Architectural and engineering companies work with a wide range of clients. This often means that these companies do quite a bit of printing. Research shows that many architectural and engineering offices use an average of 3,500 square feet of printing output each month. With that in mind, it’s important to understand how to correctly draw up blueprints. Without this information, your office might find itself wasting quite a large amount of supplies. Here’s a basic guide regarding how to create building blueprints of your own.
Purchasing the Right Tools and Supplies
Before drawing up blueprints, you’ll need to make sure you have the right supplies. Many people working with blueprints find that it’s wise to have what’s known as an architect’s scale. This essential tool allows you to ensure that your blueprints scale with the actual size of a building. Without having an architect’s scale, you could run into serious problems.
It’s also important to ensure that you have plenty of blueprint paper on hand. You’ll have several options to consider before purchasing blueprint paper include the size of these items. For instance, certain engineers might prefer working with wide format blueprint paper. In fact, research shows that the global market for wide format printers will reach a total of $7.2 billion by 2022. Whether you prefer wide format or something else, choosing the right type of blueprint paper is important. If you’re wanting to save money, many companies find it wise to purchase engineering bond paper in bulk.
Starting with Blueprint Basics
There are many elements that go into creating excellent blueprints. Considering that, it’s a good idea to make sure you understand the basics of blueprint design. First and foremost, you’ll want to begin this process by sketching a building’s exterior walls. You don’t need to worry about adding openings for exterior doors and windows. However, it’s best to start in one corner and work your way either clockwise or counterclockwise.
Adding Interior Walls
After drawing up plans for a building’s exterior, you’ll need to work on the interior portion of your blueprints. It’s important to remember to take into account how thick your building’s walls will be. After learning this information, you’ll want to ensure the thickness of these walls is accurate. Many properties utilize stairs in order to utilize vertical space. With that in mind, you’ll want to make sure that you draw any staircases throughout this part of the design process. Experts also recommend adding in doors and windows while creating exterior walls.
Accurately Labeling Your Blueprints
It’s now time to begin labeling each room of your blueprint. If possible, you’ll want to place this label in the center of each room. In addition, you can abbreviate certain words for smaller rooms, especially bathrooms. You’ll also want to ensure that you label any appliances and plumbing that will be inside of this home. This means accurately labeling cabinets, counters, toilets, showers, and similar items.
You’ll also want to ensure that you’re labeling electrical building information. This includes labeling electrical outlets as well as light switches. It’s understandable to feel confused regarding how to label items that will reside on the ceiling of a building. To solve this problem, you’ll want to draw labels for items including smoke alarms and ceiling lights on the floor of your new blueprint.
To summarize, it’s important to understand how to create blueprints of your own. Many industries depend on accurate blueprints in order to begin construction projects. The 2016 Survey of Architectural Registration Boards found that there were 109,749 architects working throughout the United States. In order for architects to provide accurate blueprints, they need to utilize quality paper supplies. After ordering quality blueprint paper, you’ll have an easy time creating blueprints of your own.
