Replies

1. 
   cmzimm | Jan 20, 2005 08:54pm | #1

   here are a few exterior details.  i still have to get the entire thing painted this summer.  not looking forward to it....

   the gray colored trim is still just primed.  i haven't decided whether to paint the horizontal bands red and just have the white for the corner boards and window/door trim or paint them white as well.  any thoughts??

   also, as an architect who deals with cmu on a daily basis, i wanted to do something a little different with the foundation.  i had the masons rake the joints instead of doing the typical struck joint.  i also wanted to stain the block a darker gray color but haven't found the right product yet.  any ideas?  fi i can't find anything by spring, i'll probably go ahead and apply a clear sealer. 

   thanks again.

   craig

1. 
   gdavis62 | Jan 20, 2005 10:17pm | #2

   I'll bet you know this, but your staircase design comes from the "famous" Maple Forest House design done my Michaela Mahady of the Minneapolis firm, SALA Architects.

   Yours is a simplified version, but it's the same thing: a straight birdcage "balustrade," floor to ceiling, flanking a stacked straight run.

   I like it!

1. 
   tuffy | Jan 20, 2005 10:23pm | #3

   Actually, Frank Lloyd Wright did those stairs first in the Charnley residence in 1891. : )

1. 
   cmzimm | Jan 20, 2005 10:37pm | #4

   i had never seen that house before.  his staircase is a little more refined that mine.  very cool.  thanks for the info.

   craig

2. 
   JohnT8 | Jan 21, 2005 12:41am | #8

   The two staircases mentioned.  I like all three.

   edit:

   oops, looks like CMZIMM pre-empted one of my pics.

   Looks like a neat house, CMZIMM.  Do you have some wider angle exterior shots?

    

    

   jt8

   Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity. -- Nick Diamos

   Edited 1/20/2005 4:44 pm ET by JohnT8

   Edited 1/20/2005 4:54 pm ET by JohnT8

1. 
   chills1994 | Jan 21, 2005 01:04am | #9

   Hey CMZIMM,

   In your first post, you said you stick built the 12/12 roof.  One of these days maybe I'll get to build my own house.  I would like to have attic space too.

       So, what kind of materials did you use to frame the roof?  Two bys?  Engineered products?  Sixteen inch or 24 inch O.C.?

       Did you put up ceiling joists first and then cover the whole thing with a 3/4" thick sub floor?  Or do the rafters sit on the walls' top plates?

        Did you figure out the costs of trusses and the time they save versus hand framing the roof? 

        Did you use a ridge board?

   Very nice looking work by the way!

    

2. 
   cmzimm | Jan 21, 2005 03:12pm | #15

   Chills,

   I used 2x10's @ 16" o.c.

   Since I plan to use the attic as finished space someday, I treated the floor just like the other two floors, with wood I-joists covered by 3/4" advantec.  The rafters are then attached directly to the floor and a 4' kneewall.  No ridgeboard or collar ties necessary, the floor itself is resisting the outward thrust of the roof.

   While I never actually priced trusses, the Amish framing crew that I used assured me that if was faster for them to stick frame it.  I cut all the rafters for them and they put had the roof done in a day.  They were amazing (and a little scary) to watch!

   Thanks for asking.

   Craig

3. 
   tuffy | Jan 21, 2005 08:09am | #13

   Here's another. Albrecht residence by Salmela Architect. Actually, without bothering to look it up, I had assumed this was the Maple Forest house Gene first mentioned (both are in Minnesota).

4. 
   JohnT8 | Jan 21, 2005 09:47am | #14

   Looks like on that one the vertical feature is serving completely as a screen.  Some of the others make use of it as a rail as well as a screen (as well as a feature).

    jt8

   Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity. -- Nick Diamos

2. 
   cmzimm | Jan 20, 2005 10:53pm | #5

   yes, i have seen that staircase before.  in fact, i have come across 2 or 3 other examples of similar designs.  i wanted the finished basement to not feel like a basement, but rather just another level of the house.  i thought the openess of the floor to ceiling balusters gave equal weight to the stair going up and the stair going down.  as you can see, i took the easy way out and ran the stair stringer behind the balusters as opposed to the maple forest house design.  i'm happy with it.

   thanks.

   craig

1. 
   CaroleG4 | Jan 20, 2005 11:07pm | #6

   Beautiful....I can see Wright's influence.....

2. 
   MarkfromBoring | Jan 21, 2005 12:09am | #7

   Regarding staining your cement block on the basement level take a look DryLok (sp?) and have it "tinted" to your color choice.... I have used both the ennamel and the latex; both work. I would choose the ennamel for an exterior wall...Anything I put my mind to, I could do..... given time, money, etc....

2. 
   Sasquatch | Jan 21, 2005 03:07am | #10

   I see your wife has one of those Bosch Mixers.

    

1. 
   WoodHackor | Jan 21, 2005 07:33am | #11

   "I see your wife has one of those Bosch Mixers."

   It's a great kitchen, but that's the first thing that caught my eye too. Somehow it made the kitchen look that much nicer.

   Some people display art, and some display fine tools.

   Edited 1/20/2005 11:35 pm ET by CAG21

3. 
   WoodHackor | Jan 21, 2005 07:49am | #12

   Craig,

   Thanks for sharing with us.  I like how you attached the floor plan.

   Looks like I have something else to add to my folder of ideas.  I really like what I see and if I ever get around to building my own house (soon I hope) I see a lot of ideas that I really like. 

   That sure is something to be proud of.  I really liked the first set of photos that you share and I'm just as impressed with the interior detail. 

   Sounds like you were really able to keep the cost down. 

   I would really like to see a pic of the Mater bedroom... interested in seeing how the master bath opening looks.  If I am looking at that right it's open with no doors right? 

   Keep the photos coming if you don't mind.  Do you have have pics during construction?

   Great work.... thanks for sharing.

   - Chad

1. 
   cmzimm | Jan 21, 2005 03:19pm | #16

   Chad,

   I will try to get some shots of the master bedroom this weekend.  You are correct about it having no doors.  I wanted to keep the house as open as possible and with it being only 22' wide, it gave me the opportunity for some of the rooms to have window on 3 sides.  It's worked out so far, although the shower isn't finished yet and I'm not quite sure how my wife will react when I'm running water at 5 AM and she's still sleeping......

   Craig

4. 
   cmzimm | Jan 21, 2005 11:29pm | #17

   here are 2 pics of 2 different retaining walls i built using gabion baskets.  the smaller one is where i will hide my condensing units behind.  i realized one disadvantage of a rectangular house is there are no inside corners to hide such equipment.  the larger one is only about half as long as what i really wanted because of costs and not know how hard it would be to install.

   the yard pic is a bit of a panorama of my yard, taken just after it was cleared.  it looks bigger that it actually is.  after grass is planted, i will have just over 3/4 acre of yard, with the remainder of the 8 1/2 property to remain wooded.  that's enough mowing for me!

   enjoy.

   craig

1. 
   JohnT8 | Jan 22, 2005 12:13am | #18

   Looks nice.  How far away is the closest neighbor?

    jt8

   A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools. -- Douglas Adams

2. 
   WoodHackor | Jan 22, 2005 12:54pm | #19

   Nice looking lot. Looks like you can't see any other houses, I really like that. You sure have enough room for a nice size shop... I mean garage.I like the walls.Keep the pics coming.