art lovers, the second required off-street parking space will be at the bottom of the steep driveway. It will likely not be used, as cb will treat it as a patio for the lower level, but will meet the requirement.
As for the disappearing window wall, I think it’s a really cool idea but I would be reluctant to sink that much money into that single feature and I think you’re wise to consider the practicality, especially as the current sliders are soundproofed. As it is, the view is stellar and that is evident from the moment you enter the house. Focusing on the added 800 sf of living space, expanding the deck and updating finishes and appliances would be my choice.
cb, you have such a great eye, solid instincts, a command of the market and skilled advisors and workers. I have no doubt that the finished product will be fantastic and will sell quickly. Thanks for once again sharing your thought processes and remodel steps along with those of us in the peanut gallery. It sure is fun to be a virtual spectator!
The area downstairs was included in the 1972 permit for the expanded living room and master suite addition. It included a giant cavern that is wide open with a garage door the size of 2 car garage door. The area below is 40’ long and 20’ deep = 800 sq ft. I just call it the ‘garage’ because that is what it is right now. You can see how deep it is in the photos on flickr.
It would be easy to add a nana wall downstairs because I have the header system in place for the garage door opening and I could just fill it with the folding doors. BUT, the direct view out that wall is to the northerly neighbor and it is an ugly view. You have to look to the left to see the sweeping views over the bay.
I met with the draftsman this afternoon and he has the beginning of the stairs pulled out a bit from the existing linen closet and they are going to take away about 6 ft of the existing large master closet. Hard to explain in text - as soon as I can I will try to post up the rough draft plans to our Flickr group. I only have large blueprint size pages right now.
After dropping down about 6 ft, there is a large landing. Stairs continue down to the garage door north wall and then another landing and a turn down to family room. So, two landings and turn left at the bottom. Unfortunately, this steals about 2 ft out of the garage door opening which is 16+ ft wide right now. I’m OK with that… we can always block in about 2 ft and still have a 14 ft opening for two 6 ft French doors out to concrete patio or large folding wall.
The stairs will be open railing at top portion and open railing on left side down through downstairs family room. There is a storage closet planned under the stairs in the family room.
While I love the idea of a nano wall and I love them in Hawaii I’m not sure I would want one in my home, I live in Ca and I love the concept but I like having my screens. One entire wall of my house has some view of the ocean. In my living room I have a wall of 3 large tall Pella sliders. It has plenty of wow factor. My windows are wood on the inside and I think aluminum clad on the outside. They came prepainted and in 17 years they still look great. They look great including the windows that get a lot of afternoon sun.
I just have a mind numbing issue looming with this expanded deck. My contractor friend said the City and structural engineer are just going to have a fit approving this deck. If we go out 10 ft, it looks like it is about a 25’ drop down to the slope. This will probably require steel posts and steel beams. Trying to build steel posts for a deck is an act of extreme precision. The post has to be cut and welded to an exact measurement because it’s not like wood where you can cut a bit off if you are off a couple of 1/8s or something. Some genius would have to come out with some magic measuring tools to figure out the exact measurement of those steel posts hanging in thin air out 10’ from living room wall. I’m sure there is a way to do it, but I can guarantee it will cost $$$$$
He said that we could design a cantilever deck - he suggested 8’ out but I begged for 10’ out. I may have to live with only 8’, which is really only twice as large as we have now. Honestly, a 4’ little strip of deck is kind of useless, you can barely fit a chair out there pressed against the house wall. 8’ wide doesn’t impress me too much either.
So, he did an entire structural design with sharpie on our wall (involves some beefy lumber getting sistered to the existing 2 x 12 joists running 12" apart about 16 feet long) and suggested that I hurry up and build the thing and pretend it was there all along. I am a little leery of this approach… every time I go into the City they do the same thing we all do… pull up a satellite view of the property. Well, obviously that satellite view will show the skinny little deck. How did that bigger deck mysteriously appear out of nowhere?
Also, I believe I have a moral requirement to disclose to a potential buyer, if asked, whether it was permitted or not.
So, during my meeting with draftsman, he agreed to rush the plans over to the structural engineer Monday morning and see if the engineer will agree to the cantilever approach and we could get it into the plans for a permit. If he doesn’t agree with it, I have to make a critical decision… because, of course, my contractor friend is sending a bunch of guys over Monday morning to start tearing out the ceiling of new bedroom area to start sistering joists!!! Yikes… too many things going on at the same time!
doesn’t a cantilever of that size mean you to put in all new floor joists in the LR that extend outward to support the deck???
which means tearing out the whole floor?
For what it’s worth, as a buyer, I’d pass on a house with a deck over a steep hill that was not permitted. That would be on my short list of non-negotiables.
" Deck Cantilever Rules and Limits - How far can it span?
The distance your joists can safely cantilever or overhang a drop beam is determined by the size of the joists, the wood type and grade of the lumber and the spacing between joists. Many building departments limit joist cantilevers to 24" maximums. You must use at least 5 framing nails to attach the rim joist to the ends of your joists.
The Wood Frame Construction Manual, Published by the American Wood Council states that cantilevers are limited to 1/4 the span of the joists. 2x10 joists spanning 14 feet, for example, could cantilever up to 3.5 feet.
I vote for leaving the noise reducing sliders in the living room. They seem to have a huge amount of glass, and I’m not seeing the benefit of moving and replacing them. In addition, this would then mean that all doors on that side of the house were the same.
As noted, opening up the whole wall isn’t likely anyway…
I would figure out what to put as a door/window in the new living space…but it would not be the doors from the living room.
Menloparkmom… I currently have 2 x 12 joists that are spaced 12" apart. They are 24’ long and rest on the exterior wall of the original house. Of course, this was approved in 1972.
I want to sister each of the 24’ long 2 x 12 on both sides with another 2 x 12 on each side that is 16’ long. This would create a sandwich 6 x 12 for a length of 6’ under house and 4’ outside the house. They would have 6’ of sister under the house on the 24’ long original joists. And 4’ of sister outside the house and then extend out another 6’. Does this make any sense?
Geez, I tried to look at those manuals and they are Greek to me
Just curious… how would you know if the deck is permitted or not? Are you going to try to research it at the City? At our City they will not release any records unless you can prove that you are the owner. It is just so frustrating… I cannot research any records when I am trying to buy a house. And then, after I am the owner, I have to take in the Grant Deed and all of my LLC documentation to prove that I am the Managing Member. It cracks me up because I can guarantee that the clerk at the counter has no idea whether they are legit LLC docs or not. I had to walk the clerks through the LLC docs so they could find my name that matched my driver’s license.
CB, we are currently enjoying a pleasant evening on a rocker loveseat on our front porch… The 8 feet of the porch have plenty of space for the rocker and a small table to keep our drinks on, and if we needed a gas grill, there is plenty of space for it, because the porch is very long… I think of it as our personal megalanai. So 8 feet is not the end of the world. I personally would have been fine with 4 feet - in HI, many lanais are quite narrow, yet still enjoyable.
The only reason I say that is because 99% of listings and/or disclosure from Sellers in my area state ‘Permits Unknown’, "Buyer to perform all due diligence prior to release of contingency’. Haha, I cannot perform any due diligence down at the City or County because I’m not the owner. It’s a chicken and egg thing.
MORE HOUSES
Here’s another thing that happened today. During my search I pursued a house in La Mesa that had been in escrow for over a year. I called the Listing Agent to inquire and she said that the buyers were still under contract and the Sellers were working to produce some documentation regarding the new sewer system for the buyer. I kept in touch with her. But then I bought this project.
I received a call today from her asking if I was still interested. The escrow is cancelled and she has not put the property back on the market yet. It is a lovely home down a private driveway that needs a lot of work. She also has a new listing coming up for a very distressed house in La Mesa, still owner occupied, that has huge views. Needs a lot of work. Both of these are not listed yet and I can get them without competing in the market. However, I have a big problem… no money!!!
I am meeting her on Saturday to view both properties. If one is something that is an obvious great project, I may have to go out with my hat in hand trying to find investors. I would finally be joining the Big Boys and have ‘inventory’!
Yes, there are many apartments and condos in HI that have itty bitty lanais, but for houses, they are often a bit larger than 4’–8’ would definitely be more attractive than 4’ to me. I wouldn’t feel a need for 10’ if it added a ton of requirements and more cost.
Wow, CB, you must have really made an impression on the agent that she’s calling you FIRST and having you come and view both properties. Exciting times!
"And 4’ of sister outside the house and then extend out another 6’. Does this make any sense?
yes .
but would all that extra work - tearing up the flooring, adding sister joists and putting in new flooring, + the cost of the extra joists cost less than putting in steel supports to support a non cantilevered expanded deck ?
“Haha, I cannot perform any due diligence down at the City or County because I’m not the owner”
I know. My hubby is a Broker here in N Cal and we bought a townhouse last year in Pasadena . Because the rules about disclosures are different in counties in SCal than in Nor Cal, [where ALL listing agents HAVE to have disclosure packets available to download for all interested parties] the lack of disclosure packets for the properties we were interested in was making him nuts!!
My suggestion to you is to get all the permits you need, and have them ON DISPLAY at the house when you put it up for sale.
It cant hurt to have additional credibility with potential buyers, regardless of what your agent says.
