Another post brought up a question…
Do you add secret places to your projects? I’m considering adding a secret spot on a bookcase I’m building for a customer. It wouldn’t add much cost, but for the hinges and the closing device. I know I would love it if someone did this for me. I know that the Stickley furniture company adds secret drawers and openings in many of their bedroom pieces; dressers and armoires.
Does anyone else regularly add things like this in furniture, built-ins, rooms, attics, basements, etc.?
Replies
I can't tell you . . . .
Actually, I often put all my sketches and prints in a relatively sealed area; under a crown molding or top, or between the secondary wood and the real wood when doing furniture or built-ins. In structures, I do always try to put SOME secret places in - kid's tend to love 'em.
My personal house has a base corner cabinet in the library, okay? The doors swing inward, and there is a tiny staircase at a 60 degree angle up to a room over the hall leading to the library - we lowered the ceiling there to 7' from the 11-1/2' normal, and painted stars on it - you never notice. That hallway comes into the 11-1/2' tall library through the wall to wall bookcase, and the "back" of the bookcase over the door is actually made of old balusters; that's how the kids see out - through the books!
It's darn cool - we built it even before we had kids. I grew up in a one-story brick ranch . . .
Forrest
hidden rooms and secret compartments fascinate me...
I'm curious, though, do "hidden" stairs have to meet the same code requirements as "visible" stairs? What about access door sizes? Lighting requirements? Do inspectors care about these things that aren't meant for everyday "public" use? (Probably varies by jurisdiction, but it just got me thinking...)
..they're SECRET...don't tell'em !!!
bum
...keep smiling...makes 'em wonder what you're up to !!
Hmmmmm....well, pull down attic stairs definetly do not conform to the stair codes. I think It mostly depends on the classifacation of the space that one would climb the stairs to access. Since an attic is not really habitable space, you are allowed to use a pull down ladder rather than a full code compliant staircase.
The secret room in my personal house, I'd never ask an inspector to look. Interestingly enough, my "60 degree stairs" are actually an old pull-down attic stairway mounted flat on a carpeted plywood ramp. The lights are covered fluorescents, recessed flush in the low ceiling, switched above and below. There is an HVAC return in the floor just inside the entry cabinet, and the secret room and the library share the same ceiling height, with ample communication between the two.
I've had secret rooms in inspected additions before, and the inspector and I would usually agree that it was just "interesting access to storage space".
Forrest
do "hidden" stairs have to meet the same code requirements as "visible" stairs?
Well, it certainly seems like a person could make a case that such things are "exceptional" or "special use," which often is a way to "king's X" code requirements.
Hmm, might just meet the needs for "restricted access," may have to pass that by the ADA compliance guy.
Or, just do as OBB suggests, leave it all out on the plans (label as "Future Mechanical Chase" or the like), close the spaces up for all inspections through the CoO, then convert.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
There's a bump out in my foundation for a bay window where I could have easily canted the floor joists. In the basement I have a peg board set up with a hinged door for access. I hang a couple of long straight edge rulers over the hinges.
I keep some expensive tools in there just in case somebody gets past the security system and the dogs. at a glance no one would suspect a thing. OK, now you guys know where my stash is.
My wife doesnt even know. one day she was calling for me so I slipped in there and watched her through the pegboard holes looking for me. I thought that was cool enough
"Does anyone else regularly add things like this in furniture, built-ins, rooms, attics, basements, etc.?"
All the time. I also leave notes and time pieces like a newspaper from that day inside walls. I love it when I find them too from carpenters & builders of long ago.
I try to leave old demo materials in the walls on projects, a carpenters pencil (got too many) and an old rusted tool of some sort. Kind of a time capsule.
Grunge on. http://grungefm.com
I had convinced the client that the old 8' sliding doors might still be in the walled up pockets in the old house they had bought to save from the neglect of years of being rental apartments.
They hacked it all away, and the wife ran away shrieking - I wasn't there.
The skeleton was too small for a person, but was a good-sized dog . . .
They've been a good repeat customer, so I guess they didn't blame me!
Forrest
>>"The skeleton was too small for a person, but was a good-sized dog . . .
Now that takes the cake.
Best I can do are rat skeletons in a crawl and a cat skeleton in a basement.
Heck with the rats but the poor cat likely got trapped and croaked. ;-(
"Let's get crack-a-lackin" --- Adam Carolla
See post in the Tavern...Philly dudes.
Take the wife out, quaff a few beers...tell Bradley the bassist, it's on Duane..Send me the bill, really. It's worth it.
I dare ya.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Damm, I miss that stuff
Got it.
I'll check them out.
Thanks again.
"Let's get crack-a-lackin" --- Adam Carolla
I just figured out your name - duh.Why is it every time I need to get somewhere, I get waylaid by jackassery?
http://grantlogan.net/
>>"I just figured out your name - duh.
I keep my real name a secret so I can blast away in the tavern without consequence. Also comes in handy for those BI threads. ;-)
"Let's get crack-a-lackin" --- Adam Carolla
I mean your screen name- I thought it was Phil are newal. Then I looked at your profile and saw where you're from. You don't know Pete, Jim or Betty Pope by any chance do you. Some friends of mine from the past.
It's never too late to be up to date.
http://grantlogan.net/
>>"You don't know Pete, Jim or Betty Pope by any chance do you
Nope. Don't really know a lot of people in town. Just so busy most of the time, I don't even walk around town much anymore. Have to get back into that habit.
"Let's get crack-a-lackin" --- Adam Carolla
Didn't figure you did. An old buddy and his brother and sister - lost track of them a number of years back.
I invented cream cheese.
Its never too late to be up to date.
http://grantlogan.net/
Edited 4/30/2006 3:07 pm ET by seeyou
It says this guy been here since 04..any way, he kinda grows on ya..I guess we can keep him.
New tunes alert:
Liz Wright is worth a listen again if you cruised by "Salt" the first time.
Teddy Thompson and his dad Richard...well what else is there to say?
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Damm, I miss that stuff
Yeah, I've heard Liz Wright but can't seperate her from the herd in my mind. Teddy's a different story - great album and I didn't need to read liner notes to tell who's playing lead guitar.It's beyond me why Richard never got to be any more appreciated than he is.
It's never too late to be up to date.
http://grantlogan.net/
Richard ( and Linda) were/are an aquired taste. They never got any airplay here in the US.
I met him at the shop whwere we made guitars in about 89, along w/ alot of other great and wanna be greats..Joe Satriani has a Thank You to Duane on a liner note, Whine onya Judd and I had lunch together, and the best was Warren Zevon spent a day at the sanding table..in hindsight, that is prolly what kilt him.
Mc Cartney, Fogelberg. Gorka. Springsteen, Gin Blossums..talk about a mind herd.
Why exactly am I roofing? Oh, yeah..it pays for the house.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Damm, I miss that stuff
>>>Whine onya Judd and I had lunch together, I'd be afraid she'd eat me for an hors d'eourve.
It's never too late to be up to date.
http://grantlogan.net/
Quite personable actually. Her lead bought a new Tele copy that day...what stuck me as odd was she dipped her wonton crab puff thingies in the wonton soup..and she had finger nails like chop stix painted red...visually an erortic yet repulsive sort of thing.
Man I wish I had her teeth tho'..all caps and all pretty, whitest teeth I ever come across. Opps.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Damm, I miss that stuff
When I was framing, I used to "sign and date" my work in a place that would only become visible during a tear-out or some extensive remodeling. I've never had the opportunity to include any sort of hidden place or anything like that personally, however one house that I worked on had a detached garage with a roofed breezeway connected to the house. The attic of the breezeway had a catwalk going from a little door in the teenage daughter's room to the pull-down access in the garage. We always thought that the parents were either really really naive, or really really liberal. I'm not sure which is worse.
One of the oddest things I've ever uncovered inside a wall was the rat and rattlesnake skeletons together in the same stud space. not sure who killed who first, but neither one made it out alive.
I did do a hidden access to the attic disguised in the wainscotting in one of the bedrooms of a house that I built for myself once, does that count?" If I were a carpenter"
Yeah, i keep "spot" my dragon under a hinged stair case..he scorched the back side snoring one night, we just went along with his little quirks, cuz MAN can he get riled easily.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Damm, I miss that stuff
LOL.... you're smoked dude.View Image
No lie here. My Dog is Eddie (Munster) cats were (now dead) Lily and Herman...seee? Goats were Larry , Moe and Curly..chickens were Ginger and MaryAnn, Proffesor and Gilligan...we named em all after TV shows from the '60'70's..and peeple think I am weird..go bite thyselves.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Damm, I miss that stuff
I use to have 2 goldfish named Ike and Tina Tuna.Why is it every time I need to get somewhere, I get waylaid by jackassery?
http://grantlogan.net/
well that don't suprise me at all.
i just had a classic Norte American fest..Canadiaen bacon with salsa and queso...damm good thing the wife is awry ( I mean away). Newcastle brown ale for the chaser.
I might get used to this bachelor life style, I actually got some sleep too.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Damm, I miss that stuff
>>"Canadiaen bacon with salsa and queso...
Now that sounds good.
Careful . . . don't say Canadian bacon too loud . . . my better half is Canadian and never ceases to remind me there is no such thing. ;-)
"Let's get crack-a-lackin" --- Adam Carolla
Ok, so technicallyt it is some sorta ham. What ever it is, I nabbed a trucklod at Sam's Club last week.
I love that stuff, but the $$ is crazy for it.
I also love these bachelor weekends, I get to eat 'heartattack on a plate' whenever I want. Oh. the dog is well planted on the bed as well..LOL
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Damm, I miss that stuff
I sleep deep and well when the split tails are away from the house. Enjoy, dewd.edited for spelling - I spelled dood wrong.
It's never too late to be up to date.http://grantlogan.net/
Edited 4/29/2006 7:36 pm ET by seeyou
LOL. I just woke up from a nap, and was typing to you when that came at me.
Split tails..now that is a new one on me. Good one.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Damm, I miss that stuff
if we told ya they wouldn't be secret....
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!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
You're looking for grow room ideas, aren't ya?
http://grantlogan.net/
I love doing this for homeowners. As a framer, my secret places are limited to backs of closets or in places only accesible during framing stages. We have built safe rooms for law enforcement officers and compartments at backs of closets for who knows what.
Mike
Ocean State Builders Inc.
JMadson,
We put "touch" hardware on a triangle door hidden in a paneled side of a stairway and a hidden closet inside. It was cool.
The kids loved it.
Fz
I could tell you about all my secrete spaces..... But then I'd have to kill you!
TRIGGER
Ive never done anything like this. BUT....
I do like hiding The current days newpaper vacuum sealed in plastic somewhere in the house .
Ie... in the floor before the final piece of subfloor goes down. In a wall... Tucked under a stair before the carpet goes in.
Ive always loved ripping into a house and a piece of nastalgia falls out of the ceiling
I live in Chicago area and I also just built a kitchen island. I wrapped up a copy of the Chicago Sun Times from the day after the Sox won the World Series. Should be a good find someday.“The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.” – Albert Einstein