This is rather long so skip if not interested.
Went out to a job site today to look a a remodel to add a sunroom to an existing house. It's 18' by 43' over an existing concrete raised patio over panning (nice structure) but the patio is 18' by probably 64'. Here is my response, anyone have any additional comments. 2-story all brick house. I-ll post the few pics I have in the future. I just wanted to bring up all the things I could thing of in adding onto this type of structure, this was a 1.5 mill house.
In evaluating the home we visited today, for mr. & mrs ___,we would like to point out the following issues that we feel must be addressed. Although we feel the project is feasible.
First of all, in light of the current Uniform Statewide Building Code requirements for braced wall panels, and the sheer amount of glass vs available wall segments, the design will have to incorporate a steel moment frame, engineered of course to pass Hanover county (Statewide) requirements. Said moment frame will have to be tied down to the existing foundation with details yet to be determined by the engineer. As a side note, Hanover is probably not enforcing the energy conservation codes for this type of space, but it likely exceeds them.(sf of glass vs floor space)
A second issue is the slab itself, since it is going to be a transition from non living space to exterior space, their must be a thermal break in the slab to address this. The best location for this would be 16’ from the corner they wish to remove as that is over an existing beam and should provide the least potential for cracks in the new tile floor. Again the original plans would help in this regard.
Attaching the new room roof to the existing structure.
Code will not allow attachment of anything structural to brick veneer. Our recommendation is to remove all brick for the encompassed room and resupporting new brick above the new structure either into to existing house(per engineers recommendation) or onto new structure to the exterior of the existing interior wall. As a side note, leaving the existing brick in place creates flashing problems, and potential moisture leakage issues
As to removing the entire corner of the breakfast nook.
While it will be easy to recalculate steel beams to take the load of the master bedroom floor system, roof system hip and valley loads, if we exceed 8000 lbs at any one point, Hanover will require an increased footing, which obviously could impose execution issues, again an evaluation of the existing plans may help as well as an engineers evaluation. Additionally, opening the room to the existing house changes the scope of the project substantially, it is no longer just a sunroom by code but, habitable space.
Underfloor insulation.
If we provide a good slab edge thermal break, code requirements for crawlspce underfloor insulation are R-19. Anything less than a spray foam insulation will be inviting condensation problems on the underside of the steel decking.
As to the roof system.
In order to accommodate a hot tub and to provide for a waterproof decking, we will likely have to use I-joists (18’span) to accommodate 100# additional live load (which could vary the ceiling height relative to the existing house). Also, Dura deck should be used for the surface as it provides a durable, walk able rubber membrane with the best chance for no leaks. Other options may be available as the budget allows. Also, any glass within 5’ of a hot tub must be tempered, not a problem if in front of patio doors from master bedroom.
I addition, the HVAC system will have to be coordinated to accommodate going through the exiting panning and providing enough cooling for all the glass even though this seems to be a northern exposure. I would suggest evaluating the entire hvac system to make sure.
All of the above issues are solvable, although we see many challenges; many can be solved through compromise. As usual, scope of project and code issues are the primary concern. It’s such a beautiful house; it only deserves the best approach to meet the requirements of the homeowner, code issues and functionality to succeed.
In order to proceed, Ken and I would need to either get a set of original plans to evaluate or spend 4-5 hours onsite to evaluate and measure the existing structure.
To reiterate, this is a substantial challenge, but as you know not one we aren’t up to, and we look forward to moving forward as you direct. We will be happy to sit down with the homeowners to address all of these issues and explore any alternatives that we can.
Thanks again,
Kevin R. Ambrose, CPBD
SD&D Designs
Went out to a job site today to look a a remodel to add a sunroom to an existing house. It's 18' by 43' over an existing concrete raised patio over panning (nice structure) but the patio is 18' by probably 64'. Here is my response, anyone have any additional comments. 2-story all brick house. I-ll post the few pics I have in the future. I just wanted to bring up all the things I could thing of in adding onto this type of structure, this was a 1.5 mill house.
In evaluating the home we visited today, for mr. & mrs ___,we would like to point out the following issues that we feel must be addressed. Although we feel the project is feasible.
First of all, in light of the current Uniform Statewide Building Code requirements for braced wall panels, and the sheer amount of glass vs available wall segments, the design will have to incorporate a steel moment frame, engineered of course to pass Hanover county (Statewide) requirements. Said moment frame will have to be tied down to the existing foundation with details yet to be determined by the engineer. As a side note, Hanover is probably not enforcing the energy conservation codes for this type of space, but it likely exceeds them.(sf of glass vs floor space)
A second issue is the slab itself, since it is going to be a transition from non living space to exterior space, their must be a thermal break in the slab to address this. The best location for this would be 16’ from the corner they wish to remove as that is over an existing beam and should provide the least potential for cracks in the new tile floor. Again the original plans would help in this regard.
Attaching the new room roof to the existing structure.
Code will not allow attachment of anything structural to brick veneer. Our recommendation is to remove all brick for the encompassed room and resupporting new brick above the new structure either into to existing house(per engineers recommendation) or onto new structure to the exterior of the existing interior wall. As a side note, leaving the existing brick in place creates flashing problems, and potential moisture leakage issues
As to removing the entire corner of the breakfast nook.
While it will be easy to recalculate steel beams to take the load of the master bedroom floor system, roof system hip and valley loads, if we exceed 8000 lbs at any one point, Hanover will require an increased footing, which obviously could impose execution issues, again an evaluation of the existing plans may help as well as an engineers evaluation. Additionally, opening the room to the existing house changes the scope of the project substantially, it is no longer just a sunroom by code but, habitable space.
Underfloor insulation.
If we provide a good slab edge thermal break, code requirements for crawlspce underfloor insulation are R-19. Anything less than a spray foam insulation will be inviting condensation problems on the underside of the steel decking.
As to the roof system.
In order to accommodate a hot tub and to provide for a waterproof decking, we will likely have to use I-joists (18’span) to accommodate 100# additional live load (which could vary the ceiling height relative to the existing house). Also, Dura deck should be used for the surface as it provides a durable, walk able rubber membrane with the best chance for no leaks. Other options may be available as the budget allows. Also, any glass within 5’ of a hot tub must be tempered, not a problem if in front of patio doors from master bedroom.
I addition, the HVAC system will have to be coordinated to accommodate going through the exiting panning and providing enough cooling for all the glass even though this seems to be a northern exposure. I would suggest evaluating the entire hvac system to make sure.
All of the above issues are solvable, although we see many challenges; many can be solved through compromise. As usual, scope of project and code issues are the primary concern. It’s such a beautiful house; it only deserves the best approach to meet the requirements of the homeowner, code issues and functionality to succeed.
In order to proceed, Ken and I would need to either get a set of original plans to evaluate or spend 4-5 hours onsite to evaluate and measure the existing structure.
To reiterate, this is a substantial challenge, but as you know not one we aren’t up to, and we look forward to moving forward as you direct. We will be happy to sit down with the homeowners to address all of these issues and explore any alternatives that we can.
Thanks again,
Kevin R. Ambrose, CPBD
SD&D Designs
Comment