Designers Comments "a work in progress"
Always check with your building department on these comments as there can be differences of opinions on building codes, zoning ordinances and check which Building Codes your building department is using.
Number one and foremost - these are not Computer Generated Generic Plans. Almost too much human thought has been put into this design (thats my nature). The design will be evolving in due time as more of these are built. New fresh ideas will be welcomed to help perfect the design for others to enjoy. I will be interacting with customers as much as I can. This is not a 1 and done project for me, I will be attached to this design as a mother is to her son. This is my baby (so to speak) and I'm hoping to see the Urban Legend Design grow and improve over time.
Owning many homes with very steep roofs (impossible to walk on) and not being good with heights, its reassuring knowing that I can easily walk on this roof to inspect, maintain and clean, broom, power blow or power spray. The incline is negligible (5” per 20’) but enough to drain water. Accumulation of limbs, seeds (debris from trees) has always been a problem and accumulation of this stuff is never good and is now a breeze to clean off.Cleaning gutters from the roof is now possible and easier (although still recommended from a ladder).Disadvantages, Honestly - the only one I can think of is losing attic space in the trusses area (which I never used because insulation was so thick I couldn’t lay anything up there anyways. Attic space to me was useless anyways.
Developing Comments:
*Most building departments will use side yard setbacks starting from the basement wall to the side property yard line (usually both cantilivered side build-outs do not count when measuring for side yard setbacks).
*This Building Design was created and built using the Michigan 2015 Building Code in Zone 5 for Energy Code. (Again check what Building Code your City/Township or County is using.
*Originally the design called for a 20' wide basement which meant the 2x12 Joists were 19'9" long (with (2) 1-1/2" outside bonds on each side = total 3"). Well I thought to myself, why cut 3" off of a 20' joist (especially since there are approximately 99 of them). So, if you like you can leave it like this OR you can use the ENTIRE 20' joist with 1 1/2" 2x12 bond on each side and make the basement exactly 20'3" wide. This does not affect the joist span length on SPF or Southern Pine 2x12s (Span Charts). Again why throw away 3" on each 2x12 joist (they are very expensive).
*The original design call for 48' length and this works fine but a nice idea would be to make the length an even 50' and adding 1' to each end (1' added in living room and 1' for bedrooms at the other end). Ideal.
*Check your lot size before purchasing this beautiful design. Basic home is 20'W x 48' L. SETBACK REQUIREMENTS are crucial. For instance Garden City, MI REQUIRES 30' front setback, 35' rear setback and total of 15' on side yard set back (minimum 3' on 1 side and a total of 12'). In this munincipality a minimum lot depth of 113' would work. Check your town or counties "set back" requirements.
* P.S. - Get the Setback Requirements "in writing" - as I made the mistake of getting a VERBAL telling of the setback requirements, which was wrong. This caused me much anquish as I had no proof.