Building a stick frame house in the woods in 90 days

[mjncad]

I cannot agree with your suggestion. Look at the space you are describing in regard to the distance from the garage rear door and the kitchen window to the corner you propose. The unit needs at least a foot of breathing room all around. That area, as I understand it is going to have a stamped concrete patio so is planned for outdoor use. Even though the new units today are quiet compared to a few years ago, they are still noisy enough to be annoying when bouncing off two walls and a concrete patio underneath acting as a megahorn.
Outside near a bedroom window is not great either but if it is supported on a proper stand mount and has a soft surface under it,
the noise will be much less than the place you suggest moving it too, as well as being away from normal traffic.
The sun changes its path in the sky relative to the house in summer versus winter but the direction of this house has no advantage or disadvantage from being better or worse for the placement of the compressor unit on either side.

If a whole house generator is added, as in her last house, that adds another ugly utility to place. None of these things, including
satellite TV and/or internet receiver dishes add to the landscape or beauty of the finished home but we soon train our minds not to see or hear things that annoy us.

Assuming Pete kept the garage mandoor in the same as designed location after he expanded the garage from one to two cars, and added the stairwell down to the basement; then I agree with your comment that the A/C condenser would be too close to the mandoor opening. As long as the condenser has the recommended breathing room, it will be OK in the corner. Our 12+ year old Carrier is doing just fine in its semi-shady corner location.

Without searching/re-reading this entire thread looking for patio(s), I also made my suggestion based on the house having a walkout basement with a deck over the over the backside of the home. The corner I'm suggesting the A/C condenser be placed is on the sloping side of the house and not real conducive to having a concrete patio there, and is away from the patio and deck.

All design is a compromise and I just threw a suggestion out there for Pete to consider. In any case I have no doubt Pete will weigh the pros and cons of the suggestions we've been floating for his consideration. I'm impressed with the build quality of the house and Pete's generosity to share this project with us.

 

[Buppies]

How much snow did you get? How much time does your contractor estimate will be lost due to this event?

 

[pacerron]

Assuming Pete kept the garage mandoor in the same as designed location after he expanded the garage from one to two cars, and added the stairwell down to the basement; then I agree with your comment that the A/C condenser would be too close to the mandoor opening. As long as the condenser has the recommended breathing room, it will be OK in the corner. Our 12+ year old Carrier is doing just fine in its semi-shady corner location.

Without searching/re-reading this entire thread looking for patio(s), I also made my suggestion based on the house having a walkout basement with a deck over the over the backside of the home. The corner I'm suggesting the A/C condenser be placed is on the sloping side of the house and not real conducive to having a concrete patio there, and is away from the patio and deck.

All design is a compromise and I just threw a suggestion out there for Pete to consider. In any case I have no doubt Pete will weigh the pros and cons of the suggestions we've been floating for his consideration. I'm impressed with the build quality of the house and Pete's generosity to share this project with us.

mjncad
Look at day 30 image 6 and his notes.
Pete has made it very simple to reference images and details by his numbering system.
Ron

 

[pacerron]

mjncad
Look at day 30 image 6 and his notes.
Pete has made it very simple to reference images and details by his numbering system.
Ron

Or just look at this....
The " search this thread" function does work rather well or if you have more than a passing interest in a project thread like
this you might consider downloading the images to a folder. That way they are simple to refer too.
You know the definition of "ASSUME"
Ron

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Day 43

Pete,

What goes in the blank spot?

Just curious.

Loving this thread...

David

 

[FairfaxStu]

What goes in the blank spot?

IIRC, that is for the fireplace -> http://www.cstone.net/~dk/day37-8.jpg

 

[scoutcub]

Pete -

Great thread, very well documented. I like all of the great TBN'er input, to the point of making several positive changes.
Looking forward to following the story!

 

[MacLawn]

Tap, tap, tap, tap... You get the idea! I'm longing to see more photos, pc!

 

[mjncad]

Or just look at this....
The " search this thread" function does work rather well or if you have more than a passing interest in a project thread like
this you might consider downloading the images to a folder. That way they are simple to refer too.
You know the definition of "ASSUME"
Ron

Ron:

Thanks for finding the photo in question, and I do recall seeing it now. I based my comments on the "as designed" drawing, which didn't show the patio. Having the A/C condenser in the corner location may not be a good idea now. Hopefully Pete can find a decent place for the condenser so it doesn't become a noisy nuisance for his Mom.

As for the definition of "ASSUME"...I know all about it...more than you'll ever know. :laughing:

I participate on four different forums, and now and then I don't remember everything I've read, or I get lazy and just don't do a search.

 

[jinman]

Jim, there will be a deck over that window, so hopefully rain spatter won't be huge issue. You're right though, that the window sill is very low. Hopefully some of that can be corrected with pulling back a lot of the dirt from that area.

I know this post has been some time ago, but I went back and looked at your walkout floor-plan and noticed you'd eliminated two small vertical narrow windows on one side of the basement and put in a single wider window on the opposite side. Also, what was a terrace in the plans, you are calling a deck. That must mean that the deck will wrap around that wall. If so, you'll have some room below the deck to put in a small retainer wall from the walkout face all the way to the back side of the window if the grade doesn't hold.

Is it my imagination that the SW wall segments in the basement have window frames for the vertical slot windows? It looks like they just left the framing in place and poured the outside wall over the structure for the original windows. Am I seeing things?