Building our retirement home

[TomSeller]

Very nice. 4000 sq ft is large for a retirement home, but not if most of it is on one level and if you have lots of family and friends that visit. Keep the pictures coming.

 

[KiotiKowboy]

Very nice. 4000 sq ft is large for a retirement home, but not if most of it is on one level and if you have lots of family and friends that visit. Keep the pictures coming.

Yes - TOO LARGE. I don't think either of us started into this expecting to break 2500. It's funny how adding a few inches here and a few feet there SUDDENLY amounts to quite a bit

We did plan the stairs extra wide to make it easier adding lifts.

Sadly, visitors are quite rare. Our families are small and live hours away. We share our home with 5 dogs. I think the main gist of the new home is to have a secluded place, containing its own comforts and entertainment, where we can forget the world.

 

[TomSeller]

Yes - TOO LARGE. I don't think either of us started into this expecting to break 2500. It's funny how adding a few inches here and a few feet there SUDDENLY amounts to quite a bit

We did plan the stairs extra wide to make it easier adding lifts.

Sadly, visitors are quite rare. Our families are small and live hours away. We share our home with 5 dogs. I think the main gist of the new home is to have a secluded place, containing its own comforts and entertainment, where we can forget the world.

Not that bad really. I'm moving to 3000 sq ft house with a 1000 sq ft standalone shop. A number of years to retirement and ours is all one level. Downsizing sounded good, but just have too many toys. With one level and hardwood floors we can wheelchair race around the house someday years from now. I think you have a good looking house there.

 

[KiotiKowboy]

Not that bad really. I'm moving to 3000 sq ft house with a 1000 sq ft standalone shop. A number of years to retirement and ours is all one level. Downsizing sounded good, but just have too many toys. With one level and hardwood floors we can wheelchair race around the house someday years from now. I think you have a good looking house there.

My wife worked very hard to acquire, and hang onto, the property where we are building. She has dreamed of having a home there for almost 20 years. At some point, the question becomes ... Why build, if it isn't going to be what you really want? Even so, we have managed to throw out the budget and almost all common sense - LOL.

We have designed for our old"er" age. All doors are 36" or larger. Hallways are 5'. Stairs to basement and upper floor are 5'. Ground floor, including porches, will be the same level. Showers are roll-in without doors. We've tried to think on terms of making the home both accessible and enjoyable. LOTS of giant windows, very large master bath, basement/safe/media room with pinball and a pool table, theater seats, surround sound and an 85" UHD set on the wall. Sounds good - but we'll have to see how it all turns out.

 

[chad22]

House is looking great. Congrats on your retirement home.

With one level and hardwood floors we can wheelchair race around the house someday years from now.

lol. That sounds fun. Reminds me of a good song by Merle Haggard.

Let's Chase each other round the room.

You could sing it as let's chase each other round the house tonight. lol

 

[tbrooks26]

So the gable trusses shown are going to continue out to cover the porch? If so I think I see where your concerns are for spreading. What are you planning on doing for the porch ceiling? I would run 2x12's as collar ties, say every 3 or fourth truss in the bottom 1/2 to 2/3's of the roof. Have them run all the to the roof decking catching the top and bottom chord of the truss. Fully box them in to make it look like a beam. I am not an engineer though, but thats what I would do

 

[tbrooks26]

On further thought, I would go ahead and make a king post truss out of every 3rd or 4th truss, something like this

Of course it is not recommended to modify engineered trusses, but I think the worst this would do is make them stronger. Lots of nails or bolts to make it sturdy and fully functional. I'm doing a post and beam gable porch roof now, We've probably got close to 20 hours just drilling and putting bolts in.

 

[KiotiKowboy]

On further thought, I would go ahead and make a king post truss out of every 3rd or 4th truss, something like this
View attachment 446919

Which takes us to the crux of the problem. We DO NOT WANT ANYTHING to obstruct the view.

Yes, I understand it's a good idea. I'm looking for an invisible solution. So far, we are installing some pretty massive steel posts planted in 5 ft of concrete- and, perhaps adding support to both sides of the upper truss assemblies. Ultimately, we will do what is necessary ... but we want to exhaust any reasonable alternatives before adding visual obstructions. So far, running a cable between the steel posts is about the most appealing approach.

 

[TomSeller]

My wife worked very hard to acquire, and hang onto, the property where we are building. She has dreamed of having a home there for almost 20 years. At some point, the question becomes ... Why build, if it isn't going to be what you really want? Even so, we have managed to throw out the budget and almost all common sense - LOL.

We have designed for our old"er" age. All doors are 36" or larger. Hallways are 5'. Stairs to basement and upper floor are 5'. Ground floor, including porches, will be the same level. Showers are roll-in without doors. We've tried to think on terms of making the home both accessible and enjoyable. LOTS of giant windows, very large master bath, basement/safe/media room with pinball and a pool table, theater seats, surround sound and an 85" UHD set on the wall. Sounds good - but we'll have to see how it all turns out.

Sure sounds like you out a lot of thought into it. Looking forward to the pictures as it unfolds.

 

[CurlyDave]

Which takes us to the crux of the problem. We DO NOT WANT ANYTHING to obstruct the view.

Yes, I understand it's a good idea. I'm looking for an invisible solution. So far, we are installing some pretty massive steel posts planted in 5 ft of concrete- and, perhaps adding support to both sides of the upper truss assemblies. Ultimately, we will do what is necessary ... but we want to exhaust any reasonable alternatives before adding visual obstructions. So far, running a cable between the steel posts is about the most appealing approach.

1. Before i did anything expensive, I would go back to the truss company and talk to the engineer who designed the trusses. He knows about spreading force, and the trusses are probably designed to accommodate that.

2. Every time I have bought trusses, I have received a stamped copy of the design calculations for the trusses. If not, you should ask for one and they should supply it free. Take this to another engineer and pay him a few hundred dollars to review the calculations. He can easily tell you if the trusses are adequate to resist the spreading force. And, he can suggest a design for more reinforcement if you want that.

3. I understand your view concerns, but having a view house in a view location, I can tell you that collar ties about 2/3 of the way up the trusses is not going to cost you a significant view. They are only going to block your view of the sky, not of anything interesting. The collar tie does not have to be a traditional wood board. A cable with an engineered attachment to the truss would work just as well and would be far less obtrusive than anything at the post top level.