All About Additions
Perhaps your family has grown, you’ve simply decided that there’s a space you’ve always wanted, or you’re looking at staying in your home long term. Is an addition the best way to make it happen? Let’s consider the following factors that determine your addition:
Here are a few questions that your builder should be able to help you answer:
• Will my site accommodate my addition?
• Will my addition and ideas work as planned or what changes are required?
• What permits or other regulatory requirements are necessary to build my new addition?
• Who is the building team and how will my project be managed?
4 Elements That Need to be Considered
When Planning an Addition to Your Home
1
Engineering and Site Layout
The Prospect Home
You need to consider whether or not your lot will accommodate your ideas and the
new addition. Before starting the design process, you need to obtain information such as existing house plans, deeds, lot lines, easements, encumbrances, and restrictions.
Your builder can offer experience, engineers, and other professionals who can help
advise on what is possible to achieve in the space your lot offers. With that assistance, your builder can quickly determine what the best course of action is moving forward.
For example; we were chosen to design and build an addition and remodel the house on a Prospect property. We recognized the client’s ideas could be challenging, as the planned layout required the new structure to be approximately 1 foot away from a scenic stream running through the property. Specific engineering was required to make sure there could be a foundation designed and installed to accommodate their vision.
Our team brought in a Structural Engineer and a Civil Engineer to confer with our
Architect and building team. In addition to those professionals, we were required to involve the US Corps of Engineers, Kentucky Division of Water, and local permitting officials to allow the project to move forward. Utilizing the existing wrap around porch and eclectic style, we incorporated a new kitchen, master suite, gym, garage, office, and a covered deck. We especially enjoyed building the covered deck porch over the stream and while retaining the authentic look and feel of this unique Prospect home.
2
Plan Design
The Highlands Home
There has to be a building plan in place before any type of addition or remodel can be built. The plan layout and design should consider the site issues as discussed previously. In addition to structural integrity, roof and floor systems, structural beams, load bearing walls, and other issues including detailed tie ins to the existing structure. This requires a builder and team who can meet your vision with a detailed design and plan that accomplishes each element of the build.
For example: We were interviewed to build an addition in the Highlands for a growing family.
Their family wanted to stay in their neighborhood and preferably their home that was built in
the 1940s. They had 3 children with another on the way and needed more space. The project involved taking a minimal sized lot, typical of that area, and fulfilling their wishes. The discussion and planning included issues like materials to be used, types of windows, room layouts, access to existing spaces, and how their vision could be accomplished.
Based on the lot restrictions and lot size, we designed the plan. Their vision required us to remove the disconnected single-car garage. The plan integrated exterior walls that were very close to the lot lines, and required specific fire-rating amongst other critical constraints. We designed and built a garage with living areas above and behind it, which gave the family a mud room, a rear staircase, two additional bedrooms and bathrooms, a first floor laundry, and additional master closet space. The addition connected the old structure to the new structure at two access points, one upstairs and one downstairs, which required an extensive design process.
Another major planning detail that had to be integrated carefully was the existing kitchen floor being 3 inches out of level. Our team had to level this area without affecting the upstairs floor structure because our access points on the first and second floor had to be level with the new addition, again retaining a look that did not emphasize the existing defects.
This Highland’s addition and remodel required much foresight and design to meet both the client’s vision and the builder’s implementation to create a product everyone could be proud of.
3
Permitting and Regulations
The Dunvegan
The ability to build on a lot isn’t solely about space. Sometimes factors both inside and outside the property along with other constraints, determine what can and cannot be built. Your lot may be in a historical district, deed restricted subdivision, an overlay district, and other regulations that restrict the type and placement of additions you can make to your house. Imminent to the lot, could be issues like erosion control, sewers, utilities, and other potential problems with permitting.
For example: at the Dunvegan Project, we were asked to remodel a 1960s ranch home and build an extensive addition allowing continued accessibility and aging in place. Our client had a preliminary direction they wanted to move toward, which included adding an elevator, saving the basement foundation and certain walls in the existing house. We knew that there were structural and foundation issues that could be expected. The existing single-form foundation, visible wood decay, site elevations, and basement tie-ins as proposed, presented visible complications. However, they proceeded with construction.
Once under construction, there was much more to the foundation issues and wood decay than could be seen until uncovered. Working with the local building officials at our request, it was determined that all the wood needed to be demoed and the existing foundation was not safe enough to support the build. The project essentially became a rebuild due to the amount of material that had to be replaced. However, had our clients been working with a company that didn’t have our expertise and ability to problem-solve, the project may never have been finished.
4
Construction Details
Hurstbourne Addition
Not all additions are the same. An old home with a new addition requires a different type of expertise than a new home with an add on. With P.L. Lyons Architectural Builders, you get a team who can do both. We inspect the existing conditions and determine what integrations need to take place to move from old to new. From plumbing to painting to electrical work, your builders need to be completely proficient in order to make your addition look as if it has always been part of your home. Since 1973, we have had in place team members including dedicated site supervision and “superheroes” that take your project to the finish line.
For example: our Hurstbourne Project, we were asked to build a rear addition, two new garages, a secluded wine storage area, a limestone fireplace, a full new basement tied into the old basement, and last but not least, a two-level porch for a wave pool off the second floor master bedroom. This type of project required very specific construction details to be communicated to everyone involved.
Whether it was milling the limestone for the fireplace or tying in the old basement design into the new addition, it took our collective experience to make such a large project possible. While many builders would be overwhelmed by the prospect of an addition like this, we embraced the challenge.
Our Field Team
Marty Stamper, our Construction Manager and Supervisor, communicates directly with the client and team members to take the project to the beginning to the finish line.
James Duvall, our Carpenter Foreman and Warranty Specialist, directs checks and is constantly involved in making sure all aspects of the construction are being implemented.
Diego Arroyo, Professional Painter, supervises drywall and paint on the job sites and he does all of our touch ups along with warranty work.
Chris Lopez, Apprentice Carpenter, works alongside Jimmy and will become a Carpenter Foreman and Warranty Specialist in the future.
