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After 30 years in architecture, I still hear the same tired old wives鈥� tales about remodeling. It鈥檚 amazing how long it can take to stamp out a wrongheaded concept. Here are some of my 鈥渦nfavorites.鈥�

1. Bathrooms should be planned back to back to save cost.

Rubbish. This chestnut goes way back, and probably stems from the practice of placing apartment house bathrooms back to back. For a remodel, the meager savings in plumbing cost 鈥� around a few hundred dollars 鈥� doesn鈥檛 justify straitjacketing a floor plan with a poor bathroom arrangement.

2. The best way to improve a home鈥檚 energy efficiency is by installing new double-glazed windows.

Poppycock. In most houses, windows represent a small fraction of the total heat loss. By far the most heat is lost through ceilings, so attic insulation is the best place to invest in upgrades. Then consider installing a higher-efficiency furnace and ductwork. Replacing windows is far down the list of cost-effective energy improvements.

3. Granite is the best choice for kitchen counters.

Balderdash. Granite is definitely durable, but it may not make economic sense to install a 100-year countertop on cabinets that will last only 30. In any case, there are many other interesting countertop materials out there, including other stone slabs, butcher block, tile, and even plastic laminate. It鈥檚 worth taking a look at them before going with granite by reflex.

4. Skylights are the best way to get daylight into a house.

Malarkey. Skylights are a good last resort to improve daylighting, but adding windows should always be the first choice. Why? Because they鈥檙e passive solar devices naturally attuned to the seasons, letting in more low-angle sunlight in winter when it鈥檚 needed, and excluding it in summer when it鈥檚 not. Skylights do just the reverse. They also look out of place on many homes, particularly those built before World War II.

5. Point-of-use (鈥渢ankless鈥�) water heaters are the most efficient way to heat water.

Maybe, but maybe not. Tankless units can be ideal for certain applications, such as remote bathrooms. But their efficiency is typically oversold, with ratings based on rarified laboratory conditions seldom reflected in real homes. They鈥檙e also complex and subject to erratic response under low-flow conditions. Plus, if saving space isn鈥檛 one鈥檚 primary concern, there are a number of conventional storage water heaters available with efficiencies in the mid-90s, some at surprisingly reasonable cost.

6. Recessed 鈥渃an鈥� lights are the best way to modernize a home鈥檚 lighting.

Piffle. Recessed lighting is useful for specific purposes 鈥� highlighting permanent objects or architectural features, for example 鈥� but it鈥檚 lousy for general illumination. This is because cans are inherently directional: They create a pool of light beneath, rather than diffusing it throughout the room. They鈥檙e also terribly overused, leading to the notorious 鈥渟wiss cheese ceiling鈥� effect visible in so many remodeled houses. Use recessed cans sparingly, especially in houses built before World War II. They鈥檙e literally a glaring anachronism in most older homes.

Arrol Gellner is a California architect, college teacher and syndicated columnist who writes about architectural issues. Follow him on Twitter 鈥� @arrolgellner.

漏2012 Arrol Gellner

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