Saltbox

[Jochen]

John,

I'm currently calculating the materials we will need to start building the Solar Saltbox. My problem is that the plans are currently 4000 miles away.  I will return home on Dec. 19th. I know I should wait patiently. But it is so much fun to poke around with these figures. 

Can you let me know what kind of material you specify for the roof rafters. I think it will be hard to find 2" x 12" material in the required length. Or could these be built similar to the 20' cottage trusses?

My span calculator tells me that for floor joists local southern SPF 2" x 8" could only span 11' 4", but I have to span 11' 6". Would it really be necessary to go then one step up and use 2" x 10" southern SPF?

We are planning to built the Solar Saltbox on a full basement using ICF blocks, although it will mainly used as storage area. Will the air distribution system still work or will the increased basement volume will make that hard to achieve? We are currently thinking of installing a pellet stove in the basement as back up heat. Main heat source will be an airtight wood stove.

Jochen

[John Raabe]

You should have gotten my email on this. Let me know if it didn't arrive and I'll resend.

[Jochen]

John,

Thanks and yes I have received your email. In the meantime I have played a little bit with 3D Home Architecture and was able to create the saltbox. Okay, there are some limitations with 3DHA. I was not able to specify different foundation options for one plan. F.e. full basement under the main house, slab under the sunroom and piers under the porches. Additional I was not able to create the roof for the L shaped porch without getting in to trouble and can't built the triangular window in the living room. But otherwise it looks not bad. Looking forward to create it now in reality as well. But that has to wait until next spring around May.

Let me know if you want the 3DHA files.

Jochen

[John Raabe]

Jochen:

Good work on that model . The porch roof would be a killer... all these simple design programs seem to choke on complex roof planes coming together. You have done a good job of modeling the interior and stairs - it gives you a pretty accurate feel for the space and the doors and windows.

What version of 3DHA are you using. It doesn't look like version 3.

[Jochen]

John,

I'm using 3DHA Version 4. Not sure what are the differences between these. When I tried to open the files from PlanHelp.com for the Saltbox, I got some errors about missing libraries but was able to open them. But it looked a little bot boring  , so I created then the above shown version from scratch in 3DHA Version 4.

Jochen

[John Raabe]

3DHA has changed the underlying program with nearly every version, so I would expect that the version 3 files on PlanHelp might not work right in version 4.

But, you've done a good job with the model... better perhaps than the one on PlanHelp. As long as you can print out scaled floor plans and elevations you can use these to modify the paper plans.

[lonelytree]

I like it... What about the heat and minimum clearances for the wood stove? Could a child reach out and get burnt on the pipe?

I would turn the kick out window vertically and add one. Just my preference.

Best wishes!
Mike

[Jochen]

The stove is just what I could use in 3DHA. Yes, we have to carefully think about the placement of it. But a wood stove in one or another form will be the main heating source. Wood is relatively cheap and plentiful available here. We just had 16 cords delivered for C$ 1,600.- and paid two of our neighbours to cut and split them for us for another C$ 800.- We couldn't do it ourself this time. I'm still working overseas and Moni alone has enough to do with the girls and her zoo.     That wood should be enough for several winter. Keep in mind that we are heating two houses.

Jochen

[John Raabe]

I've burned wood in my Solar Saltbox for many years. We average about 2 cords a year (alder) in the NW Washington state climate.

[glenn kangiser]

That's pretty efficient, John.  My granddad used to put in 10 cords on the Oregon coast, but then they kept it around 1000F in the house.  OK - Maybe 80F but plenty hot.

[Martha]

Hello Jochen

I know this topic was posted in 2008, but we've just registered on Countryplans, and my husband and I are planning on building in Nova Scotia (Cape Breton) probably in the summer of 2012 and would welcome any comments on your experiences please.  The Saltbox plan is the one we are interested in.

Martha

[John Raabe]

Not sure that Jochen is checking in regularly. Here was a post and picture from 2009:

http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=6290.msg82095#msg82095