My orginal design called for a fully insulated slab on grade finished by acid staining the concrete. I orientated the house as close to solar south as possible to take advantage of the sun's free heat (passive solar design) and free light. I ordered special glass for the south facing windows (Cardinal 179 glass) to allow a much higher percentage of radiant heat to pass through to the living space. I was told by the original excavator (he had to be fired for not showing up 3 different times) and the actual excavator, that my concrete pad would sit about 3-4 ft below the back fence line which overlooks a pasture and some views of the mountains. After the county decided where to locate the septic system, the house had to be moved much closer to the back of the lot than what was originally intented. I was then told by the excavator that the pad would now only sit about 2 1/2 feet below the back fence line. Well as you can see in this picture (I am 6'1" tall) that the pad sits closer to 5-6 ft below the back fence line. As a demonstration home as well as my personal home, this mistake in estimating changed how the entire footprint of the house would be built. This is one of many learning experiences for me and I strongly suggest that everyone building on any site (sloping or not) pays very close attention to how the home will ultimately sit on the lot.
One very positive outcome was the reaction from the builders about this situation. The builders were willing to take on the extra work without charging extra for the additional labor.
No comments:
Post a Comment