24 x 36 Solar Saltbox

Jochen · January 31, 2009, 10:50:45 AM

I ordered today the windows and exterior doors for delivery in April. So I think it is okay to start a new topic for the building of the Solar Saltbox, although we won't break ground before June. But the savings for an order at this time was to good to let it pass by. 29 Windows in total and 2 exterior doors will fill up my workshop until we will use them.

I have tried to find reasonable prized reglassing panels for the sunroom, according to Johns plans. But the savings compared to a finished window of 36W x 72H was only marginal so we opted for the finished windows instead.

This is the floor plan Moni has settled on.

Jochen

John Raabe · January 31, 2009, 11:10:54 AM

Looks like the kids are getting the best deal! That master must only be about 10x8.

No upstairs bath?

January 31, 2009, 11:17:35 AM

Quote from: John Raabe on January 31, 2009, 11:10:54 AM
Looks like the kids are getting the best deal! That master must only be about 10x8.

No upstairs bath?

Yes, the Master is small. And that is for a very good reason. As an adult you reserve most of the house to you, if you want to do so. How often have you asked your children to go to their room because you had friends visiting or had other important, weired adult related things to do.

So the children deserve their own space. A Master bedroom should be for sleeping only! So 10 x 8 is big enough. But it is also possible that Moni will change this room to a computer/game/office thing and will sleep in the TV nook.

And about the upstairs bathroom. The house is no Mansion. So one bathroom should be sufficient. Remember only Moni and our two girls will live there.

Jochen

IronRanger · February 01, 2009, 03:22:59 AM

QuoteAs an adult you reserve most of the house to you

That's exactly what I say too. If you want to discipline a child, trip the circuit for his room- no TV, no computer. Just make sure you grab the cell phone on your way out of his room.

Jochen · February 01, 2009, 04:00:15 AM

Quote from: IronRanger on February 01, 2009, 03:22:59 AM
QuoteAs an adult you reserve most of the house to you

That's exactly what I say too. If you want to discipline a child, trip the circuit for his room- no TV, no computer. Just make sure you grab the cell phone on your way out of his room.

Such a statement makes me speechless.

It should be the opposite way around. We as adults just often think because we are adults can do what ever we want to do. And that is wrong!!!

Jochen

February 01, 2009, 07:06:50 AM

the bathroom door usually opens the other way - so it would go flat against the nearby wall when open - and allow quick access to toilet in case of urgence.

Jochen · February 01, 2009, 07:42:46 AM

Quote from: lobster on February 01, 2009, 07:06:50 AM
the bathroom door usually opens the other way - so it would go flat against the nearby wall when open - and allow quick access to toilet in case of urgence.

Excellent objection! Thanks I'll will change that.

Jochen

Redoverfarm · February 01, 2009, 08:40:04 AM

Jochen I think I would use the same approach for the door in the Master Bedroom. The room will be small and having a right swing ( to open against Child # 1 partition wall) or even a pocket door would not restrict your walking into the smaller space.

Jochen · February 01, 2009, 10:00:22 AM

Good point! I was also already thinking about this door. Maybe a sliding one would be even better.

Jochen

February 01, 2009, 11:48:37 AM

Quote from: IronRanger on February 01, 2009, 03:22:59 AM
If you want to discipline a child, trip the circuit for his room- no TV, no computer. Just make sure you grab the cell phone on your way out of his room.

I agree with that, with modifications.

Differences in child rearing philosophy do impact the design of our houses.

We are of the belief that there are times when the child may not deserve their TV, computer, the phone and many of their enjoyable playthings. We view the child's bedroom as a bedroom, a place for sleeping. The place for playing or entertaining their friends must be out in the open, where Mom and Dad can easily see what's going on. Further to that, no child should have a computer in a room where it is not easy to monitor their activity; that is no computer in a private room. I might take a different view on that if there was no internet. As for TV; children don't need TV's in their rooms. Ever.

There are household rules, set by the adults in charge, and if the child needs discipline for some infraction, read that as privileges removed for a time, they need a room that is more like a cell than a resort. Parents set the rules, that's why there are called parents.

Thinking back there didn't seem to be all that many times when kids had to be tucked off in an unseen corner of our house. Times when there were kid friends over here, the kids were in the big room off the kitchen and we adults in the living room. Times when there were adults over doing things boring to the kids, the bedroom was available to retreat to and read, maybe take a few toys in there for the duration. Worked well for us.

For ourselves we would need closet space in the master bedroom. Also on a personal preference basis, we would have the downstairs bathroom smaller, simply a toilet and sink for convenience of guests and ourselves. Upstairs deserves its own bathroom. There doesn't need to be a master bath and yet another for the children although it is commonplace these days.

I would like to add a final thought. I know that many of us honestly believe that the home we are building is the last home we are going to have. We build it the way we want, that's one of the reasons we build ourselves. However, fate can rear its head at anytime and dash the best laid plans. We might need to move someplace else. If that happens I believe that it is then very important that the home be readily salable to other, possibly more conventional folk. Many people looking to buy a home would balk at the bedroom and bathroom layout as drawn. The remainder of the house seems fine to me.

Simply my 2 cents worth. It comes down to personal choices and philosophies. I don't think anyone can say there is a definitive correct design or method to achieve the end result of a place to live.

IronRanger · February 01, 2009, 05:10:45 PM

QuoteSuch a statement makes me speechless. Angry It should be the opposite way around. We as adults just often think because we are adults can do what ever we want to do. And that is wrong!!!

I re-read my post, and it does sound like I'm saying "Children need no space." I was agreeing with you that adults think of the home as their space and not the children's. I'd still want some closet space in my bedroom though.

I don't think a "time-out" is harsh, nor was I saying it's a way to discipline a toddler, hence the cellphone reference. It's just a fact of our time that a high percentage of children have computers, TVs, stereos, DVD players, etc. in their rooms.

I'm neither selfish nor brutish.

Sorry for the offense.

QuoteWe might need to move someplace else. If that happens I believe that it is then very important that the home be readily salable to other, possibly more conventional folk. Many people looking to buy a home would balk at the bedroom and bathroom layout as drawn.

I'm with MountainDon. I don't know that the current floorplan could be listed as a 3 bedroom. Bedrooms need closets or they're named Office-Den-Library, etc. This idea has changed my thoughts on the floorplans I'm considering. If it's a lake property, I can get away with not having a designated bedroom and call it a cabin. I've considered my mom or younger sister might have difficulty selling the same floorplan on a piece of random country property- If I should die, I don't want them to be burdened compounded with grieving.

Just a thought.

lipadier · February 01, 2009, 08:32:01 PM

Very interesting layout, braking the classic yacht rule of having a massive owner cabin (parents) and tiny crew compartments (kids).

But I would still move the wall between "child1" and "master bedroom" a bit to the left, allowing normal closet space at the full lenght of said wall behind the door in the master bedroom.

considerations · February 01, 2009, 10:52:19 PM

My experience is that one does not really want to have a common wall between the master bedroom and a child's. A closet could act as a buffer, for sound or whatever... $:-\$

MountainDon · February 01, 2009, 11:50:00 PM

Even better is the kids separated by more space; at the other end of the house.

Sliding doors (pocket doors) can be a source of frustration for a door opened and closed frequently. Personal thing again.

I like the bay windows in the living room. Also like the french soors to the sunroom. I note the exterior doors open outwards; precludes the use of storm or screen doors, but practical for saving interior "swinging" space. Specia;l hinges needed for security, but that's not a biggie.

February 02, 2009, 12:13:44 PM

Quote from: MountainDon on February 01, 2009, 11:50:00 PM
I note the exterior doors open outwards; precludes the use of storm or screen doors, but practical for saving interior "swinging" space. Specia;l hinges needed for security, but that's not a biggie.

Don,
Yes the outswing doors are for a reason. In Moni's current house she has inswing doors. We have so many days with high winds, it is nearly unbelievable. Over Christmas alone we had a storm for two days with wind speed up to 170 km/h. I couldn't look out of my windows. Everything was covered with salt from the Atlantic.

During winter it is common that you wake up in Moni's house and the front door is blown open and snow pilled up in the small room which serves as a buffer to the living room. But some nails fixed that problem. A few storm doors later I have decided to use outswing doors in my own cabin and I'm more then happy with them. So we decided to use them again in Moni's new home.

Thanks all for your suggestions to the floor plan. I'm sure that we will think about them. But this is Moni's house and she is somewhat unique.

Jochen