external stairwell "box" - how to?

[jgodfrey]

Hi All,

New to the forum and haven't been able to find an answer using "search". Also, I'm just a typical DIY homeowner - so you may have to excuse some of my terminology... ;^)

Basically, I'm trying to draw my current house in Chief 10, and am having some trouble with the structure around my stairs.

It's a 2 story house with a typical staircase that goes 1/2 way up to a landing, then turns 180 degrees and goes the rest of the way to the 2nd floor.

The landing is along an outer wall of the house. During construction, the contractor decided the stairway was too cramped and "extended" the area by adding a "box" to the exterior wall to contain part of the landing. Basically, this box starts at landing height (4'ish feet), is 8' high, and adds an additional 2' of depth to the landing. I hope that makes sense. See image...

So, from the outside of the house, I have a 2' deep box that's about 8' wide (the width of the landing) and 8' high - that starts at about 4' above the first floor level and goes up.

Unfortunately, I haven't figured out how to properly model this in Chief. I've tried to add the "box" onto the main level, and then raise the floor level to 4', but that leaves a "hole" to the outside underneath the raised floor.

Thanks for any suggestions.


Jeff

[louis]

I believe you could do this in a similar way to the way a split entry is done. Lower the second floor room halfway between floors. Connect the first floor stair to that room and them draw from that room to the second floor. You will have invisible walls between the landing room and the house.

[Allen42acj]

I was thinking,adding it on the second floor,use an ivisible wall to make it a room. and lower it from there by 4'.
I know there is almost always more than 1 way to do things in CA.
Allen Colburn

[jgodfrey]

Louis,

Thanks for the suggestion, though I do have a question.

The "box" doesn't really start until about 4' *above* the 1st floor, and ends about 8' above that (so, about 4' below the 2nd floor ceiling). How can I get it to look right on the outside of the house using your suggestion? That is, the "box" is only 8 vertical high (plus roof), so it's only on about 4' of each floor.

Thanks again.

Jeff

[Allen42acj]

Need an open below room on second floor.
Allen Colburn

[louis]

Jeff,

Then lower the ceiling on the landing room to give you your 8' height.

Try it like Allen is showing and lower the ceiling.

[Allen42acj]

Louis
I think you explained how I did it,now I reread your reply.
Just you make it sound to easy and faster.
Allen Colburn

[louis]

Yes Allen I changed my post. I'm under the weather right now and my brain is not working so great.

Thanks for the picture.

[Allen42acj]

Louis
Your welcome and hope you feel better.
Allen Colburn

[jgodfrey]

Allen / Louis

Thanks for the quick replies. Though I haven't had time to try your suggestions out yet, the results in Allen's picture look like just what I need.

I'll let you know how I get along.

Thanks again.

Jeff

[jgodfrey]

OK, I just tried your suggestions, but I still seem to have a few problems. I added an "open below" type room to the 2nd floor, lowered it by about 4', and created a roof over it. From the outside, it looks pretty good, except I have a big hole in my exterior wall above the lowered room, as highlighted below.

I'm not really sure if the interior is right yet or not. I thought I'd try to fix the obvious first.

Thoughts on what I've done wrong?

Oh, also, my little "box" room doesn't appear to have a floor in it... Hmmmmm...

Thanks,

Jeff

[Tommy Blair]

Jeff,

Try moving your small gable roof away from the wall a hair. That might fix the wall problem with siding.

Tommy

[jgodfrey]

Tommy,

Thanks, but that doesn't appear to gain me anything (still have the big hole).

Jeff

[Allen42acj]

On the 2nd floor dont make the wall invisible,you need to have a doorway there instead.
Allen Colburn

[Allen42acj]

Here it is with the doorway streched and sized to go to the bump out cieling
Allen