As many of you know, we moved into our “Spec House from Hell” this summer. The basement is unfinished at this point in time. So this is one of my winter projects – Finishing off one half of the thing.
I’ve attached 4 files. The “Before” files show the left half of the basement as it is now. (The right end is the rec room, and I’m not going to mess with it for the moment) I measured the location of everything, so it should be to scale.
The “After” files show kinda what I’m thinking about doing.
The goals are:
1. To provide some office space. DW needs somewhere quiet to work on school stuff. We’ll probably stick the computer in there as well, so I can surf to Breaktime in peace. (-:
2. Set up a workshop, and contain the dust.
3. Add some storage for assorted junk. Maybe add a closet somewhere that I haven’t shown.
I’m not really sure how much room to allow around the furnace and water heater. Looking the thing over, I doubt I have enough at the moment.
The furnace has the PVC inet and outlet, so combustion air isn’t a concern. But the water heater is a power vent, so it needs supply air.
Codes aren’t really a consideration – There are no (enforced) codes around here. But I do want to do things right.
I’m hoping some of you can offer some creative suggestions. Or maybe some of you plan drawers will upload the DXF files and play with them.
Q: Why do gorillas have big nostrils?
A: Big fingers.
Replies
I may be dense, but is a big S a sump pump? LT?
Got any windows down there?
"I may be dense..."
You're just baiting me, aren't you ??? (-:
LT = Laundry tub
W + D = Washer and Dryer
S = Sump pump. (ground and sanitary)
WH = Water Heater
Furn = Furnace
No winders - The sucker is 9' in the ground.The Russians love Brooke Shields because her eyebrows remind them of Leonid Brezhnev. [Robin Williams]
You really don't need a lot of space for the furance and the water heater, but you do need access. A lot depends on how they are orientated.
You want full width (of the front of the furnace) access to the furnace.
What direction does the pilot access for the WH?
If they are oriented correctly a set of double doors on one of the long walls will be all that you need.
And if needed it is not that hard to repipe the WH to change it's orientation.
If you go to codecheck.com and then sampel you can find information on options to bring in combustion air for the WH. But it does not have th sizing charts.
The furnace has electric ignition, so no pilot.
I think the water heater does too, but I'm not 100% sure.The meek may inherit the earth, but they don't get in to Harvard. [Robin Williams]
But you still need full access to the "front" of the furnace for service and repairs including filter replacement.
And the WH will need to be replaced from time to time.
But for that you could build a removable wall section(s).
Boss if you can make the office door larger do it... 2/6 and yur desk may be out in the hallway..
Give yurself at least 3' feet of working space for the furnace and WH... Consider replacing the blower or the whole unit at some time.. or pulling the the burner pack on either... 4' would be wonderful...
Pipe in make up air from the outside to the mechanical room... Set one vent at the cieling and one near the floor in proximity of the F/WH... Fire rock the room... Of course there's the sensors for monoxide and fire... A pair of 6" ducts would do... Bug and rodent screen same... Seperate tubes are more gooder...
Workshop you say... Seperate 6,000 foot building... Save you from adding on for 1 or 2 years....
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Dang - 3' of working space around the furnace ???
That's gonna take up a lot of my workshop room.
Putting a larger door on the office is probably a good idea.
Can't put up a new building, unfortunately. Restrictive covenants prevent that. )-:There's only one way to look thin: hang out with fat people.
A 4/0 out-swing door instead of a wall to get yur access...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
and take 6" of direct space / clearence... Make it a fire rated door..
Set the door so you can get to the WH too...
Do double 2/6 or 3/0's.... set the clearance even tighter if yur furnace and WH will allow it...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
You might be able to build a sealed room around the furnace and water heater, then supply it with an intake duct to the outside. No comment on whether that meets code or not, just an idea.
How about a double door on the shop. Might need to move big things in and out.
Maybe a fancy dust control system.
Edited 10/8/2004 7:44 pm ET by csnow
move both the office door and the shop door to the wall and have them swing against to/against the wall. If the door is in the middle it will take away more usable wall space.
Bring the shop wall all the way out to the corner of the furnace/water heater, and put a closet/built in shelfs whatever. If you leave that little nook it will be a wasted space and nothing will every go there. won't be much more work you are planning on a corner anyhow just move it out. Does that make sense?
you're gunna curse that post! go ahead and take it out now!
Surround the the furnace room with doors or removable panels.. Go for the 1" minimum clearance..
Move the post over to the shop / office wall...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Boss, is your water heater by chance a tankless unit? If so, it requires a lot of air supply.
I'm looking at this to handle the combustion air for mine:
http://www.tjernlund.com/combustionairintake.html
No, it's not a tankless unit.
I looked over that link you gave, but am not clear on how it works. What triggers the thing to kick on?Sexism hurts everyone - Especially broads.
I agree with cs, you should use double doors on the shop entrance.
Move the WH and furnace over to the post...
Vent and use 2 removeable wall panels for access... Move the post a few feet if you can get away with it...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
I don't think I want to get into moving the furnace and water heater. Too much trouble. And as they are now, they sit by the floor drain.
Might be able to move the post a bit, but not too much. There's only a 3X3 pad under it. Don't want to get off the pad and end up cracking the concrete.Mary had a little lamb, the doctor was surprised; but when Old MacDonald had a farm, the doctor nearly died.
possible to repad???
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Again, that's more than I want to get into. Might need to re-do the beam, and all the mechanicals are around it.
I think I can put something stationary back in the corner there and it won't be in the way too much.I don't have a license to kill. I have a learner's permit.
It turns on from a sensor on the appliance. If you have a power vent that turns on when the heater turns on, it should be possible to hook it up.
But since your heater isn't tankless, the BTU rating is much lower and I don't know that you need something with power assist.
Not that I'm an expert on this.
Another option might be this:
http://www.hoyme.com/hom.html
Boss,
I've attached some ideas. The only other thing I can think of is, if you have an opening to the outside larger than 3' in the Rec room, use 4:0 doors for the shop and Rec room.
Also a 3:0 door to the office. Have you ever tried to move a desk thru a 32" opening?
A D/W high cabinet/counter top on casters over the sumps.
Drop the WT in a D/W height counter.
View After A.gif is looking at the shop from the far office wall area, includes office entry wall and mechanical area.
Reflected Ceiling.gif is of the mechanicals area.
Removables Deatail.gif(sic) is one idea of how to achieve a fire resistant detachable connection for removable sections to permanent wall stubs.
SamT
Edited 10/9/2004 12:16 pm ET by SamT
Dang, you sure put a lot of thought into that. I appreciate the effort.
Actually, I have a coulpe of 4/0 solid core birch door slabs sitting around. Had 3, but managed to give one away. They might make some good doors. Guess I'd have to make my own jambs, but I think I'm up to that.
The door going to the rec room is the only door. (There's a small window for a 2nd mean of egress)
I may stick with a 32" door for the office. I've moved our desk through 30" doors before by removing the back panel and laying it on it's side.
I like the idea of a counter over the sump pumps. DW is always wanting more laundry folding room. I'd have to re-route the plumbing, but that's doable.
Again, thanks for putting so much thought into this. Hope I can return the favor someday.A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any invention in human history - with the possible exceptions of handguns and tequila.