Addition Subtraction
The new room moves along in lurches. Yesterday, windows delivered, and the door that Ann doesn't like after all, seen in the flesh--or vinyl, as it were. Windows on the door are dinky and it will have to go back. The contractor has other jobs he's juggling and we've (mercifully) not heard the attendant banging and drilling that goes with home-moaner's progress. There are still unmade decisions, coming to a head very soon.
Regarding the heat for the room, which will have a cathedral ceiling 12 feet at the peak: unvented gas, I had thought, til I read some bad press on the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning. We have a 30K BTU 4-eye wall unit we use sparingly in the great room, and never noticed any smell or air quality problems with that in six years. But this little rock in the shoe makes the heater choice a harder one to make.
The room will have a concrete pad for or under the floor. Whether concrete will be our surface remains to be seen. Without a pattern etched in it (that will also catch dirt) will it be slippery underfoot? We plan to have area rugs most places people will walk. And I think we did decide to add pigment before it is poured, so if it shows, that's okay. But that needs to be decided soon.
I added just a few more pictures to the gallery. The unfinished product sure isn't much to look at. But then, we've seen this whole house in intensive care, and seen it come through the surgery transformed and holding our lives in a most pleasant way. The new room will eventually feel the same way. Eventually.
Comments
I have three neighbors with vent less gas heat fire places, one is a fireman, when installed properly and maintained as recommended and with the use of a carbon monoxide detector they are safe. Any type of stove that burns something to produce heat can cause problems. As far as your floor goes, if it’s not textured it will be slick when wet. The houses here are built on pilings so when I enclosed under my house my concrete pad became my concrete floor and it’s a slick finish so when the floor gets wet or sandy anyone who’s not careful go’s a flying.
It looks like you have a lot of sun on the front of the house, looks like a south western exposure. If you put windows all across that wall and use a glass door it could act as a source of passive solar heat. I like the “sky light” on the side wall. Are you thinking of putting stained glass there. It looks like on heck of a big room. I’m sure you will enjoy it when its finished.
Posted by: cindy lee | January 29, 2006 7:55 AM
We can second Cindy's recommendation. Our bedroom fireplace is fueled with unvented gas logs and we've had no problems with it. I researched them thoroughly before deciding on installation. The only "bad press" I found resulted from improper installation and improper maintenance. As I recall, you already have propane monitor heat in the home. Carbon monoxide protectors, like smoke detectors, should be part of any home as a routine safety precaution, no matter what heat source your use.
Posted by: Doug Thompson | January 29, 2006 8:52 AM
Hi Fred,
Looks like a good size room, man; taking on a project like that is a lot more work than most people think. Are you doing it yourself?
DL
Posted by: D L Ennis | January 29, 2006 10:59 PM
Fred give Decorative Coatings (http://www.dcva.biz/) a call at 540-482-0003. They're located in Rocky Mount. I spoke with them at a home show last year and they had some good solutions for concrete surfaces that were attractive and slip resistant.
With that said, I'd hate to see you go with concrete on the floor. You've got an old farmhouse and I think the addition's floor should be something that remains true to the nature of the home. I'd go with a hardwood floor, something like a frontier oak style of some sort. Heck even a painted pine floor would look better than a modern style concrete floor. Or even some sort of fieldstone that would bring a little of the outdoors inside the room.
Sean
Posted by: Sean Pecor | January 30, 2006 2:35 PM
I was just looking at the photos and remembering what I saw when I visited. On that DSC_5608 photo, man, I could see a fieldstone style of floor with a large propane powered antique style iron cast wood stove in the center of that back wall. The concrete fieldstone would set you back about $4/sqft but that's comparable to the cost of hardwood. Then a really nice 9x12 oriental rug in the middle of the room and it would be a real special retreat!
Sean
Posted by: Sean Pecor | January 30, 2006 2:44 PM
I've got to agree with Sean on this, Fred. A concrete floor just wouldn't be in keeping with the character of your home. Do you think it would be possible to use reclaimed lumber to put down a hardwood or pine floor?
Posted by: Dave | January 31, 2006 8:47 AM
Dude,
CO doesn't smell (I know you know this) and you might not know you are dizzy (depending on your activities); also, do you think ventless will put out the heat you need? The ones I have seen are lightweights.
Posted by: Dave | January 31, 2006 4:19 PM
From what little experience I have with concrete slabs, I would suggest water heated pipes installed in the floor for heating. My father used this in his shop, and it works extremely well. I'm really not sure of the cost involved, but knowing my father for the mizer that he is, it can't be too bad. REW
Posted by: Reed Wilkinson | February 1, 2006 12:39 PM