I have access to full AutoCAD, so I just draw with that but any basic CAD program will do for house plans. When my ex- did the design for her renovation/addition, she also used ACAD (with help from an Arch coworker) and gave the plans (and probably the native file) to the builder who generated actual construction plans to be signed and sealed and approved by the township. If the builder's daughter will do signed and sealed drawings for $800, that's a steal.
FYI: I want the layout to look SOMETHING like this, but mama wants the whole "center section" more open.
And a bigger garage, obviously.
Frame shop will be in the basement...for now.
Also, I might move kitchen to FRONT of house, LR at back. Dining in between.
I've spent a fair amount of time recently looking at house layouts and one comment based on what I've seen is the Master BR WIC should be connected to the master bath - you get out of the shower and go right into the closet to dress. Really nice plans have two WIC for the MBR. I've also seen many layouts where the laundry room is connected to the master WIC.
Looking at that plan I'd probably make some changes, i mean..... the walk in closet is basically the same size as the dining room. The living room is a bit small too.
Those are rooms that are almost always gonna have the highest counts of people, you are gonna want some elbow room
Ian F (Forum Supporter) said:I've spent a fair amount of time recently looking at house layouts and one comment based on what I've seen is the Master BR WIC should be connected to the master bath - you get out of the shower and go right into the closet to dress. Really nice plans have two WIC for the MBR. I've also seen many layouts where the laundry room is connected to the master WIC.
My aunt and uncle just custom built their home, and did this. It seems really nice - walk through the bathroom to get to the closet; the closet also has a washer and dryer. It is 1 closet, but enormous. They also built their closet bigger than planned, and have no dressers in the entire house. All clothes are in the closet in Elfa system drawers.
Other things that they did that are awesome:
Okay, I don't want to be mean but you need some help. Spend a bunch of time on pinterest looking at plans. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel. There are thousands of layouts for any kind of style. Find a layout and house style that you like. Take this to the drafter, and tell her what you want changed. You get an easy start, and make it easy peasy for her.
poopshovel again said:
FYI: I want the layout to look SOMETHING like this, but mama wants the whole "center section" more open.And a bigger garage, obviously.
Frame shop will be in the basement...for now.
Also, I might move kitchen to FRONT of house, LR at back. Dining in between.
If you open up the center section like you mentioned, thats basically the layout of my house.
D2W said:Okay, I don't want to be mean but you need some help. Spend a bunch of time on pinterest looking at plans. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel. There are thousands of layouts for any kind of style. Find a layout and house style that you like. Take this to the drafter, and tell her what you want changed. You get an easy start, and make it easy peasy for her.
Eh, I have looked through lots of them and never found one that I want. I certainly intend to go custom next time. I have started with a few, but by the time I start making my changes the layout might as well be done from the ground up.
Poopy, on your proposed layout, put the kitchen in an existing corner rather than adding a wall for the kitchen.
EDIT: Also, add a 1/4 bath to the laundry room, and consider an office - that could just be walling off the living room and adding glass French doors to keep it both private and open, but it is something that will be considered good foresight in todays world.
Duke said:frenchyd said:
Do you really have stone veneer in full contact with, and bearing on, wood timbers?
To the OP: Don't do that.
In full contact with 30 pound copper, if you come and look closely there is cotton rope weep holes 3 per bay in case any moisture gets behind the stone work. Care was used in selecting each stone, brick, granite, rock, etc placed so there was never any reverse sloop.( water runs off, not towards the house) Each stone was "tabbed" by 3-7 brick tabs tied to the plywood of the S. I. P.
but between the S.I.P. And everything is a layer of sealed Tyvex and a second layer of 30 pound tar paper.
Timbers inside and out were mortice and tenioned together.
It's been up now 18 years and if you examine it very carefully you will see no sign of failure. Not a single crack in the mortar, loose stone or anything else. Summers with 100+ heat winters with -40 temperatures. Plenty of rain and snow. We are after all the headwaters to the Mississippi, feeding the Gulf of Mexico The Red River of the North ( Feeding Hudson's bay ) and the Great Lakes. Maybe you've seen Niagara Falls?
One more point. each 4"x8" Black Walnut Timber ( or bigger ) is lag bolted through the S .I. P into the 6"x6" ( or bigger ) white oak timber inside every 10&1/2 inches with a 12" x1/2" hardened 18x8 stainless steel lag bolt. Thus the total wall thickness is 14 inches.
Now would you like me to discuss the foundation?
For single story homes, I never could get with the mb being next to the kitchen or living room. I like it as far away from where people will usually be if I have visitors or kids.
frenchyd said:
Now would you like me to discuss the foundation?
Please no. Couldn't we just have another 39 page thread about how the Jaguar V12 is the technological equivalent of faster-than-light travel instead? I think I'd rather read that
Update: Just talked to an architect friend/fellow racer. I think I'm gonna plunk down the cash for his services.
At 1% of the purchase price, it seems like a wise investment.
poopshovel again said:Update: Just talked to an architect friend/fellow racer. I think I'm gonna plunk down the cash for his services.
At 1% of the purchase price, it seems like a wise investment.
Absolutely. Smart people go that way, but most people think it should cost $1000 and think you're ripping them off if it's more than that.
Great move.
yupididit said:For single story homes, I never could get with the mb being next to the kitchen or living room. I like it as far away from where people will usually be if I have visitors or kids.
I've noticed that, but it seems to be a popular layout - MBR suite accessed from the kitchen with the other bedrooms on the other side of the house.
The cool thing about an architect or designer is that a good one can design a really functional, pretty house that is also easier (and cheaper) to build.
Talking with designers/architects previously, there are a lot of designs out there that look different or unique, but they sacrifice some functionality for those traits, or worse, overlook details that later on look really dated or quirky.
Sweethome 3D is an easy way of visualizing interior spaces and sight lines. Any architect worth his salt will create some sort of render for you virtually walk around.
You'll need to log in to post.
