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quote:
Originally posted by cinnaminnacat
interesting..
i have seriously thought about stained concrete for the lanai and utility areas on the lower floor. the 2nd floor (if we go with 2 for view) is more of a problem, but rob says that tile is still possible.
we are listening to everybodys input. the site has some hi/lo spots, so house plan and site plan have to be coordinated, has some interesting possibilities, but some "issues".
how do people feel about 2 story houses in general for lower puna?
thinking about garage or carport , lanai, kitchen+ utilities, and bath on first floor + bedrooms with baths on top with view deck? there are lots of other possibilities given the site contour and that i am beginning to have problems with stairs.
A raised house is much better than a slab, because you get better ventilation, but if this is going to be your last house before ending up in a nursing home or care facility I would hesitate to get go up more than a few steps you could easily build a ramp to, in fact I would build it with a back door with a ramp to it, which will make many things easier: deliveries of furniture and appliances, movement of bulky items, and visits by anyone who uses a stroller. If one of you gets injured or ill, having that ramp could make the difference between staying in your home or going to an expensive nursing home.
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Add solid blocking around your tub or shower stall at handrail height so if you do have to add grab bars you have a solid attachment point to avoid stress cracks in your tile. Make sure it is wide enough to grab all screws, and give you a bit of "wiggle room" for error in locating. If metal framing, use a fairly substantial gauge metal 6 inches wide and fasten between the metal studs so it is against your tile backer board when applied. Wood framing use a 2x12 nailed between for conventional frame, single wall use your middle stiffener "beam".
Community begins with Aloha
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After reading the hurricane preparedness forum, you may want to incorporate the switches and other things necessary for having a generator. Seems like it would be a lot cheaper to do while you are building. I know I just added it to my list since I plan on building soon.
Great topic. Thanks for all the input.
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thanks, for everyones input.
good ideas about ramps and making it easily accessible. we are evaluating the terrain of the site to see if we can use it, somehow, to get the good view, but not do a 2 story box.
or, we may just call it good enough that there are beautiful vistas everywhere in puna and focus more on the landscaping.
/--/
as far as puna being the last stop before nursing home: more likely to a gated/secure retirement community. .
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a gated/secure retirement community
Subdivisions might evolve to this point as a workaround for the "roads problem" and/or the "lack of enforcement problem" -- some of them are already gated today.
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The only gated subdivision I know if on this side is in Kapoho. Are there any others I overlooked?
My understanding is there are very short windows of time in which a subdivision may opt to gate private roads and that the window is closed for most of the subdivisions on the East side.
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retirement communities:
i am thinking it needs to have a range of housing types including apartments, assisted living and skilled nursing. also needs to have easy access to full scale medical facilities.
sad to say, i dont see this type of development happening in the islands in my lifetime.
(i would like to not talk about the end times any further. too much grief in my family lately.)
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apartments, assisted living and skilled nursing
There is a huge planned development in Kau which includes these features.
It's been failing to break ground for many many years.
Be sure to fiberglas insulate your roof from heat and rain noise. Also be sure the roof is vented so the heat has somewhere else to go. Wire screen the vent holes against varmints. This makes a huge difference in comfort and non-reliance on air conditioning. Sun is directly overhead twice a year here.
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You can't fix Samsara.
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towards a quiet house:
"fiberglass.." i am assuming you mean fiberglass batts laid on top of the room flat ceiling, as in the attic space.
i like/ need quiet interior space. if we decide to go 2 story to get the view, i am actually worried about the household noise echoing, esp., top floor foot traffic. coquis are loud enough but at least they are a natural sound. most smooth surface finishes, even glossy paint adds to echo. i just realized that metal cabinets will echo!
what else can i do to control generated noise, echo, etc?
does the "quiet rock" sheetrock help much?
