This week, I'm waiting for Shashi, my Structural Engineer to finalize his design for moving the "lolly poles" in the basement. That's a new term for me! They are the 3 columns supporting the i-beam in the basement, and well, the whole house. In order to maximize space and maintain the integrity of Wes' studio design at least one of the poles needs to be moved or removed entirely. This requires careful planning to reinforce the i-beam (presumably with additional beams) so that the load can be shifted and the house doesn't collapse! This is already adding cost to an already costly project.
Another cost we didn't bargain for relates to the treatment of the floors on the main level, above the studio. In order to minimize footfall noise (people walking around upstairs) coming into the studio, a special acoustic underlayment (rubber mat) needs to be installed under the hardwood floors. It's frustrating, but because this is a production home, the builder seems unwilling to let us install the underlayment during the initial flooring install. It would raise the floors at least a 1/2 inch, and there are more impacts than might immediately be apparent. Moulding around the front and rear exterior door frames would need to be cut, quarter round moulding would need to be cut into around the vents in the kitchen island, and appliances would need to be raised, among other things. One problematic issue is that raising the height of the floor would decrease the height of the first step leading to the bedroom level. This is potentially a code violation and trip hazard, so we have to see what the code says about it. If we can't install the underlayment first, we will be forced to rip up all the flooring, put down the underlayment, and then put the flooring right back down (not as easy as it sounds, and quite possible not doable at all). Either way, the cost to take up the floors in a way that doesn't damage the wood will add a few thousand dollars of extra cost.
Both the structural changes and floor underlayment install will have to be done before my wife and I can move into the new house, so we have to figure out the solution and find contractors very soon. Hoping something goes our way!
(Pictured: poles connected to i-beam in future studio)
Another cost we didn't bargain for relates to the treatment of the floors on the main level, above the studio. In order to minimize footfall noise (people walking around upstairs) coming into the studio, a special acoustic underlayment (rubber mat) needs to be installed under the hardwood floors. It's frustrating, but because this is a production home, the builder seems unwilling to let us install the underlayment during the initial flooring install. It would raise the floors at least a 1/2 inch, and there are more impacts than might immediately be apparent. Moulding around the front and rear exterior door frames would need to be cut, quarter round moulding would need to be cut into around the vents in the kitchen island, and appliances would need to be raised, among other things. One problematic issue is that raising the height of the floor would decrease the height of the first step leading to the bedroom level. This is potentially a code violation and trip hazard, so we have to see what the code says about it. If we can't install the underlayment first, we will be forced to rip up all the flooring, put down the underlayment, and then put the flooring right back down (not as easy as it sounds, and quite possible not doable at all). Either way, the cost to take up the floors in a way that doesn't damage the wood will add a few thousand dollars of extra cost.
Both the structural changes and floor underlayment install will have to be done before my wife and I can move into the new house, so we have to figure out the solution and find contractors very soon. Hoping something goes our way!
