Jim Timber
Veteran Member
My pole barn/shop will be a short walk away. I've even contemplated a tunnel. 
My retirement home ideas
- Thread starter Michelle K linnane
- Start date
- Views: 4726
dave1949
Super Star Member
There's wood heat, and there's wood heat.
For radiant floor heat in northern areas, a bulk pellet-fired boiler is something to consider. A truck blows the pellets into a bin or silo. An auger feeds them automatically to the boiler firebox. Keeping the ash tray empty is about the only regular hands-on thing to do, and that is not a daily chore.
New construction would be a great opportunity to put together a nice indoor system, plan space for the pellet bin, and driveway access for the delivery truck. They don't have large power requirements, a home generator would run them in an outage.
You could still have a wood stove or fireplace for backup if there was a boiler problem, or for just a little heat in shoulder seasons. For that amount of firewood, a cord or two on hand, have it delivered cut and split. Done.
Another design consideration for northern homes is making it easy and worry free to leave them for a month while you visit Florida, S. Texas, AZ, the hospital, etc. You don't want your home to be an anchor. If you design in the idea that the furnace will break while you are gone, and you don't want your plumbing destroyed, you are miles ahead.
For radiant floor heat in northern areas, a bulk pellet-fired boiler is something to consider. A truck blows the pellets into a bin or silo. An auger feeds them automatically to the boiler firebox. Keeping the ash tray empty is about the only regular hands-on thing to do, and that is not a daily chore.
New construction would be a great opportunity to put together a nice indoor system, plan space for the pellet bin, and driveway access for the delivery truck. They don't have large power requirements, a home generator would run them in an outage.
You could still have a wood stove or fireplace for backup if there was a boiler problem, or for just a little heat in shoulder seasons. For that amount of firewood, a cord or two on hand, have it delivered cut and split. Done.
Another design consideration for northern homes is making it easy and worry free to leave them for a month while you visit Florida, S. Texas, AZ, the hospital, etc.
You don't want your home to be an anchor. If you design in the idea that the furnace will break while you are gone, and you don't want your plumbing destroyed, you are miles ahead.
OP
Michelle K linnane
Gold Member
I also forgot to mention some things in my post
The utility room will be like my mud room and also I think I will have a small breezeway between barn and house so I do not have to go outside to get in the car or take care of my dogs. I might put a small hot tub in there will need vents of course and fan. I would like to two doors to the kitchen one from utility and one from outside. I want a sliding glass door between the utility room and kitchen. My utility room will have a sink, washer machine and dryer, hot water heater, 2nd refrigerator and freezer, furnace.
Another thing I have thought about I want a walk in pantry I am so tired of looking for stuff in cabinets. This will give me storage for paper towels & toilet paper. People do not have walk in pantry. Good place to place my bigger pots and pans and roasting pans. Shelves on both sides can keep my mops, brooms, vacuums.
Will build a pole barn garage, which I will do radiant heat in. I can get a propane furnace big enough to heat the house and barn with different zones.
I am going to have full bath in the garage. I am thinking of buying a finished prefab small cabin and install a little wood stove for heat. There will not water out there. That way when I have company they can use the bathroom in the garage. I am tired of paying taxes for heat for rooms I only use 3 or 4 times a year.Company is like fish they both stink after 3 days do not want them too comfortable they stay too long. A lot of truth in that statement!!!
I do love the area I am in and will buy someplace close, but in my older years I do not want to take care of 106 acres. Will still have some land but just not a 106 acres. A few training ponds for my retrievers as I will try and train dogs till the day I die.
About the wood stove if a wood shed (metal roof, cement floor, sides will not be solid), is close to the house, I can use one of those carts that you can pull and no stairs. You can always buy wood and have someone stack it in the shed even if I cannot. I just do not want to go 200 yards for my wood. I just love the wood heat.
Cover porch in front and in back. Also the barn will have an overhang the one I have today I thank god every day I built it this way.
The utility room will be like my mud room and also I think I will have a small breezeway between barn and house so I do not have to go outside to get in the car or take care of my dogs. I might put a small hot tub in there will need vents of course and fan. I would like to two doors to the kitchen one from utility and one from outside. I want a sliding glass door between the utility room and kitchen. My utility room will have a sink, washer machine and dryer, hot water heater, 2nd refrigerator and freezer, furnace.
Another thing I have thought about I want a walk in pantry I am so tired of looking for stuff in cabinets. This will give me storage for paper towels & toilet paper. People do not have walk in pantry. Good place to place my bigger pots and pans and roasting pans. Shelves on both sides can keep my mops, brooms, vacuums.
Will build a pole barn garage, which I will do radiant heat in. I can get a propane furnace big enough to heat the house and barn with different zones.
I am going to have full bath in the garage. I am thinking of buying a finished prefab small cabin and install a little wood stove for heat. There will not water out there. That way when I have company they can use the bathroom in the garage. I am tired of paying taxes for heat for rooms I only use 3 or 4 times a year.Company is like fish they both stink after 3 days do not want them too comfortable they stay too long. A lot of truth in that statement!!!
I do love the area I am in and will buy someplace close, but in my older years I do not want to take care of 106 acres. Will still have some land but just not a 106 acres. A few training ponds for my retrievers as I will try and train dogs till the day I die.
About the wood stove if a wood shed (metal roof, cement floor, sides will not be solid), is close to the house, I can use one of those carts that you can pull and no stairs. You can always buy wood and have someone stack it in the shed even if I cannot. I just do not want to go 200 yards for my wood. I just love the wood heat.
Cover porch in front and in back. Also the barn will have an overhang the one I have today I thank god every day I built it this way.
In addition to the covered porch, my most appreciated project has been the heated cement waters for livestock. Reducing the fussing with hoses and water troughs in the winter was a no brainer. Good for resale value too. Imagine where your garden may be and have a hydrant put in there while you have the backhoe out for your waterlines.
GPintheMitten
Elite Member
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2009
- Messages
- 3,291
- Location
- Flushing, Michigan
- Tractor
- Kubota B2620 with BH65 backhoe, Ford 2N
Im not familiar with the JD 4103. Is it a utility tractor? Is it large. If so you might want to get a scut or cut with a loader.
tcreeley
Elite Member
My cousin (in Maine) built a root cellar that started as a cedar log structure above ground (wet area) with a 2 doors (entryway) and ventilation. He then surrounded it with gravel on all sides and over the top (thick). He has used it for years without problem. They do a lot of veggies and fruit and canning.
OP
Michelle K linnane
Gold Member
I have a loader on my tractor with removable bucket and set of folks and root rake for front. It is like 45 to 50 horse I do not remember
exactly.
OP
Michelle K linnane
Gold Member
The kitchen pantry should be in the off the garage or on the same zone as utility room. As I think about carrying in groceries which I hate the most. I think a heated pantry should be off the garage or the utility room. Pantries that open shelves give you a chance to see what you have a store our bulky items like toilet paper and paper towels, Store clean stuff, vacuums. mops, bails, etc. A good place to store big roasting pans and such.
A walk in pantry would be good idea you do not need as many kitchen cabinets and I think there is less waste you can walk and see what you have before you go shopping no more digging to the back of the cabinet to find you already had what you just bought and it now outdated to be thrown out. OK boys ask your wife about this one.
But my bucket list for retirement home will include a walk in pantry!!
A walk in pantry would be good idea you do not need as many kitchen cabinets and I think there is less waste you can walk and see what you have before you go shopping no more digging to the back of the cabinet to find you already had what you just bought and it now outdated to be thrown out. OK boys ask your wife about this one.
But my bucket list for retirement home will include a walk in pantry!!
