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  • From: "Jerry W. Shepperd" <shepperd AT austincc.edu>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org, homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Homestead] A New Addition to the House
  • Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2008 20:17:26 -0600



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






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