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Exterior remodeling design advice needed

Peke
10 years ago

To be honest, I can't tell you what kind/style of house I have. In 1965 it was a 900 sf cabin, in the 70s it was 1400 sf, in the 80s it was 1900 sf, and in the 90s it became 3500 sf. We still have the original cedar shake roof up in the attic. We have a roof over a roof and they never took the old one off.

I have 2 windows in the downstairs that actually open. A small bedroom and the kitchen window. All others are floor to ceiling picture windows.....2 in living room and 4 in the bedroom. We have a beautiful view of the lake.

We need to remodel the outside, but we need to start with French doors or windows so we can get some breeze in this house. The horrible siding will have to wait.

In the first picture you can see that it needs another window or French door in that blank spot to the right of the two picture windows. The blue painted post on the far right HAS to stay. We will sheetrock the right side of the post. It used to be an old covered porch.

Any advice about the design of windows & French doors? I will post an exterior picture or two so you can see the outside windows. Floor to ceiling on inside, but doesn't look it on the outside. 12-16" drop to concrete deck. Will need to add steps for French doors.

Thanks, Peke

Comments (11)

  • Peke
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    The blank area to the left of the steps and picture windows is where I think it needs a window or French door. When we look out the window we cannot see our dock so we need another window outside of the pool area. You can also see how high the drop off is. We would need to add concrete steps if we put French doors there.
    Peke

  • Peke
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I forgot to mention that the outside door with the boarded up doggie door will be gone.

    The 3 bay shaped picture windows are in the master bedroom. Same drop off as living room so steps will be needed if we put a French door there. I don't know if we need one or not. Maybe it depends on what we do with the living room area exterior. Around the corner to the right we have an exterior door in our bedroom.

    So what should we do? All double hung? Floor to ceiling or shorter? French doors? How many?

    What do we do with the outside siding if we make the windows shorter? We wouldn't be able to match up that old siding. It is really a reddish-brown color with gray streaks. Hideous! All 4 sides of the house look different due to fading.

    Please help! I have got to order windows asap. Thanks! Peke

  • Peke
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Sorry, pic didn't get posted.

    By the way, notice the siding is wrong? Last owner wanted it sideways and it is not the right siding.

  • Peke
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    One more time!

  • Peke
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Possible window/door opening for living room is 18' on a 26' wall.

    Current window/door opening for bedroom is 21' on a 24' wall.

    The blank spot to the right of the old door is a huge bedroom walk-in storage closet on the inside. If it doesn't look right we could put a window there...or not. Peke

  • live_wire_oak
    10 years ago

    Are you saying that you have bedrooms without operable windows? How did code enforcement ever allow that to happen? That would be a safety priority for first replacement NOW so as to comply with emergency escape codes.

    As for the rest of the replacements, you will have to do enough work to the siding to get replacement windows to fit that it's only smart to replace the siding at the same time. To do it any other way will actually cost a lot more in labor.

  • weedyacres
    10 years ago

    What do you not like about your current windows? Why are you wanting to replace them? Are you wanting more wall space, or just windows that open? I would think it would be a positive to have walls of windows facing the lake.

  • millworkman
    10 years ago

    Your coming over here with the same questions? Really, read my reply in the window forum and answer those questions first please before you confuse yourself and everyone else even more.

  • annzgw
    10 years ago

    If you're needing design advice, try posting on the Home Decor Forum. There's nothing wrong with posting on different forums since some forums are very slow and one often has to try other options. It does help if you can put in a link to the other xposts or mention that you've posted on other forums.

    I think you need to draw up a design of the back of your home to help you decide what you want, especially since you intend to remove the existing door.
    Personally, I'd put in all sliders, (plus screens if you need them). I have both sliders and french doors in my home but my favorite are the sliders. French doors are beautiful but they eat up a lot of floor space each time you need to open them, plus, IMO, they're not very functional as a means to get air flow thru the house. You can't just 'crack them open' when you want a little fresh air.
    For the step down, I'd remove that small concrete step and put in a wood platform.....and maybe even run it the length of the house.

    This post was edited by annz on Tue, Apr 2, 13 at 12:15

  • southerncanuck
    10 years ago

    I also agree sliders are best suited here.

    I'm no designer so won't be able to help much in that regard. I am going to assume you are going to consult a structural engineer concerning adding another opening on the pool facing elevation. That is a great deal of openings on one wall, adding another large door is going to put greater stress on the existing header. Be careful.

  • Peke
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Sorry, millworkman.

    live_wire_oak- It seems we have no code enforcement here. Inspectors cleared this house before we bought it. We found extension cords plugged in together that were wrapped with duct tape BEHIND sheetrock walls. We found we had to put most of our money on fixing the issues the inspector didn't catch. How can they catch them when the issues are inside the wall and ceilings? Yes, we have 4 picture windows in a bedroom and no operable windows, but we do have one door for egress to the patio. So we have put in 3 beams, rewired the house, 2 new heat & air units, rewired electrical in the pool, gutted the kitchen, sheetrocked walls and ceilings, 18 pine trees cut down before they fell on the house, new dock floats, rewired dock, new walkway to dock. So there is no money left for siding. I agree with you that it should be replaced, but the corp of engineers thought the dock was more important.... $12,000 for that. I just don't understand why no one follows codes around here. (220 on the dock???? Seriously?)

    Weedyacres, I agree with the wall of windows! We love the views, but we need to be able to open windows. I don't want to lose the view which is why I don't know what to do. Shorter windows with clear view, french doors, or tilt and turn doors. I think keeping the view with large doors would be best. I am trying to find Tilt and Turn doors locally so I don't spend $1000.00 on shipping from Canada. They would open for a breeze and still show the view, don't you think?

    Annz,
    I am still learning how to put pics on and all that other stuff. I tried the help section but couldn't figure out how to link. I have only lived with sliding windows once...in the 1970s...hated them. I always had to lift them up to slide them open or closed. I assume they are much better now though. Do yours slide really easily? Do they have better ways to keep people from just popping the door out? Do you remember what brand you bought? Do French doors only open so far, then stop? I just assumed they would open all the way to the wall.

    SouthernCanuck, There are no structural engineers here. We tried to get architects and structural engineers to come out a year ago, but no one would. We are in the middle of nowhere! Our contractor who put in the beams and tore the stairs out and replaced them (to code) said there was a beam going across the outside wall and there are 6" square posts in 3 places under the beams. (It was an outside porch.) That is where the picture windows are. So we have to keep the windows separate.

    All of you have given me a lot to think about...and sliders were not even on my radar. We just do not have good quality products here where I live. I will drive a couple of hours next weekend to look at sliders and see how they perform. Thank you to everyone! Peke

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