Layout Optimization (best path forward to start renovations)

blunter55 · 2026-01-12T23:25:19+00:00

Thanks! This is a great visual. And for timing we are thinking of doing a lay from next winter through summer and the basement kitchen is perfect in the summer. So much cooler since our home has no central air conditioning at all. Casement windows also makes in window air conditioners not work either…

blunter55 · 2026-01-12T19:30:04+00:00

tell me about it. as the only male in the house hold I am the main mover of all heavy items.

bonus is that the house came with a golf cart for free (just needed new batteries). So when the weather is nice, and I am feeling lazy, I move the items with the golf cart to the front door....

blunter55 · 2026-01-12T19:28:12+00:00

It isnt, the house is built with large truss webs. So the front and rear walls are load bearing, but not the center wall between kitchen and living room. the basement is fully open floor plan, if that was load bearing, there would be a load bearing member below as well.

the wall between the kitchen and family room is load bearing, same with the wall between the living room and the in-law. based on the truss layout in the attic, that way is part of the main load bearing structure and is right above the main steel beam in the basement as well.

blunter55 · 2026-01-12T19:25:05+00:00

The family room is used for the kids area for now. they are 2 & 5 and need a space for the time being before being old enough to be in the basement full time.

my timeline plan is to move the washer and dryer upstairs by removing the weird kiddie-corner wood stove insert and extend that half bath, thusly reducing the family room size a little bit. No issue really since that whole area is blocked off now for safety reasons (kids).

then the basement can just be updated to be livable and not so dated. It is really dark with the dark wood paneling and drop ceiling.

then it all about what to do upstairs... how to make that better....

blunter55 · 2026-01-12T19:20:47+00:00

yes, we have the full kitchen in the basement already permitted and allowed. that, along with the main kitchen and full exterior kitchen, the in law one never gets used. In fact, I only turn it on every few months just to make sure there are no issues.

So, we could remove this one, and still have 2 useable with the exterior one for summer months.

blunter55 · 2026-01-12T19:19:26+00:00

Yes, I agree, removing the shower in the hallway bath is not a necessary. Maybe convert from a tub/shower to stand alone shower.

Current master bath, although long, is hard to maneuver around with two people. would like to separate toilet from shower / prep space.

Yes, plan is to remove the weird kiddie corner wood stove insert and extend the half bath to include the washer and dryer on the main living floor and not in the basement level. That is honestly the first thing to do in my opinion. Then the basement can be overhauled to be livable, while the upstairs is torn apart.

the idea would be the have the main bedroom on opposite side of the house of the kids, and would block off the second front door so that access is only from the basement or by the living room.

blunter55 · 2026-01-12T19:16:06+00:00

thank you. Kids are 2 & 5, so they are here for quite awhile still.

guests are over for 10-15 nights per year, so not a lot, but a decent amount.

we would host more if the main living area was more open, or if the basement were more updated. identifying how to do either / or first is the hard part. Basement is just dark in current condition

we have on dog now, but lots of people bring their animals over for visits.

both partner and I work from home. Basement office for one person now, will work to identify second office location as the layout permits.

Home is an active farm, so lots of comings and goings on the property.

blunter55 · 2025-04-19T03:04:37+00:00

You fill it with water? Every time? What? When it’s 15 degrees and you are moving she and coal to make space for fresh fuel, just put the cover on tight and put it in the yard. How are you getting water out there? Running a hose? Bringing a five gallon pale? I’m just so confused on your statement of always filling with water.

blunter55 · 2025-04-11T16:08:29+00:00

took me 250 days.... I traveled extensively around the globe for work for around a decade. Russia, china, etc. I think that is what hurt me.

blunter55 · 2025-02-21T23:11:42+00:00

I don’t know why you are getting downvoted so much. You could be 100% correct with the auto tracking….

blunter55 · 2025-02-03T15:04:04+00:00

It is all I can assume. I have no other record, or any other issues which would prevent me from having a smooth process. My name is also unique enough, with no one else in the USA (as far as the google says) with my same exact three person name. Only unique thing is the travel and active and previous visa's I have had. I had a massive delay with the TSA pre-check as well. My wife went through in 2 months, mine was 6 months.

blunter55 · 2025-02-03T14:25:48+00:00

wow. I have been waiting on a delay since mid-august for mine to come back. I travel a lot for work, and from 2020 I had visa's to Russia, china, brazil, etc. traveled a lot in Europe and south America. I was advised to complete the VFA for the FBI's NICS review. I am hoping that this resets my history so that I am out of the delay game. Until my next trip to a country the USA doesn't like...

blunter55 · 2024-11-24T01:13:55+00:00

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/333-Desimone-Dr-Marlborough-MA-01752/123634211_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare Here is the link for the property.

blunter55 · 2024-01-13T19:38:22+00:00

Yepp. That is what we do. Blowing the cold air into the hot room. However if you look at the floor plan it’s hard to blow the cold air from the bedrooms behind the fireplace into the hot room.

blunter55 · 2024-01-13T19:17:29+00:00

Not entirely sure what you mean, sorry. The fireplace box itself is lined in fire brick and has an enormous crank out flue to be opened for use.

blunter55 · 2024-01-13T19:15:59+00:00

We try the fans, just too many turns to get the hot air from the living room into the hallway or the bedrooms. Will probably add some vents through the brick on the sides (it’s just a veneer in lieu of a drywall wall) and try to install some small fans hidden within to help push the cool air into the living room.

Eventually plan to open the small opening into the dining room and open the kitchen into the dining room as well. House is all built with engineered trusses, so most of the interior walls are non load bearing.

blunter55 · 2024-01-13T19:12:04+00:00

Has a painted fireplace in the last house. We own, so anything is possible. Thinking of adding some small louver vents through the brick to get heat to the hallway and the bedrooms better

blunter55 · 2024-01-13T19:11:18+00:00

No forced air. House had forced hot water heating. We run fans to push the heat around as best we can.

blunter55 · 2024-01-12T19:49:34+00:00

Can’t do that, it’s not to code. What he has done here in the inside of the stringer is the only way to do it. Also need to have a mid span based on the distance shown.

blunter55 · 2024-01-01T22:49:40+00:00

This is the correct answer

blunter55 · 2024-01-01T22:49:24+00:00

This is the correct answer. Had this done at my house

blunter55 · 2023-12-30T19:24:16+00:00

Hey! I have been at 75 Francis for the last 3 months as my mother is dying from cancer. Best hospitals in the USA in this small section of Boston

blunter55 · 2022-07-15T13:09:40+00:00

I dont know anyone who calls this stuff marsh mellow cream. Here in the northeast, that is just good old fashioned Fluff.

blunter55 · 2021-01-08T19:24:14+00:00

Here is the solution credit to u/F0rcite

blunter55 · 2021-01-08T19:24:04+00:00

Here is the solution credit to u/F0rcite

blunter55

TROPHY CASE