wow! no way EVER would I take ducts out
of living space and put them in the attic.
ever.
even with a foamed roofline.

I have a 25% savings evey month from
ductwork being inside living space
in a small house.

it is very unusual for arch/designers
to understand the importance of designing
this way.
it would be the one thing I'd leave alone.

what does the roof look like?
can't tell from pics.

IMO...I'd keep it for what it is a
Beadle treasure. doesn't get better than
a master builder turned architect.
he has done some great stuff.
not just in my opinion.

best of luck.

Those big soffits with the ductwork are a great feature. It's not "low ceiling areas". It's architectural coolness and I think the kitchen would somehow be less good without them. Now, I can see losing them in a bedroom or something, but in the photos you've shown, they are a good thing!

Thank you guys! They are only in a part of one back bedroom, and pretty minimal. The rest of the low ceilings are in areas that are inconsequential - side entryhallway, hallway between two walk-in closets at master bedroom, between a guest bath and the door. Now that I think about it, Beadle put sky lights in all these areas, maybe to minimize the lower ceilings there?

I am so scared that as I slowly progress through this remodel, I will make a mistake.

My stepmo. suggested raising the roof, but I am pretty certain that would hurt the architectural integrity of the house. I do not mind the ceiling height and with all the glass and light, it is not noticeable. I just dont want to think about something later that I should have done before the roof was replaced.

Is there anything I might be missing???

It is an asphalt roof currently. Below are pics of what the previous owners did. The layers of fascia board will be removed. I am replacing all the wood on the ext. walls ("Beadle board" - pics 2,3) with new sealed and sanded redwood (will retain Beadle board style) and re-stuccoing with smooth finish. Of course, the red rock will stay. The old roof-line was at the bottom of the fascia board (see black/white pic of house in 1958).

Thank you so much for your replies. I do feel better about the ductwork.

I just thought of something - they are gutting the roof to the original plywood deck. Can insulation be added under there?

I'm not going to gush about your house,
although I am inclined to.
It is a classic of its time.
I'm a bit jealous!

seeing so many houses, that are so overdone,
I often have to really look hard for some one
thing to compliment the homeowner on.
not so with your place.

changing the roofline would ruin the look of
the house. as long as it is in good shape
(have it inspected), leave it alone.
if it has to be replaced look at some of
the rubberized roofing materials.
one piece, long life.

are those floors terrazzo?
if you'd like to post more pictures...
I'll force myself to look (LOL!)

great house. great.
modern architects & designers could take
a page from Beadles book on designing
ducts inside the conditioned space.
that is where so very much efficiency is lost.
kudos to Beadle!
flow form & function all for saving $$ for hvac.
damn! well done.

best of luck.
(oops...may have gushed a little)

when are they doing this?

the answer is that depends upon
what insulation is already under the decking.

why not have them take up a piece so that
you will know how it is insulated?

other wise it is just a guess based on what
was used at time of construction.
I'd think it is probably rockwool.
which is a good insulating material.

what are they replacing the roofing
material with?

best of luck.

Thank you so much for your comments, energy rater la! I do feel better reading your comments.

The roof will be done on Wed. It will be foam. I think for all the demo and new roof with 10 yr. warranty, I got a fair price. A membrane roof was 50k - too much. :(

The floor is a concrete overlay.

LOL! Below are more pics, please excuse the mess - it's still a work in progress! The house has 5 bedroom and 4 full baths. I have only remodeled 2 of the baths. Apparently, the house was abandoned for many years. When I first looked at it, it was in such disrepair that the realtor and I laughed and walked out. But home after home that we looked at, did not even compare to the lines of this home. The previous owners had done some terrible things - dropped ceilings in the kitchen and built a wall between it and the dining room. They knocked down most of the block and wrapped what was left in stucco and chicken wire. Nothing worked and so I had to redo the electrical, ac, drywall, etc. Luckily, we found old plans on the electrical, hvac, etc.

new shower

den:

Glass fence to keep views of city:

Thank you for your comments! :)