Small home building ideas

[Lefty]

I may be building a new smaller home this fall. 2 bedroom, two bath. Ill build it mostly handicap accessible, on slab, no steps wheelchair bath, blocking for handrails: super insulated, 9 foot or cathedral ceilings, outside hot water, built in dog doors, heated garage, maybe concrete or tile floors, dining bar( no table ) larger skylights above the bedroom. Maybe metal roof. Mudroom, laundry 2nd bath, dog door along the garage
I hope to start drawing plans this next week.

I may build a small living quarters over the shop also a place to store stuff that should be in the house.
Give me some ideas on what else I need

[Elkhntr08]

We design, sell and build Log homes. If I can help you in any way, let me know.

[Lefty]

We design, sell and build Log homes. If I can help you in any way, let me know.

Where are you out of? do you have someone that can make floor plan prints to submit to planning?
A small cabin may be in our future too

[Elkhntr08]

We're located in Illinois. We've worked as far west as South Fork, Colorado. I do the floor plans and submit them to the company we rep, Jim Barna Log Homes, for prelims and final blueprints.

[Tigger]

My uncle is an outstanding designer. He has done everything from small to big, inexpensive to several million bucks. He is really good at designing good use of space.

My ideas:

Hot/Cold water in garage. Fan in garage to get rid of moisture. Floor drain for sure.
Air source heat pump (off peak rates, rebates, and up to 400% efficient)
Light switch by bed to control lights in bedroom, closet, hall, bathroom or even outside lights whatever strikes your fancy.
8 foot garage doors.
I would do propane or natural gas heat in garage. I have infloor and it doesn't heat up fast if you want it 60 degrees.
Put in a heat mat in the bathroom. $150 for mat and $150 for controller at Home Depot. Goes right under tile. Programmable controller. Just plain awesome. Wife will love it.
switch to control outlet by roof for Christmas lights if you put them up.
pull out garbage/recycling in base cabinets in kitchen so not visible.
Wire house for sound and cable (cable to roof for satellite dish). Whether you get it right now, you will have to option.
Under cabinet lighting in kitchen.
Hanger for Wapititalk corporate jet.


Let me know if you want any more details on any of these ideas. I hope one of them works for you!

[Lefty]

Tigger
Ill have the 2nd bath and storage in the garage with the option to heat. The mudroom, sort of heated/cooled will have a stainless sink basin with the hot and cold. I had hot and cold in our garage in Utah( backed against the bathroom, relatively easy. I hunted saltflats so I had to wash with hot water my shotgun after each hunt. I was kicking around the idea of the heated mats, my buddy did that for his wife, he score big bonus points on that idea.
Our Utah house was built buy an electrician. He planned for everything, surround sound home theater, intercom, 220 for hot tubs on 3 sides of the house
With all the new LED lighting I wonder what the standard will be in a few years. I like the idea for under cabinet lighting. Also some exterior lighting, maybe security and red lights for wildlife.
Yesterday I put a motion sensor LEDs in the hay shed I m finishing, Something was in there last night at 3:47 AM and again tonight

why 8 foot garage doors?

I heard were getting a TriFan 600 as soon as they are produced; So Ill be going with a heli- pad with tie downs. Too bad Idaho passed the cant hunt on the same day you fly law last year. but a heck of a way to scout!!!!

[Elkhntr08]

If you put heat on concrete under tile, I'd look at the Schluter system. We've used it and it works great. PEX is the only way to go with plumbing. It's all we use. 9x8 garage door is the smallest I'd go unless you have a compact truck and always will. Put a 10x 8 in my barn, makes getting my Super Duty in and out easy.
If you plan on staining the slab, make sure the finishers don't seal it.
Might look into doing a double stud wall. We use this on all gables and stick built exterior walls.

[Tigger]

Why the 8 foot door? Height I meant, certainly not width. Width make it as wide as possible. Height because there are a lot of rigs out there that need more than 7 feet. I sold my last house because I had 8 foot high doors and the buyer was a plumber and couldn't get his truck in any 7 foot garage door.

Don't forget the light switches by your bed!!

[Indian Summer]

For quick simple construction AND incredible insulation research SIPS panels. Structural insulated panels are a great way to go. If you want rustic use them with timber framing.

[Elkhntr08]

We do that too We've got SIPs up to 12" thick insulation. Great way to build a tight house. Would recommend a hybrid, timber frame living and SIPs for the remainder. DO NOT try to build timber frame bents if you've never done it before. Seen to many end up as kindling because they were not properly rigged.

[Indian Summer]

I'm thinking if you had a house with 12 inch thick SIPS panels you could heat it with a candle! Lefty you should talk with him about your house. Seriously!

[saddlesore]

I would go even higher than 8 foot with the garage door. You never know what the future holds and you sure can't increase it in the future. I had 7 &1/2 foot. Worked great until I decided to buy a tractor that had 8 foot Roll Over Protection Bar on it.

Assuming you are not on city facilities, consider running your grey water from laundry room/ dish washer not into your septic tank.
If you are on a septic system , don't put in a garbage disposal
Windows with E- glass in them for less heat loss ,but more radiant heat from sun.
If using bats or blown insulation,put at least 16" in the attic.
2x6 studs vs 2x4 to get 6:" insulation in walls or free blown foam

[saddlesore]

deleted,double post

[Lefty]

Well now my wife wants something different I may be building more than one house. First house will now have a basement and a real 2.5 stall garage, 3 bed, 2 bath up, 1000 sq feet. basement design will have two or three bedrooms, one bath
Both homes will have 6 Inch walls, with 24 r value rating in the walls maybe more depending on the exterior finishes.
A few years back my students were able to follow Canadian standards. the last house my students built had the least air infiltration of any house ever measured in Idaho by Energy Star. My goals is to keep heating, hot water and cooling (gas/electricity) under $500 a year for the house and shop.
Ill build a shop that will have the larger garage doors.
With a basement bath we will have a lift pump . a friend is a plumber and does lots of septic systems. I will get and oversized tank and exceed code for the house, It will just be the two of us.