It's OK to use a few Andersen 200 series windows but I would try to get at least the 400 series Tilt Wash for the rest of the house. I don't know where you live but in a cold climate you need 2x6 studs just to meet the energy code. If you dropped the entire porch roof structure another 4" from what I originally recommended and the bottom of the truss overhang is high enough for the trim boards everything should work. The only way to know is to draw a wall section very carefully. I could do that if I knew the truss support and roof eave detail. Trusses save money and many houses discussed on this forum have used them but I have never used them nor have I seen them used for a single-family house; it's a multi-family developer technique in the northeast perhaps because attic space is of such great value.

jane ny, I was in a similar situation last year. For me the sequence was paint first, then flooring, then baseboards, But it looks like you may have baseboards already installed. Painting first worked for me because I did it myself and there were spatters on the subloor before I was finished. You might want to check on whether your subfloor is indeed covered with plywood, because you may need an underlayment before installing your floor, depending on what you choose. Best to check where you buy the flooring. With some help from a friend who knew what he was doing and owns a Skill Saw, I installed a plywood underlayment in less than two hours. I too wanted tile with a slate or similar look, but the room was already over budget (long story) and I chose to spend my money on high end French doors because the floor could always be changed later. I got some advice from the flooring forum while deciding. You can always post a message there before you proceed. We narrowed floor choices down to either loose-laid sheet vinyl or vinyl tiles. My friend chose the tiles because the color and pattern seemed to fit well in the sunroom/porch. The original intention was to keep those tiles for about a year while I shop for tile and find a good tile installer. But the floor has held up well, despite some abuse like beach sand, rain coming in when some airhead (

Exciting project! Lots to think about... Since it's over the garage, do you need to worry about fumes, insulation, fire codes, etc.? Additional soundproofing for when the garage door goes up and down (if anyone uses the door while another person is asleep upstairs)? Also have you looked into height, lot coverage & setback requirements? (Sometimes the setbacks for garages or single stories are different than those for 2 story structures.) Other items which you may already know, but just in case... - Building an adequately stiff floor over the long spans of the garage below without requiring posts below. - Heating and cooling of the new space, since the space below is (probably) not heated or cooled. - Where your plumbing lines / waste drain will run, and will that require tearing out any walls below And others I'm sure the pros will think of.

Thank you all for the help! I'm really unsure how to move forward from this point. It sounds like I probably should have hired an architect from the beginning. Or, at a minimum contracted directly with the designer to prepare the plans instead of him being sub-contracted through the builder. The one time I was able to speak to the designer, he seemed knowledgeable, so I don't want this to sound judgmental towards him. I think we just got ourselves into a poor process from the start, where the builder is the middle man and there is probably lots lost in transmission. Would it be worth it at this point to consult with an architect? The foundation is poured, so there is only so much we can change. Plus, we already have financing, so there is definitely a limit to changes without blowing our budget. Windows should still be easy enough. Would an architect even want to touch this at this point? I'm not even sure what services I would need from him/her at this point? What I normally do... is to locate the egress window (only one is required per bedroom) ...on the sides.... So, if I understand this correctly, this wouldn't resolve the issue of needing to switch window types (double hung to casement/slider) to avoid the 18" sill height, but it will put the window on a less noticeable side of the house. My three windows were placed higher and ganged together and they were narrower. On the other wall I made the single window wider and then added a window seat below it. That sounds like a lovely way to disguise mismatched windows. Do you have a picture of the window seat/egress window? I tried searching through your older posts, but didn't see it. I'd suggest a traditional approach often used in 2- and 3-story traditional residences, i.e., the windows on the first floor were the largest; the windows on the second floor were visually smaller; and the windows on the third or any other upper level, such as dormers, were the smallest of all. Virgil, thank you for lesson. I've always felt something wasn't quite right with the elevation, but couldn't figure out what it was. Part of what is triggering this ordeal, is that the plans were drawn with 10' & 9' ceilings, but the budget was based on 9' & 8'. When I caught the discrepancy, the builder didn't want to change the plans. I insisted because there is no way you can take out 2 vertical feet and not need to reevaluate the elevation, right?? Loosing those extra feet really made the larger 2nd story windows look odd and when I requested smaller windows, I was told they didn't meet code...would need casement windows...blah, blah.