Volks/Grandfather modification

[NorthwestDenise]

Hello John and all -- I'm still working with my Volks modification.  I bought the 20x30 one and a half story plans a while back, but due to site constraints the plan below is what I need to build (slightly modified from my post in Owner-Builder Projects).  My question is:  will it be helpful for me to buy either the Volks or Grandfather plans also?  I'm happy to do so if it will help with the building process.  I've built a cabin in Alaska (with a lot of help from my friends...), and will have a variety of relatives helping me with my new place, two of whom are skilled and experienced and the rest of whom are just plain willing.

So, here's my latest ('fraid I don't know how to resize it, so hope it doesn't come out too small.....):

[John Raabe]

Your layout is similar to the Volks cottage but is 24' deep rather than the 28' of the Volks. If you will do a crawlspace foundation the Volks could be helpful as it has a foundation plan with an interior girder support for the floor joists (at the midpoint of the 24' span on yours). You could use that foundation plan and we could resize the joists. The Volks plans also have truss diagrams for a sloped ceiling at the main living room and a covered porch, but you may not need those.

Nice practical floor plan layout.  

[NorthwestDenise]

Thanks John, I will go ahead and order the plans -- would it matter whether I ordered the Volks or the Grandfather?  I seem to remember that the Grandfather includes some notes about Craftsman-style upgrades for the porch (did I make that up?).  I am planning on doing a crawlspace foundation (the county is requiring it, also requiring that it be 6" taller and the footings be 6" deeper than code, since I'm in a "geohazard" area....), and I also plan on ordering trusses.  I was wondering about that interior girder support, knowing I was spanning more than 19', and I'm glad they're in the plans so I don't have to reinvent the wheel.

I worked hard on that plan, so thanks for the kudos!  I wanted the southwest facing side (where the larger deck is)  to have all the kitchen/living/dining space so it would be nice and light.  The main entry will be the smaller deck on the side.  Well, that's the plan THIS week anyway. 

Let me know whether I should order the Volks or the Grandfather. 

[John Raabe]

Both the Volks and Grandfather have the Craftsman style porch details. The Volks layout will likely require less modification of the foundation plan.

[NorthwestDenise]

Thanks, Volks it is then.

[JohnC]

Was this plan ever built? I am looking at the Volks plan and like this as an alternative layout built to the original overall dimensions (983 sq ft).
John

[John Raabe]

Not sure what was built exactly but working with the Volks layout - http://www.countryplans.com/volks.html - you could work up your own plan modification to the same footprint and probably improve its layout for your site.

[JohnC]

Thanks, John. I am drawing up a couple versions of this (depending on which side ends up being the front of the house). As I mentioned on the General Forum our plan is to buy land this year and build in 2016. We will be building in or near Chama, NM.