My house is 70 years old on the edge of oakwood. It currently has 5 bedrooms 1.25 bath (an old water closet upstairs with no sink). I spend about 200/month in energy, gas+electricity due to poor efficiency.

So far I've replaced all the ducts and put in a split HVAC, replaced all the water lines with pex including the main, added a gas tankless water heater, and replaced all the appliances.

I recently decided to embark on the real renovation. I've torn off all the siding and added insulation. The house had wood siding, no backer board, and no insulation. I live near the train station and St Aug so noise has gotten to be an annoyance to me so I went with this insulation:
Thermafiber SAFB - Sound Attenuation Fireproof Blanket
http://www.thermafiber.com/Portals/0/pdf/safb%20data%20sheet.pdf
It's a stone wool, made from steel slag, making it water proof, fire proof, animal and microbial proof. It also reduces noise quite a bit. I found this to be an absolute bitch to work with as far as itch goes, but a great product and cheaper and safer than fiber glass.

After I got the OSB up I knew I'd need a vapor barrier so I went with this material called prodex. Not only is it a vapor barrier, but it's also a noise barrier, radiant barrier, and R15.x thermal barrier.

http://www.insulation4less.com/

For siding I went with this stuff called nichiha. It's a concrete fiber board like hardieplank only it's much stiffer and gives a nicer finish. It has a similar 50 year warranty and costs about 3/4 of hardieplank.
http://nichiha.com/prod_sierrapremium.htm


Nothing special on the windows, I went with vinyl replacement low e2 argon filled double panes but I did specify some extremely high R and U values and they were able to accommodate them for a very small price premium.

I got some custom honeycomb (hexagon) gable vents out of aluminum online for about 1/4 the cost of lowes or home depot vinyl. The aluminum came powder coated so it's no maintenance as well.

I'm also looking to do a metal roof but I'm not sure what that will cost me so it's not on the docket for now.
I've also replaced all the exterior wall outlets and wiring and added media boxes consisting of 4x cat6 and 2x coax to every room.

So back to my original problem of 1.25 bath for 5 bedrooms. I'm planning an addition to add 1 full bath, some much needed closet space, a sunroom, and a deck. The last CAD I used was autocad in MSDOS in 9th grade so I needed a tool to plan it so I could hand it to my uncle to draw up in microstation.

I found a great open source app called sweethome3d http://www.sweethome3d.com/index.jsp
I'd post my plan files but I no longer have a web host.





I was hoping to get some recommendations on layout and finishes for the bathroom and sunroom. I currently have hardwoods everywhere but the bathroom and kitchen so the bathroom floor will be tile and the sunroom will be hardwood but other than that I have no real direction. I'll also have a deck wrapping this addition and butting up to the edge of my driveway.

Before Pics




This porch will be framed and closed in and turned into a real side entrance with a new porch

addition will go on this wall, just the first floor



Progress Pics:

5/19/2012 10:14:46 AM

I could also put a closet where the tub is in my bathroom since that closet next to my bed is only 5x4.5

5/19/2012 10:18:02 AM

I'm assuming you've pulled permits and checked with the Planning Dept. regarding setbacks, nonconformities, etc. before doing this... /troll

5/19/2012 10:31:14 AM

I haven't gotten any permits yet as I haven't started the addition yet. No permits needed for siding and window replacement. Setbacks aren't an issue as that garage you see in the back is 29' from the edge of my property and the addition is narrower than the existing structure. I'm still planning the footings - my code book is old so I'm not certain I can still do a pole supported addition.

5/19/2012 11:02:25 AM

I see a couple of problems. First is that it appears you're putting the addition on the back of both bedrooms. I see a window in one so it may be fine but it looks like the other one will have no other windows. That won't be allowed under code. You must have an opening of at least 4 sq. ft. (minimum height/width also which I think it 22" & 20"). If you have a single/double hung window, you do have to measure the actual opening, not the sash. You can turn those rooms into something other than bedrooms but you'll have to take the closets out (depending on the inspector anything from having the doors removed to framed opening to completely gone).

Another problem is that sunrooms must be thermally isolated (i.e. exterior door with weather stripping) from the rest of the house, have their own HVAC system, or be a separate zone on a multi-zone system. You may already have that planned but didn't say anything so...

Finally, there's something in the code where you can't have a sunroom as a bedroom or kitchen (can't remember what it is off the top of my head). You have a closet with a door in the sunroom and some inspectors will call any room with a closet a bedroom.

Sorry to be so negative but sunrooms are what I do for a living. NC's Building Code is pretty retarded regarding them (for example you can have a glass roof sunroom with no insulation but a solid roof has to meet the same insulation values as the rest of the house).


edit-

Quote :

"my code book is old so I'm not certain I can still do a pole supported addition."

If you mean post & pier footings, yes you can but you will most likely need engineering to back it up. 40-50% of our sunrooms are on posts but they're engineered well beyond what NC requires for any other piers. Any of the larger jurisdictions that we work in always want to see the stamped engineering on them.

[Edited on May 19, 2012 at 11:33 AM. Reason : .]

5/19/2012 11:26:17 AM

No tips or recommendations, but I love DIY projects, so be sure to post the finished product!!

5/19/2012 12:01:00 PM

thanks for the technical insight dave421. my code book was from 1996 but I figured most was still good. I looked up the 2012 code, and based on page 37, it looks like I'm ok as long as my french doors have weather stripping
http://ecodes.biz/ecodes_support/free_resources/2012NorthCarolina/Residential/Part_I_Residential/PDFs/03_NC_Res_2012.pdf

5/19/2012 1:37:32 PM

FYI - NC is now on 2012 code:

http://www.ecodes.biz/ecodes_support/Free_Resources/2012NorthCarolina/12NorthCarolina_main.html

haha, awesome timing.

[Edited on May 19, 2012 at 1:47 PM. Reason : wtf 6 min difference and you hadn't posted when I posted this. wonky]

5/19/2012 1:43:55 PM

thanks for the insight guise

5/22/2012 8:55:42 AM

thanks for the enzyte guise



just my opinion, but I'd rather spend more time/money/space on adding another bathroom.

5/2.5 just sounds like a horror story to me. Maybe that's just me though.

5/22/2012 9:05:36 AM

^ This. But I guess it could work depending on the size and layout of your bedrooms. But I feel like the master should have it's own bathroom, then two extra bathrooms to split between the remaining 4 bedrooms. Or at least one bathroom for the remaining bedrooms and a common bathroom for the rest of the house.

5/22/2012 9:12:56 AM

well within the scope of this project I will only be adding 1 other but I'll be combining 2 bedrooms upstairs and the half bath into a single master suite at a later date. that's another project though, and requires hvac. for now 2 should be plenty since i live by myself

I'm looking into a steam shower cell, but would like to find one that runs on natural gas. does anyone have experience with one?

something along these lines
http://www.amazon.com/Jacuzzi-Whirlpool-Bathtub-Computerized-Massage/dp/B006PH4F3U/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hg_13

5/22/2012 9:31:25 AM

Looks good so far, keep us posted! Great house too--love the bracketed eaves.

5/22/2012 10:28:41 AM

Try to keep as much as historic charm as you can and make the home functional by modern standards.

There is a place off Capital Blvd that you can buy pretty much any kind of trim ever used, I prefer to match the new with the old as much as possible on these types of projects.

5/22/2012 4:26:15 PM

Try to keep as much as historic charm as you can and make the home functional by modern standards.

There is a place off Capital Blvd that you can buy pretty much any kind of trim ever used, I prefer to match the new with the old as much as possible on these types of projects.

5/22/2012 4:26:42 PM

getting a little closer. gable vents are a bitch and a half. starting doors and windows tomorrow

5/24/2012 7:47:36 PM

Quote :

"but you'll have to take the closets out "

I got failed on a CO by the same dick inspector that did my framing final when at my framing final he said I could put a "closet" in a study that did not have egress as long as it was a cased opening and no door. damn inspectors interpret the codes differently every day.

on a side note if you have any technical questions or anything shoot me a pm. i only have about 10years of custom home experience, which isnt much, but i am always willing to help when i can.

on a side note if you are doing hardy why did you decide not to swap the trim over at the same time? seem logical to change it at the same time, but believe me if you say budget then i cant blame you since i did the same things on a renovation about 2 years ago.

5/24/2012 9:52:32 PM

I'm redoing the trim with miratec on the siding and pvc window boxing. going to cut the existing boxes flush then run some 1x4 and 1x6 and 1x1 on top of it to get it to stick out like it did before but be rot proof. the 2012 code reads really open ended. the excerpt I posted above makes it sound like I can use my sun room + central AC to meet my venting, natural light, and outdoor opening requirements for the bedroom. I'm mainly worried about the closet in the sunroom as it will be for networking and AV equipment and will require a door.

If I add a bathroom, do I have to do a new loop or and get all my old power and plumbing up to code? I redid all the pipe and water heater not too long ago but I'm not exactly licensed.

5/24/2012 10:32:07 PM

Started putting windows in today. Having a world of trouble with progress energy and trying to get power turned back on

5/26/2012 2:40:56 PM

anyone know where I can get keyless door hardware (z-wave) in copper?

5/27/2012 3:10:37 PM

Not aware of any made in copper. I think Schlage is the only one making actual door handles and they don't offer copper. The Schlage in brass were available on Amazon a couple of months ago when I was considering them for my house.

5/27/2012 5:00:13 PM

I guess I'm going to have to have to go with satin nickel. There are other companies that make z-wave schlage is the only one that makes the "link" line, but that stuff has a monthly subscription. If I get really motivated, I'll take the metal casing off and anodize or powder coat at some point.

Probably going with this for the front door
http://www.amazon.com/Yale-YRD220-ZW-619-Electronic-motorized-technology/dp/B005NLKRAO/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1338213781&sr=8-9

And this for the side and back
http://www.amazon.com/LockState-LS-DB500R-SN-Electronic-Deadbolt-Remote/dp/B0080DFOJ6/ref=sr_1_8?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1338215061&sr=1-8

5/28/2012 10:25:12 AM

oh my bad, I read "handles" instead of hardware. I was wondering why you didn't want the deadbolt.

5/28/2012 12:22:14 PM

100% pvc boxing - no paint or maintenance for at least 50 years

6/1/2012 7:52:13 PM

Quote :

"100% pvc boxing - no paint or maintenance for at least 50 years"

[quote]
Power wash once a year and that is it! PVC moves a lot in sun then shade, other than that it is great. my sisters company is the largest pvc trim supplier in charlotte. i am totally sold on it. in fact she made me some PVC flower boxes that were awesome and i will never have to worry about them rotting.

6/1/2012 9:25:49 PM

no more back porch

6/2/2012 7:28:56 PM

just discovered a great wiring trick for interior walls or walls without insulation. get one of those 3' long drill bits. cut the hole for your box in the wall, then take the feeler bit and drill straight down in the hole into the floor board. have someone in the crawl space looking for the bit. have them retract the bit enough for you to bore the hole to proper size (3/4" for me) with a nice big half inch drill (super hard rough cut cedar timber). then have them put the bit back down in the hole and tape your wire to the bit. then they can pull the wire up through the hole. the only catch is you have to use shitty surface mount boxes but worth it imo

6/3/2012 8:58:55 PM

getting there..

6/5/2012 7:15:45 PM

trim work takes the most time




Thought better of scraping/repainting the bead board overhangs and went with a vinyl cover for it. Fascia boards are all pvc on the front, miratec on the sides ($cash)






Started my networking

6/21/2012 11:09:20 AM

Started laying the decking board. This timbertech composite/pvc is pretty nice. PVC wrapper with composite fill for less heat, more strength, but no stains. I used trex fasteners because they're cheaper and better.

6/22/2012 6:56:06 PM

so many views, no comments
hoping to finish the porch today

6/25/2012 10:34:50 AM

I have nothing constructive to add. Looks like you know what you are doing and it's moving quickly. Should be really nice when it's finished.

6/25/2012 10:56:54 AM

i too have nothing constructive to add other than it looks awesome.

what are you networking in the house?

6/25/2012 12:48:16 PM

were you able to add a few more bathrooms?

6/25/2012 1:31:32 PM

^^I'm not sure what you're asking. I'm running 4x cat6 and 2x rg6 to every panel, running 10 panels. They all terminate in the closet I posted, in a patch panel. In the rack I have a patch panel, keystone panel for for coax, and 24pt gigE switch. Will put in an outlet and UPS. Switch is silent

thanks for the praise. I was hoping for more ideas before I get halfway through something and realize "DAMN I SHOULDA DONE X" which is how I came to the vinyl bead board conclusion for my overhangs. I haven't done the addition yet, waiting to hear back from the engineer before I get started. The bathroom layout is going to lose the tub in favor of a walk in closet and the shower is going to become a steam shower. In the sunroom there will be an in-laid hot tub in the far corner with a weeping wall above it. Where the former network closet was there will be a wet bar. Probably going to have a stone apron with a pergo or similar engineered wood floor (for water).

The upstairs renovation is for a later time. Right now I don't think I could rent it for more with 2 vs 3 bathrooms. I'm also not sure I'll have enough cash to redo upstairs without a refi and I don't really want to do 2 refi's

[Edited on June 25, 2012 at 3:20 PM. Reason : also planning on doing a metal roof but I have no idea what it costs]

6/25/2012 3:19:30 PM

Quote :

"In the sunroom there will be an in-laid hot tub in the far corner with a weeping wall above it. Where the former network closet was there will be a wet bar. Probably going to have a stone apron with a pergo or similar engineered wood floor (for water). "

I'd think long and hard on this one. My company also does hot tubs and I see two issues. First is build-in tub. These have nearly disappeared from the industry. You tend to have more problems with built-ins than you do with self-contained or portable units. Part of it is because they typically aren't insulated and only have wood supports in various spots. Hard insulation makes a huge difference in shell integrity. Every time you step in, you're stressing the shell. Every time you hit the jets, the movement in the plumbing is stressing the shell at the jet locations. From what I've seen, they tend to last maybe 1/2 the time of a good quality hot tub and you usually don't save much, if any.

The second issue is moisture. There is just no way to control the MUCH higher humidity levels that you get with a hot tub inside. Floor damage, drywall damage, mold, etc. are all much higher problems that you'd find anywhere else in the house (including bathrooms). They're probably the biggest regret that I ever hear from our customers. We actually probably move as many spas from inside homes that we deliver into homes. Plus, nothing beats a spa in the winter when there's snow on the ground.

If you really want to put one inside, I'd highly recommend looking at a good quality tub and then consider adding on a surround to make it fit into the room a bit more. Just stay away from anything sold at big box retailers (Costco, Home Depot, etc.). You'll pay more up front but energy costs will be half and it'll last 3x as long. Hot Spring would be my biggest recommendation (we've been selling them for 20 years and have dropped all other brands due to issues and customer satisfaction) but there's a few others out there that are 95% as good imo.

6/25/2012 7:02:28 PM

yeah, the plan was to buy a used fully framed one and then build a frame under it and just let it peak through the floor. thinking all the finishes in the room will be engineered (lots of rock/nichiboard faux rock, pergo floor, maybe a cedar wall/ceiling? probably going to have some skylights too

6/25/2012 7:17:29 PM

This is coming along quite swimmingly, it seems!

6/25/2012 11:58:38 PM

this was the first cut I made with my harbor freight tool
http://www.harborfreight.com/power-tools/oscillating-tools/variable-speed-multifunction-power-tool-67537.html

it actually works extremely well on the plaster compared to the sawzall and hand saw

6/26/2012 8:32:48 AM

You can see the cut marks Around the faceplate

6/27/2012 4:11:24 AM

still have to tighten some of the cables and finish the outdoor outlet. installed an rfid dog door

6/30/2012 6:58:59 PM

This looks great, awesome job!

7/1/2012 9:07:22 AM

very nice work here!

7/1/2012 3:30:43 PM

while putting some no-slip matting on the landing for my dog (she's 17 and has trouble with balance/traction), I noticed some refreshing bursts of cool air coming out the vent next to the meter base

looks like I'm going under the house and inspecting ALL my duct work. I got a pretty sweet deal on the whole HVAC setup but some corners were definitely cut.. (unit, labor, ducts, disposal of all that old asbestos wrapped shit for like $2700)

7/1/2012 7:45:33 PM

7/5/2012 2:05:52 PM

I figured I'd bump this. Moving to DC complicated things a bit but I've finally got some more progress.







from here:

6/8/2013 5:36:37 PM

I think I saw you trying to find a renter at one point. Ever find someone?

6/20/2013 12:27:46 AM

Wow, can't believe I've never seen this thread, I'm obsessed with these kinds of renovations.

6/20/2013 1:00:12 AM

^^ haven't found anyone that lasted. starting on the interior renovations soon. kitchen, bathroom, adding a bathroom, hvac, finishing my electrical and low voltage, and a deck on the back

6/25/2013 3:15:18 AM

Little confused..is that a detached garage that is that lime green color? And what made you pick that color?

No offense...I just don't get the bright colors for houses that aren't in Miami/on a Carribean island. There are different ways to make your house stand out.

6/25/2013 8:11:29 AM