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| 09:11 PM | ||
| Users Online Now: 2,100 (Who's On?) | Visitors Today: 1,295,754 | |
| Pageviews Today: 2,151,406 | Threads Today: 828 | Posts Today: 14,697 |
| 09:11 PM | ||
What to do about my basement stairs to get an open concept? (ASCII diagram) | |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 12879032  United States09/17/2013 10:05 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Hey GLP - figured many of you are home owners and might have some thoughts about this. I'm hoping to open the light from my living room into my kitchen to get more of an open concept. But there's a big o'l stairway to the basement in the way. I have a rectangular house with a flat roof. On the left end with the attached garage, I have an entryway right, a landing and a stairway to the basement. At the end of the opening for the stairway is a finished closet that's pretty much useless, since there's already one by the front door. I was thinking of taking the walls enclosing the stairway down, but they're probably load bearing.. I know I can work around that with some headers and structural concepts. I know some professional contractors, but right now I'm just looking for ideas. What do you think, GLP? Could I knock down the walls to open it up? Maybe replace them with half-walls, and replacethe closet with a little breakfast peninsula? It looks like this. Attached garage is to the left of the living room / kitchen. ----BIG WINDOW-----Door--| | | | | Living Room | | --------------------| || Stairs||||||||||||:::| <---Useless closet --------------------| | | | | Kitchen...........Dining | | | -----__----------______--|  |
| Anonymous Coward (OP) User ID: 12879032 United States09/17/2013 10:13 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 116264  Canada09/17/2013 10:18 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | We did something similar to what you're wanting to do except our stairs go the opposite way to our basement. I just took a picture for you to look at to help with a visual. Maybe you can get an idea from it. Will upload it now.  |
Waterbug  User ID: 34388912 United States09/17/2013 10:19 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 42054506 Canada09/17/2013 10:19 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 116264 Canada09/17/2013 10:22 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Here's what ours looks like after the walls came down to make it open concept. IMAGE ( [link to s1155.photobucket.com] ) |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 44493293 United States09/17/2013 10:22 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Could you leave the solid framework be,and just open the roof according to how the sunlight moves.OF course it would have to be solid,but if you are going to play around with new construction,might as well go for what you really want AFTER ALL..Some light. |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 43853955 United States09/17/2013 10:23 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | You could probably get away with support columns all the way up the ceiling without a full header. You could either leave them exposed and painted or wrap them in drywall. You'll need a handrail i'm guessing on both side so no one will fall through. You have lots of options there. Half wall, ornamental iron, traditional wood banister.... Or are you trying to be creative and do like a large cutout with a full header and keep some separation between the 2 rooms? |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 44493293 United States09/17/2013 10:24 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| Anonymous Coward (OP) User ID: 12879032 United States09/17/2013 10:25 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | op take picture put it on the net and post it here with the link .. will be simplier or draw a plan, take it with your phone as a picture and post it as a picture. Quoting: Korats01 easier. aint 90s anymore :) Sorry.. :( Let me try drawing a better picture.. the one I have doesn't capture what I have/want.. I'll post in a few minutes |
| Anonymous Coward (OP) User ID: 12879032 United States09/17/2013 10:26 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Here's what ours looks like after the walls came down to make it open concept. Quoting: Anonymous Coward 116264 IMAGE ( [link to s1155.photobucket.com] ) Thank you for this :) I think my challenge is a little different.. Mine cuts through kitchen and living room areas perpendicularly.. I'll post the diagram in a bit once I get the drawing right.. |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 116264 Canada09/17/2013 10:28 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Here's what ours looks like after the walls came down to make it open concept. Quoting: Anonymous Coward 116264 IMAGE ( [link to s1155.photobucket.com] ) Thank you for this :) I think my challenge is a little different.. Mine cuts through kitchen and living room areas perpendicularly.. I'll post the diagram in a bit once I get the drawing right.. I see that, to bad you can't move your stairway to the basement. |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 116264 Canada09/17/2013 10:42 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Check this picture out OP! IMAGE ( [link to s1155.photobucket.com] ) Found it at the link below showing open concept rooms with stairways. Really cool ideas there. [link to www.houzz.com] |
| Anonymous Coward (OP) User ID: 12879032 United States09/17/2013 10:52 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Okay - here's a link to my diagram. Hope this works. I haven't tried uploading to this site before.. Don't autoban me for linking! [link to s23.postimg.org] |
| Anonymous Coward (OP) User ID: 12879032 United States09/17/2013 10:58 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Could you leave the solid framework be,and just open the roof according to how the sunlight moves.OF course it would have to be solid,but if you are going to play around with new construction,might as well go for what you really want AFTER ALL..Some light. Quoting: WETHEYYOUITHEMUS I LOVE this idea. |
| Anonymous Coward (OP) User ID: 12879032 United States09/17/2013 11:01 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | You could probably get away with support columns all the way up the ceiling without a full header. Quoting: Anonymous Coward 43853955 You could either leave them exposed and painted or wrap them in drywall. You'll need a handrail i'm guessing on both side so no one will fall through. You have lots of options there. Half wall, ornamental iron, traditional wood banister.... Or are you trying to be creative and do like a large cutout with a full header and keep some separation between the 2 rooms? I'm not sure yet.. I'm thinking of ditching the walls and the closet at the end, then wrapping around a prep area to create a breakfast peninsula.. Check out my uploaded diagram of how things are now .. what do you think? |
| Anonymous Coward (OP) User ID: 12879032 United States09/17/2013 11:12 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Okay - here's a link to my diagram. Hope this works. I haven't tried uploading to this site before.. Don't autoban me for linking! Quoting: Anonymous Coward 12879032 [link to s23.postimg.org] Is it too crazy? |
| FWIW User ID: 33382770 United States09/17/2013 11:16 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Could you leave the solid framework be,and just open the roof according to how the sunlight moves.OF course it would have to be solid,but if you are going to play around with new construction,might as well go for what you really want AFTER ALL..Some light. Quoting: WETHEYYOUITHEMUS Come down to that, They make fiber optic skylights. |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 43853955 United States09/17/2013 11:21 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | You could probably get away with support columns all the way up the ceiling without a full header. Quoting: Anonymous Coward 43853955 You could either leave them exposed and painted or wrap them in drywall. You'll need a handrail i'm guessing on both side so no one will fall through. You have lots of options there. Half wall, ornamental iron, traditional wood banister.... Or are you trying to be creative and do like a large cutout with a full header and keep some separation between the 2 rooms? I'm not sure yet.. I'm thinking of ditching the walls and the closet at the end, then wrapping around a prep area to create a breakfast peninsula.. Check out my uploaded diagram of how things are now .. what do you think? Your diagram is good man stop worrying about it. It makes sense. So peninsula...you mean like a nook sized table and maybe a bench seat on one side? What is on the walls that share space with the stairwell? could you add a counter to the wall in the kitchen that would be on a half wall facing the living room ? That way you could look over the stairwell and eat while watching TV |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 116264 Canada09/17/2013 11:32 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Okay - here's a link to my diagram. Hope this works. I haven't tried uploading to this site before.. Don't autoban me for linking! Quoting: Anonymous Coward 12879032 [link to s23.postimg.org] Is it too crazy? No, not at all, one side of your stairwell could be an eating bar with stools and the other side a nice railing. Your diagram made sense to me and it would be really nice IMO. :-) |
| ohnonotagain User ID: 12829417 United States09/17/2013 11:35 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Hey GLP - figured many of you are home owners and might have some thoughts about this. I'm hoping to open the light from my living room into my kitchen to get more of an open concept. But there's a big o'l stairway to the basement in the way. Quoting: Anonymous Coward 12879032 I have a rectangular house with a flat roof. On the left end with the attached garage, I have an entryway right, a landing and a stairway to the basement. At the end of the opening for the stairway is a finished closet that's pretty much useless, since there's already one by the front door. I was thinking of taking the walls enclosing the stairway down, but they're probably load bearing.. I know I can work around that with some headers and structural concepts. I know some professional contractors, but right now I'm just looking for ideas. What do you think, GLP? Could I knock down the walls to open it up? Maybe replace them with half-walls, and replacethe closet with a little breakfast peninsula? It looks like this. Attached garage is to the left of the living room / kitchen. ----BIG WINDOW-----Door--| | | | | Living Room | | --------------------| || Stairs||||||||||||:::| <---Useless closet --------------------| | | | | Kitchen...........Dining | | | -----__----------______--| Admit it, it's your Mom's house and your basement dwelling needs more space. LOL, just yanking your chain!  "The Tree of Liberty is Thirsty and needs Watering" -Me |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 116264 Canada09/17/2013 11:47 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | No reason why an eating bar similar to this one in the picture can't be made indoors. IMAGE ( [link to homeremodelingpins.com] ) |
| Anonymous Coward (OP) User ID: 12879032 United States09/17/2013 11:52 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| Anonymous Coward (OP) User ID: 12879032 United States09/17/2013 11:59 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | No, not at all, one side of your stairwell could be an eating bar with stools and the other side a nice railing. Your diagram made sense to me and it would be really nice IMO. :-) Quoting: Anonymous Coward 116264 I just drew it out.. and it is making a lot of sense. I think it's going to be half-walls though. The kitchen-side wall is going to be Prep area > Cook > Serve, wrapped around where that useless closet will have been, from left to right. Fridge is going to the "closet" closest to the garage. The dining area doesn't make sense unless I cut that picture window out and replace it with patio doors. God, I wish I had money. |
| ohnonotagain User ID: 12829417 United States09/18/2013 12:00 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Admit it, it's your Mom's house and your basement dwelling needs more space. Quoting: ohnonotagain LOL, just yanking your chain! Hahaha.. To keep it real, my mom is staying with me. She keeps to herself and spends most of her time in my basement. Dead serious. That's a Bearded Spock reality here on GLP, LOL! "The Tree of Liberty is Thirsty and needs Watering" -Me |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 46995021  Australia09/18/2013 12:14 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Good for wheel chair and when you get older. Although they do have external stairs for backup and fire. |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 116264 Canada09/18/2013 12:22 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | No, not at all, one side of your stairwell could be an eating bar with stools and the other side a nice railing. Your diagram made sense to me and it would be really nice IMO. :-) Quoting: Anonymous Coward 116264 I just drew it out.. and it is making a lot of sense. I think it's going to be half-walls though. The kitchen-side wall is going to be Prep area > Cook > Serve, wrapped around where that useless closet will have been, from left to right. Fridge is going to the "closet" closest to the garage. The dining area doesn't make sense unless I cut that picture window out and replace it with patio doors. God, I wish I had money. Might not cost you as much as you may think, never hurts to get some quotes. I planned mine out in 1998 and finally got it done in 2010! I saved up for it.  |
| Anonymous Coward (OP) User ID: 12879032 United States09/18/2013 12:58 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Might not cost you as much as you may think, never hurts to get some quotes. I planned mine out in 1998 and finally got it done in 2010! I saved up for it. Quoting: Anonymous Coward 12879032 Maybe not, AC.. I like to have my dreams. Even when reality seems to blockade them. I still go for precisely what I want. |
| Anonymous Coward (OP) User ID: 12879032 United States09/18/2013 01:28 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| John User ID: 69160437 United States05/07/2015 08:12 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
