Building our retirement home

[KiotiKowboy]

After another delay ... framers have arrived! They began by decking over the basement span, then chalked up the layout and started building some of the wall sections.



Four days in and things are really beginning to look like something. To my amazement, everything appears to be turning out pretty close to our "many times, hand modified" drawings.

These are looking out from the Great Room and the Master Bed. For perspective, that bedroom window is 125 inches wide. The large Great Room window is about 150 inches wide and 78 inches tall.



We're going through a few rainy days but the following shot is where we stood at the end of last week.



Because of the Great Room span, just over 27', we were looking at scissor trusses. The downside is, the roof pitch and interior ceiling pitch would be different. Also, it was getting difficult to achieve a clear 16' inside without getting out of control on the roof. We took the problem to the truss designers and came up with the solution that will keep me just under an 8/12 roof and provides 17' inside, with no difference in ceiling and roof pitch .... much more to my liking

It looks like 2 weeks before trusses arrive but the framers will continue - applying the OSB, building the ceilings on the lower sections and trimming out the basement. I suspect they will build themselves out of work before anything arrives.

 

[cat fever]

Hey Kioti,
It's looking great. I have been busy building my barn and haven't been keeping up on your progress. I'll pay more attention now that most of the work is done on my barn.

 

[CurlyDave]

...Because of the Great Room span, just over 27', we were looking at scissor trusses. The downside is, the roof pitch and interior ceiling pitch would be different. Also, it was getting difficult to achieve a clear 16' inside without getting out of control on the roof. We took the problem to the truss designers and came up with the solution that will keep me just under an 8/12 roof and provides 17' inside, with no difference in ceiling and roof pitch .... much more to my liking ...

You just prompted me to measure our great room. The span is 39' and the max interior height is 17'. We used scissor trusses for the roof, and the result is practical and pleasing to the eye.

I don't remember the roof pitch, but somehow I think it is close to 5/12. Anyway, once the house is finished it will not be possible to see both the interior pitch and the exterior pitch at the same time so the difference will never be apparent.

Are you intending to have clerestory windows above the view window in the great room? They add quite a bit of light and openness. Not highly recommended in a bedroom because bright moonlight is enough to keep one awake, but in a great room they are quite nice.

 

[KiotiKowboy]

You just prompted me to measure our great room. The span is 39' and the max interior height is 17'. ..........

Are you intending to have clerestory windows above the view window in the great room?

That is one big great room!

Yes, to the clerestory windows. Why can't they just spell this "clear"story??? Anyway, these windows will match front and rear. We'll have a little over 6 feet for glass at center. Of course, they'll align with the lower windows - but we haven't finalized just how they'll look. We may keep it simple, or try to come up with something in multiple rows.

These upper windows were another reason I was glad to get away from the scissor trusses. When looking at homes for ideas, we often wondered why the upper windows seemed to sit low - then we began to understand it was due to scissor trusses.

 

[EddieWalker]

Very impressive framing job. I never thought of standing the walls without the jack studs already done, but seeing how they did it, I can see the advangate of saving weight lifting the walls, then doing the jack studs and cripples under the window once the wall is standing.

What are the dimensions of your great room? I'm planning on building mine at 24x48 with 12 foot walls with exposed beams every 12 feet, and then using 2x12's for rafters and close cell foam for insulation. For me, exposed beams are really important for the look I want.

 

[KiotiKowboy]

The Great Room is about 27'x42', with 10 ft walls and a 17' peak.

We will have a 3' flat section at the peak of the vault, just to change up the look and make it easier to mount fans and such. We did not want beams, either lengthwise or running across. Instead, the ceiling - from the outside end of the front porch to the outside end of the rear porch, approximately 75' in total, will be lined with stained pine.

 

[EddieWalker]

Can't wait to see how the great room turns out!!!! Do you hunt? are there going to be any heads on the wall?

 

[KiotiKowboy]

Just about everything in this project is little more than a concept - lol. Our plans were lousy. We're doing our best to make decisions/purchases to keep ahead of the progress, have no idea of the lighting package and still haven't chosen the exterior doors. We are hopeful it will all somehow turn out great!

I doubt there will be any heads, unless the wife puts mine on the wall We do have lots of deer on the place but just enjoy watching them. For shooting fun, I'm going to get a powered skeet thrower.

 

[KiotiKowboy]

OK ... looking for some thoughts ....

We'll have 2 large covered decks/porches on this new house. They will be approximately 28' wide, with one being 16' in depth and the other at 18'.

The same trusses will be used from the front porch, through the great room and to the end of the rear porch. These are not scissor trusses, instead, they will have parallel 2x6 top/bottom with some type of web bracing. The height of these is approximately 24".

Across the great room, with the trusses sitting on the room walls, there are no concerns. However, as we take these beyond the house onto the porches, there is concern they will spread over time. The spreading problem could easily be solved with a more traditional truss, having a lower cross beam. We do not want this. Our intent is to have these porches supported by only 2 posts, with no crossing beams.

So far, we've discussed two options to address the problem. 1. Adding plywood plating to all the porch trusses. 2. Using very heavy steel posts with top cradles and burying them in about 5 feet of concrete before we pour the porches. We did consider putting a crossing beam between the corner posts but, at 28', it is likely the beam would suffer under its own weight - especially with any wind.

I intend to use both #1 and #2 above, and hope for the best If "you" have any other ideas that are cost-effective ... please share.

 

[GPintheMitten]

No builder here, but the concern being spread, not support, steel rods with turnbuckles would resist spreading better than a beam. While you might not expect it to look nice, they have been used in attractive post and beam lodges and of course in sailing applications.

You can get stainless steel, and can use threaded rods the whole distance or switch to swaged cable.