[Pololous]

We are in the north east. In the middle of planning landscape/outdoor patio/deck area in rear of house.

Existing:
1980s cape with equally sized side addition with two car garage and living room above attached. Existing deck is improperly built and half of it bearing on loose stones lol. Biggest issue is grade under the deck slopes back to the structure. Current deck has a makeshift hatch for the bulkhead access. Also improperly designed and installed. Really completely useless. Many other issues with this current setup.


Proposed plans:

We would like to build a section of raised deck similar to the left side section but wrap around to the side and front of the house. The rest of the back area against the house would be a stone/hard scrape patio with an outdoor kitchen etc.

What will change is removing the existing bulkhead and blocking it in. In place of it for access would be a double door I cut in the garage/basement foundation wall. There is and won’️t be no bedrooms in the basement. This double door is mainly for easy access to roll in firewood crates for my wood boiler in the basement and bringing groceries to the basement storage.

Deleting the bulkhead also allows for the grade to be properly set with good pitch.

 

[huesmann]

Was there a question in there?

 

[Nealtw]

We are in the north east. In the middle of planning landscape/outdoor patio/deck area in rear of house.

Existing:
1980s cape with equally sized side addition with two car garage and living room above attached. Existing deck is improperly built and half of it bearing on loose stones lol. Biggest issue is grade under the deck slopes back to the structure. Current deck has a makeshift hatch for the bulkhead access. Also improperly designed and installed. Really completely useless. Many other issues with this current setup.


Proposed plans:

We would like to build a section of raised deck similar to the left side section but wrap around to the side and front of the house. The rest of the back area against the house would be a stone/hard scrape patio with an outdoor kitchen etc.

What will change is removing the existing bulkhead and blocking it in. In place of it for access would be a double door I cut in the garage/basement foundation wall. There is and won’️t be no bedrooms in the basement. This double door is mainly for easy access to roll in firewood crates for my wood boiler in the basement and bringing groceries to the basement storage.

Deleting the bulkhead also allows for the grade to be properly set with good pitch.

The door into the garage can be a big deal. If you have to dig down to floor level, The footing under the door may not be at frost depth and may need to be under pinned.

 

[Pololous]

Was there a question in there?

No lol. Just looking for people’s opinions and input on the proposed idea.

 

[Nealtw]

No lol. Just looking for people’s opinions and input on the proposed idea.

Perhaps you could add an egress window instead of blocking up the whole bulkhead opening??



Your new deck will be 6" below the floor level inside? :wink2:

 

[Pololous]

We are in the north east. In the middle of planning landscape/outdoor patio/deck area in rear of house.

Existing:
1980s cape with equally sized side addition with two car garage and living room above attached. Existing deck is improperly built and half of it bearing on loose stones lol. Biggest issue is grade under the deck slopes back to the structure. Current deck has a makeshift hatch for the bulkhead access. Also improperly designed and installed. Really completely useless. Many other issues with this current setup.


Proposed plans:

We would like to build a section of raised deck similar to the left side section but wrap around to the side and front of the house. The rest of the back area against the house would be a stone/hard scrape patio with an outdoor kitchen etc.

What will change is removing the existing bulkhead and blocking it in. In place of it for access would be a double door I cut in the garage/basement foundation wall. There is and won’️t be no bedrooms in the basement. This double door is mainly for easy access to roll in firewood crates for my wood boiler in the basement and bringing groceries to the basement storage.

Deleting the bulkhead also allows for the grade to be properly set with good pitch.

The door into the garage can be a big deal. If you have to dig down to floor level, The footing under the door may not be at frost depth and may need to be under pinned.

Not an issue. I already have it planned out . Plus the last house I dug down the dirt floor basement of an 1848 cape and underpinned the entire perimeter in 3 phases before the slab was installed. So underpinning/bench ledging is nothing to me lol.

 

[Old Thomas]

Many codes require a door from the garage to a cellar to have a means of preventing heavier than air combustible vapors from migrating into the cellar (other than the door). It is a problem when there is no step up to the house or cellar. The way I have seen it done is casting a concrete curb 4“ high around the cellar way. It looks like a tripping hazard but it satisfies the code requirement.

 

[Pololous]

Many codes require a door from the garage to a cellar to have a means of preventing heavier than air combustible vapors from migrating into the cellar (other than the door). It is a problem when there is no step up to the house or cellar. The way I have seen it done is casting a concrete curb 4“ high around the cellar way. It looks like a tripping hazard but it satisfies the code requirement.

Thanks for the tip to satisfy code if it comes to that.

 

[Nealtw]

They want to be exterior doors set up.

 

[Old Thomas]

They want to be exterior doors set up.

Yes, and fire rated to meet the local code.

 

[Pololous]

I will be using commercial double Insulated steel doors with full smoke gaskets. Same that is used in Commercial apartment buildings. So it may even cover me with any air transmission to a lower level from the garage.