Projects/Home Improvement Thread

[Irish Insanity]

Stay out of the crawlspace.

 

[Irish#1]

Lol don't you think I Wikipedia'ed it before I asked the question? I'm not particularly concerned why they were built in 1770 frontier New Hampshire. I'm more wondering if it serves any purpose beyond aesthetic in 2016 suburban Connecticut.

The extra overhang in the front is to provide extra room for lining up all of those $400 pairs of shoes you buy. lol

 

[NDRock]

Looks like the type of house a guy who wears Hawaiian shirts would buy. #whiteguydad

 

[gkautz10]

Any architects on here who can tell me if there's any functional purpose of a "garrison house." For those not familiar with colonial architecture, a garrison house has a second story that overhangs the first, either in the front or all the way around. This is contrasted with the plain flat front of a traditional colonial home.

My house is the same way. I was told by my home inspector it is a way to add space cheaply. It's more cost effectiveness be to build up then out with concrete prices. It adds space without expanding the foundation or basement.

 

[woolybug25]

My house is the same way. I was told by my home inspector it is a way to add space cheaply. It's more cost effectiveness be to build up then out with concrete prices. It adds space without expanding the foundation or basement.

In other words... A home design for the poors...

 

[Bluto]

Any architects on here who can tell me if there's any functional purpose of a "garrison house." For those not familiar with colonial architecture, a garrison house has a second story that overhangs the first, either in the front or all the way around. This is contrasted with the plain flat front of a traditional colonial home.

That's interesting. If you kicked the top floor out a few more feet and added some columns and decking in front of the bottom floor you'd have a nice front and or back porch.

 

[wizards8507]

My house is the same way. I was told by my home inspector it is a way to add space cheaply. It's more cost effectiveness be to build up then out with concrete prices. It adds space without expanding the foundation or basement.

In other words... A home design for the poors...

Houses are made of wood here. Concrete has nothing to do with it.

 

[Irish Insanity]

Houses are made of wood here. Concrete has nothing to do with it.

Except that if the lower floor was the same size as the upper, the basement/ slab/ crawlspace would also need to be. Which would require more concrete.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

My house is the same way. I was told by my home inspector it is a way to add space cheaply. It's more cost effectiveness be to build up then out with concrete prices. It adds space without expanding the foundation or basement.

What's the largest overhang used in a garrison house? I get that it's colonial design but if you married that structure with a long over-hanging roof, think craftsman bungalow/traditional Japanese homes and temples, etc, I could see that marriage being visually appealing.

A subtle hint at an inverted pyramid but stout enough to convey safety. Me wants.

 

[wizards8507]

What's the largest overhang used in a garrison house? I get that it's colonial design but if you married that structure with a long over-hanging roof, think craftsman bungalow/traditional Japanese homes and temples, etc, I could see that marriage being visually appealing.

A subtle hint at an inverted pyramid but stout enough to convey safety. Me wants.

You'd end up with an imbalance between bedroom space and living space. The downstairs would be too small to support (figuratively) the square footage upstairs. Also, you'd probably need dormers to compensate for the lost light upstairs with the overhanging room.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

You'd end up with an imbalance between bedroom space and living space. The downstairs would be too small to support (figuratively) the square footage upstairs. Also, you'd probably need dormers to compensate for the lost light upstairs with the overhanging room.

Certainly. If you look up craftsman bungalow you'll see all of them are heavily windowed on the 2nd story and many have dormers. There's only an imbalance if you keep the typical design of western homes. The first floor could be a massive open cube with the only occupied space consisting of support beams and staircase.

I wasn't considering the floor plan just yet but I'm certain there are a number of ways to make a house like that attractive.

Of course, the design process I just outlined is a very western approach: designing the external before the internal. I believe it's better starting with the people and the space as an object of use.

 

[wizards8507]

This is the house. I think we're going to make an offer.

 

[IrishLion]

That is a nice little plot. I love the trees ringing around the back.

 

[zelezo vlk]

Looks nice, man.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

[koonja]

So looking now at building a fence. I live in a residential area in Minneapolis, and many of the houses (about half) have fences. I have a steel fence that goes around and works perfectly for the dogs, but am looking to install a 6' wooden fence around the perimeter of the back yard to add some privacy and increase value.

Any considerations welcomed - as anything I do to this house, this is uncharted territory for me.

Without measuring, I have Two ~ 70' sides, and a 40' side to cover.

And side note - the neighbor on one side just put up a cedar 6' fence along one side of my house - serious qu - do I get off scotch free for not siding that side then? Or should I side that one as well? (this would be one of the 70' sides).

Thanks for any real talk on the topic. Go Irish.

 

[wizards8507]

Get vinyl.

 

[IrishLion]

You've gotta do all sides, even where your neighbor has his.

1. Don't be a mooch
2. Don't be screwed if that fence gets taken down for any reason
3. Don't have an uneven look to your fences from inside your yard

 

[koonja]

Get vinyl.

90% of the houses with fencing are cedar wood. I'm not going to get vinyl and be the weirdo of the neighborhood.

 

[ozzman]

make sure to check out your city ordinance for permits and what is required for a fence. Since youre in MN, you're definitely going to be required to get the cement and posts down below the frost line. I'd pay someone to do the install.

 

[koonja]

make sure to check out your city ordinance for permits and what is required for a fence. Since youre in MN, you're definitely going to be required to get the cement and posts down below the frost line. I'd pay someone to do the install.

I'd do a 6'er, so I'd only need a zoning review, which is actually free (I did this for my deck).

Building a Fence - City of Minneapolis

 

[GowerND11]

This is the house. I think we're going to make an offer.

Front lawn looks like Notre Dame stadium the last spring before the turf.
Do not want

 

[Wild Bill]

If possible, use the existing metal posts rather than digging new post holes. You can buy galvanized brackets that can secure the steel posts to the cedar. Once it's secured, frame a box around the posts with cedar to conceal the steel. You'll save yourself a ton of time avoiding removal and then digging new post holes. You'll also save yourself a few bucks not having to buy the posts.

 

[koonja]

If possible, use the existing metal posts rather than digging new post holes. You can buy galvanized brackets that can secure the steel posts to the cedar. Once it's secured, frame a box around the posts with cedar to conceal the steel. You'll save yourself a ton of time of removal and digging new post holes. You'll also save yourself a few bucks not having to buy the posts.

Damn, that's a hell of an idea. I'll research if that's possible for me, my only concern is how sturdy it would be since it'd be bracketed in one spot.. Seems like it might teeter. I wonder if I could also skip the zoning review then, since I am not putting anything in the ground. Doesn't save me money, but saves me time.

 

[wizards8507]

90% of the houses with fencing are cedar wood. I'm not going to get vinyl and be the weirdo of the neighborhood.

Wood is for poors. When you're picking splinters out of your feet from your wood deck and painting the fence to keep it from rotting every year, I'll be lol'ing at you with my Trex and vinyl.

Front lawn looks like Notre Dame stadium the last spring before the turf.
Do not want

No doubt. It's been dry AF this year. It was 92 degrees yesterday and the leaves are going straight to brown. The pumpkin and apple crops are in jeopardy. It's putting a damper on my autumn plans. #FallIsBestOfAll

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">As expected, drought conditions getting worse. Severe drought now covering most of CT <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/drought?src=hash">#drought</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/WTNH">@WTNH</a> <a href="https://t.co/MJdYAyETgM">pic.twitter.com/MJdYAyETgM</a></p>— Gil Simmons (@gilsimmons) <a href="https://twitter.com/gilsimmons/status/776402964386869248">September 15, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[NDRock]

You've gotta do all sides, even where your neighbor has his.

1. Don't be a mooch
2. Don't be screwed if that fence gets taken down for any reason
3. Don't have an uneven look to your fences from inside your yard

Interesting. In my neighborhood it's common for neighbors to use the same fence when it's on the property line. I put in a 6' wooden fence around my backyard and a couple of years later my neighbor to one side did the same. He just ran his fence into the one that was on our property line. I didn't care at all. How would you have expected him to do it when it's on the property line? Just curious.

There are some people that put their fence a couple of feet off the property line and then the other neighbor does the same which creates an alley that looks "off" to me.

 

[NDRock]

Wood is for poors. When you're picking splinters out of your feet from your wood deck and painting the fence to keep it from rotting every year, I'll be lol'ing at you with my Trex and vinyl.

A wood fence isn't nearly the upkeep as a wooden deck. Still more than vinyl though.

 

[koonja]

Wood is for poors. When you're picking splinters out of your feet from your wood deck and painting the fence to keep it from rotting every year, I'll be lol'ing at you with my Trex and vinyl.


No doubt. It's been dry AF this year. It was 92 degrees yesterday and the leaves are going straight to brown. The pumpkin and apple crops are in jeopardy. It's putting a damper on my autumn plans. #FallIsBestOfAll

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">As expected, drought conditions getting worse. Severe drought now covering most of CT <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/drought?src=hash">#drought</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/WTNH">@WTNH</a> <a href="https://t.co/MJdYAyETgM">pic.twitter.com/MJdYAyETgM</a></p>— Gil Simmons (@gilsimmons) <a href="https://twitter.com/gilsimmons/status/776402964386869248">September 15, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Yeah I don't want to sell the one house that looks stupid because it has white vinyl that doesn't fit the aesthetics of the house much less the neighborhood. Just because it works for your neighborhood doesn't apply to every neighborhood.

 

[Irish#1]

Nay on vinyl fence. I've seen it and it looks cheap regardless of what wiz is going to try and tell me. lol

First, is the neighbors fence on the property line or inside the line? If it's inside the line you would definitely need permission. If you use his fence for one side, be ready to pay him half of the cost for that side. I've seen it before where a neighbor only has to fence one side because there is already a fence on the other side and they had to pay the neighbor. Court ruled they were benefiting without the expense. The rule was they would have had to build that side if the neighbor hadn't already built a fence. Paying for half a side is a lot cheaper then paying for a full side.

 

[IrishLion]

Interesting. In my neighborhood it's common for neighbors to use the same fence when it's on the property line. I put in a 6' wooden fence around my backyard and a couple of years later my neighbor to one side did the same. He just ran his fence into the one that was on our property line. I didn't care at all. How would you have expected him to do it when it's on the property line? Just curious.

There are some people that put their fence a couple of feet off the property line and then the other neighbor does the same which creates an alley that looks "off" to me.

Perhaps people just do things differently in my neighborhood and aren't as neighborly haha.

I live in a neighborhood with kind-of tight quarters, and most people have fences in their backyards. Most have some type of wooden privacy fence, and they just butt their fourth side up against the neighbors' fence.

When my father-in-law helped me with mine, he suggested that a new neighbor might remove their fence for some reason, and if that happened, better to have my own fence already in place, than to risk a lack of care/communication resulting in my scrambling for a completed fence.

 

[koonja]

Nay on vinyl fence. I've seen it and it looks cheap regardless of what wiz is going to try and tell me. lol

First, is the neighbors fence on the property line or inside the line? If it's inside the line you would definitely need permission. If you use his fence for one side, be ready to pay him half of the cost for that side. I've seen it before where a neighbor only has to fence one side because there is already a fence on the other side and they had to pay the neighbor. Court ruled they were benefiting without the expense. The rule was they would have had to build that side if the neighbor hadn't already built a fence. Paying for half a side is a lot cheaper then paying for a full side.

I think I'd be safe on the disclaimer that my metal fence would still exist on that nighbor's side. But I like the guy so I'd talk to him ahead of time either way.