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["Jerry W. Shepperd" <shepperd AT austincc.edu>]

This past weekend, we finished adding a somewhat, although not 
completely Green-friendly 16x24 room on the back of our house.  It 
has handicap access, as we will move my Mother-in-law, who uses a 
wheel chair, into the room.  The room has a wide entrance-way, with 
no door, into the kitchen, so she can use her wheel chair.

Even though we are rural, we had to add a new septic tank and drain 
fields to our septic system, which slowed us quite a bit, as it 
rained for much of last year until Fall.  I knew we would have to 
move the septic tank to allow for the addition, but hoped we wouldn't 
have to do anything to the drain field.  However, the county rules 
are, if the septic tank is moved, or if one is added, then we have to 
meet current county regs for the drain field.  I complained, but had 
no choice, so did it anyway.  It is now done and meets county code.

The room has positive air-flow to help cool.  It has solar panels for 
lights.  I put HardiPlank on the addition for siding.  We struggled 
with that decision for a number of reasons, and because the rest of 
the house is rock, but finally decided on HardiPlank as I could 
install it, and am not a rock mason.  It boiled down to the fact that 
the HardiPlank is less expensive than hiring rock masons, and we had 
to count our pennies.  We did hire the plumbing done, but I did the 
electrical.

We put a heat pump in the addition.  Fortunately, we don't have a lot 
of cold weather, but if we do we will have to use the heat pump for 
warmth.  We use wood heat in the rest of the house, but we didn't 
think that would be adequate for my Mother-in-law, who is very cold 
natured.  She spent her younger years in Africa, and has never gotten 
used to 35 - 40 degree nights.  Her comfort zone is between 85 - 100.

Anyway, we spent a lot of hours planning the addition, looking and 
agonizing over a variety of options, then worked nights and weekends 
since Thanksgiving getting it done.  I finished up this past weekend 
by putting rain gutters on it and sowing grass on the bare spots.  I 
think it looks pretty good, and the fact that it is now finished, 
makes me feel positively wonderful about it.

I have helped others do similar projects, but in most cases, they 
decide what they want, they tell me, and I do it or help them do 
it.  I may make suggestions, but they make the decisions as it is 
their money.   It is harder when you are doing it for yourself, as 
you know it has to stay the way you do it for a long time, and one 
wants it right.

I just read through what I wrote and it sounds as though "I" did 
everything.  Let me correct that misconception.  My wife also worked 
on the room and worked very hard.  It would have taken either much 
more time or much more money without her working on the room 
also.  She is a talented cabinet maker, but we didn't put any 
cabinets in the addition.  (She made the cabinets in our 
kitchen.)   We did move a cabinet from the spot where we cut the 
entrance between the addition and the kitchen.

Don, we missed connections when you came through Central Texas, so 
the next time you are through the area, you are invited out.

Jerry