Section Drawing Vs Floor Plan

When you recollect of a floor plan, the first give-and-take that probably comes to mind is "design." The two are related, but they're not exactly the same thing.

A floor plan is one of the construction drawings that you'll notice included in a set of blueprints. They announced alongside site plans, superlative plans, and other detailed working drawings that offer builders a road map for how to build a structure. They serve as the fundamental kind of house plan for general contractors and others working in the construction industry.

But just what is a floor plan? And what do we need to know about its symbols?

A floor programme is a ii-dimensional architectural cartoon that shows the blueprint of a firm or other construction projection from higher up. It is drawn in what's called a plan view, as if you lot're looking downward through an invisible roof into the building.

Symbols on floor plans

A floor plan typically shows structural elements such every bit walls, doors, windows, and stairs, as well as mechanical equipment for the plumbing, HVAC, and electrical systems.

Floor plans employ stylized symbols that often expect like the outlines of elements they stand for. Tubs, stoves, sinks, and stairs are familiar examples. These tin appear forth with built-in elements of interior design, similar appliances, islands, cabinets, and bookshelves.

Objects and dimensions are also represented on a flooring programme past solid lines or dotted lines of different weights and styles. For examples of the types of lines used on structure drawings, visit How to Read Construction Blueprints.

Floor programme symbols make upwardly their own language, only as construction workers have their own vocabulary that they employ to communicate when working on projects. Considering it's essential for designers and builders to sympathise this linguistic communication, a floor programme includes an of import element called a legend, which acts as a key that helps viewers interpret the drawing.

The fable defines architectural symbols and notations on the plan. Many standard symbols appear there for specific projects. However, in that location can exist variations in how symbols look and what they represent, which makes consulting the legend essential for each project.

For example, structure companies may use their own unique blueprint symbols in their gear up of drawings. Likewise, several different-looking symbols may represent the same detail, depending on who y'all inquire. Or one symbol may mean unlike things to workers with unlike specialties. Always search the fable on each unique programme to be clear about what the symbols hateful.

Here are some common symbols you're likely to meet in a floor plan.

Door, window, and stairs symbols

Doors and windows are elements found on every floor plan, and stairs are almost as common. Doors appear every bit gaps in a wall, often with an arc showing the style the door should swing. Windows are like, actualization as narrow boxes in walls. Stairs are depicted most ofttimes equally a serial of rectangles.

Door symbols

Doors look like larger gaps between walls, often with a curved line to evidence which way the door will swing, indicating clearance. They may look different on flooring plans depending on their form and function.

• For typical hinged doors that provide entry to a room, the curved line forms a quarter-circle (ninety-degree) arc.
• Double doors look like a stylized letter of the alphabet "One thousand," with two curved lines coming together at the center.
• A bifold door, often used on a closet, is shown as being open up: It looks like 2 peaked tents with a space between them, indicating where they'll meet when closed.
• A pocket door is a sliding door that mostly disappears into the wall when open. A standard sliding door is shown equally a thinner line extending from a wider, dark rectangle.

Window symbols

Windows are drawn as part of the walls.

• Regular sliding-drinking glass windows are distinguished from solid walls by 3 parallel lines.
• Casement windows include arcs similar to those of doors, showing how they open outward.
• Bay windows are angled like the edge of a end sign, breaking the direct-line trajectory of the wall.

Blueprints include a door and window schedule stating the style, size, and material of each.

Stairs symbols

Like the residuum of the program, stairs are seen in a two-dimensional perspective from above. They await like a series of fastened rectangles (usually) or other geometric forms.

• Some plans may show stairs bisected by a line with an arrow at one end to indicate which direction is up (ascending).
• Landings are shown as larger rectangles or squares.
• A curved or spiral staircase tin expect like part or all of a carriage bicycle, with wedges joined effectually a bend.

Appliance and plumbing symbols

In floor plans depicting kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms, you lot'll come across symbols for appliances similar the refrigerator, stove, washer, and dryer. These usually appear well-nigh plumbing elements similar sinks, showers, toilets, and drains. Symbols can exist accompanied by labels or abbreviations that further explicate their functions, or non.

Apparatus symbols

Stylized representations of congenital-in appliances such as refrigerators and stove-top burners are typically included in floor plans.

Simple outlines of appliances with specific hookup sites, such as a washer or dryer, are also included. Many are rectangles that surround a letter or two indicating their function (such as DW for a dishwasher; run into list of abbreviations below).

Plumbing symbols

Common plumbing equipment depicted in floor plans include a toilet, bathtub, and shower, along with unlike kinds of sinks: a freestanding sink, single vanity sink, double sink, cabinet sink, kitchen sink, laundry basin, etc.

Less common fixtures include a bidet or urinal. Associated bath features as well may exist depicted, including towel racks and toilet newspaper dispensers.

HVAC and electrical symbols

Since they lie largely inside a building's walls, infrastructure elements of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems may be depicted on their own designated sheets within the set of blueprints. Symbols for parts located in the living space or outside the building, such as vents or the AC unit, are often included in the overall floor plan.

Similarly, symbols for internal electric wiring and mechanisms can require their ain complicated sheets in a ready of blueprints. But outlets, switches, built-in lights, and other controls accessed in the living space usually appear on the overall floor plan.

HVAC symbols

The HVAC system may be illustrated by symbols for air conditioning units, furnaces, wall vents, ceiling vents, and other ventilation elements. Other HVAC equipment you might observe on a floor plan include a pump, heater, return air vent, fan, straight duct, condenser, and Y junction duct.

A heating subcontractor might provide a separate duct and annals layout for the HVAC arrangement.

Electric symbols

You may detect a whole host of electrical symbols on a flooring plan, showing wall jacks, TV and switch outlets, thermostats, garbage disposals, and more. Others include ceiling fans and lights, and floor outlets.

Electrical symbols often feature a subscript — pocket-size writing at the bottom of the symbol — that helps explain the outlet'south function or rating. If you run into a symbol with a subscript, it should exist explained somewhere in the blueprint's legend. (For more information on abbreviations, run across the section below.)

Wall symbols

Walls are the well-nigh common elements of a flooring plan. Thicker lines represent exterior walls, and thinner lines testify interior walls. Sometimes there'southward no visible deviation betwixt them. Exterior walls also tin can exist depicted by a black outline or double lines rather than a single, solid line.

Different materials may exist represented differently on some plans. Walls may be drawn with hatching or other patterns inside to show whether they're made of brick, concrete, or framing lumber, for case. Outer materials or "finishes" also can be shown in this style, including metal, hardwood, plywood, or ceramic tile.

Flooring plan abbreviations

In addition to symbols, floor plans contain abbreviations for different elements and materials. These abbreviations can include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Air conditioning or A/C — Air Conditioner
• B — Basin
• BC —  Bookcase
• BV — Butterfly valve
• CAB — Cabinet
• CBD — Cupboard
• CF —  Concrete flooring
• CL — Cupboard
• CLG — Ceiling
• COL — Column
• CW — Cavity wall
• CT — Ceramic tile
• D —  Door or dryer
• DS — Downspout
• DW —  Dishwasher
• EF — Exhaust fan
• FD — Floor drain
• GM —  Gas meter
• HTR —  Heater
• HW —  Hot h2o unit or tank
• KIT —  Kitchen
• LIN —  Linen closet
• LTG — Lighting
• MSB —  Master switchboard
• O or OV — Oven
• REFRIG or REF — Refrigerator
• SD — Smoke detector, sliding door, or sewer drain
• SHR — Shower
• WC — Toilet (water cupboard)
• VENT —  Ventilator
• VP — Vent pipe
• WIC — Walk-in cupboard
• W — Window or washer
• WD — Window
• WH — H2o heater
• WR — Wardrobe

Deciphering the scale on a flooring plan

Blueprints for a new home are commonly shown on paper that measures eighteen×24 or 24×36 inches. Since flooring plans need to fit on a sheet of paper, the drawings must naturally be much smaller than the completed projection will be.

The calibration of a project refers to how the measurements on the floor plans chronicle to the projection's measurements once information technology's washed. It is ordinarily found in or near the title block, along with a compass showing the orientation of the home or structure on the building site. (Different on maps, the n arrow does not always point toward the top of the page, equally the front end of the structure may face in a different direction.)

Floor plans are most commonly (though not e'er) fatigued on a ane/iv" calibration, which means a quarter-inch on the plan equals ane foot of actual length on the completed structure. Some scales use metric instead of royal measurements.

The scale ensures consistency and helps guarantee that the finished project will expect the style information technology was intended — and that it volition be structurally sound. The scale applies non simply to the exterior walls, but to all elements of the flooring plan.

Creating your own floor plans

Floor plans for a long time were drawn by hand, and some still are. If you're interested in creating a floor plan this mode, you'll need the right equipment: drafting tools such as scales, compasses, drawing triangles, protractors, and templates.

But these days, home plans are most often produced digitally. You may need estimator-assisted blueprint (CAD) software and, to create prototypes, a 3-D printer.

Software programs such as Microsoft Visio and Floor Plan Creator accept templates to go you started drafting your dream home. Some provide tutorials to help yous learn home design and floor plan design, and some even offer options for free downloads.

Conclusion

Floor plans are like treasure maps drawn by architects and engineers to serve as guides for construction workers — only the landmarks are different. Instead of mountains and rivers, y'all see walls and doorways. Instead of cities and towns, you lot see stoves and tubs.

There'southward no unmarried "Ten" that marks the spot where cached treasure lies in a flooring plan. But if you follow the template, yous'll current of air up where you want to exist: with a completed building that'due south not just structurally sound and functional but as well comfy and appealing.

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Source: https://www.bigrentz.com/blog/floor-plan-symbols

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