Comments on: New Skinny House Floor Plans http://www.100khouse.com/2010/01/04/new-skinny-house-floor-plans/ The former home of the 100k Blog Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:21:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Kris http://www.100khouse.com/2010/01/04/new-skinny-house-floor-plans/comment-page-1/#comment-6900 Kris Fri, 10 Dec 2010 13:18:45 +0000 http://www.100khouse.com/?p=1546#comment-6900 I hate having a washer/dryer in the basement. To me the best place is next to the kitchen because then I can combine kitchen and laundry duties more easily. And especially because having access to the backyard makes it easier to hang clothes outside to dry. Our new house has been designed with a large overhang right a door into the laundry so that I can haang clothes even if rain is threatening (similar to many house in Costa Rica where almost noone has a dryer). We also made the entry to the laundry adjacent to the mudroom where we put a shower. Since our house is in a wooded area on a lake (with no lawn) and we have a 7yo boy, we figure the best way to contain dirt is to come directly into the laundry from the lake side, strip off clothes and put them straight into the bin, step around the corner to shower and voila!, mess contained. I also love laundry chutes but our current design didn't allow for one. However, there will be an open balcony area above the kitchen, so a good shot could toss dirty clothes straight from the common space between the 2 bedrooms directly into the laundry room...LOL. Maybe if we set up target "baskets". Have you thought about encouraging outside hanging to dry clothes by locating the W/D closet behind the kitchen area? I hate having a washer/dryer in the basement. To me the best place is next to the kitchen because then I can combine kitchen and laundry duties more easily. And especially because having access to the backyard makes it easier to hang clothes outside to dry. Our new house has been designed with a large overhang right a door into the laundry so that I can haang clothes even if rain is threatening (similar to many house in Costa Rica where almost noone has a dryer). We also made the entry to the laundry adjacent to the mudroom where we put a shower. Since our house is in a wooded area on a lake (with no lawn) and we have a 7yo boy, we figure the best way to contain dirt is to come directly into the laundry from the lake side, strip off clothes and put them straight into the bin, step around the corner to shower and voila!, mess contained. I also love laundry chutes but our current design didn’t allow for one. However, there will be an open balcony area above the kitchen, so a good shot could toss dirty clothes straight from the common space between the 2 bedrooms directly into the laundry room…LOL. Maybe if we set up target “baskets”.

Have you thought about encouraging outside hanging to dry clothes by locating the W/D closet behind the kitchen area?

]]> By: jimluk http://www.100khouse.com/2010/01/04/new-skinny-house-floor-plans/comment-page-1/#comment-5055 jimluk Fri, 15 Jan 2010 04:27:31 +0000 http://www.100khouse.com/?p=1546#comment-5055 When I was in architecture school I attended a lecture by Dan Rockhill of Studio 804 fame, he(his students) solved the appraisal problem with movable cabinets(on casters I believe). I think an option similar to this was discussed back when the decision was made to remove closets from the original 100k house. I can't seem to find a picture with the cabinets closed but the project is called Mod 4 http://studio804.com/projects/Mod4/images/Mod4Images7.html http://studio804.com/projects/Mod4/images/Mod4Images9.html this is with the cabinets open and back to back, and they unfold to block off the entire space. I believe there were two sets allowing for a 3 bedroom configuration When I was in architecture school I attended a lecture by Dan Rockhill of Studio 804 fame, he(his students) solved the appraisal problem with movable cabinets(on casters I believe). I think an option similar to this was discussed back when the decision was made to remove closets from the original 100k house.

I can’t seem to find a picture with the cabinets closed but the project is called Mod 4

http://studio804.com/projects/Mod4/images/Mod4Images7.html

http://studio804.com/projects/Mod4/images/Mod4Images9.html

this is with the cabinets open and back to back, and they unfold to block off the entire space. I believe there were two sets allowing for a 3 bedroom configuration

]]> By: Dan http://www.100khouse.com/2010/01/04/new-skinny-house-floor-plans/comment-page-1/#comment-5033 Dan Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:56:16 +0000 http://www.100khouse.com/?p=1546#comment-5033 The reviews on Amazon are mostly about problems with water not flowing to the washer. The units work for a year or two and then need to be replaced. One reviewer has front loading machine that has two cycles and the valve will close while the machine is running. The reviews on Amazon are mostly about problems with water not flowing to the washer. The units work for a year or two and then need to be replaced. One reviewer has front loading machine that has two cycles and the valve will close while the machine is running.

]]> By: lavardera http://www.100khouse.com/2010/01/04/new-skinny-house-floor-plans/comment-page-1/#comment-5032 lavardera Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:23:47 +0000 http://www.100khouse.com/?p=1546#comment-5032 Does stopped working mean: - does not prevent a flood or - lets no water to the washer Does stopped working mean:
- does not prevent a flood
or
- lets no water to the washer

]]> By: Dan http://www.100khouse.com/2010/01/04/new-skinny-house-floor-plans/comment-page-1/#comment-5001 Dan Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:33:49 +0000 http://www.100khouse.com/?p=1546#comment-5001 What kind of automatic shutoffs do you recommend? I found the Watts Intelliflow, but it got a lot of bad reviews on Amazon. Most of the bad reviews said it stopped working after about a year. What kind of automatic shutoffs do you recommend? I found the Watts Intelliflow, but it got a lot of bad reviews on Amazon. Most of the bad reviews said it stopped working after about a year.

]]> By: Nic Darling http://www.100khouse.com/2010/01/04/new-skinny-house-floor-plans/comment-page-1/#comment-4999 Nic Darling Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:11:21 +0000 http://www.100khouse.com/?p=1546#comment-4999 I am not as worried about catastrophic failure (knock on wood) for the reasons Brandon mentioned, but I still lean toward the basement laundry in a small house. Having the laundry upstairs seems to complicate the space (as Todd mentioned). I also have seen a tendency for laundry to spill over the boundaries we define for it. The small room doesn't always contain the mess that attends washing clothes. I would rather have that mess (including the clothes hanging to dry) out of sight in the otherwise unused basement. Of course, my wife would say that this opinion comes from being somewhat less involved in the laundry process than she is. She would also, I'm sure, say that the addition of more stairs to the process would increase my level of involvement exponentially. Regardless, it seems that popular opinion is with the upstairs placement. My informal survey just conducted on Twitter backs that up. If you want to chime in on that, follow me at http://www.twitter.com/nicdarling I am not as worried about catastrophic failure (knock on wood) for the reasons Brandon mentioned, but I still lean toward the basement laundry in a small house. Having the laundry upstairs seems to complicate the space (as Todd mentioned). I also have seen a tendency for laundry to spill over the boundaries we define for it. The small room doesn’t always contain the mess that attends washing clothes. I would rather have that mess (including the clothes hanging to dry) out of sight in the otherwise unused basement.

Of course, my wife would say that this opinion comes from being somewhat less involved in the laundry process than she is. She would also, I’m sure, say that the addition of more stairs to the process would increase my level of involvement exponentially.

Regardless, it seems that popular opinion is with the upstairs placement. My informal survey just conducted on Twitter backs that up. If you want to chime in on that, follow me at http://www.twitter.com/nicdarling

]]> By: Brandon http://www.100khouse.com/2010/01/04/new-skinny-house-floor-plans/comment-page-1/#comment-4997 Brandon Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:47:32 +0000 http://www.100khouse.com/?p=1546#comment-4997 I used to be concerned about having a washer in a place where flooding would be disastrous (as opposed to merely inconvenient), but with the automatic shutoffs and drain pans which tie into the waste line, I think the time has come. I've learned the hard way that my 3-year-old is more likely to flood an upstairs room by blocking the drain on the bathroom sink... Lavardera makes a good point about the clothes line, though. I would probably address that by adding one of those retractable clotheslines in the bathroom. I used to be concerned about having a washer in a place where flooding would be disastrous (as opposed to merely inconvenient), but with the automatic shutoffs and drain pans which tie into the waste line, I think the time has come. I’ve learned the hard way that my 3-year-old is more likely to flood an upstairs room by blocking the drain on the bathroom sink…

Lavardera makes a good point about the clothes line, though. I would probably address that by adding one of those retractable clotheslines in the bathroom.

]]> By: lavardera http://www.100khouse.com/2010/01/04/new-skinny-house-floor-plans/comment-page-1/#comment-4996 lavardera Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:41:00 +0000 http://www.100khouse.com/?p=1546#comment-4996 I've found people with preferences for all w/d options. Basement, Bedroom floor, as well as kitchen. Myself, I also like the basement - two reasons. I hang things to dry in the basement which is a nice way to get some moisture in the air during the winter. And also things like water heaters and washing machines always seem to fail catastrophically for me. I'd rather have that happen in the basement. I’ve found people with preferences for all w/d options. Basement, Bedroom floor, as well as kitchen.

Myself, I also like the basement – two reasons. I hang things to dry in the basement which is a nice way to get some moisture in the air during the winter. And also things like water heaters and washing machines always seem to fail catastrophically for me. I’d rather have that happen in the basement.

]]> By: Nic Darling http://www.100khouse.com/2010/01/04/new-skinny-house-floor-plans/comment-page-1/#comment-4995 Nic Darling Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:35:22 +0000 http://www.100khouse.com/?p=1546#comment-4995 The washer/dryer question is an interesting one. I have always liked it in the basement, but I have found (through informal surveying) that I am in the minority. Most people I talk to seem to like it on the second floor. They say, as Brandon has, that they like the washer near the clothes. Perhaps we need a more formal survey on this question. What do the rest of you think? The washer/dryer question is an interesting one. I have always liked it in the basement, but I have found (through informal surveying) that I am in the minority. Most people I talk to seem to like it on the second floor. They say, as Brandon has, that they like the washer near the clothes.

Perhaps we need a more formal survey on this question. What do the rest of you think?

]]> By: Brandon http://www.100khouse.com/2010/01/04/new-skinny-house-floor-plans/comment-page-1/#comment-4994 Brandon Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:26:24 +0000 http://www.100khouse.com/?p=1546#comment-4994 The W/D is likely on the second floor because that's where the dirty clothes are. On the bright, shining day when we can afford the remodel we have planned, we're definitely moving the W/D to the floor with the bedrooms. The W/D is likely on the second floor because that’s where the dirty clothes are. On the bright, shining day when we can afford the remodel we have planned, we’re definitely moving the W/D to the floor with the bedrooms.

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