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Building a Home Design Dilemma Basements

Need help designing new construction finished basement

3 years ago

We are building a new home, a 1200sf (30'x40') ranch with full walk-out basement, and I need some help designing the basement floor plan. The first floor is a modular, basement will be finished by us after moving in. Basement will eventually have 3 bedrooms, small living area, bath, laundry, and mechanical room. The walkout door has to be offset from center to avoid the I-beam (dashed line in pictures).

My questions:

How big does the mechanical room need to be? Shown below is about 8'x12'. We'll have gas furnace, water heater, water tank (from well), and water softener. Could water tank and softener be under stairs in laundry?
We can do all the bedrooms along the south side (nearly all is 5-6' above grade) or put one on the north. I'm including pictures of each floor plan. I'm looking for suggestions as to which might be a better use of space.
Window placement - ah! The south windows (bottom of drawings) are the front of the house and pretty set based on grade and symmetry with first floor windows. Other windows are flexible. Two bedrooms will have multiple twin or bunk beds and one will have a california King (shown in plans). Most windows shown are single-hung 3'x5'2" except bathroom (hopper) and north side (3'x4' to avoid higher grade on that side).
Wood-burning stove placement - any ideas? We have lots of dead wood on our lot and would love to use it to heat the basement at least some of the time.
Any other suggestions on how to best use this space?

Note that the walkout end elevation is not accurate re: grading. There won't be retaining walls.

Featured Answer

lyfia

3 years ago

Out of the mechanicals the water softner is the only one that you will need to access more often than any other. The others will be for maintenance and service/repairs. The water softner you'll need to add salt to on a regular basis so consider that when placing items. You also want some space to store the bags of salt that you need for the water softner.

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Comments (10)

PRO
Sharon Brindley Designs
3 years ago
What’s the measurement from the bottom of the beam to the floor?
Joanna Bruno thanked Sharon Brindley Designs
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The infinity system is an automatic zoned system. There is so much more to it that you describe. But from the user standpoint, I'll give some examples. Each zone has a stat. The master stat can change temps for the different zones. Each zone can turn on the system. A basic manual damper system might only direct air when the system is on but couldn't turn the zone on from anywhere. The best example is with basements in shoulder seasons. We don't run the heat here in late March but the basement is cold still. In a simple system, the basement dampers might be all open but it can't call for heat so it stays cold. Now in January, it can direct all the heat it wants (to a limit) down to the basement so it is fine. The Infinity system measures the pressures in the air handler and cuts down the motor if they get too high. So if a small zone is calling for heat, it runs the motor at a lower speed. This eliminates the need for dump or bypass zones. Inifinity stats are small computers that are shockingly more sophisticated than the stats you see in 95% of homes. Not simply programmable but a lot more. They have LCD screens and menus. They tell you when the filters need to be changed. They have digital humidity readouts. They can set heat pump/furnace cutoffs. etc etc The zone dampers on an infinity system relay back their position to the controller. So it isn't a simple relay and a command to open a damper. It is a nearly foolproof system. No one can give you an Inifinity system for $1200 unless they don't know what they are doing and lose a chunk of money. I paid about $3000 per floor.
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Joanna Bruno
Original Author
3 years ago
Sharon Brindley Designs, the walls are 9' and I think the beam is likely 8". Floor is 4", so there should be 8' between beam and floor.
PRO
Sharon Brindley Designs
3 years ago
Thanks, Joanna: if that’s the case re: an 8ft height, you’re not really limited where you please the exit door. Have you considered making it a full walkout with an elevation similar to this? Would the grade of your lot (& your budget) permit this? The 1st drawing shows each side of a house on a sloped lot. The 2nd drawing shown shows the back of the house.
Joanna Bruno
Original Author
3 years ago
Thanks, Sharon. Our budget is pretty small -- we are basically building on a shoestring here -- and I think we have done the best with what we can afford (but we're certainly not pros at this!). However, it is a full walkout on the side with the door, and the elevation on the front and rear slope down, like the sides on the house you show. The elevation drawings I included aren't up to date with the most recent grading plan. It's a little less conventional but fits our desire for a south facing long side of the house as well as the current elevation of the site. The reason we were trying to avoid the beam is because our foundation guy told me that we can't have a beam sitting over the door for structural reasons. We are doing a pre-cast (Superior) wall for the foundation.
PRO
Sharon Brindley Designs
3 years ago
I don’t have time today but will take a look at your plans tomorrow - my main concern is that the living area of the basement is furthest away from the stairs. Have you sought any advice from a structural engineer regarding the beam/door issue?
roccouple
3 years ago
Have you spoken to the builder about where in the basement the furnace and water heater need to be located? you may not be able to put them wherever.
PRO
Sharon Brindley Designs
3 years ago
Hi Joanna: looks like you’re using Floorplanner - can you share the file with me, then I don’t have to start from scratch.
Joanna Bruno
Original Author
3 years ago
Yes, but I don't know how to do that. Can you give me instructions?
Joanna Bruno
Original Author
3 years ago
Roccouple, thanks for the input! We will be talking with the builder about the placement, but I am also looking for input on the most efficient/ effective placement from others' experience.

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