Please review my 4BR 2-story Minnesota home (updated)
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12 years ago
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dseng
12 years agokirkhall
12 years agoRelated Discussions
First post, first time home design review request
Comments (30)Oh, that's wonderful Summerfield! I wish I could just build that almost as you have drawn it! Unfortunately, I've got some restrictions I have to work within due to the lot I have and city setbacks. I've been reading "The Not So Big House" book (loving it, thanks for the recommendation minneapolisite) and was looking at some new ideas from my original layout. **This is pretty rough** and there's a bunch I really don't like on it just yet, but I wanted to give an update. What I like most about my latest update is more windows in the main living area on the south side of the house and all three living areas having direct windows instead of the dining room being sandwiched into the middle of the house. I also like the shared entry so that the 'nice' entry doesn't end up being for guests only. I hate the way I have the pantry laid out, but I do like the idea of a good sized pantry with room for the chest freezer (currently in the basement in our house today). Also, this opens up the living room for a bit more space. My favorite things about the plan you've drawn, Summerfield, are both of the bathrooms, laundry and master closet. Those are the areas I'm struggling the most with. (as well as the whole bedrooms side of the house...) We may have a small television in the kitchen, and temporarily in the living room, but once the basement is finished we would only have the kitchen tv. So no need to build a dedicated spot for it on the first floor. Site Plan:...See MorePlease review the waterproofing/insulation for my build
Comments (13)"spray waterproofing" is not an adequate specification. Find out what material the contractor intends to use and how it will be applied so we can comment on it. #15 asphalt saturated felt is not an adequate underlayment for asphalt shingles. The time tested standard is 15 lbs/100 s.f. (commonly noted as 15#) but manufacturers have slowly reduced the asphalt content of this material until its weight now ranges from 7.6 to 8.8 lbs/100 s.f. and to disguise that fact it is now called #15 instead of 15# felt. To achieve the old standard use #30 building paper which ranges from 15.7 to 19.9 lbs/s.f. Ice & Water Shield should extend up the roof at least 2 ft beyond the inside face of the wall below measured horizontally not along the slope of the roof. That very often requires a material width wider than 3 ft. Make sure you are getting what you need. IMO Ice & Water Shield should cover the entire roof. I would use corrugated perforated perimeter drains instead of tile. Why are there two drain systems? If one is inside you need to find out why that would be needed in new construction. If you are building below the water table you will need better protection than just under drains. IMO roof sheathing should be at least 5/8" thick for adequate shingle nailing. If the trusses are spaced 24" o.c. the thicker sheathing will help prevent unattractive sagging. Tyvek is the best house wrap and is not a generic term so make sure that is what you will get and that all joints will be taped and attached with capped nails instead of staples. A vapor retarder below a concrete slab on grade should be at least 10mils thick. All in all, not a very impressive specification....See MoreReview my house plans.. please? :)
Comments (35)Some of my questions were to clarify what kind of wiggle room you have as people are suggesting many possibly time and money consuming changes. The budget question was because if you have the designer redraw this plan too extensively or choose another plan to be redrawn, you might be incurring major expenses. Many people have such a tight budget that they can afford very few changes. Others may not have budgeted for major changes, but have the funds available if they decide the changes are worth it. That, of course, assumes that you've allowed 20% for unexpected expenses, and X% for the "While we're at it" items! The questions about work are because I'm thinking of where the kids will be, and where you or your wife might be at various times of the day with them relative to the rooms you presently have planned. When you don't have kids yet, this can be hard to do! Kids take LOTS of time and attention! If the kitchen and dining room stay in their present locations, and the great room is vaulted, I don't see how you'd have enough space upstairs that would be useful for much other than storage with the existing roof. Some more things to maybe think about based on my experiences: --My kids in ranch condo with similar layout to your house plan--Boy 8 and girl 3 shared BR2 until boy was 10 and ready to move to lower level BR. Their toys and the TV were in the downstairs family room. Kids get into arguments about both TV programs and toys. That means one parent needs to be down with them a lot of the time--almost all of the time when they're younger than mine were. That means spouse gets to prep meals alone upstairs, miss out on being with the rest of the family, etc. I had work that I had to do at home in the evening, and I couldn't concentrate with the TV on. That means I had to do it upstairs, thus missing out on being with my family. If the office is on the same floor as where the kids will be, you could be in there with the door shut, but be close by if you hear problems developing. But don't plan on being able to get a lot of work done when kids, especially young ones are around. One difference with your plan and ours--we had a breakfast nook where your laundry/powder room/etc. are, and the garage/mudroom/laundry were where the entry/study are in your plan. If you made that one change, you could have what was our breakfast room be an upstairs play area during the time meals are being prepared while your children are young--make it with kid proof materials, with toy storage for when you have company. --3 grandkids and daughter in 1-1/2 story with walkout lower level. When I designed our retirement home, I tried to plan for every eventuality. It was meant to be a 3-generation home, since my husband has a medical condition and both children said they'd come back and live with us if we needed help. It never occurred to me that my daughter would get divorced with 3 young children (1, 3, & 5-1/2 at the time) and ask to live with us. So, here we are! The office that presently has our computer is on the 2nd floor, as are the kids' BR and my daughter's. This comes in handy if she has a night class, or goes out for groceries, or is in the lower level, etc. If one of us is using the computer, and one of the kids wakes up (which can happen a lot when they're young), we can hear them right away and comfort them. I purposely located the stairs so that they come down near the master BR on the 1st floor. Occasionally, if DD is out of town for a conference, across the street at a friend's, out on a date, etc. and DH and I are reading in the MBR before we go to sleep, or are sleeping, if one of the kids wakes up and comes looking for Mommy, we hear them before they are halfway down the stairs. We have a full galley kitchen in our lower level and an eating area, so DD fixes their meals down there. You could do the same by adding to your wet bar and prepping some meals down there. The TV, their computer, and most of their toys are down there also, so she is with them almost all of the time. The guest room/my office is down there also, but she puts their clothes there to make getting ready in the morning easier, so I'm presently using the DR/library on "our" floor. DH has his workshop in the lower level, and we also have an exercise room down there. So, just some more food for thought. Knowing what I know now, if I had your plan and was wedded to the style and roof design and could make some changes to the floor plan, I'd definitely put at least 2 BRs and a bath on the second floor. I'd flip the stairs and the front entry, and move the garage/laundry/mudroom to the study side (if possible), and use some of the square footage that seems like it is superfluous (in the rooms I mentioned in my previous post) to put a nook/playroom next to the kitchen. BTW, the hall between the MBR and BR2 was not a problem for me. Fit a SunTunnel or Solatube over the hall and some pictures on the wall between the bath and closet, and it will be fine! Anne...See MoreRural Mediterranean Review - Take 2
Comments (71)"Dedicated breakfast room" -- sounds like a dining room to me. Table, chairs, food. "We have many, many appliances and need the storage" -- your pantry has 2x17'x#of shelves of linear storage space, most of which will be about 18" deep. Measure the space your appliances and stuff and dry goods actually need. If it's more than that, you're running a cooking supply store. "with luck, the home will be sold before it's done and I won't need to move there"-- that means you don't need to be personal about the layout. You can do what's best for the space and the buyers will like it better. your morning room doors aren't marked as sliders on the plan. Sliders help but don't fix the problem that your morning room is a hallway not a destination. A horizontal island is awkward in this space, but here's a possibility if you insist In this version, the work triangle is better than my last, but the dishwasher is badly placed and there really isn't a better spot for it. Having it between the fridge and sink would be worse I've put an access to the BBQ area from the cooking area. (yes, I know. Permitting. but you need la door from the kitchen to this space. The morning room access is too far. as I've remarked, you have more than enough storage for the kitchen. You don't have enough windows. Why do diners need a "connection to the outside" but cooks don't? Everyone always hangs out in the kitchen anyways, so make it pleasant I put a hutch for dishes or decorative stuff over by the mudroom and pantry. This isn't an optimal spot but the room needs something there. you have 42 acres of dancing room that has no good use no one will eat breakfast in the morning room. It's too far from the kitchen. By the time you got there your eggs would be cold. People will eat at the island, perched on stools that will not encourage a leisurely meal. (bring back the banquette!)...See Moredekeoboe
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