hello, I need advice on interesting alternatives to finish materials that are relatively inexpensive but still look good. I have a client that is open to using alternative materials but doesn't want to pay lots of cash... materials for bathroom, kitchen counter, room partitions, flooring, custom lights, etc etc... thanks!
I really like corrugated resin, for wall partitions, maybe even light fixtures. Unsure of the price, but the places I've seen it in make me think it's relatively cheap.
a few years back i was involved in a small design/build project to install two new 'rooms' within a loft in Brooklyn. Our budget was about 1500$ in materials total. That went to wood studs, finish grade plywood used in interesting ways (grain orientation of veneers, etc), corrugated fiberglass (the cheap stuff from a lumberyard used for barn roofing, in both clear and translucent), clear varnished OSB panels, stained OSB panels (strong reds, greens and yellows work really well on OSB), and corrugated steel panels whose "wave pattern" matched that of the fiberglass. Overall, it came out quite well and the client was very happy with it.
We had also thought about using homasote panels, masonite pegboard and other easily-found sheetgoods but didn't end up needing them. You might check out Grainger's big red book for tough and cheap light fixtures and electrical supplies. We used some of their stuff and it has held up well.
Also, there are plenty of architectural/contractor product salvage locations nationwide...nearly every major city has one (hell, we just got one in cincinnati) so check there for items to 'design around' and make your own.
Thanks, will be one of my first complete jobs of an entire space... Client is open and has some cash... Want to do an office/home loft. He mentioned he wanted to use panelite for a partition wall but I want to find other more inexpensive options and use money elsewhere
check www.panelteccorp.com - a little rougher finish than panelite
pretty interesting and seems very inexpensive - call them, they're
really good on the phone and want to break into the market.
that counter really is beautiful snowi. The images I'd seen before were all of a very smooth polished concrete, which I also love. But I never thought that it could look so great textured like that!
It's really the details that make it- the way the textured concrete contrasts with the smoother, how the sink's height lines up exactly with a ridge from the board form for the wall against it, how the texture was so well done as it curves down into the sink. That's a very nice piece of craftsmanship.
Massie's work is great - the formwork is milled foam treated with a releasing agent and it probably is a nightmare to clean, especially as there isn't a hose. I'm guesing there's steel mesh within a, maybe 100mm thick?, cement pour.
the most expensive thing is likely the cnc'd foam...
I've got stained osb, a dark reddish brown, that looks fantastic in my loft (I did not do it, but I tip my hat to the architects, they did a stellar job).
as for decorative concrete, i've gotten good results from a fiberglass reinforced redi-mix where you sein out larger aggregate (pea sized and up) and replace it with masonry sand until the mix is just right. Integral color can be used in small batches with great success but i've found you can get away with using less color than you think, especially with darker color choices. offset 6x6 WWM to a "3x3" for reinforcement in countertops. Good solid formwork with caulked edges and corners is a must. if you want square corners but still need them caulked, use a router and create a space at the formwork's corners for the caulk "outside" of the space required for the concrete.
a random orbital sander is useful for vibrating the forms during the pour and immediately after. I use it afterwards to sand the concrete itself and you'll be amazed at how wonderful you can get it to come out...smooth, with polished aggregate from the sanding...nice stuff. if you want a more monolithic look you can always put a skim coat over the pour to fill in any gaps and material removal from the sanding. 4-5 coats of poly, sand btwn coats (no steel wool) and you're good to go.
* Do Not Underestimate the Power of Paint.
* Spend most of your budget on a good truck -
Use it to get lots of Free 'Junk'
* Make friends w/ someone who has space for your Free Junk
* Ask lots of questions to people who might have free stuff for ya
* Compile 'stuff', or 'materiel' first, design later
* Question every purchase, don't buy until you use up what you've got
A comment abt. concrete counters, etc. - Not inexpensive, perhaps not the most elegant, or easiest solution. That ridged sink/counter is gonna provide some trouble down the road. I like it though.
Panelite, resin, composites? Are you guys insane? You just named the most expensive materials...
Stick with doug fir, concrete, homosote, fiberbond, stainless hardware, go to "architectural salvage yards" - use composition of materials. MDF painted with primer looks sexy as well. Try to use one nice material and leave the rest inexpensive.
Ok I have a 1000 sqft loft in Brooklyn. I have built 3 bedrooms [one "dumb" room - with lumicite corners, one Really nice lofted room and my room - which is more architectural]. 12' clngs and one wall of windows. After building the bedrooms, studio desks and shelving I am only $1,400 in the hole.
I used:
-A grade wood studs
-1/2" GWB
-R13
-Samples of polygal [literally called a polygal distributer and told them that our client wanted to see larger sheets before the clad a wall in their house with it - polygal in return send 8 sheets of 2' x 4' panels showing different colors, ect] - these acted as windows to bring light into the rooms.
-One 4' x 8' sheet of 1/8" Lumicite.
-tons of Milgo-bufkin jbead
-1/2" birch
-Stainless screws and washers for the plastics
-typical mudding and taping [If I could have afforded Fiberbond I woulda substituted it for the drywall.]
-Use standard shelving units. Xpt recess the shelving tracks and paint them the same colour as the walls. Use the the standard tracks as reveals too.
I still want to make a cast concrete counter and planters to grow herbs.
It can be done. But seriously compile a list of materials, call EVERY lumber yard in your area and price out materials. Be sure to mention that "such and such lumber has studs for .37 cents a linear foot" - that will get you the lowest price. Once you have rough costs, begin to play with the composition of the modules, figure out the structure, count everything. I built a 3d model of our place with EVERY stud, 4'x8' sheet accounted for. Made a Matrix and began to count out materials.
You rock JP! I like the little bit of theivery (I mean that in a GOOD way). Don't forget to bill yourself for your time. I'm going on year#5 for design of my deck (off & on, which is lengthened because of Archinect!), that's my achilles heel.
also try plywood but with differnt grades like furniture grade with imbuia, chinese wood, or mahagony or green heart finish - looks like the real thing but much thinner profiles
i put a masonite pegboard floor down in my room, my ultimate goal was to fill/cover the whole thing in a thick acrylic or laquer coat but i wont ever get to it since im moving out soon. probably works out better for my health. dont think it would be to smart to do if i was living in the room. but maybe for new construction....
Old thread bump, but I am about to undertake my own loft build-out in Brooklyn and was wondering is any of the NYC archinecteaures (whatever was the final spelling decided) could recommend any decent salvage yards in the area. I know about Build It Green but I'm also looking for some alternatives since my budget is nil...
n_ I'm not as concerned with stuff like that as I am with doors, hardware, railings, lumber, flooring, and lighting and where to get them second hand. Also if anyone has tips on where to find water features, ant farms, 3D motion rides, roller coasters, and whatever I've always imagined putting in the first space I design for myself in NYC I'd appreciate it .
Aug 14, 07 12:11 pm ·
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inexpensive materials for loft
hello, I need advice on interesting alternatives to finish materials that are relatively inexpensive but still look good. I have a client that is open to using alternative materials but doesn't want to pay lots of cash... materials for bathroom, kitchen counter, room partitions, flooring, custom lights, etc etc... thanks!
government auctions
I really like corrugated resin, for wall partitions, maybe even light fixtures. Unsure of the price, but the places I've seen it in make me think it's relatively cheap.
a few years back i was involved in a small design/build project to install two new 'rooms' within a loft in Brooklyn. Our budget was about 1500$ in materials total. That went to wood studs, finish grade plywood used in interesting ways (grain orientation of veneers, etc), corrugated fiberglass (the cheap stuff from a lumberyard used for barn roofing, in both clear and translucent), clear varnished OSB panels, stained OSB panels (strong reds, greens and yellows work really well on OSB), and corrugated steel panels whose "wave pattern" matched that of the fiberglass. Overall, it came out quite well and the client was very happy with it.
We had also thought about using homasote panels, masonite pegboard and other easily-found sheetgoods but didn't end up needing them. You might check out Grainger's big red book for tough and cheap light fixtures and electrical supplies. We used some of their stuff and it has held up well.
Also, there are plenty of architectural/contractor product salvage locations nationwide...nearly every major city has one (hell, we just got one in cincinnati) so check there for items to 'design around' and make your own.
this is a great resource: http://www.environmentalhomecenter.com/
Good Luck on your project, noguy.
concrete counter tops. look better than stone, cheaper if not a lot of complicated detailing is required, just as durable.
i've seen corrugated galv. metal used inside a shower. don't know how well it will hold up...would take some good detailing.
buy cheap lights at ikea and modify as necessary.
Thanks, will be one of my first complete jobs of an entire space... Client is open and has some cash... Want to do an office/home loft. He mentioned he wanted to use panelite for a partition wall but I want to find other more inexpensive options and use money elsewhere
i second bryan4arch's idea for concrete - cheap, robust
check www.panelteccorp.com - a little rougher finish than panelite
pretty interesting and seems very inexpensive - call them, they're
really good on the phone and want to break into the market.
beautiful sink!! Thanks for the lead on the panelite alternitive, I will check them out
that counter really is beautiful snowi. The images I'd seen before were all of a very smooth polished concrete, which I also love. But I never thought that it could look so great textured like that!
must be hard to clean though!, and this sink for sure must not be cheap!
It's really the details that make it- the way the textured concrete contrasts with the smoother, how the sink's height lines up exactly with a ridge from the board form for the wall against it, how the texture was so well done as it curves down into the sink. That's a very nice piece of craftsmanship.
it is. but I can't get over what it would feel like to touch it.
if I'm correct, that sink was cast with custom styrafoam forms that were CNC machined. yet another thing I love about Massie's work...
mdf countertops can turn out well.
cardboard can as well be interesting for panels, but depending on the design may take more cost in labor.
fight costs and labor by not having items which need to be finished.
Coroplast - corrugated plastic sheets.
comes in many colors, but translucent is my favorite. wholesale
price is $8.00 for a 4' x 8' sheet i think. could make nice dividers..
Massie's work is great - the formwork is milled foam treated with a releasing agent and it probably is a nightmare to clean, especially as there isn't a hose. I'm guesing there's steel mesh within a, maybe 100mm thick?, cement pour.
the most expensive thing is likely the cnc'd foam...
I've got stained osb, a dark reddish brown, that looks fantastic in my loft (I did not do it, but I tip my hat to the architects, they did a stellar job).
I would second the use of concrete as a decorative material
- but you have to get the mix right, to give the best finish
also try industrial ship lap - real cheap
There is a book called High Tech that is a good resource for this sort of thing, even if it is a little dated.
as for decorative concrete, i've gotten good results from a fiberglass reinforced redi-mix where you sein out larger aggregate (pea sized and up) and replace it with masonry sand until the mix is just right. Integral color can be used in small batches with great success but i've found you can get away with using less color than you think, especially with darker color choices. offset 6x6 WWM to a "3x3" for reinforcement in countertops. Good solid formwork with caulked edges and corners is a must. if you want square corners but still need them caulked, use a router and create a space at the formwork's corners for the caulk "outside" of the space required for the concrete.
a random orbital sander is useful for vibrating the forms during the pour and immediately after. I use it afterwards to sand the concrete itself and you'll be amazed at how wonderful you can get it to come out...smooth, with polished aggregate from the sanding...nice stuff. if you want a more monolithic look you can always put a skim coat over the pour to fill in any gaps and material removal from the sanding. 4-5 coats of poly, sand btwn coats (no steel wool) and you're good to go.
sintra
* Do Not Underestimate the Power of Paint.
* Spend most of your budget on a good truck -
Use it to get lots of Free 'Junk'
* Make friends w/ someone who has space for your Free Junk
* Ask lots of questions to people who might have free stuff for ya
* Compile 'stuff', or 'materiel' first, design later
* Question every purchase, don't buy until you use up what you've got
A comment abt. concrete counters, etc. - Not inexpensive, perhaps not the most elegant, or easiest solution. That ridged sink/counter is gonna provide some trouble down the road. I like it though.
Oh yeah,
1/4" Luan plywood can provide a lot of solutions to a lot of finish challenges...yes, EVEN floors.
Panelite, resin, composites? Are you guys insane? You just named the most expensive materials...
Stick with doug fir, concrete, homosote, fiberbond, stainless hardware, go to "architectural salvage yards" - use composition of materials. MDF painted with primer looks sexy as well. Try to use one nice material and leave the rest inexpensive.
That sink is damn sexy too....
Yeah, I think we should make a list of med to low priced materials that look good when detailed correctly. Don't want cheapo cheapo materials....
Ok I have a 1000 sqft loft in Brooklyn. I have built 3 bedrooms [one "dumb" room - with lumicite corners, one Really nice lofted room and my room - which is more architectural]. 12' clngs and one wall of windows. After building the bedrooms, studio desks and shelving I am only $1,400 in the hole.
I used:
-A grade wood studs
-1/2" GWB
-R13
-Samples of polygal [literally called a polygal distributer and told them that our client wanted to see larger sheets before the clad a wall in their house with it - polygal in return send 8 sheets of 2' x 4' panels showing different colors, ect] - these acted as windows to bring light into the rooms.
-One 4' x 8' sheet of 1/8" Lumicite.
-tons of Milgo-bufkin jbead
-1/2" birch
-Stainless screws and washers for the plastics
-typical mudding and taping [If I could have afforded Fiberbond I woulda substituted it for the drywall.]
-Use standard shelving units. Xpt recess the shelving tracks and paint them the same colour as the walls. Use the the standard tracks as reveals too.
I still want to make a cast concrete counter and planters to grow herbs.
It can be done. But seriously compile a list of materials, call EVERY lumber yard in your area and price out materials. Be sure to mention that "such and such lumber has studs for .37 cents a linear foot" - that will get you the lowest price. Once you have rough costs, begin to play with the composition of the modules, figure out the structure, count everything. I built a 3d model of our place with EVERY stud, 4'x8' sheet accounted for. Made a Matrix and began to count out materials.
You rock JP! I like the little bit of theivery (I mean that in a GOOD way). Don't forget to bill yourself for your time. I'm going on year#5 for design of my deck (off & on, which is lengthened because of Archinect!), that's my achilles heel.
yeah I know the feeling
also try plywood but with differnt grades like furniture grade with imbuia, chinese wood, or mahagony or green heart finish - looks like the real thing but much thinner profiles
i put a masonite pegboard floor down in my room, my ultimate goal was to fill/cover the whole thing in a thick acrylic or laquer coat but i wont ever get to it since im moving out soon. probably works out better for my health. dont think it would be to smart to do if i was living in the room. but maybe for new construction....
Old thread bump, but I am about to undertake my own loft build-out in Brooklyn and was wondering is any of the NYC archinecteaures (whatever was the final spelling decided) could recommend any decent salvage yards in the area. I know about Build It Green but I'm also looking for some alternatives since my budget is nil...
My roommate made a loft bed using PVC.
I made mine using 2 x 4s.
JProlly - you got pictures of your place? I would love to see that!!
n_ I'm not as concerned with stuff like that as I am with doors, hardware, railings, lumber, flooring, and lighting and where to get them second hand. Also if anyone has tips on where to find water features, ant farms, 3D motion rides, roller coasters, and whatever I've always imagined putting in the first space I design for myself in NYC I'd appreciate it .
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