Bob's idea of a study niche may come with some significant costs, like foundation (or can we just build on top of the garage slab?) and the cost of cleaning up the wall toward the LR, i.e., most prominently moving the furnace and water heater away from the wall. There seem to be two very different ways of approaching this move. Either we will just move everything and run vents and pipes into the crawlspace from the outside. The problem is just that there isn't a whole lot of space available. Another option might be to make the floor in the study niche the same level as the LR, allowing us to run vents and pipes there.
I thought I would gather some data from the HVAC experts. I have asked Degree HVAC and Atlas to come and look at the project [the Atlas guy turned out to be hard to communicate with, so instead I contacted Rebholtz Mechanical]. Here is my question to them:
1) What would be the cost of replacing my old furnace, all installation included?
- with a 80+
- with a 90+
- with a packaged central air conditioner
2) What is the state of the duct work? and what would it cost to repair or replace?
3) What would be the additional cost (relative to item 1) of relocating all plumbing away from the south wall? Ideas for destination: outside on east wall.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
All the infrastructure on the garage-LR wall
Looking at the wall between the garage and the living room, what would it take to clear it and relocate all the utilities?
The slab in the garage is 10"-11" below the finished floor height in the house. The crawlspace is likely 18"-24" tall.
DUCTS
- Warm air duct currently goes into the crawlspace from the bottom of the furnace through the slab and elbow'ing into the crawlspace; Mike is guessing that at least 3 ducts go in there: a 14", a 10" and an 8"
- A 10" return air duct from west end of house currently enter the garage through the slab, most likely coming out from the crawlspace.
- Return air from LR goes directly into the furnace; Mike was recommending a larger register, 14"x 24" (or even 30")
GAS:
- Gas source is run along the ceiling of the garage. On the south wall at the ceiling it angles down and briefly goes behind the drywall, to emerge some 3' above the floor. There it T's off, one side going to the WH and furnace, the other side going a couple of feet east before L'ing into the wall and crawlspace to go to the kitchen.
WATER:
- the incoming water pipe surfaces outside at the south east corner of the garage and enters through the wall some 18-24" above floor; L's into the south wall. Runs inside the wall to the water heater and faucets. Somewhere it T's off a branch that goes through the crawlspace the kitchen and baths. Hot water enters the wall and continues down into the crawlspace - to go to kitchen and baths.
DRAINAGE:
- one laundry standpipe (3' above floor), one drain connections (1' above floor), and one clean out (a floor level) decorates the wall.
New installations:
- we need to relocate the return air duct away from the living room.
- perhaps time to rethink the water entry - take it away from the corner. BTW, it looks like a vacuum thingie on the line is leaking.
- drain needs to be redirected to the new laundry room. Perhaps the easiest thing would be to abandon the old drain (it is the one that most frequently gets stoppage), and instead make a new line directly into the sewer line on the east side of the house
The slab in the garage is 10"-11" below the finished floor height in the house. The crawlspace is likely 18"-24" tall.
DUCTS
- Warm air duct currently goes into the crawlspace from the bottom of the furnace through the slab and elbow'ing into the crawlspace; Mike is guessing that at least 3 ducts go in there: a 14", a 10" and an 8"
- A 10" return air duct from west end of house currently enter the garage through the slab, most likely coming out from the crawlspace.
- Return air from LR goes directly into the furnace; Mike was recommending a larger register, 14"x 24" (or even 30")
GAS:
- Gas source is run along the ceiling of the garage. On the south wall at the ceiling it angles down and briefly goes behind the drywall, to emerge some 3' above the floor. There it T's off, one side going to the WH and furnace, the other side going a couple of feet east before L'ing into the wall and crawlspace to go to the kitchen.
WATER:
- the incoming water pipe surfaces outside at the south east corner of the garage and enters through the wall some 18-24" above floor; L's into the south wall. Runs inside the wall to the water heater and faucets. Somewhere it T's off a branch that goes through the crawlspace the kitchen and baths. Hot water enters the wall and continues down into the crawlspace - to go to kitchen and baths.
DRAINAGE:
- one laundry standpipe (3' above floor), one drain connections (1' above floor), and one clean out (a floor level) decorates the wall.
New installations:
- we need to relocate the return air duct away from the living room.
- perhaps time to rethink the water entry - take it away from the corner. BTW, it looks like a vacuum thingie on the line is leaking.
- drain needs to be redirected to the new laundry room. Perhaps the easiest thing would be to abandon the old drain (it is the one that most frequently gets stoppage), and instead make a new line directly into the sewer line on the east side of the house
Sunday, December 21, 2008
dabbling in Sketchup
I dabbled a bit in SketchUp over the weekend, click here to get to the model.
I tried to visualize the study, the kitchen and the exterior entry area. Here is some immediate thoughts:
Study: First I got the idea on letting at least the first 4 feet be the full LR ceiling height: that can be done by using the 4' overhang. And I though we could make advantage of the 22" dip down to garage height by putting in an awning window in the "dip" - or perhaps something really fancy like a slanted glass roof. I am not completely sold on the idea; at least not the version with a step down. I am afraid it will look and feel like a closet. How about a small, strategically placed window towards east in the study niche?
Kitchen: There is a real danger that it will come to look like a ticketing booth or the dentist's reception - at least if it has opening from countertop and up. I wonder if it wouldn't be better to define its sides towards the entry and mostly be open on the south side
Entry: Finally, the space left outside at the entry is really small - too small to even hold a bench. So it is a bit of a challenge to figure out why it is there. Any ideas? It is limited what can grow on a shady north side.
Also, making the landing and the steps NOT fill out the trapeze makes it all look small and cramped. I think the landing should go all the way out to the line from BR corner to garage corner.
And third, the partial overhang looks terrible. If at all affordable, we should raise the ceiling throughout the midsection - at least to the level of the LR ceiling
I also tried to play around with some textures for the exterior:
Exterior: I am afraid the cedar + concrete + rust color is so-o-o-o-o 90s. But I count on my architect to come up with something fresh ;-) Though I like the idea of making the garage stand in a different material - but link in with the house by the garage door.
I have been thinking of somehow using the grey-blue colors of the skyline ridge as a color on the house - the trim? fascia boards? garage door?
Roof: I know it is hard to assess from the sketchup models, but it look to me like a fascia board height of 9" (the same as the height of the beam) would look better than the current 6".
I tried to visualize the study, the kitchen and the exterior entry area. Here is some immediate thoughts:
Study: First I got the idea on letting at least the first 4 feet be the full LR ceiling height: that can be done by using the 4' overhang. And I though we could make advantage of the 22" dip down to garage height by putting in an awning window in the "dip" - or perhaps something really fancy like a slanted glass roof. I am not completely sold on the idea; at least not the version with a step down. I am afraid it will look and feel like a closet. How about a small, strategically placed window towards east in the study niche?
Kitchen: There is a real danger that it will come to look like a ticketing booth or the dentist's reception - at least if it has opening from countertop and up. I wonder if it wouldn't be better to define its sides towards the entry and mostly be open on the south side
Entry: Finally, the space left outside at the entry is really small - too small to even hold a bench. So it is a bit of a challenge to figure out why it is there. Any ideas? It is limited what can grow on a shady north side.
Also, making the landing and the steps NOT fill out the trapeze makes it all look small and cramped. I think the landing should go all the way out to the line from BR corner to garage corner.
And third, the partial overhang looks terrible. If at all affordable, we should raise the ceiling throughout the midsection - at least to the level of the LR ceiling
I also tried to play around with some textures for the exterior:
Exterior: I am afraid the cedar + concrete + rust color is so-o-o-o-o 90s. But I count on my architect to come up with something fresh ;-) Though I like the idea of making the garage stand in a different material - but link in with the house by the garage door.
I have been thinking of somehow using the grey-blue colors of the skyline ridge as a color on the house - the trim? fascia boards? garage door?
Roof: I know it is hard to assess from the sketchup models, but it look to me like a fascia board height of 9" (the same as the height of the beam) would look better than the current 6".
Thursday, December 18, 2008
ok, here is floor plan number N + 1 ;-)
Here is Bob's first sketch. It has good clarity. The carrying ideas are preservation of the 180 degree undisturbed view E-S-W from almost any place in the home and a Glass House concept with see through / transparency (privacy will have to be secured by a combination of an electrical gate and landscape elements on the driveway side). Funny to revisit the glass house - which was the very first vision I had about the house when I first decided to buy it.
Bob’s sketch captures the following changes:
- Make current LR, kitchen, study and hallway into a single open room, with the kitchen sitting between the new family room and the LR.
- Open the wall between garage and living room to allow for a study niche with build-in shelving (total conversion to conditioned space = 86 sf)
- Push the north facing wall out 4’ to make a new hallway; take a corner from the guest bedroom (total addition = 74 sf)
- Reorganize 2 south-facing narrow bathrooms into 1 larger master BA and a powder room.
- Replace all windows and sliders with picture windows and sliders that sit between beams; bring windows/doors all the way up to the ceiling along north and south walls.
- Possibly redo the guest bathroom to become better proportioned
- Resurface fireplace
And here are some of my first questions to his sketch:
"1. What exactly is gained by pushing out the current entry wall some 18-24"? The current landing does not go all the way to the garage wall; there is a 20" (or so) gap. So this solution would require addition to the current slab. BTW, does the landing qualify as a (part of a) slab for interior use? Or would the landing have to be demolished and re-poured?
2. Can you say a few words about the sense of floating-in-air and the marking of wall cabinets in the sketch? I am assuming that the dashed lines mean wall cabinets, right? If so: I wonder if you are thinking of an old-fashioned reach-through opening below wall cabinets. I kind-of doubt it. would provide the desired openness. And if there is no wall cabinets, we are left with very little cabinet space. And the floating-in-air sense does demand a bit more ceiling height than the current 8'
3. Although I love the idea of the location of this study I am concerned about two things: (1) it would have to have steps down to provide a decent ceiling height (what is code requiring?) and (2) the price tag of integrating sub-optimal garage space: would the cost of relocating utilities (electrical subpanel, WH and Furnace), raising the ceiling and insulating the floor perhaps be better spent somewhere else?
4. Thinking ahead to the future: I am not entirely sure how much you envision would be used for future hall: would it be all 5 feet (closet + current hallway)?
5. The configuration of the bedroom section is OK, but it would have been great had it been less maze-like."
Bob’s sketch captures the following changes:
- Make current LR, kitchen, study and hallway into a single open room, with the kitchen sitting between the new family room and the LR.
- Open the wall between garage and living room to allow for a study niche with build-in shelving (total conversion to conditioned space = 86 sf)
- Push the north facing wall out 4’ to make a new hallway; take a corner from the guest bedroom (total addition = 74 sf)
- Reorganize 2 south-facing narrow bathrooms into 1 larger master BA and a powder room.
- Replace all windows and sliders with picture windows and sliders that sit between beams; bring windows/doors all the way up to the ceiling along north and south walls.
- Possibly redo the guest bathroom to become better proportioned
- Resurface fireplace
And here are some of my first questions to his sketch:
"1. What exactly is gained by pushing out the current entry wall some 18-24"? The current landing does not go all the way to the garage wall; there is a 20" (or so) gap. So this solution would require addition to the current slab. BTW, does the landing qualify as a (part of a) slab for interior use? Or would the landing have to be demolished and re-poured?
2. Can you say a few words about the sense of floating-in-air and the marking of wall cabinets in the sketch? I am assuming that the dashed lines mean wall cabinets, right? If so: I wonder if you are thinking of an old-fashioned reach-through opening below wall cabinets. I kind-of doubt it. would provide the desired openness. And if there is no wall cabinets, we are left with very little cabinet space. And the floating-in-air sense does demand a bit more ceiling height than the current 8'
3. Although I love the idea of the location of this study I am concerned about two things: (1) it would have to have steps down to provide a decent ceiling height (what is code requiring?) and (2) the price tag of integrating sub-optimal garage space: would the cost of relocating utilities (electrical subpanel, WH and Furnace), raising the ceiling and insulating the floor perhaps be better spent somewhere else?
4. Thinking ahead to the future: I am not entirely sure how much you envision would be used for future hall: would it be all 5 feet (closet + current hallway)?
5. The configuration of the bedroom section is OK, but it would have been great had it been less maze-like."
Have I finally found an architect of my mind?
Recently I signed a contract for initial design etc. with Bob Stoecker. I mentioned before how I really resonated with his ideas - and with the fact that he actually delivered ideas in each and every conversation ;-) This afternoon I got a first sketch from him - one that I really like (see separate post).
So where am I now - after hundreds of floorplans and multiple architects ;-) I have been less than overwhelmed with the suggestions I got from previous architects; and I start recognizing a pattern here. If I do not experience some architectural mastery I feel obliged to take over and dabble myself. But my ideas suffered the same problem as the architects: none of the sketches were truly convincing, just "good enough". In general I have been unwilling to do anything if I wouldn't get something exceptionally beautiful.
Bob's sketch is reviving the glass house concept and 180 degree undisturbed view. There is a "logical" beauty in the idea - not just a utilitarian "squeezing more out of the space", which is unfortunately what many of my own plans were guilty of. Finally here is a real architect (strong design language) who also seem to know about and want to work with the local setting.
There are a number of questions and it is not clear the design can be done within my budget. We still need to get it sanity checked with contractors; and there is a bit of more work left on specifying design details before that can be done.
But -- I hope... I really think we are on the right track now.
So where am I now - after hundreds of floorplans and multiple architects ;-) I have been less than overwhelmed with the suggestions I got from previous architects; and I start recognizing a pattern here. If I do not experience some architectural mastery I feel obliged to take over and dabble myself. But my ideas suffered the same problem as the architects: none of the sketches were truly convincing, just "good enough". In general I have been unwilling to do anything if I wouldn't get something exceptionally beautiful.
Bob's sketch is reviving the glass house concept and 180 degree undisturbed view. There is a "logical" beauty in the idea - not just a utilitarian "squeezing more out of the space", which is unfortunately what many of my own plans were guilty of. Finally here is a real architect (strong design language) who also seem to know about and want to work with the local setting.
There are a number of questions and it is not clear the design can be done within my budget. We still need to get it sanity checked with contractors; and there is a bit of more work left on specifying design details before that can be done.
But -- I hope... I really think we are on the right track now.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Floorplan no. xxxxxxxxx !
Remember back in 2007 when I discussed various remodeling plans with Ron, the structural engineer? One of my ideas then was to remove the middle section of the house and rebuild that. Somehow I never got around to sketching this idea out.
That is, until now. Chris, one of the contractors I have recently consulted, brought the idea up -- kudos for his creativity! Now the nagging question is: can it really be done within my budget?
So here is one possible sketch.
That is, until now. Chris, one of the contractors I have recently consulted, brought the idea up -- kudos for his creativity! Now the nagging question is: can it really be done within my budget?
So here is one possible sketch.
Heating - repair or replace
I took for granted that I would replace the monster of a furnace in the garage, but when I realized I couldn't afford my preferred attractive heating method: hydronic heating from floor and radiators, I started wondering. I read somewhere that people tend to get caught up in nominal specs, like 80% efficiency versus 93%, and also that people often feel their new system is just badly designed.
In my situation, I am using a lot of therms because my windows are single pane and there is no insulation in the walls and ceiling. But I would reduce my heating energy consumption immensely if I addressed these auxiliary issues, rather than the heating source.
So I set out to get some more information about my installed system. It is a Tuck Aire furnace, name tagged Western, from 1959.
- model: CFB 27-120
- BTU/H: 120000
- Bonnet capacity BTU/H: 96000
- serial: 1059
The manufacturer who is still around guesses its efficiency to be between 60 & 70%.
I asked one of the online forums for advise and the suggestion was: "your steady state efficiency is 80%. Your AFUE is more like 50% [AFUE is Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency, I guess the assumption is that the pilots run all year round]. So, a new induced draft would probably save you 30% plus. A 90% plus, would save that much more. BUT, get a load calc done, so the right size is put in. Doubtful you need that big a furnace."
It is a tough choice. I want to spend my money wisely, but it doesn't seem like my expected future heating consumption really justifies the replacement.
December, 19. 2008: I had the furnace services. It is a tad less noisy but the repair man claimed he couldn't make the noise disappear: the bearings are worn and there are apparently no spare parts to be had. So it will have to be replaced sometime during this remodel
In my situation, I am using a lot of therms because my windows are single pane and there is no insulation in the walls and ceiling. But I would reduce my heating energy consumption immensely if I addressed these auxiliary issues, rather than the heating source.
So I set out to get some more information about my installed system. It is a Tuck Aire furnace, name tagged Western, from 1959.
- model: CFB 27-120
- BTU/H: 120000
- Bonnet capacity BTU/H: 96000
- serial: 1059
The manufacturer who is still around guesses its efficiency to be between 60 & 70%.
I asked one of the online forums for advise and the suggestion was: "your steady state efficiency is 80%. Your AFUE is more like 50% [AFUE is Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency, I guess the assumption is that the pilots run all year round]. So, a new induced draft would probably save you 30% plus. A 90% plus, would save that much more. BUT, get a load calc done, so the right size is put in. Doubtful you need that big a furnace."
It is a tough choice. I want to spend my money wisely, but it doesn't seem like my expected future heating consumption really justifies the replacement.
December, 19. 2008: I had the furnace services. It is a tad less noisy but the repair man claimed he couldn't make the noise disappear: the bearings are worn and there are apparently no spare parts to be had. So it will have to be replaced sometime during this remodel
Getting the team together
One of the first orders of the day is to select a contractor to involve as soon as possible - to make sure the what Bob is designing is actually buildable!
I received a lot of good recommendations from the PVforum mailing list, and I have been meeting with most of them, trying to figure out where each of them stands on pricing, work quality, creativity and their general "bed side manners" ;-)
I asked each of them to price and also comment on a "straw man" proposal in the form of the rough floor plan with integrated entry area, plus the list of maintenance issues.
The idea is, having selected a contractor to work with during the design phase, that he or she will invest time in doing detailed estimating. When construction drawings are ready for bidding, this contractor is supposedly at an advantage. However, if we end up not using this person's services, the design contributions will be reasonably compensated be compensated using an hourly rate TBD.
I received a lot of good recommendations from the PVforum mailing list, and I have been meeting with most of them, trying to figure out where each of them stands on pricing, work quality, creativity and their general "bed side manners" ;-)
I asked each of them to price and also comment on a "straw man" proposal in the form of the rough floor plan with integrated entry area, plus the list of maintenance issues.
The idea is, having selected a contractor to work with during the design phase, that he or she will invest time in doing detailed estimating. When construction drawings are ready for bidding, this contractor is supposedly at an advantage. However, if we end up not using this person's services, the design contributions will be reasonably compensated be compensated using an hourly rate TBD.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Maintenance issues - 1st installment
Utilitarian concerns that needs to be addressed - mostly because I bought a house with lots of deferred maintenance issues. They provide some constraints - and strains -- on the budget - close to 120K!!!:
1. I need to resurface the roof - according to the roof repair person, it might not last another wet season. Some issues that may affect the decision about materials etc. Abril quoted me a 3000 sf foam roof last year [20K, Abril]
a. There is ponding on the garage roof. Apparently the 4x12's that carry the span of the roof are insufficient. Reroofing may make the pond go away, but will it last? Or would i need to add footing and posts midway, or beef up one or two beams with steel I-beams (and footings at each side of garage)?
b. Current roof is hardly insulated. One option is the foam roof which is "self-insulating". Another idea is tapered solid foam under a single ply factory assembled membrane (kind of expensive, 30-40K). A third option is to build up with 2x4s and blow in insulation. The build-up would also allow installation of recessed lights in ceiling - and even plumbing for fire sprinklers. [guess +$10K]
2. I may need to replace the furnace. It is from the 50s and is not as efficient as today's furnaces - and it rattles like a freight train! I really would prefer another heating method - I hate the forced air blowing - but I am afraid it is not really feasible to change to hydronic heating. So perhaps I should just accept it and simply replace the furnace. If I just replace, it should be straight forward - and it actually does not have to wait on the rest of the remodel. Right? [$2.5K, Nielsen/Aire]
3. I need to do something serious about heat loss through the current single pane windows, and the sliding doors are in no good shape either (attempts to adjust them seem to not last). And a final troubles spot: it is hard to vent the bedrooms without also letting in burglars and whatever.
A simple work around could be:
- windows: add strom windows, possibly plexiglas to be really cheap ;-)
- doors: have them serviced (Though that would only make sense if I am going to keep them...
- venting: there are little attachment locks that can be mounted on the door track to lock it in place.
However, I am more tempted to replace them, or rather redesign the window/door configuration:
a. All the windows/doors in the older part are positioned in weird ways - going counter to the structure of the house. I would like to relocate and reshape the windows and doors to better fit the Eichler'ish style of the house.
b. Ideally all windows should all be replaced with larger ones that go all the way to the ceiling - same thing with the doors.
c. An important concern in design new window configurations is to make sure I get good natural ventilation.
[~ 36K, Palo Alto Glass + guestimate 10K for prep. framing]
d. The idea about raising the window panes all the way to the roof/ceiling decking will require some structural enforcement of the top of the windows - which may be done as a header on top of the roof decking (not 100% sure I understand why this would work). Such a header would work well with the idea of building up the roof to allow for blown-in insulation. [guestimate addl. 5-10K for reinforcement framing]
4. I need to do something about the fireplace. I definitely need to spice up the design, Eichler'ize the sides where window panes meet chimney, get rid of the ugly mantel and relief - possibly make the surface completely smooth, like polished concrete. It would be great to get an insert - I have no idea what that might cost; most likely I would have to replace liner and more (at least that was what I needed in Seattle), [incl complete insulation and new sheetrock on LR walls, $7000 Nielsen / Aire]
5. The south-west corner of the house (the SW corner of the blue BR) “dips”. Do we need to have it jacked up?
6. The garage door is in bad shape, no lock, no handle, no automatic opener, and so on. I am hoping it will be replaced as part of a major make over of the entire entry area. One issue is that it is a one-piece (non-sectional) overhead door, which leaves the opening very short. The distance from the floor to the bottom of the beam is 81". With the garage door opened, there may be only 72" under the door. If I replace it with a sectional overhead door, I'll need to lower the exterior opening some 6", i.e. siding repair and need trim [Glass garage door, $5500 Overhead doors]
7. I don't care much for the painted wood siding - the brown color is way too dark. I really wish I had an untreated wood surface - I love the look of untreated cedar... I guess that there will not be much left of the old siding if I actually replace windows and doors. [ guess: 30K, Semso]
1. I need to resurface the roof - according to the roof repair person, it might not last another wet season. Some issues that may affect the decision about materials etc. Abril quoted me a 3000 sf foam roof last year [20K, Abril]
a. There is ponding on the garage roof. Apparently the 4x12's that carry the span of the roof are insufficient. Reroofing may make the pond go away, but will it last? Or would i need to add footing and posts midway, or beef up one or two beams with steel I-beams (and footings at each side of garage)?
b. Current roof is hardly insulated. One option is the foam roof which is "self-insulating". Another idea is tapered solid foam under a single ply factory assembled membrane (kind of expensive, 30-40K). A third option is to build up with 2x4s and blow in insulation. The build-up would also allow installation of recessed lights in ceiling - and even plumbing for fire sprinklers. [guess +$10K]
2. I may need to replace the furnace. It is from the 50s and is not as efficient as today's furnaces - and it rattles like a freight train! I really would prefer another heating method - I hate the forced air blowing - but I am afraid it is not really feasible to change to hydronic heating. So perhaps I should just accept it and simply replace the furnace. If I just replace, it should be straight forward - and it actually does not have to wait on the rest of the remodel. Right? [$2.5K, Nielsen/Aire]
3. I need to do something serious about heat loss through the current single pane windows, and the sliding doors are in no good shape either (attempts to adjust them seem to not last). And a final troubles spot: it is hard to vent the bedrooms without also letting in burglars and whatever.
A simple work around could be:
- windows: add strom windows, possibly plexiglas to be really cheap ;-)
- doors: have them serviced (Though that would only make sense if I am going to keep them...
- venting: there are little attachment locks that can be mounted on the door track to lock it in place.
However, I am more tempted to replace them, or rather redesign the window/door configuration:
a. All the windows/doors in the older part are positioned in weird ways - going counter to the structure of the house. I would like to relocate and reshape the windows and doors to better fit the Eichler'ish style of the house.
b. Ideally all windows should all be replaced with larger ones that go all the way to the ceiling - same thing with the doors.
c. An important concern in design new window configurations is to make sure I get good natural ventilation.
[~ 36K, Palo Alto Glass + guestimate 10K for prep. framing]
d. The idea about raising the window panes all the way to the roof/ceiling decking will require some structural enforcement of the top of the windows - which may be done as a header on top of the roof decking (not 100% sure I understand why this would work). Such a header would work well with the idea of building up the roof to allow for blown-in insulation. [guestimate addl. 5-10K for reinforcement framing]
4. I need to do something about the fireplace. I definitely need to spice up the design, Eichler'ize the sides where window panes meet chimney, get rid of the ugly mantel and relief - possibly make the surface completely smooth, like polished concrete. It would be great to get an insert - I have no idea what that might cost; most likely I would have to replace liner and more (at least that was what I needed in Seattle), [incl complete insulation and new sheetrock on LR walls, $7000 Nielsen / Aire]
5. The south-west corner of the house (the SW corner of the blue BR) “dips”. Do we need to have it jacked up?
6. The garage door is in bad shape, no lock, no handle, no automatic opener, and so on. I am hoping it will be replaced as part of a major make over of the entire entry area. One issue is that it is a one-piece (non-sectional) overhead door, which leaves the opening very short. The distance from the floor to the bottom of the beam is 81". With the garage door opened, there may be only 72" under the door. If I replace it with a sectional overhead door, I'll need to lower the exterior opening some 6", i.e. siding repair and need trim [Glass garage door, $5500 Overhead doors]
7. I don't care much for the painted wood siding - the brown color is way too dark. I really wish I had an untreated wood surface - I love the look of untreated cedar... I guess that there will not be much left of the old siding if I actually replace windows and doors. [ guess: 30K, Semso]
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