Replies

1. 
   Steve_Jackson | May 29, 1999 10:17pm | #1

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   Hey Smitty,
   It would probably be cheaper to jack with the ceiling height to accomplish the different room feels. Dark ceiling and beams to bring ceiling down. White paint and appropriate molding to raise the feel of height. Or even a dropped or pan ceiling for down or roof windows/skylites for up.
   All cheaper and easier than changing floor levels.
   And your potential pool of buyers for resale stays as large as possible.
   At least that's the way it seems to me.
   Good luck.
   Steve

2. 
   Guest_ | May 30, 1999 12:31am | #2

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   Smitty, I just built my own house several years ago. My wife and I intend to grow old together here so we designed it for a couple of old gimpy people. Thank goodness we did it that way because I had foot surgery last January and am now prematurely old and gimpy, a process we expect to take most of the next year.

   I'd estimate the cost of sunken rooms and steps here and there at around $50,000 per step, just in materials. Remind her that when you're dead and gone that she will need to gimp her way around the house with her young, new boyfriend and those steps will make her look old.

   Opt for everything you need on one level, the guests can climb the stairs.

   Lee

1. 
   Guest_ | May 30, 1999 08:23am | #3

   *SmittyDon't ya just hate it wheni they're right all the time. . . seems to me like your letting your potential/inevitable 'gezzerism' rule your life. . . also sounds like i Hamburger Helper girlhas all the imagination (sorry the Greek Revival thing. . . :} ). My mother lived on in our family house till she was in her late 80's and I'm convinced that it was the daily treks up and down various flights of stairs from bedroom to kitchen to bath to laundry etc., that kept her mobile even with a back problem. When she fell and broke her hip, it wasn't on a stair. . . it was on one of those stupid bedside rugs. . . facing a long convalescence after hip replacement she finally moved into a seniors apt.Exercise is not a bad thing, and some people only get that which is forced upon them, do yourself a favour, build some into your life, if only a step or two.end of sermon-pm

1. 
   Guest_ | May 30, 1999 11:43pm | #4

   *Smitty,The only reason I might think you're nuts is for even contemplating your girlfriend's ideas. Women should never be left to make ANY permanent or long-term effect decisions. Girlfriends come and go so also be sure it's only your name on the deed or you may not be growing old anywhere.If God had wanted women to think and make decisions, then he would have given them brains.Pete Draganic

3. 
   hotsawdust | May 31, 1999 12:30am | #5

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   Mr. Smitty-

   You have a girlfriend that is 15 years younger than you and want sympathy from us? Hell, move into a trailer if she asks you to.

   As to Mr. Draganic, with an attitude like that I suspect the girlfriends do more going than coming.

4. 
   Guest_ | May 31, 1999 01:25am | #6

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   Hotsawdust,

   I gave up girlfriends when I got married. I suppose it may be necessary for someone to kiss the butts of women in an attempt to finally get one. So keep up the hard work. Once you finally land one, you will realize how right I am and will wish to apologize to me so in the interest of time I will just accept your apology now in advance.

   Pete Draganic

1. 
   Guest_ | May 31, 1999 02:06am | #7

   *settle down now Pete. Your Balkan side is showing through....let a bit of the Italian attitude toward women shine mate.

5. 
   Edmo_ | May 31, 1999 02:36am | #8

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   Hey Smitty,

   You shoud give more details about your girlfriend first before we can advise you about your "problem". Is it really worth it?

6. 
   Guest_ | May 31, 1999 05:44am | #9

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   Figure out which one of you gets to keep the house when you split up, then build it for that person, because your relationship probably won't survive the trauma of building a house. If at the beginning of the planning you have to invent some BS figure to tell your girl friend her wants will cost and then ask us to justify that to prove you right, then you better think again before entering into the most difficult thing you will ever do.

   Sorry, but that's the truth.

1. 
   Guest_ | May 31, 1999 04:45pm | #10

   *I read somewhere of an American architect who did an in depth study of stairs and stair safety in general. One of his conclusions was that a single step anywhere was just about the worst safety hazard you could install. Like Steve says above, you'd be much better off to achieve the desired affect with ceiling height and finish and other visual effects like lighting, paint and trim. In fact, the NBCC only allows stairs of less than 3 risers inside houses. All others have to be 3 or more. I think this architect mentioned above has been lobbying for the 3 riser rule to be applied universally.

1. 
   Guest_ | May 31, 1999 05:02pm | #11

   *Mark, the "Bella, Bella!" with a pinch here and there? Or the "Stay home, cook and clean while I run with the Mistress, or play Prist and drink home-squished" attitude?Ciao.

1. 
   Guest_ | May 31, 1999 05:13pm | #12

   *Smitty, your girlfriend's desire for a Frank Lloyd Wright house is commendable. There are many already built... but not in Vermont!The only easy way to obtain differing floor heights is to cast the foundation for it. Then use variable heights for your studs to obtain the uniform floor height for the second floor. Drop the ceiling height by firring down, and boxing in.The costs will be in excess of $5000.00 per changed level, when you calculate the entire process. Foundation, framing, utilities, drywall/plaster, flooring, etc....

7. 
   Aaron_ | May 31, 1999 06:13pm | #13

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   Smitty - I just finished building a sunken living room for myself with one step down. It seems to me that the only additional costs are the few minutes it takes for the mason to stop, scratch his head and pull a tape to make a two block jump in the supporting foundation wall, and finally, the cost of the stair/step/ riser detail. The sunken room does provide a convenient place to transition flooring materials. I think the floor joist cost increases only by one(?) unit, the sub-flooring might change by two or three units depending on your layout. I, too, am concerned with the "growing older" syndrome, so I put the master bedroom on the first floor...I don't mind the step difference into the living room, it "defines" the space...hope this helps-GL

8. 
   Guest_ | May 31, 1999 06:19pm | #14

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   Put the sunken step into a room that you never use, like a garden room/

   The costs are real...exagerrated.

   I hate to frame sunken decks, and charge 500$ (us) usually.

   The ceiling thing is the way to go.

   Bluey

1. 
   Guest_ | May 31, 1999 08:36pm | #15

   *Il lato di amore, affeto profondo, essere tutti questa essere in Italiano uomo. Qualche cosa altro e solo finzione. probabilmente, tu osservazione grande televisione.Per strada, Io parli Italiano molto poco e scrivere mediocre. Percio' scusi mio.Ciao,Pete Draganic

1. 
   Guest_ | Jun 01, 1999 03:42am | #16

   *Smitty, IF you go with a multi-level plan, consider window heights and positions ... you can really screw up exterior elevations with "standard" window placements in rooms with varying floor levels.Good luck, Steve

1. 
   Guest_ | Jun 01, 1999 08:30am | #17

   *Translation**He really loves Latte, but is profoundly affected by it's smell, which makes him think he's an Italian homo. He had himself castrated so he could sing on big t.v.(?). On the street he speaks slowly and carries a mediocre pencil for which he begs forgiveness.i -guido sardonic

1. 
   Guest_ | Jun 01, 1999 11:51am | #18

   *George,was thinking of the former, but you're right come to think of it the latter probably outnumbers the former. By the way, the guns going great ( due for a clean though and it's supposed to have some paslode cleaning stuff to do it with. Wondered if you can use wd40 or similar instead???)

2. 
   Guest_ | Jun 01, 1999 11:54am | #19

   *Pete,I'm Italian in name only ( it was only spoken at home when we kids weren't to know what was going on ) so I'll just have to rely on Patricks translation??

3. 
   Guest_ | Jun 01, 1999 11:56am | #20

   *Dear Guido,Now we know how you spend those long winter evenings, brushing up on your Italian for use on Breaktime. We are impressed by your many talents.

4. 
   Guest_ | Jun 01, 1999 05:36pm | #21

   *ALRIGHT NOW!! We'll have none of that. I am plannning a trip to Italy and Sicily this summer and have been practicing my Italian very hard. So....just in case I really suck at it and patrick's translation was right, I will translate what it is supposed to mean."The side of love, profound affection, is all that exists in Italian men. Anything else is only fiction. You probably watch too much television.By the way, I Speak very little Italian and write so so. Therefore excuse me. Bye, Pete Draganic"This was in response to the post which insinuated that Italian men cheated on their wives and treated them like slaves and that they drank toom much wine.See ya, Pete Draganic

5. 
   Guest_ | Jun 01, 1999 05:37pm | #22

   *ALRIGHT NOW!! We'll have none of that. I am plannning a trip to Italy and Sicily this summer and have been practicing my Italian very hard. So....just in case I really suck at it and patrick's translation was right, I will translate what it is supposed to mean."The side of love, profound affection, is all that exists in Italian men. Anything else is only fiction. You probably watch too much television.By the way, I Speak very little Italian and write so so. Therefore excuse me. Bye, Pete Draganic"This was in response to the post by George Carpenter which insinuated that Italian men cheated on their wives and treated them like slaves and that they drank toom much wine.See ya, Pete Draganic

6. 
   Guest_ | Jun 01, 1999 06:56pm | #23

   *You live... working at the neighbor's? Or have you been out shotgunning fish in the lake?

7. 
   Guest_ | Jun 01, 1999 07:02pm | #24

   *Cleaning your Paslode? ("Thump") Sorry, passed out from the notion of tool maintenance. I'll check around, and see if there is a formula on the container. Last resort... mail some.

8. 
   Guest_ | Jun 01, 1999 07:24pm | #25

   *Pietro, tu scrivere Italiano tuti bene. On the otherhand... my viewing of Italian Television is limited to the football games. Add to that my Italian is worse than your's... at least you're trying the newer Neopolitan dialect! The older Sicilians, Venetians, and Piedmontese will sound different. Them, I can understand.

9. 
   Lisa | Jun 01, 1999 07:59pm | #26

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   Don't think you will get away with that remark, Pete. It will come back to haunt you.

10. 
    Guest_ | Jun 02, 1999 01:41pm | #27

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    Yes George, I'm alive and well. My phone lines wern't however.

    Seems that a rookie backhoe operator kept running over the temporary linesand ruining them.

    thanks for the welcome,

    blue

1. 
   Guest_ | Jun 02, 1999 05:58pm | #28

   *So Blue, what model backhoe were you running? We'll have to check with Lisa, to see if Backhoe Boogerin' 101 is offered at UKans this fall.

1. 
   Guest_ | Jun 03, 1999 06:37am | #29

   *ANSWER: Breaktime discussion forumQUESTION: Places not to go for relationship advice:)

1. 
   Guest_ | Jun 05, 1999 07:16am | #30

   *Smitty,The current issue of Fine Homebuilding has a couple of pages on varying ceiling height to define spaces and add variety.Rich Beckman

1. 
   Guest_ | Jun 05, 1999 03:03pm | #31

   *I have an lod $10,000 junk international harvester.I need some hoe boogerin advice! I've hit every tree on the lot, knocked my gutter off the house, the downspout off the garage, and generally made a nuisance of myself at every opportunity.It's full steam ahead, or nothing!Blue

2. 
   Guest_ | Jun 05, 1999 03:05pm | #32

   *Andrew don't be so sure.Relationship boogerin' advice is free.Just ask me.Boogerin' Blue

3. 
   Guest_ | Jun 05, 1999 05:36pm | #33

   *We've got to get you into a track excavator... (Cat 235 or some such) then you can do the crazed waterbug and twirl in place. Radius of destruction, becomes diameter of destruction. Big improvement.

4. 
   Guest_ | Jun 05, 1999 09:49pm | #34

   *I was thinking value, not price!Are you hitched, Mr. Blue? Or a free spirit?

5. 
   Guest_ | Jun 05, 1999 09:49pm | #35

   *I was thinking value, not price!Are you hitched, Mr. Blue? Or a free spirit?Married and praying never to date again, ad

6. 
   Guest_ | Jun 06, 1999 02:44pm | #36

   *Value and free often go hand in hand.I'm married to my junior high sweetheart, now in our 26th year.You should be thinking abut dating your wife. I offer to take mine to the barn...she always declines.Any free advice, in return for some of my free advice?blue

7. 
   Guest_ | Jun 06, 1999 08:11pm | #37

   *I wasn't even dating in junior high! Married a college girlfriend though.Free advice? Well, none on marriage. Buy low, sell high?

8. 
   Guest_ | Jun 07, 1999 06:43am | #38

   *AndrewSo's how's the market on i usedcollege girlfriends.??? :}-pm

9. 
   Guest_ | Jun 07, 1999 07:33am | #39

   *You're welcome to any of mine! Nah, I like you better than that. Slightly.

10. 
    Guest_ | Jun 07, 1999 07:45am | #40

    *AndrewI wasn't shopping. . . just wondering about trade in prices. . . ya know. . . buy high, sell low-pm

11. 
    Guest_ | Jun 07, 1999 08:01am | #41

    *I settled on a "buy and hold" strategy. Long term, low tax. :)

12. 
    Guest_ | Jun 07, 1999 08:23am | #42

    *I made a similar investment but turns out I've been paying dividends and not receiving them. Shoulda read the fine print.Pete

13. 
    Guest_ | Jun 07, 1999 08:27am | #43

    *Guy's remember the "escape clause" when you got married....."Till death do us part"

14. 
    Guest_ | Jun 08, 1999 10:37pm | #44

    *Will have been married 15 years this august to my H.S. Sweetie. We have a saying" murder maybe,divorce never"My wife thinks these old folks at church getting up to renew their marriage vows are adorable.I tell her I ain't doing it,I gave my word once and that should be enough.Very lucky,and don't I know It?,Stephen

15. 
    Guest_ | Jun 09, 1999 09:31am | #45

    *I don't get it...They have to be less than threeorThree or more.Seems like ANY number would meet these regulations.

16. 
    Guest_ | Jun 10, 1999 06:56pm | #46

    *Gary,From the National Building Code of Canada 19959.8.2.2 Minimum Number of Risers1) Except for interior stairs within a i dwelling unit,at least 3 risers shall be provided for interior stairs.

11. 
    stevepsouth.net | Jun 11, 1999 06:14am | #47

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    Your girlfriend is 15 years younger than you ,and you still have the energy to build ahouse .My hats off to you ,if I had agirl 15 years younger my wife would be Pissed off!!!!

12. 
    Smitty | Jun 11, 1999 06:07pm | #48

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    My girlfriend and I are designing a new house to build. I'm a traditionalist and she grew up on kool-aid and Hamburger Helper. I'm winning with a traditional "Greek Revival" sidehall with two ells. She insists that one ell (living room area of 14'x18' should have a single step up to create an enclosed feeling...(ugh). She also wants an 8' x 20' section of the main house to step down one step to make it more distinct. I argue (without any information) that added time and materials to create 3 floor levels where one floor level could do will cost at least 5 grand more in time, head scratching and materials. Maybe I'm the one that's nuts. We live in Vermont where the fewer steps you have to take, the better. I'm also 15 years older than my girlfriend, and besides the obvious of being "worn" out, I'm afraid I'll be falling on my ass everytime I want to crash in front of the boob tube as I get really old. Is 5,000 a reasonable adjustment for modifying floor heights on the above dimensions?

13. 
    Guest_ | Jun 11, 1999 06:07pm | #49

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    Stephen,

    So what are you saying?......you only make mistakes once? Oh, brother. I know and so do you, that when the time comes, you will do what she tells you to. Otherwise you may experience a serious deficiency in the "services rendered" department.

    Well trained,
    Pete