Pretty sure Frenchy built a house....
I've never done it. My Dad did.
With the cost of materials today, gonna take a pile of cash. A big pile.
Pretty sure Frenchy built a house....
I've never done it. My Dad did.
With the cost of materials today, gonna take a pile of cash. A big pile.
I rented a house recently that had big open floor plans and a nice tile floor throughout.. Boy it was echo-y... couldn't watch the TV and have a conversation on the phone in the same room. You had to go to a bedroom to talk on the phone if someone was watching TV..
In reply to lotusseven7 (Forum Supporter) :
I agree with the bedrooms. If I can do the knock-down-rebuild renovation of my house, it'll have three bedrooms, despite the fact two of them will rarely see use.
More thoughts:
While WiFi is good, I would still prep each room for data cabling to a router location. My plan is to run 1" data conduit so if cable tech changes it can easily be pulled. This is another reason I want a basement - it makes these sort of runs easier to do.
I have some experience with a PEX manifold setup for hot and cold water, but learned the hard way manifold location needs to be in a good spot - again - preferably in a basement so continuous runs can be run in the basement ceiling (avoid connectors like the plague) and to the underside of the required locations.
Does the site require any sort of water treatment? If so, plan a space for it.
Receptacles have been mentioned, but if you like doing holiday decorations, plan some additional outlets for them - perhaps on their own circuit controlled by a timer. My -ex likes candles in the windows. While new battery-operated LED candles are easy, with the number of windows she has, that would be a lot of batteries. So she likes plug-in 120V candles. So when I was renovating the house, I added receptacles under each new window. A lot of receptacles, but pretty cheap to install when the walls are open.
I dislike attached garages because of the inevitable fumes and smells. My ex always complained about it. Now I have a detached shop and I like it even less because I'm constantly walking through the elements in the middle of the winter. A mud room between the house and the shop solves all the above.
Note:
Everybody who has recommended 2x6 walls, low ceilings, or an attached garage lives in the north.
It's different in the South.
2x6 walls are probably a waste of money. Detached garage with a covered walkway connector is the best solution.
In reply to WillG80 :
I also dislike having the shop space attached to the house. Fumes are one reason, another is I worry about the possibility of fire from what I do in the shop. I would be heartbroken if my shop burned down, but at least I wouldn't be heartbroken and homeless.
WillG80 said:I dislike attached garages because of the inevitable fumes and smells. My ex always complained about it. Now I have a detached shop and I like it even less because I'm constantly walking through the elements in the middle of the winter. A mud room between the house and the shop solves all the above.
That's what I was going to suggest.. My garage is connected via a breezeway (main entrance to the house, really). If the fumes get bad in the garage (gas spill, etc.), I can open the windows on the breezeway to buffer the house. I would not want a common wall between the garage and living space.
SV reX said:Note:
Everybody who has recommended 2x6 walls, low ceilings, or an attached garage lives in the north.
It's different in the South.
2x6 walls are probably a waste of money. Detached garage with a covered walkway connector is the best solution.
I live in the south, I like my attached garage (mine is my basement).
If I were rebuilding this house, I'd add a few more blocks to the height of the basement walls to get 10ft ceilings down there though.
Toyman, is this going to end up being a family compound at all? Will you be hosting a lot of grandkids ever? Or is it just going to be you and wifey? Some of the below thoughts are working under the assumption that you'll have family staying with you, and possibly many people for things like Christmas. If not necessary, disregard.
Some more thoughts:
What are these lies concerning an attached garage? For day-to-day use, there is no greater human invention than the attached garage. It allows you to get comfortably to and from your car regardless of the weather. It minimizes the distance required to carry groceries and other purchases into the house.
Fumes? Smells? Park your modern daily drivers in the attached garage. Your smelly old junk lives outdoors or in the detached garage. Same with solvents and paints. I will occasionally use the attached for light repairs, but nothing that would make a mess. Lawn and garden equipment lives in a shed.
Also, you can never have too many bathrooms. Or closets. And make your kitchen big with lots of counter space.
Nine foot ceilings have made 8-foot ceilings feel positively claustrophobic to me.
I think you're off to a solid start.
100% absolutely agree to buy a set of plans instead of trying to make your own.
If space permits, my dream setup would be attached garage for wife's car, storage, extra freezer, kid stuff, regular use items, etc. And a full shop that is not attached.
For shops and garages, a small bathroom is a must, especially if the garage has yard access. I have a full bathroom and laundry in my little shop and I will never go back to my primitive lifestyle of not having them. I wrench on cars, getting dirty and sweaty. I keep a set of clean house clothes in the shop bathroom, so I can shower and change before coming back inside. The wife LOVES it.
And exterior outlets, always add more than you need. Pellet grills, lamps, lights, etc add up quick when you have the space
In reply to Ian F (Forum Supporter) :
You aren't wrong about the difference between North and South but you are talking about comfort level, not efficiency.
Toyman specifically wants to be efficient so he uses less electricity. More interior volume means having to use more heating or cooling in general.
SV reX said:Note:
Everybody who has recommended 2x6 walls, low ceilings, or an attached garage lives in the north.
It's different in the South.
2x6 walls are probably a waste of money. Detached garage with a covered walkway connector is the best solution.
I don't know, more insulation is always good IMO so as long as they take advantage of the extra space and add some R value I don't think it's a bad investment.Easier to heat, easier to cool and even quieter.
SV reX said:Note:
Everybody who has recommended 2x6 walls, low ceilings, or an attached garage lives in the north.
It's different in the South.
2x6 walls are probably a waste of money. Detached garage with a covered walkway connector is the best solution.
Insulation is still important when cooling. The south uses a lot of A/C. If it's 90+ degrees outside, you're gonna want more than R13 insulation.
Antihero (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to Ian F (Forum Supporter) :
You aren't wrong about the difference between North and South but you are talking about comfort level, not efficiency.
Toyman specifically wants to be efficient so he uses less electricity. More interior volume means having to use more heating or cooling in general.
That's only partly true.
Heat rises. The primary electric load in the South is for cooling. There can be pockets of heat held high in a well insulated house that do not impact the comfort level at ground level. Thermostats are at ground level. AC cycles on less frequently with high ceilings.
High ceilings save energy in the South.
dculberson said:SV reX said:Note:
Everybody who has recommended 2x6 walls, low ceilings, or an attached garage lives in the north.
It's different in the South.
2x6 walls are probably a waste of money. Detached garage with a covered walkway connector is the best solution.
Insulation is still important when cooling. The south uses a lot of A/C. If it's 90+ degrees outside, you're gonna want more than R13 insulation.
Agreed. More is generally better when it comes to insulation.
Only 35% of heat loss is through walls. The majority is through the ceiling.
A well designed southern home has large overhangs and porches to shade the walls.
A 4" wall is not usually R-13. The batt insulation is R-13, but it usually has Dow board outside of that. Standard 1/2" Dow board is R-2.5, better stuff is up to R-8.1. Closed cell foam is about R-7 per inch. So a standard 4" wall is about R-15.5, but a 4" wall could be up to R-27 (depending on what insulation is used)
The International Energy Conservation Code requirements for Toyman's region are R-13. I can get twice that with 4" walls, so I consider 2x6 walls a waste of money in the South.
Out here in the desert 10' ceilings are becoming more common. Not a cathedral ceiling, mind you, just a flat 10' ceiling.
Up at elevation, however, I wish my ceilings in the master and living area were lower. I've got 12' cathedrals and they waste a lot of heat.
Skylights. I'm big on natural light. With big porch overhangs your interior is going to feel dark in the middle of the day. I'd want skylights. Yea yea they aren't efficient, but ours make our space feel warmer during the winter and more "airy" during the summer.
A couple of notes
As to the shop space. It's not super critical to the construction. I built a 20x40 shed about 5 years ago that I could turn into a shop for the cost of concrete and some lumber. The house is going to be built right next to it and it will end up as parking for the cars as it is. My father also has a 60x80 shop on the property that I can use when needed.
I do like the idea of a breezeway attached garage/shop.
Basements are out. As much as I would love to have one, in the Lowcountry of SC, we call them indoor swimming pools.
Wide porches are a requirement. They are probably more important than the house itself. I live outside on the porch most of the year.
Interesting info on the wall thicknesses. Thanks.
There will be some grandkids and such visiting. I have 4 kids and one of them already has 4 kids. There will be a bumper crop at some point. I have some thoughts on that that involve portable buildings, so we don't all end up piled in the house at the same time.
Edit: An outdoor shower will happen. Keeping the humidity out of the house in the summer will be worth it.
Looking at the floorplan you posted, and realizing that it was just an example... If you were to go with that floor plan, you would want to add a door from the garage to the pantry/kitchen. It could even be a passthrough door straight to the pantry. It would be really annoying to walk with groceries through the laundry room, through the bedroom hallway, through the dining room, then to the kitchen. I'm overstating it in this case, but still...
Some really good thoughts so far, the list of notes is getting longer.
To go with the things you love, how about a hate list. Things about your house that you really don't like.
Over build the electrical. At least one breaker for each room, clearly labeled. I would go as far as to say anywhere you'd put an outlet, put a double. berkeley a sub panel, full on separate service for the garage/shop, 3 phase if you can pull it off, but if I remember properly you have a phase converter so that may be a non issue.
More than one switch in an area? Label them from the get go.
I've never seen a kitchen that couldn't be bigger. In that same note, cabinets you can't reach the back of or need to crawl to get to would make better shelves than cabinets, especially deep corners.
One more bathroom than the average number of people in the house, at least. Bonus points for one in the garage and or shop.
Take a long long look at lighting options. There is all kinds of fun new stuff. Personally I'd go with something with a selectable color temperature or color so the room can adapt to the task at hand.
Do something, anything, to hint at where your studs and rafters are, so when you inevitably need to hang things up you don't have to knock all over the place or run around with a stud finder trying to get repeatable results.
Toyman! said:To go with the things you love, how about a hate list. Things about your house that you really don't like.
This is from all the houses I've lived in before:
I hate if the most used entrance to the house does not afford me easy access to the kitchen and to a toilet.
I hate if there is not enough room in the kitchen for at least 2 people to be working.
I hate sunken living rooms/unnecessary stairs. Sorry, Frank Lloyd Wright, they look tremendous, but they suck.
I hate not having enough outlets.
I hate seeing wires from my TV. I've got them all hidden... Except for that huge power strip cord that goes to that oddly placed outlet.
I hate not having things (wires) labeled
I hate when a dryer is not located on an exterior wall. It means you have to use all sorts of bends in the exhaust hose, and it gets clogged.
I hate stovetops that are not located on an exterior wall. I want an exhaust fan going directly outside.
I hate that I can't easily run an ethernet cord to my office, and to all of my tvs. Realistically this has very little real world impact, but I want to do it and I can't.
I hate poorly lit rooms.
I hate not having an attached garage.
I hate that I have a single-wide driveway.
I hate that there is no mudroom to enter into. I'm either going directly into my living room, or directly into my kitchen with no place to take off my shoes or hang my coat. This is due to it being a 1927 house with questionable renovations in that time span.
I hate that the thing prohibiting my parents from adding a garage apartment is the fact that it would require a new septic tank and a hookup to the septic. Any place that you may have a toilet, at any time in the future, plan for it now with the septic.
I hate staircases that have any type of curve, but especially staircases with a 180.
I hate narrow interior doors.
I hate hollow interior doors.
I hate carpeting. I love rugs though.
Toyman! said:To go with the things you love, how about a hate list. Things about your house that you really don't like.
Closet doors, pantry doors. Too many berkeleying doors. And in tight spaces they all hit one another. Only put doors in critical areas and be careful they dont block/entangle one another.
All closets should have a light in them.
berkeley berkeley berkeley A/C ducting intruding into useable space.
Wood shouldn't come close to the ground anywhere.
SV reX said:In reply to Ian F (Forum Supporter) :
I disagree about small bathrooms being easier to clean. It's much easier to push a mop in a big space.
My dream house would have a large bathroom with tiled walls and floor and a drain in the middle. Hose bib under the sink. Spray the whole place down with a quart of cleaner and hose it all in the drain.
Kitchens should allow circulation of people. I hate kitchens where if you open the fridge or the dishwasher, everybody is trapped.
We've got an open concept with the dining area next to the kitchen. If I was building, I wouldn't do that. I would want a wall separating kitchen, dining and living areas.
Everything mechanical should be built with the intention that you'll have to replace it yourself. No appliances upstairs. First floor doors should be wide enough to allow for washer, dryer, fridge etc to roll through the house on a dolly. Basement? Ditch the stairs, give me a ramp.
I hate muntins in windows.
I hate windows without large window sills.
I hate overly low windows.
I hate interior plans oriented with the largest windows facing a neighbors backyard. Or the street. Windows are for light, not for looking at neighbors. They can be placed high up.
I hate my low garage ceiling. Mine is 8', wish it was 12' or better.
Lack of storage. My dream house would have a shop separate of the house garage. House garage for keeping cars out of the elements, shop for storage and maintenance.
Trees. I love trees, don't get me wrong, but I'd prefer to have them on the periphery of my property. Ideally, I'd want all my trees at least 50' from the house. And clear skies all day long for vegetables gardens.
I hate that all my outdoor faucets have no interior shut-offs. I wish I could turn all them off from inside during the winter.
I hate that my dirty sink in the garage has a "normal" drain. That sucker should be 2" or bigger.
Outdoor lighting should be motion and light sensing AND on a timer. I want them to come on at dusk, go off at 9pm, unless motion trips them on.
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