Talking About Log Houses Homes Too Much?

[John W]

Scene: Road Trip - coming home from New Orleans to San Antonio

What wife hears, "blah blah blah butt and pass blah blah blah ten foot overhang blah blah blah mortgage free blah blah blah mortar chinking perma-chink blah blah blah ridge poles blah blah blah non-weight bearing blah blah blah garage with a loft blah blah blah...."

Wife says, "Well, you better go to this class and build our log house or we're all going to kill you pretty soon."

Gotta admit, it's all they've heard out of my mouth for a few months now. But maybe it's a little revenge for listening to cake decorating, drapes, chocolate houses, the worlds best salsa recipe, new couches and proof reading her papers!

[JeffandSara]

John,

Be sure to take her along for the class, so she can join into the conversation!

Sara

[rocklock]

John W
I am amazed that you actually listen, and retain anything... I stopped 42 years ago...

[Jane Doe]

Speaking of talking about log homes too much, can someone answer a question I just can't visualize the answer to...

On a 35x35 footprint, if I wanted to utilize as much living space as possible on the second floor for four master bedrooms, would it be a near guestimate to say that each room could be 300 square feet each? Nothing on the second floor except the stair case.

I was having a conversation last night and for some reason I woke up this morning very confused.

Feedback?

[donjuedo]

That's the ballpark I got. Four MBR's would be unusual.

[StressMan79]

"IT DEPENDS"

are you doing a full second floor? so each bedroom is roughly 17x17? that is 289. most builders want a 1/4 open for a great room. Then I don't know how you get 4 bedrooms in there...

Also, I don't want to stumble downstairs to pee in the middle of the night... You want at least one bath on the dorm floor...

Maybe go 35x35, a 3/4 loft with 3 br + 1 (1/2 or 3/4) Bath, and stick the other on the ground floor...

I don't know what your family situation is... but maybe go with a daylight basement AND loft, and keep the boys away from the girls, and put your own MBR on the ground floor...

-Peter

[Jane Doe]

StressMan,

Thanks for the response!

The conversation went something like this: "I'd like a private bathroom in the room and obscenely large windows everywhere, and I'm willing to bet that everyone else would appreciate the same." Lol. My family situation is that it's just me but that there would always be guests in the house. Think Bed & Breakfast on a much more personal level. Total social butterfly. And having asked my life's network for their input the general idea was that each couple would like to visit in a house where there is a private bathroom within the bedroom. And it turns out that I really, REALLY, like this idea.

Now that I've signed up for the JAN class I've actually permitted myself to really start dreaming and scheming and I've just realized that, though I've been wanting this idea for a long time, I've never actually thought about the interior of the home. Since I'm going to be designing this nonsense I wondered if it was possible to create four rooms at 300 square feet each and delegate 100 of that square footage to a private bathroom (in each of the four rooms). I would forgo the 1/4 open space for the great room (GASP, I know) to gain the space for the bedrooms. A full second floor, yes. Basically the stairs from the ground floor would go up to meet bedroom doors.

Thanks again for the response. I knew full well when I asked that it was definitely one of those IT DEPENDS questions. Dreaming and scheming is a lot of hard work, it turns out!

[JeffandSara]

Jane Doe--

Anything's theoretically possible, but I would say, since we live in a 36x36 log house, that you'd be pushing it to get four bedrooms with en suite baths on a single floor. Stairs take up a fair amount of space, as do walls and halls or landings to get you to the bedrooms. Also, you will probably have at least one upright log in the middle of the floor plan, which you'll need to design (and perhaps walk/furnish the rooms) around.

Also, keep in mind, a bedroom/bath is more than just a hunk of square footage. It has to end up in a configuration that allows for reasonable furnishings, traffic patterns, etc.

It'll be easier to visualize some of these things out once you have taken the class, but a 35x35 square will only hold so much, and can only be split in so many ways. Start making drawings, and see if you think you can fit acceptable rooms in that space. You'll probably evolve the design a lot before you actually build. Most people do.

Best-- Sara

[Jane Doe]

Sara, you're right. I just doodled it on paper and four rooms at max size really is pushing it. What a brilliant idea! Gonna be doodling for a while now. Thanks!

[JeffandSara]

Have fun!

Sara