advice on plan

Started by ugabulldog, June 24, 2018, 05:10:19 PM

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ugabulldog

I am working on a simple plan that I pan on building as a rental unit. I wanted to share and see if there were any issues I had not thought of. I am asking along the lines of structural, mechanical, and code vs actual floorplan layout. Bathroom fixtures have been spaced to code. It is on slab foundation, 24' wide x26' deep with a wall straight down middle (12' OC) that ceiling joists will rest on and rafters tie into joists on outside walls. Floorplan will be cleaned up and detail added (cabinets, bedroom door, etc) but I wanted to post and make sure it looked good so far. I designed it so all plumbing will be on interior walls (except for two exterior hose bibbs required by GA code) Thanks

https://flic.kr/p/28uRqYH

https://flic.kr/p/278bKUz

ChugiakTinkerer

There's a couple things that occurred to me as I was looking at your sketches:

- You can simplify the plumbing if you reverse the layout of the bathroom.  Have the center wall carry all your plumbing.  Not sure if it being a load bearing wall is a complication...

- Give some thought to using trusses rather than rafters and joists.  It would take the load-bearing wall out of the equation.  Trusses cost more up front but save a LOT of labor.  If you've got more time than money then rafters may be a suitable choice.

- It may just be me, but it seems like a bad idea to have a porch be part of the main slab.  Unless this is partialy closed in.  My concern is water being driven by wind onto the porch and infiltrating under the wall.  I have no idea if it's a common practice but in my mind an exterior wall and siding belong on the entire perimeter of a slab.

- Your utility room/closet looks out of proportion and does not seem to utilize space well.  Unless you have the utilities in a separate space you'll probably be limited to electric WH and dryer.
My cabin build thread: Alaskan remote 16x28 1.5 story


MountainDon

I agree with the comment on the slab and the exposed to weather porch. Where I am virtually everything is built on a slab. I like them most of the time. Our home has a front slab extension under a roofed entrance area. The weather exposed slab is at a lower level than the main slab that is the house. Ditto for the slab for the attached garage. That too has the slab level about 3 inches lower than the slab for the habitable areas.

The lower wall plate around the perimeter is PT.

Present energy code stipulates insulation under the slab in climate zones 4 and higher. If radiant hydronic heating is used the slab floor must be insulated anywhere. I think R10 makes the floor more comfortable and probably saves some energy even in the warm to hot south.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

ugabulldog

#3
Thanks to both....

I did the bathroom plumbing on that wall so I could space to bathroom door and closet door father apart and utilize that back bedroom wall better.


Yes, as far as W/D,  it would be all electric.

Once you add shelving, and a walk space, closet is pretty well utilized, plus it gives extra storage in small house, and I also like having dryer vented out with no turns.

As far as the porch and rain blowing, the front door wall is set back 6' under roof which forms covered porch ( not sure if you could tell as some of the lines didn't show up too well) I think you are saying it still could be an issue though unless main slab is higher. I am not sure exactly how this will be done as I have always had slabs poured flat. I will talk to concrete sub. What is involved in pouring higher/lower?

ILFE

Quote from: ChugiakTinkerer on June 25, 2018, 01:19:50 PM- You can simplify the plumbing if you reverse the layout of the bathroom.  Have the center wall carry all your plumbing.  Not sure if it being a load bearing wall is a complication...

Most definitely. When a friend first drew my plan, I looked it over, and reversed the bath to run all plumbing in the same wall.



Paul


ChugiakTinkerer

You would end up having two different slabs, poured at separate times.

It wouldn't take much to get water pooling on the edge of the porch.  If the slab has just a slight imperfection you can get water seeking the lowest spot and traveling a long way.  I'm not saying it's likely to happen, but it's possible.  All it would take is one particularly bad storm to get water under the sill plate.  From there it would wick into the walls and over time create a nasty mess of mold and rot.

You can mitigate that risk by pouring the porch as a second slab.  If you are still intent on doing it as one slab I suggest sloping the porch area of the slab away from the house then doing something like recommended in this thread: https://www.diychatroom.com/f19/exterior-wall-concrete-pad-waterproofing-under-wall-illustration-included-114048/#post707666
My cabin build thread: Alaskan remote 16x28 1.5 story

Dave Sparks

Quote from: ChugiakTinkerer on June 29, 2018, 01:59:46 PM
You would end up having two different slabs, poured at separate times.

It wouldn't take much to get water pooling on the edge of the porch.  If the slab has just a slight imperfection you can get water seeking the lowest spot and traveling a long way.  I'm not saying it's likely to happen, but it's possible.  All it would take is one particularly bad storm to get water under the sill plate.  From there it would wick into the walls and over time create a nasty mess of mold and rot.

You can mitigate that risk by pouring the porch as a second slab.  If you are still intent on doing it as one slab I suggest sloping the porch area of the slab away from the house then doing something like recommended in this thread: https://www.diychatroom.com/f19/exterior-wall-concrete-pad-waterproofing-under-wall-illustration-included-114048/#post707666

Totally agree!
"we go where the power lines don't"

GaryT

Where are you going to put your coats and boots and all like that?
Gary

hpinson

I like Don's approach. Porch is a separate, lower slab. I saw a sloped concrete slab messed up so bad by a contractor - not sure I would ever trust that to be done right.

Gary has a very good point.  Need some living storage somehow. Possibly a small closet in the living room in line with the bedroom closets. That would break up the nice open feel of the kitchen though. I have also seen a part of a porch dedicated to outside storage, for bikes etc.

Where is your water heater? At least 30 gallon for two to shower or instantaneous.  Those little 20 gallon water tank heaters that go under a kitchen cabinet would not be very satisfactory for 2.


GaryT

"Where is your water heater?"  And air bladder tank for the well pump, which must be a submersible unit since I don't see any place for a jet.   Washer/dryer?
Gary

hpinson

Good point. The air bladder and water heater are often housed adjacent to each other in  a little closet or under stairs. Or in a tiny little basement. I suppose one could build a little insulated outside box to accommodate these, provided it is heated.

GaryT

I like the design, especially the "shared" plumbing wall.  I just think it seriously needs an attached Mud Room.  As the plan sits, there's really not even a nice place for the breaker box.
Gary