I had about a half hour conversation with a guy from Buckeye Geothermal. He was going over all the various options for how to heat and cool the court. There isn't a perfect option for the room considering the floor is on a slab and three of the four sides are the foundation of the house.
What we're leaning towards is forced air cooling and radiant floor heating. The thermal profile of the room is the big unknown. It's going to be 9' underground, so that will help it stay a constant temperature. However, the windows and other space above ground will allow it to heat up and cool down.
The plan this guy put together would allow us to try some things and if we found we needed more heating or cooling, we'd be able to adjust.
All of the HVAC contractors have recommended a single unit just for the court and then 1-2 units for the rest of the house. This guy thought he could do the rest of the house with one large geothermal unit.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Date to be out of house
We've confirmed the July 6th burn date with the Columbus FD. I agreed we would be out of the house by June 10th. That will give them almost a month to prep things.
Monday, May 7, 2007
Pickett Place
The subdivision to the east of our lot is called Pickett Place. It's a collection of about 30-40 houses along the edge of E. Dublin Granville Rd.
http://www.stonehenge-company.com/
The VP of operations for the development company lives in the house directly to our east in an area adjacent to the subdivision. Kory talked with him yesterday and passed along my contact info.
This morning, he sent over this site plan which shows the remaining two lots they have for sale. Both of these are adjacent to my property.
Site Plan
I'm going to sit down with him something in the next few weeks and discuss landscaping, etc.
http://www.stonehenge-company.com/
The VP of operations for the development company lives in the house directly to our east in an area adjacent to the subdivision. Kory talked with him yesterday and passed along my contact info.
This morning, he sent over this site plan which shows the remaining two lots they have for sale. Both of these are adjacent to my property.
Site Plan
I'm going to sit down with him something in the next few weeks and discuss landscaping, etc.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Laundry Room Layout
Danielle has wanted a large, dedicated laundry room since she laid eyes on my mother's similar arrangement. The pictures are from the cabinet design company. This layout is pretty close to finalized.
Kitchen layout
Danie thinks she's decided on a kitchen layout. This has been one of the most revised portions of the house design. The first two pictures are from the cabinet company. The next two pictures are from the kitchen of a friend - we're planning a similar set of colors and layout.
The kitchen will have an island, two ovens, two dishwashers and one range top.
The kitchen will have an island, two ovens, two dishwashers and one range top.
Friday, May 4, 2007
Tentative burn date and loan applied for
The Columbus FD contacted us today to try and set a tentative burn date for their class of new recruits around July 6th. This is a bit later than we'd wanted but should work out.
The loan application went in today - now we have to get the reamining info about the house to the bank . They need all of the fit and finish details to have their appraiser estimate the value of the house.
The loan application went in today - now we have to get the reamining info about the house to the bank . They need all of the fit and finish details to have their appraiser estimate the value of the house.
Final survey
We got the final survey diagram in today. It shows the location of the house, driveway, sidewalks, etc.
Survey Diagram
Survey Diagram
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Well and septic system
Spoke with the Franklin County Dept of Health folks about how to shut down the septic system and the well. The septic system just needs to be pumped out completely and then it can be collapsed. Since it's made out of concrete we can just crush it and fill it.
The well is a bit more involved. It has to be filled with this playdough like substance and then cut off a few feet below grade. We have to get quotes on this from a well driller. It sounds like it should cost <$400 to close down the well.
The well is a bit more involved. It has to be filled with this playdough like substance and then cut off a few feet below grade. We have to get quotes on this from a well driller. It sounds like it should cost <$400 to close down the well.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
3D Rendering
The architects put together a quick 3D rendering of the front of the house. There are some issues with it, but it gives a decent approximation of what the house looks like.
Demolition updates
When collecting the tap fees and permits for sewer from NA, I was informed that they need a demolition permit (plus a $50 fee of course) to be filed, alongside the one from the Columbus FD.
And, since no step in dealing with the local govt is complete without discovering another permit, I found out I have to complete the Franklin County "Water Well Abandonment Plan" and the "Septic Fill Plan". So, I've called the county to see how much those will cost.
The Columbus FD also informed me that they need a $700 "donation" for burning the house down. They charge $.35 per sq/ft to cover expenses. I don't begrudge that since I'm writing off the full $105K the house was appraised at. Still, it's just another ticky tack expense that goes on the pile.
C0lumbus needs to see that we've remediated the asbestos that was found and then they'll apply with the EPA for permission to schedule the burn. That takes about 10 days, so we're probably about 14 days out from having a burn date scheduled.
Columbus FD seems to have a lot more refined and formal process for these training burns than the Delaware Fire Academy did.
And, since no step in dealing with the local govt is complete without discovering another permit, I found out I have to complete the Franklin County "Water Well Abandonment Plan" and the "Septic Fill Plan". So, I've called the county to see how much those will cost.
The Columbus FD also informed me that they need a $700 "donation" for burning the house down. They charge $.35 per sq/ft to cover expenses. I don't begrudge that since I'm writing off the full $105K the house was appraised at. Still, it's just another ticky tack expense that goes on the pile.
C0lumbus needs to see that we've remediated the asbestos that was found and then they'll apply with the EPA for permission to schedule the burn. That takes about 10 days, so we're probably about 14 days out from having a burn date scheduled.
Columbus FD seems to have a lot more refined and formal process for these training burns than the Delaware Fire Academy did.
Sewer fees
I got the quote for the sewer tap fees from New Albany / Columbus today. As usual, they're outrageous:
The tap fee is $130
The Columbus Capacity Fee is $3,044
The New Albany Capacity Fee is $1,522.00
The Inspection Fee is $85
For a grand total of $4781
Mind you that doesn't pay for ANY work to be done, it's just the fees to the various government agencies for the privelege of using a sewer.
We checked the list of companies from NA that were approved to do the work and cross checked with Angie's list. We're waiting on bids from three of them.
The surveyor is having to go back out and get elevations for the manhole to see what depth we need to be at so this doesn't need a pump. Gravity fed sounds cheaper to me.
The tap fee is $130
The Columbus Capacity Fee is $3,044
The New Albany Capacity Fee is $1,522.00
The Inspection Fee is $85
For a grand total of $4781
Mind you that doesn't pay for ANY work to be done, it's just the fees to the various government agencies for the privelege of using a sewer.
We checked the list of companies from NA that were approved to do the work and cross checked with Angie's list. We're waiting on bids from three of them.
The surveyor is having to go back out and get elevations for the manhole to see what depth we need to be at so this doesn't need a pump. Gravity fed sounds cheaper to me.
Basketball court details
The signature feature of the house is a basketball court. This room will be approximately 30'x50' and have a 22'+ tall ceiling.
What we're trying to decide is what to do for the walls, floor and lighting in the room.
For the floor, we're leaning towards hardwood floors - but are reading about issues with attaching hardwood directly to concrete floors.
For the walls, we want something more durable than drywall, but more forgiving and sound absorbent than concrete or block. We're leaning towards carpet on the walls.
What we're trying to decide is what to do for the walls, floor and lighting in the room.
For the floor, we're leaning towards hardwood floors - but are reading about issues with attaching hardwood directly to concrete floors.
For the walls, we want something more durable than drywall, but more forgiving and sound absorbent than concrete or block. We're leaning towards carpet on the walls.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Existing house
We're finalizing preparations to burn down the existing house that's on the lot. Here are the pics we took of it about two years ago when we bought it:
http://gallery.kappesfamily.com/main.php?g2_itemId=5799
Here are some summary pics of the house and lot:
http://gallery.kappesfamily.com/main.php?g2_itemId=5799
Here are some summary pics of the house and lot:
Survey / Site Plans
We got the draft survey plans in the other day.
Draft Survey Plans
We're having them move some things around and should have updated plans, including elevations soon.
Draft Survey Plans
We're having them move some things around and should have updated plans, including elevations soon.
Purpose
We'll be using this blog as a collection of info about the house we're building. We'll post pictures, status updates, plans and other information here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)