askjake

Adding a master suite

Question from Andrew: I have a 1960's rambler with 4 bedroom and 1.5 baths. Here's how the house is divided up. Basement has bedroom and half bathroom. Main floor has 3 bedroom and one bathroom. Now this seem impractical to have 3 bedroom sharing one bathroom. So I was thinking of converting a bedroom on the main floor into an ensuite master bathroom. In terms of resale and equity....is this a good idea? Thanks, Andrew 

Jake’s Answer: Andrew, Yes, it sounds like a good idea. We have done several projects like this over the years. Life styles have changed considerably over the years and houses with master suites are much more desirable than your current floor plan. As in any major remodel, take into consideration the current value of your home, the cost of the remodel and the potential increase in value after the remodel. You also need to factor in the cost of moving and the added enjoyment that the improvement will bring to you and your family.

Converting a dining room

Question from Lori: We are wanting to get rid of our dining room. When you enter our house to the left of the entry way is an office with french doors. To the right is an open room that is a dining room. We are wanting to close it up and use it as a family room. Will it look funny having a wall there when you walk in the front door? It is wasted space for us. Not sure either if it will hurt resell value. 

Jake’s Answer: Lori, Regarding resell value, if you are going to remain in your house for another 7 to 10 years do it regardless of resell. It won’t be that big a deal for someone to undo what you have done. How will the lighting be affected by closing off this opening? Will it make the entry too dark? Do you get enough light from your entry door to offset this light reduction? If the lighting is not affected to any great degree, I say go for it. What about adding French doors to this opening? That way you still get the light and you get the separation.

A roof framing problem

Question:  Hi Jake, This is a bit long, but it\'s a big problem I think! We are having a 1st floor addition built on our 1940\'s Cape. The 2nd floor already has a shed dormer off the back of the house when the walk up attic was converted to 2 bedrooms & a bathroom. These bedrooms each have a window facing the back of house on the shed dormer (the bathroom is between the 2 bedrooms, at the top of the stairs, in the front of the house). The roof line for the addition was supposed to begin just above the bottom of these windows, the builder\'s plan was to match up the roofline of the first floor going across the back of the house starting behind the garage, where our new kitchen will be relocated, going across for our extended family room, a play room, then our master bedroom. He was also trying to go no less than a 4 on 12 pitch. He used trusses for the garage and cathedral trusses kitchen/family room. He tells us he didn\'t anticipate the trusses having an extra 10\" along their base, so now we have the roof line of the addition beginning at about 3/4 of the way up the 2nd floor windows! This leaves us with two \"trenches\" or \"gutters\", 10\' long from the upstairs windows out to the edge of the bottom roof, there is almost zero pitch on these trenches. I think this is unacceptable, for a few reasons. I have asked the builder to stop with roofing and further work on this area until we can come up with some possible solutions. Our concerns: 1. leaking potential: the flat are protruding from the windows I know will be a vulnerable spot for leakage. The builder plans to use an aluminum pan in that area, said that would be more durable than a rubber roof, but said he would do a rubber membrane if that is our preference. 2. aesthetics: it looks terribly awkward from the outside, and it’s not a great view from inside either. 3. loss of light: in one BR, we have already lost the 2nd full-size window over the garage b/c of the miscalculation on the trusses. 4. we have an abundance of oak trees in our yard, and we live in the Northeast, so snow & leaves will accumulate here, making it a tough spot to keep clean, and further making it prone to leaking. At this point, we have talked about pushing out the windows 3 ft, making 2 doghouse dormers, but that leaves us with 7’ of “gutter” still. He tells us if we go out any further we lose ceiling height in the master bedroom and playroom, b/c he would have to go down to floor level of the 2nd floor for the dormers for access and to avoid it looking like a tunnel. Any suggestions on how to possibly make this situation a bit more acceptable would be so appreciated!

Jake's Answer:  Sounds like you have quite a mess on your hands.  Most likely you would not be faced with this problem if you had a good set of plans before you started.  Of course, that is water under the bridge at this point.  The solution your builder has recommended at this time sounds unacceptable to me.  It seems it will leave you with a goofy looking house - something you do not deserve.  It is really too complicated a problem for me to comprehend based upon your description.  I suggest you hire an architect that can assess your problem and come up with an acceptable solution.  This architect should offer an unbiased answer.  Once again this shows the importance of hiring people that are capable and have a track record of performing.  Do not accept a solution that is only saving your builder from purchasing new trusses that may work. 

To add on or add up

Question:  Is it more cost-effective to add an addition onto the exterior of the house or raise the roof to convert the attic into to living space?

Jake's Answer:  The quick answer is that it is usually less expensive to add an additions than it is to raise the roof.  The cost of the excavation and foundation work is typically less than the demolition cost and the other cost associated with raising the roof.  In any remodeling job, some of your biggest costs come from the areas you affect around the remodeled area.  This includes the flooring, walls, ceilings, and other finishes like carpet and paint.   Of course, there are many other items to take into consideration, such as, access to the addition for equipment, what has to move as a result of the addition (electrical meter, fences, decks, air conditioners etc).  Consult a professional in your area for a more thorough assessment. 

Moving an air conditioner

Jake, My air conditioner is located on the back/middle section of my house. I plan to expand my bedroom, kitchen and small dining area, the air conditioner has to be move. Where can the air conditioner be best placed and will it be expensive to move it?

It's always best to try and keep the AC  units as close to the air handler (furnace in most cases) as possible.  This reduces the distance that the freon moves between the two units.  You should also consider the appearance of the units from the street or other locations.  Another factor to consider is the noise - try to keep it away from patios, decks or bedrooms.  If you put it too far away from the furnace it might require a special pump.  A well qualified heating and cooling company can provide most of these answers for you.  We often have to move these units when we construct a room addition.  It's not a big deal.  The cost can typically be between $750.00 and $1500.00.