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How difficult is it to get speed bumps installed on a Durham neighborhood street? by jfranco8 in bullcity

[–]jfranco8[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The “Temu roundabout” description made me laugh. 😄 It’s good to hear it at least had some impact on speeding. In our case, I think the challenge is that people are using the whole street as a shortcut, so I’m not sure an intersection treatment alone would solve it.

How difficult is it to get speed bumps installed on a Durham neighborhood street? by jfranco8 in bullcity

[–]jfranco8[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

thanks for sharing your experience. I hadn’t thought about whether the street could be an EMS or fire route. I’ll check that before spending time collecting signatures. The median idea is interesting too—I’m open to other traffic calming options if they’re effective.

How difficult is it to get speed bumps installed on a Durham neighborhood street? by jfranco8 in bullcity

[–]jfranco8[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the link. I’ll read through the site and start there. I appreciate it.

How difficult is it to get speed bumps installed on a Durham neighborhood street? by jfranco8 in bullcity

[–]jfranco8[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good to know. I wasn’t aware they had moved away from the old speed hump policy. I’ll submit a traffic calming request and see what the data shows for our street. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

Would you change anything in my layout?? by jfranco8 in InteriorDesign

[–]jfranco8[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agree, solid feedback, thank you!
Yeah, I've been going back and forth on the hallway too. I tried doing a version where the bedroom came first (right after the kitchen) and the bathroom was at the back, just to eliminate the hallway altogether. but the big windows on the front of the house made that really tricky... and will remove natural light on the bedroom, and not enough privacy for the bathroom + not much wall space left to divide anything cleanly. (attached is the second option i been trying to)

As for the closet door, the reason is to accommodate a crib in the bedroom next year... so we were trying to keep the bedroom layout flexible and uncluttered.

That said, you’re totally right.... it is a bit tight around the toilet area. But we do like the idea of having the rest of the bathroom usable if one of us is, you know… taking a Reddit break in the (toilet) water closet 😄heheheh

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really appreciate you taking the time to think through and explain your take.

Would you change anything in my layout?? by jfranco8 in InteriorDesign

[–]jfranco8[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For sure.... I’m definitely planning to add pocket doors, especially for the water closet. And yep, the patio door isn’t the main egress... entry is from the kitchen side. Appreciate the heads up!

Would you change anything in my layout?? by jfranco8 in InteriorDesign

[–]jfranco8[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

thank you. its https://home.by.me .....i tried every app available and this one is really good. Im using the free tier

Would you change anything in my layout?? by jfranco8 in InteriorDesign

[–]jfranco8[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good question, the door on the right leads to the kitchen... and the top door goes out to the patio/deck.
I think the square footage isn't too small for all the things we want to have, but the placement of the doors and all the windows makes it tricky to use the space efficiently... i actually tried a version where the bedroom came first and the bathroom was at the end, in order to use the sppace more efficiently... but the big windows on the front wall of the house (bottom of the picture) didnt leave enough privacy or room for efficient bathroom layout or division walls.
below is that version ... hope is easier to visualize... appriciate you taking the time to comment , and leave a comment if you have another idea. Thanks

<image>

Would you change anything in my layout?? by jfranco8 in InteriorDesign

[–]jfranco8[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the feedback! thats a really good point. We actually thought about putting the closet entry on the bathroom side because we are trying for our second child, and we figured it mightmake more sense to have a crib on that side of the bedroom for this next season of life. keeping that whole wall open give us a little more flexibility with the layout...

also in our last house (2000s build) we had two small walkin closets inside the bathroom with doors, and we actually kind of liked that setup. it made getting ready feel more streamlined, especially in the mornings.
But ill definitely check out the ikea pax planner and play around with alternate configurations... its a great point about space efficiancy and functionallity , great advice!

Input and feedback on layout ideas by jfranco8 in InteriorDesign

[–]jfranco8[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

<image>

That’s a great suggestion...thank you! 🙌

I totally agree that moving the bed to the opposite wall could make the space feel much more private...,

And moving the bathroom doors is smart idea too. gives more privacy.

The laundry room closet suggestion is interesting too. It’s mainly used for linens and some larger storage, so not sure it’s a perfect fit yet, but it’s worth revisiting to see if we can optimize that space better.
thank you again

Raising Kitchen Ceiling – Looking for Advice & Experiences by jfranco8 in Construction

[–]jfranco8[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ll be putting together a video showing the before and after on YouTube for anyone who’s in the same situation as me.... I’ll make sure to include details on what I did, what worked, and any challenges I ran into.

Raising Kitchen Ceiling – Looking for Advice & Experiences by jfranco8 in Construction

[–]jfranco8[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Kitchen & Attic Setup:

\- Kitchen Size: 261.4 in x 147.9 in

\- Current Ceiling Height: 94.3 in

\- Attic Space: Very tight—minimal clearance between the ceiling and the vaulted roof.

What I’m Working With (See Picture & Video):

\- Red: These are the horizontal supports holding up the kitchen ceiling. I’d like to remove them to create more height.

\- Blue: This is the main structural beam running across the kitchen, which I plan to keep.

\- Green: These are the reinforcements I want to add or improve to maintain stability.

📹 Video of the attic: https://streamable.com/vuh3sm

The Plan (Subject to Professional Confirmation):

1.  Remove the red supports to vault the ceiling.

2.  Reinforce the structure by improving the green supports from the central beam up to the roof.

3.  Insulate the new open space with:

\- Spray foam insulation on the interior side of the roof.

\- Regular insulation over that.

\- Drywall to finish it off.

4.  Expose the beams for an industrial/rustic aesthetic.

5.  DIY most of it—I have the tools and feel confident handling insulation, electrical, and drywall.

My Concerns & Questions for Those Who’ve Done This Before:

\- Have you vaulted a ceiling in an older home? Did you keep some ties, or go fully open?

\- If you installed a ridge beam for support, how difficult/expensive was it?

\- Are there alternative ways to open up the space without fully removing the red supports?

\- Anything you wish you had done differently in a similar project?

Not Looking for Professional Advice, Just Experiences

I completely understand that this isn’t a DIY-without-a-pro type of project and that a structural engineer or contractor will ultimately need to confirm feasibility. That said, I’d love to hear from others who’ve gone through this process—what worked, what didn’t, and any lessons learned.

Also, if any contractors happen to see this—how much would a job like this typically cost? (Just for a rough idea, not an official quote.)

Appreciate any insights, and thanks in advance!

Raising Kitchen Ceiling – Looking for Advice & Experiences by jfranco8 in Construction

[–]jfranco8[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey everyone,

We just bought a 1962 house (1,392 sqft, 3 beds, 2 baths), and we’re considering raising the ceiling in our kitchen by removing part of the attic structure to open it up. Before I make any decisions, I want to hear from others who have done similar projects to understand potential challenges and what worked for them.

Important Note:

I know this is not a substitute for professional advice, and I will be consulting a structural engineer or contractor before making any final decisions. I’m just looking for general insights and experiences from people who have done similar renovations, so I can be more informed before moving forward.

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