Here's a quick charette: Build a 432 SF art studio with a 444 SF unfinished ADU above it. Remodel the existing ADU (Casey's Room) as previously imagined. Could we do this for $240,000? 876 SF new (but largely empty, like a garage), 480 SF dense remodel (bath, kitchen, doors, windows). $185/SF for the new studio, flat $77,500 for the ADU remodel. Adds 1,100 SF to the house for a total of 2,700 SF.

Could we get $1.3M? That is, would the remodel pay for itself?

This would be a more comfortable home for me, certainly. I would park the car in the "studio," which I would also use as a workshop. I could use the upstairs future ADU for storage and files (or music), and a south-facing window would make it easy to step out on the roof for maintenance.

The official parking spot as shown would be graded at 260.0 and "paved" with gravel. I could build a deck to match the ones in the rear with a top at 263.0

Another quick sketch went in a Villa Savoye direction, but I realized that the trees argue for verticality and random, not gridded and horizontal like Villa Savoye. Random verticality.

But the exterior cladding is an avenue to explore. I'm imagining a simple flat roof with something like TPO or PVC with an overly-flashed parapet. The studio would basically be a rain screen.

So, large format porcelain tiles become an option, or decorative metal panels. Expensive Schluter frames around cheaper Hardie panels, maybe.

Hardie has new sand finish and seagrass texture, as well as random width vertical siding.

I like a lighter tone (I modeled white limestone in Chief, with warm wood on the corner pop-out--the color consultant wanted warm wood to balance the green house.) But the distinct studio could be black, too. We could do a porcelain tile that's black with depth, for example.

Shou Sugi Bahn effect is cool.

Note: I turned the exposure down on the two black renderings just to see the difference.

Just for fun, I went back to blending in with the existing house. It has advantages; it would be cheaper to build, certainly.

We should probably bring the drip line on the studio up to match the house.

Roof deck over studio

 I want to remember this video by Matt Risinger: Deck Over A Flat Roof (4/13/2018)

The roof is a "bathtub" with drains and scuppers. "We've got some sloping on this deck." (Details would be nice.) Plastic standoffs from Bison hold up a wood deck--they are not physically connected to the deck--no penetrations. The wood deck is 2' x 4' panels.

TPO - Thermoplastic polyolefin. White, reflective, single-ply roofing membrane. Roofonline.com says "PVC roofing is better. TPO is usually somewhat cheaper." 45-mil TPO. Puncture resistance: TPO is tougher than EPDM, but not as tough as PVC.

Ascent Roofing - Single Ply TPO Roof Installation Process Explained (7/15/2022). 1/4" or thicker underlayment in 4x8 sheets. TPO seems like linoleum.

Older: Top 3 Flat Roof Materials Explained - Torch Down, EPDM, TPO - Which is the best? (4/8/2016)

EPDM: .045", .060", .090" - Most use .060" (about as thick as a quarter). It's the cheapest. You need walk mats, because EPDM is so puncture-prone.

TPO: .045" and .060". Seams are heat-welded, not glued. Only been in use since about 2000. Only 15-20 year warranties.

Torch-down is 5 layers, more puncture-resistant. 3/8" thick. Modified bitumen. Over fiberglass liner.

Roofonline.com says single-ply membranes say minimum roof pitch is 1/4" per foot. So, for a 20' wide roof, we need 2.5" on either side of a ridge or valley, or 5" from one side to the other.

ADU Building Permit

One of the 7 Habits is Start with the end in mind. I can't see the finished building, but I can imagine a set of plans. I went to the Seattle.gov/DPD site and got sidetracked looking at PDFs filed for the project across the street at 814, including the site drainage plan and the arborist report. Still no construction plans (I would love to know how they're meeting the insulation requirements).

Returning from the bunny trail, I found Tip 106, the general standards for plans and drawings.

Plan Set submission

• Must be PDF, max size 500MB, 300 ppi, all sheets in one file (supporting material in other PDFs), landscape.
• Retain bookmarks, if possible
• Flattened--not sure what that means. Also, remove ACAD.SHX and other objects in Acrobat's Tools>Comments view. Again, huh?
• "Full size"--WTF? 
• Must be unprotected and unlocked
• No .zip files
• All sheets same size and orientation
• File name must be < 200 characters, no special characters. Should be "Plan Set" for my purposes. ("Approved Plan Set" is reserved.)
• Once approved, I'll have to download the approved file and print it for the record copy at the jobsite.

  

  Seattle DPD example drawing

  
  

Page layout

• Min. sheet size: 11 x 17, min. font size: 10pt
• "Clearly denote the paper sheet size"--What?
• Approval stamp space 4.5"w x 1"h (or 2.5" square) the same on each sheet--lower right corner preferred, title block or drawing space. 
• Architect's stamp goes in title block.
• Scale must be specified and graphically depicted. Min. scale 1/4"=1'0" (1/8 for large projects)

Tip 103 covers site plan requirements and Tip 103A covers site plan guidelines. I think I'm in an Environmentally Critical Area, so I need Tip 103B, ECA site plan requirements, too.

• We're talking about a Basic Site Plan (Enhanced is only required for new projects.)
• Checklist of required info:
• Scale (minimum 1" = 10')
• Address of project
• Owner's name
• Legal desc (incl easements, with King Co. recording number)
• Assessor's parcel number
• North arrow--must point up and be consistent across all sheets
• Property lines, dimensions, and bearings
• Dimensions and ROW limits for all streets. Note type: asphalt, concrete, gravel
• Curbs, sidewalks, street trees--type, location, dimensions
• Boundaries of steep slopes, steep slope buffers and other ECA areas
• Primary path to each dwelling unit
• Location and dimensions of all driveways, parking areas and other paved areas (existing and proposed)
• Existing and proposed structures: buildings, rockeries, decks, porches, patios, driveways.
• Front, rear and side dimensions to property lines and between structures
• If subject to SMC 25.11 (and I think I am):
• Location, species, diameter at 4.5' above ground of all trees, including any that overhang or have roots into my lot.
• Tree protection area for all trees that will be retained
• Tree protection fencing. Include SDCI Tree and Vegetation Protection Detail.
• Site lot coverage calculations
• Clearly distinguish between existing and proposed ("Existing wall to remain" is good).
• Window wells, chimneys, etc.--location and dimension
• Center elevation at 25' intervals if a change to access or parking is proposed.
• Existing and finished grade elevation of driveway at property line and at garage entry, if a change is proposed. Curb cuts note does not apply.
• Identify all physical restrictions to site access (utility poles, rockeries, street trees).
• Only required for Enhanced site plans (multi-unit, commercial):
• Contour lines 2' intervals. Identify culverts. 
• Sewer mains (PPS), storm drains (PSD)
• Water mains, fire hydrants, water meters. Power poles, street lights, street signs.
• Calculations demonstrating compliance with applicable Land Use Code dev stds.

Little hedge might be over-designed

 Cruz took out the juniper screen.

Juniper hedge grew way too tall

11/14/2015 - Washer and dryer arrive

Cruz is fast and professional.

Looks like we need (3) sweetbox, which are 3-4' tall and wide.

A meandering low, natural hedge

Let's take out the overgrown tall plants on either side of the lamp post and replace them with a row of part-sun, drought-tolerant plants.

Sarcococca ruscifolia

Beekeeper Bluebeard - Full to part sun, 2-3ft high, 2-3 width, cold hardy to -20 (2g $28 at Home Depot)

Thunderbolt Box Honeysuckle - Part sun, 3-4ft high, 3-4 width, cold hardy to -20 (2g $28 at Home Depot)

Fragrant Sweetbox (Sarcococca ruscifolia) - Partial - full shade, well-drained soil, 3-4ft tall and wide, Fragrant white flowers Jan-Feb. Hardy to 0F (Swansons)

Nandina domestica 'Lemon Lime'

Lemon Lime Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina domestica 'Lemon Lime') - Best in full sun to shade, well-draining soil , 3-4ft tall and wide, brightly colored foliage, hardy to -10. (Swansons)

Variegated Winter Daphne (Daphne odora 'Aureo-marginata') (Everde Growers, Swansons)

Miss Molly Butterfly Bush (Buddleia x) - Prefers full sun-part shade, well-drained soil, grows quickly 4-6ft tall and wide. Profuse red lowers in summer, does not produce viable seed. Hardy to -20. (Swansons)

Golden Bridal Wreath Spiraea. Bee safe! Attracts beeds, hummingbirds, butterflies, deer resistant, fire resistant.

Golden Bridal Wreath Spiraea

When is a gate not a gate?

When it's ajar, of course. I came home after Christmas to find that the wind had blown my east side gate down.

The bottom of the two 4x4s at the house had rotted out at grade--this has been going on for a long time, making the gate hard to close. You had to lift and pull to open it. So, I set it back in place temporarily and the wind blew it down again.

This time, I drove three screws into it so that--say it with me now--"That's not going anywhere." This was an inconvenience to my gardeners, but I'd like any new work to tie in with all the other fences and gates I want to build and I haven't designed them yet.

The other day I had a brainstorm. As you can imagine, as empty as my head is, the winds were fierce. My thought was that, since the west side is wide open to anyone, why not just remove the east gate for now? I went to unscrew the hinges and, while I was doing that, the gate and hinge side just fell, whump, into the dirt. That was easy.

Interesting illusion: Looks like two brick colors instead of one.

Laundry area floor suddenly important

Some might call it work avoidance, but on October 21, 2024, I decided that I was done with the ratty, worn-out carpet in the hall. See Carpet Be Gone.

I put down Ram Board, but three months later, almost to the day, I decided that the Ram Board was not going to last forever and I had to forgo the work I was doing on the plans to address it. I didn't have to address it, but this is how I preserve my mental health--I just humored myself. Sure, this is the most important thing.

Exposed jackets, am I right? I'm asking--am I right?

I biggered the problem (as the Lorax's Once-ler said), deciding that the open jacket hooks would be much better as an enclosed Ikea wardrobe with a shelf for laundry supplies. Still thinking about that decision, but it's done.

Floor & Decor just opened nearby, and I was curious how a floating laminate floor would work, so, poof, I bought some flooring (at Lowe's, by the way) for $2/square foot. One trick I learned from YouTube is to sort the box by pattern so you don't use the same pattern nearby.

QuickStep Studio in Glenwood Oak, sorted

Then I bought a white Brimnes wardrobe from Ikea. Two 90-pound boxes should have been a clue. Not like a desk or a bookcase. To put on the right side, I had to connect it to a bunch of parts dangling from the left side--it was impossible. So I built a stand to hold the parts in place--bingo.

I'm a clever guy, right? Read on.

Just as I'm patting myself on the back, I realized that the floor is sticking out past the sides. A little bit of bare particleboard would be visible. Reluctantly, I took the whole thing apart and flipped the floor piece 180 degrees. Mo' betta, as Jim Poole used to say. The instructions said nothing about making sure the floor piece was one way or the other. The custom stand still helped.

The flooring installed easily--it locks together like a toy--but there's a lot of cutting and fitting to be done. Also, banging on one edge for a tighter fit tends to loosen all the other boards if you're not careful. You Tube tip: put in temporary screws to keep boards from sliding toward the wall that you're supposed to stay 1/4" away from.

I also wanted to try out the baseboard I'm thinking of standardizing on throughout the house--something taller, with an ogee edge. (I'm still going for the white woodwork Shutters at the Beach vibe.) And--oof--that A/C register. Because the register is right at floor level, it prevents an ordinary vent from fitting. 

Brilliant carpenter that I am, I built a frame for the baseboard (and shoe) to die into.

That's 2x2 poplar with an ogee edge routed all around

Remember that that wall had 1/8" masonite glued to it. I pulled it off in 2014, leaving blotches of glue and decided that the wall would need new drywall. Then I painted it gray, right over the glue. So, this is not a candidate for wall of the year. I found a 5-1/4" MDF baseboard that I liked, with a little shoe molding to match elsewhere in the house and Bob's your uncle.

"A little caulk and a little paint \ Makes a carpenter what he ain't."

I put off extending the floor into Bath #2, mostly because I would need to remove the existing crappy baseboard and either reinstall the old crappy baseboard afterward, or figure out how to do it with beautiful new 5-1/4" baseboard in a room I know I'm going to remodel.

Thresholds! This tiny hall has 5 thresholds, 6 including the washer/dryer. At the breezeway, we were up 1", so I went with a wide piece of oak that I hit with 3 layers of polyurethane. I bought a countersink bit to recess the screws. The basic "wood" threshold that Lowes sells next to the flooring worked great at the transitions to the old oak flooring, but not at the tiled kitchen. I found a vinyl product on Amazon that seems fine. It comes with peel and stick, which I augmented with Lexel. "That's not going anywhere."

Less than a month after deciding to replace the Ram Board, I've got a real floor.

Oak threshold for 1" step

pardon my sleeve...

ADU Windows

Considering casements, not only horizontal sliders, for egress requirements. Rules are 20" (net) wide by 36" (net) high, no more than 44" above the floor. First thought was a 40" high window with a 24.75" wide casement and 64.75" fixed--that's actually two Golden Rectangles, one horizontal, one vertical.

But then I came across this bad boy:

This unit is 72" x 48" (sill at 32"). The three casements open into the room, so no hassle with screens, but they also tilt in (as hopper windows). Triple low-e glazed, white vinyl. Available at the Home Depot. The panels seem square in the illustrations, but they are actually 24" x 48".

I modeled both in Chief: 

Tilt and turn at left; casement+fixed at right

Solving an age-old Chief Architect problem!

This is a quick post to record the solution to modeling the Bedroom 3 as-built in Chief Architect.

The finished bedroom ceiling is 99", but the wall plate height is 112". They nailed the 2x6@16 ceiling framing to the studs, rather than resting the ceiling joists on the plate.

Wall heights are specified in the Room object, on the Structure panel. Floor and Ceiling have Absolute and Relative Heights, but these are not necessarily the plate height.

In the Room object, Structure panel, we also specify the ceiling as Flat Ceiling Over This Room and Shelf Ceiling, as well as the Ceiling Structure and Ceiling Finish.

Wall objects also have a Structure panel. Here, we specify that the wall framing: Balloon Through Ceiling Above. That is, the wall is taller than the ceiling. Make sure, on the Roof panel, that we specify the correct roof pitch and overhang.

The plate height is specified when we build the roof. In the Build Roof dialog (Ctrl+R), on the Roof panel, we can specify Raise/Lower From Ceiling Height. Normally 0", we make this 112" - 99" = 13" and we get what we want.

Second Issue

Here's another problem: Different roof, foundation, and framing in different parts of the house.

Roof. Thanks to the Build Framing for Selected Objects command on the toolbar, we can show, for example, only new framing. For roofs, we have to rebuild all (Ctrl+R), Roof panel: Build Roof Planes, but we can check Retain Manually Drawn Roof Planes and Retain Edited Automatic Roof Planes. So, select what you want framed and click to frame them vs. Edit the roofs you don't want built and then click to rebuild the non-edited roofs.

Foundation. Foundations don't have any such option. Build Foundation (Ctrl+0), Foundation panel, has just 3 types: walls and footings, grade beams on piers, and slab. How do you get CA to let you have a slab in one part and a wood floor in another? Foundation type is controlled by the Room. So, build the entire foundation and change specific rooms to Monolithic Slab as needed.

Framing. While we're at it, referring to the first issue, how do you raise the roof 13" above the ceiling in one place and not in another? After building the roofs 13" above the ceiling, the roof plane in the Garage has a Top Plate elevation of 112". I thought that might survive if I rebuilt the roofs without raising the roof, but no. It rebuilt the roof over the Garage with a plate at the ceiling height.

This sequence solves the problem:

1. Set the Garage ceiling to 99" and the House ceiling to 95" + 36" - 13" = 118".
2. Rebuild the roofs, raising the roof (top of plate) by 13". This creates the shelf ceiling we want in the Garage.
3. Change the House ceiling to 95" + 36" = 131" (or just subtract the 13"). Now the ceiling in the House will rest on the plate (until the next time we rebuild the roofs).

Issue Last: Terrain

I think I solved my Terrain issues, as well. The basic message is: use as little Elevation Data as you possibly can to achieve the slope you want. For the slope in back, I drew a line at the top of the slope (256') and another at (220'), both tracing the contours on the survey. Boom--that's my steep slope.

To make the driveway flat and to connect with the street, I drew an Elevation Region at 260' in the upper left of the Terrain Perimeter. I drew another Elevation Region (262') under the house, extending into the front and back yards, and a third (272') under my neighbor to the east's house and yard. That was enough to make the street slope smoothly up from my driveway to theirs.

I added three more Elevation Lines, keeping them short and making sure they didn't overlap with any of the regions. One, at 257' to lower the corner at BR3. Another at 258' to get the slope along the west wall of the garage to look right, a little line in the front yard (at 264') to make the ground slope up to the street in the NE corner. 

It's kind of like placing cardboard boxes on a table (Elevation Regions) and throwing in some carboard fins (Elevation Lines), then draping thin felt over both. You don't need Terrain Breaks.