made of metallic fabric should be rolled with tissue paper separating each layer.
• Fur being stored long-term is best kept in professional cold storage.

(Tips provided by Laundry.com)

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www.DrummondHousePlans.com - Plan # 2837A-V1

Use of natural materials enhance this timeless, yet totally modern 2326 sq.ft. three-bedroom with 2.5 baths. Main-floor layout includes living room with fireplace, dining area, kitchen, half-bath, laundry room and French door access to covered deck.

Upstairs, the master suite enjoys French door access to the upper balcony, walk-in closet and five-fixture master bathroom. Two additional bedrooms share a bathroom, and a relaxed upstairs family room can become bedroom #4, if desired. Two-car garage stores more than cars!

The plan includes a crawlspace foundation but alternate foundations are available if more living area is desired.

For more details on this plan, click here.

Looking for other Country-Style Homes? Check our Country-Style Design Collection or use our Advanced Plan Search to find homes with specific features.

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Large or small, a kitchen has to function well for you to get the most out of it, whether that means great meals, great entertaining or both. Accessibility is the main ingredient. And one element that is globally useful, whether you’re a top chef or an ace sandwich maker, are storage features that pull out or pull up.

Designing a high-performance kitchen requires an in-depth knowledge of your household’s unique needs and habits. In a large kitchen, you don’t want to have to run from one end to the other while trying to prepare a meal. In a small kitchen, unpiling and unstacking is cumbersome and irritating when you’re trying to get things done. Pull-up or pullout components have the power to increase your kitchen’s usability tremendously.

Read the full article for some clever kitchen storage options…

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www.DrummondHousePlans.com - Model # 2270

This classic bungalow has virtually all the floorplan features sought after by new home buyers, a two car garage, three bedrooms, open living areas, lots of storage, a grand fireplace, a generous kitchen, dual social areas and laundry on the main floor.

The exterior is equally enchanting with a handsome trio of gable-ends, a turret, covered entry and special half-moon window.

One can also appreciate the flexible nature of this plan. It is easily adapted to 2 bedrooms plus and office/den, two social areas or move the dining area and gain a larger great room, and an undeveloped basement could be finished to ensure you have a space for your every need.

For more details on this plan, click here…

Looking for other cottage house plans, one-storey or bungalow house plans? Check our Cottage Home Design Collection, One-Storey & Bungalow Design Collection, or Create  a “New House Plans – Latest Trends” Alert to receive all of the latest designs direct to you by email! 

Thanks for visiting the DrummondHousePlans Blog!

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I don’t know about you, but I always have the best of intentions to store all of my ideas. File folders, scrapbooks and a huge archive of bookmarked websites. Backtracking through my links would sometimes require a psychic medium and no one in the household enjoys magazines with pages missing. Because most publications have some or all of their content online as well, I highly recommend that you investigate Pinterest… As a “virtual scrapbook” It is a beautiful way of keeping a visual breadcrumb trail back to the original articles you found the pictures on and provides the flexibility to create “boards” of ideas for specific room ideas and more. As you visit sites with bathrooms, cabinetry, accessories, etc., you’ll be able to get back to the images without having to print them.

There are so many decisions when building a home - the latest building materials, selecting cabinets, colours and hardware. If you don’t have a cadre of designers at your disposal (and with budgeting for a new build, hiring a home-stylist may take a back seat in your priorities), you may need to rely on publications and online resources. While there are many publications which cater to the US market, Canadian sources are more in tune with Canadian trends and available products. 

There are a number of Canadian publications that you can subscribe to, or if you are looking for a greener solution, we’ve included links to the online resources that these publications provide as well. 

Once you have selected your DrummondHousePlan, it is time to start visualizing your new decor…

Where to begin?

If you have no idea of where to get started decorating your new house Canada’s Style at Home is a great starting point. The magazine editors bill themselves as “Canada’s top resource for fabulous decorating, design and entertaining ideas” . Articles written in a friendly and informative tone present decorating ideas in layman’s terms. Even the most design-challenged individual will find value here. Each month they feature articles about interior design, home decorating projects, outdoor living and entertaining.

Canada’s Style at Home Online: Blog | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Pinterest

Get Inspired

Canadian House & Home is all about design and decorating. Each monthly issue takes you on virtual tours of the most unique and beautiful homes across Canada, providing inspiration and professional articles to help you create the home of your dreams. Each issue features dramatic makeovers, the latest furniture and accessories, renovation tips, and ideas for organizing and entertaining.

Canadian House & Home Online: Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Video | Pinterest

For the DIY’er

Many individuals want to take a more “personal” approach to decorating. Canadian Home Workshop has been the go-to publication on home improvement and woodworking for over three decades. In this magazine, you’ll discover articles on project ideas, design techniques, practical renovation information and even home maintenance advice.

Canadian Home Workshop Online: Blog | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Make your home functional…

A home is about more than just decor, it needs to be liveable as well. Canadian Living is a magazine that provides daily living tips spanning recipes, household tips and ideas, fashion, crafts and even health and family advice.

Canadian Living Online: Blogs | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Pinterest

Make sure your outdoor spaces are enjoyable too!

Few things create a stronger impression than a bit of outdoor curb appeal but many new homeowners are intimidated by a blank landscape canvas. Canadian Gardening is an excellent information source for gardening techniques, recipes, projects and design ideas. The magazine also takes into account the vast differences in Canadian climate and features essential regional information to ensure great curb appeal in all regions of Canada.

Canadian Gardening Online: Blog | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Planning your new home can be overwhelming but take it one step at a time and you’ll be fine. Be sure to savour the experience of planning your home and let us know if there are any articles that may help you in this exciting process!

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www.DrummondHousePlans.com - Plan # 2590-V2

Since the launch of model 2590, it has been an extremely popular choice for homeowners looking for country charm. The graceful sloping roof is punctuated by a greater and lesser gable and the entrance and service entry are sheltered by an enchanting wraparound porch. The addition of an attached garage adds additional convenience to this perennial favourite.

Within, the entry leads to an convenient office to the right or fireplace adorned living room to the left. A large kitchen with island is located conveniently near the dining alcove which flows out to a covered rear porch, perfect for grilling and chilling. The service entrance includes garage access, and nearby coat closet, shower room and laundry.

The generous single garage includes a staircase with direct basement access and space for a workbench at the rear.

Upstairs, three good-sized bedrooms share access to a 5-piece bathroom and separate powder room.

An unfinished basement and bonus space over the garage ensure plenty of storage and further development options. 

For more details on this plan, click here.

Looking for other Country-Style? Check our Country-Style Design Collection or use our Advanced Plan Search to find homes with specific features.

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When shopping for your house plan with an attached garage it is highly recommended to know how it will be oriented on the land in order to obtain maximal sunlight in the viable part of the home.

For certain homeowners, or future homeowners,  the location of the garage may seem of little consequence. These unfortunate individuals might find out too late that the natural lighting, which is enhanced by abundant sunlight, is deficient or even non existent.

In cooler climates, sunny breaks have as much of a positive impact on our morale as they do as a source of passive energy which increases with the warming of receptive floor surfaces and the accumulated heat that they release, during the evening for example.

It is therefore a good idea to locate the garage on the north side of the home. If this is not possible, the second choice would be a north-west oreintation because of the dominant winds from the west. A north-easterly orientation is the third choice.

In order to optimize the orientation of the home and its garage, the right reading reverse option is an excellent way to locate your home at a relatively low cost.

This new style of garage door features tempered, thermal glass. Its clean lines make it a perfect addition to todays contemporary  home designs with the accent on security. It is an updated version of the automobile mechanic’s garage door whose technology has reached the residential market. The tempered glass on the interior, thermal, side of the door ensures that if there is a mishap which breaks the glass it will not shatter into shards but will break into relatively harmless granules, much as a windshield.

If you are contemplating a model that has a basement level garage, there are a few things that are worth considering in order to avoid unfortunate surprises such as water infiltration during heavy down pours and damage to the foundation during the freeze-thaw cycle.

The majority of the problems are related to the excessive slope created by the access zone which favours drainage towards the garage. Adherance to a few basic priniples during the process will help ensure a more reliable installation.

Adequate protection for the foundation against the freeze-thaw cycle is without doubt the first priority. A basement level garage must be seated on a foundation that extends  in depth beyond the main foundation of the home. If the support walls are adjacent to the access slope within 5 feet, you will need a five foot  protection zone beyond the walls as well as the door.

A moderate access slope: Due to the municipal requriements for set back, basement level garages often have extreme slopes which are all but non functional for a car that has a manual transmission. This is a reality for many lots and the basement garage should not be considered unless the maximal access slope of between 3% and 8% can be achieved.

A hump at the start of the driveway, before the slope starts, is a simple yet essential way to protect against water infiltration and acts as an effective barrier to water accumulated in the street during heavy down pours. In colder climates it is imperative as during the unseasonable thaws that happen in the winter, when water evacuation systems at street level are frozen and may even be non functional, the water that rises in the street will tend to flow down into the basements of unprotected entrances.

A separate drainage system in front of the garage door which is completely independant from the drain for the water from around the foundation is essential. This drain must be kept clean and free from any leaves, gravel or other material and must be maintained two or three times a year. It’s the only way to ensure its efficiency as an unmaintained drain is an invitation for unwanted surprises.

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