It starts!

schiada · August 31, 2011, 12:24:40 PM

The plans for a 1 1/2 are on the way. Will make a 20'x40'
What have I done???

So I have been reading posts about the upper floor. How about a Gambrel roof?
I asked John and he said to get a truss Co. estimate and go from their.
I was thinking this could add some room to the loft?

I am building in a place called Wilhoit AZ.Have 2 acre's that is in the outback and at 60 this should be fun!!

Thanks in advance for help that I will need!
Randall Wefel

schiada · August 31, 2011, 01:15:30 PM

Adding 2' to the bath/bedroom end and the rest to the other side.12' raparound porch.

August 31, 2011, 02:44:37 PM

schiada. You also have an option with the standard 10/12 or 12/12 pitch to go with what we refer to as a "attic truss" which is a manufactured truss to give a room with decent knee walls. Just though I would mentioned that. Good luck and keep everyone posted of your progress.

schiada · August 31, 2011, 03:11:16 PM

Thanks,I am getting ahead of my self ! Plans should be here maybe Friday? Then I will use the weekend to go over the plans. Much to learn!

I also like the barn look. Just me.

Squirl · August 31, 2011, 04:32:32 PM

In addition, buy a book on framing. The one listed under the books section has great pictures. You will find over half of what you need to know with a set of plans and a book on framing.

If you are in a code area a truss company is a must for a gambrel roof. If you are not, there are a few free U.S.D.A. barn plans floating around on the internet which would give you the framing detail for a gambrel roof.

August 31, 2011, 05:10:24 PM

Have (Residential Framing) by William P Spence.
And I am in a CODE area. But that is ok.

MountainDon · August 31, 2011, 07:06:44 PM

Quote from: schiada on August 31, 2011, 05:10:24 PM
Have (Residential Framing) by William P Spence.
....I am in a CODE area.

Then before you get too far along in figuring out what you want to and how to do it, check with the local building permit dept. what system they will accept for a foundation. Pier and beam foundations are not prescriptive in any building code. They may require an engineers approval if they will take a pier and beam foundation. Just a heads up.

schiada · August 31, 2011, 08:30:32 PM

Thanks Don. That is what I think will need to be done. Maybe I will take the plans as see what thay say? Then work out from their. Or will that open up a can of worms?

MountainDon · August 31, 2011, 08:44:42 PM

You would have to take the plans in sooner or later. I can't see any advantage to waiting to have them looked at; more possible benefits as you will learn what they want before you get too far along in planning. Also ask them specifically what code is being used. Then you can most likely find a copy that you can read and we all can refer to if/when you have questions to ask here.

August 31, 2011, 11:12:12 PM

It should be 2006 IRC and 2006 IECC.
I will need to do some reading up on it!
Randall

MountainDon · August 31, 2011, 11:59:17 PM

This may help with the energy codes
http://www.energycodes.gov/rescheck/download.stm

and these with the IRC 2006
Phoenix AZ IRC 2006 http://ftp.resource.org/codes.gov/az_phoenix_residential.pdf
That's a big file and it can be downloaded.

VA IRC 2006 https://www2.iccsafe.org/states/Virginia/Residential/Res-Frameset.html

Squirl · September 01, 2011, 06:52:10 AM

That sounds like a great idea. There are many times when a safe, energy efficient house would pass most building codes. I actually like my code department. The code officer has given me great tips, suggestions, and insights.

schiada · September 01, 2011, 10:44:06 PM

Plans got here today!

So I started playing with the stairwell.

9" x 7 3/4" +- and a 37"x37" landing.
The loft would be 12" wide by ?. Thinking about a 15 ' open area?

schiada · September 01, 2011, 10:51:17 PM

A little bigger.

Green line is 6'8".

September 02, 2011, 05:28:33 PM

Alittle more work.

Don_P · September 03, 2011, 11:56:59 AM

Check the stairwell headroom wrt the gambrel. If it is a gambrel or attic truss there is usually webbing in that area although it can be headered by the designer. If it is stick framed there are several options.

schiada · September 05, 2011, 11:15:13 PM

Was up working the land. This stuff is HARD! About 30' more this time up their.

Our little camp.

Sun set.

schiada · September 11, 2011, 08:29:06 PM

A little work on the plan.What do you think? LOL

schiada · September 17, 2011, 09:22:36 AM

Some work on the pad.

NM_Shooter · September 19, 2011, 02:15:18 PM

Congrats! Time to move this to the owner / builder forum!

Nice job on the start. That is often the biggest hurdle... just getting going. You'll come to love this forum; there are folks here who can get you through every problem you might hit. Pay close attention to the advice and things will go great. Cherish the milestones too.

Regards,

-f-

September 19, 2011, 10:16:36 PM

Thats cool. Go ahead and move it. ???I will just need to remember where it went? LOL I'm just old.
Worked on the dirt untill I had a front wheel lock up. Must have brok a gear in the 4x4 front axle. Loaded up and have it at my shop and will pull down on Tus. O well 204 hours on a JM354. Have learned they do not like backing up with full loader and up hill. Been doing this for say,??? 10 hr. My bad!

Some work from this weekend.

And from the road. Wash is at the bottom.

FrankInWI · September 21, 2011, 09:55:44 AM

I went with Gambrel roof on my country build. I got a bit carried away and doubled up trusses in four places leaving 2 almost 8ft spaces and did a continous dormer on each side of the building. That gave me a LOT more space. But now my cathedral ceiling is upstairs, not downstairs. Of course what the building technicaly is at this time is a "garage - w/upper storage".

FrankInWI · September 21, 2011, 09:59:49 AM

the end result looks like this

schiada · September 21, 2011, 08:46:45 PM

Thanks for posting the photos! Wil need to show this to the wife.

dollarcounter · September 22, 2011, 01:50:13 PM

Hi Randall, just lurking here in Chicago and watching as your 1 1/2 story house takes shape.

It'll be interesting to see your stair design. Are you going with 10 ft sidewalls? And am I correct in understanding that you've gotta have a code compliant stair to the 2nd floor in your locale? If so, it would seem that a 14 riser, 13 tread stair with 7 3/4" max rise would get you to the 2nd floor with 8 ft ceilings on the first floor. Arranged in an L-shape, it seems that you could get 4 of them along your exterior wall; the landing would count as tread #5--at which point you'd be 38.75" off of the floor with 81.25" of headroom, not accounting for the +'s/-'s of headers/footers/other framing/drywall/finish flooring, etc. Then the remaining 8 stair steps running parallel to the floor joists would take you the rest of the way up. It would be nice to think that this would work even with the regular gable roof prescribed in the plans pkg, but your idea of the gambrel design seems very practical. In searching on-line, there is a Georgia builder of garages, utility bldgs, and, most significantly, residences whose shell pkgs include gambrel roof opts as well. Not sure whether mentioning their name on line would be censored, so will hold off on doing that. But a search might be worth your while. The interior stairs with their pkgs do tend to be L-shaped. Also wondering whether you're required to have a 9" or 10" minimum tread. Please keep up with your postings and good luck with your project. Michael from Chicago.