Wednesday, February 4, 2009

This Would Work Better...another house

I found this modification someone shared on a builder's board. This has Dewey's basement, plenty of play area for my pantry and storm shelter, a great wrap-around deck, and a loft.

This view shows the exposed/walk-out basement.


This is the front view. This man has a sun-room set up on the side. I like the bank of windows, I could set all my houseplants and such out there, but I'm not sure I'd like them much during the summer. Maybe if they were tucked into the timber side back in the clearing where Dewey plans to build...I wouldn't have direct sunlight, but still get plenty of outdoor views so I didn't feel I was in a cave.


Just another view he shared, trying to show the air-flow he had planned. There are interior windows above the sun-room area to help with flow as well.

He has open sections in the loft for air/heat flow. I'm not sure about that -- maybe just end the loft and put a railing up so you were more open to the main floor.



This is an interior someone else did using his plan. They only showed the loft section, but I love the 'cabin look' of those cabinets and all the open beams.


I think Dewey could easily take this and make it work for what we are looking at. Exposed/walk-out basement suits everyone -- my mother is worried about children being outside playing when a storm hits and not getting back into the house. Generally they don't creep in that quickly...but, if my pantry was there, and we oriented it right, I could have just backup to the door and unload any storage items directly to the pantry :o)

4 comments:

Debi said...

where is the link. This house looks pretty neat, but what is the layout inside like???
More details woman.

As Simply As We Can said...

Hey Deanna! We just got a call about a possible job for dh all the way in Ct.!! So now we wait and see if anything comes of it. But if it does, we'll be back in the saddle of the same situation y'all are in with hubby working far away. Not my first choice, but if we must, we must. We won't turn down work. Hugs~~

Paula said...

I like the layout of the house, though more inside details would be good too :) I'm not sure I'd want the kids on a different floor. I mean, my little one is right near by so we grab her as we flee the house in an emergency. I don't think I'd ever sleep if she was in the basement. But maybe it's different for you since you have older ones to help evacuate little ones. I'm really glad to see you are putting in a basement. I'm always surprised from pictures of disasters in the US and no one seems to have a basement. They are pretty much standard here in Ontario and thank the Lord we don't get too much wild weather.

Unknown said...

LOL....I thought I did link this one. I'll find it. It's still tabbed here somewhere.

D -- great news on the job possibility! We will keep you all in prayers. You have several friends down here, right? Well, you've got me for one. You aren't too far away, you know. If he has to go away for work and you don't tag along somehow, that is certainly a catalyst for visiting, huh?

Paula, if it were a traditional basement, we wouldn't have them down their either. I'd make it the main living area before I'd do bedrooms.
With this one being exposed, we know they can get out very easily; Dewey's idea was to have about 5-6 ft of wall below ground level, then full-sized windows from grade up. You would need to climb up a bit to get out as the bottom of the windows would be head-level for most adults. Plenty of lighting, accessible route to get out, etc.
It also helps having olders as well :o)

Down here we have mixed ideas on basements it seems. The ground is clay, lots of underground water, moreso than we had in Illinois, everything shifts and is never truly 'settled'. Some old timers around here say no way to a basement, can't be done. Others say you'll get a good 20 years before you migh have trouble. In the past year, 4 people we've seen in our immediate area had wall shift and collapse inward in their basements, and they had to dig that wall out and rebuild.
Dewey is planning for some over-kill :o) he's going to get a good base in, then the slab will be thicker than normal back north, block walls reinforced with rebar and filled with cement.

Our biggest issue here will be the water in this clay twice a year in rainy seasons. The clay literally cracks --big, wide and deep cracks -- during the summer dry months. Then with the first several rains, the cracks merely fill with water. Then, if we get another dry spell, it simply cracks deeper :o(

Hopefully with something more 'exposed' we can keep than from being such an issue. That and Dewey's plan of putting 3/4 the whole house budget into that basement just so I can have one :o)

Deanna

Jer.6:16

Jeremiah 6:16
Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.

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