Help with 2nd floor deck design!!
Mellaf84
19 days ago
last modified: 19 days ago
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Mellaf84
19 days agoRelated Discussions
Do you have 2nd floor master bedroom balcony/deck?
Comments (7)Yes. Actually, we designed our house so all the bedrooms on the second floor and every bedroom has direct access to at least one deck. There are three upper decks with a total of almost 400 sq ft of space. The house faces north and one deck is on the northeast corner, another is on the south side, and the third is on the west side over a screened in porch that sits between the house and garage. We haven't moved in yet but whenever we're working at the house and take a break, we almost always wind up sitting on one or the other of the 2nd floor decks. We're in central Texas where it is hot most of the year but there is almost always a breeze up there and, except at high noon, one deck or the other is at least partially shaded. We've already eaten a number of pic-nic lunches out on the decks and I've taken more than one midafternoon nap on a folding chaise lounge out there. We're kind of out in the country though so all our decks are pretty private. The one in back is invisible unless you are actually on our 4 acre property and even the one in "front" is mostly hidden by the trees in the front yard. I wouldn't feel at all uncomfortable going out in my pjs on any of them. My brother also has a 2nd floor deck on the front side of his house in the Heights area of Houston. It is is pretty small (maybe 6' x 12') and not at all private but they seem to use it quite a bit. In fact, I usually find my brother sitting out there with his laptop when I drive up. I think it kind of depends on your personality. If you like feeling fresh air and being outdoors, you'll probably use your deck. If you actually are more comfortable indoors, then your decks (and patios) probably won't get much use....See MorePictures of large 2nd story decks??
Comments (11)Not finished yet, but have a pic for you where we're at. One thing I really like is the layout my husband did laying two pieces of the decking in the center perpendicular to the house & using 12' decking from center both directions. Eliminated seams. Our deck is pretty basic, pt rectangular ~10' x 24'. We'll have black aluminum railings. We'll be adding steps at the top right of the photo shown that goes to existing concrete steps on that hill. Later, we plan to add a patio or 2nd deck behind the garage for a grill area (top of photo) and a 2nd set of steps directly down to ground level (at opposite end of deck)....See More2nd floor remodel. Need designer? Architech? Who?
Comments (2)Do you have any friends who've remodeled? I think word-of-mouth is the best way to get contacts for design professionals. That way you can see the work they've done and understand how your friends' experience went. We ended up using both a designer and an architect for our remodel. I'm sure there are designers who are comfortable with architectural issues and vice versa, but it turned out that the team we chose didn't overlap too much. We used the architect to help redesign our roof and raise our ceilings. We also moved a couple of walls and had to bring a structural engineer in (referred by the architect). We used our designer to plan kitchen layout, a new DR and family room and guest room (sizing, lighting, door placement, etc.). I was unpleasantly surprised at the cost of the designer, but I think a lot of that was due to how long it took my DH and me to choose between styles and colors. Good luck!...See MorePlease help with 2nd Floor Laundry Room Design
Comments (24)I love our laundry chute, but note the last paragraph of the above cited Bob Vila article. Local codes might ban them as a fire hazard. Just check and be sure! Funny story...I had a friend who remodeled her 1920s home and closed up the first floor chute opening. She kept the one from her second floor down to the basement laundry room. She was doing laundry for a trip and threw all her “good” clothes down the chute to launder. They got hung up somewhere between the second floor and the basement! What to do? She called the fire department. They came with hook and ladder truck, firehats, etc. And pikes. Yup. They reached up from the basement and pulled all her clothing down....shredding it beyond redemption! Lesson learned! One. Item. At. A.Time!...See MoreMellaf84
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