All Forum Posts by: Kurt F.

@John Vietmeyer -- I would move on from vertical blinds...    The above input about VB's being the easy solution is true, but this is one of those cases where the minor effort to upgrade can be well worth it.... @Marci Stein is 100% right.  

New vertical blinds instantly date your rental.    

Check out some of the more current solutions online.

Also have someone determine the wood flooring species that you have in place.  I would not refinish soft pine -- too soft...it's not considered a hardwood, and everything dents it.   If it is, say, Southern Yellow Pine, that would likely work OK, since its relative hardness is closer to oak.

per @Matt James comments.....I really do enjoy the creativity of the small space design concepts that go into tiny homes.  That said, I doubt that there is a form of housing that is more in-between practical purposes than a tiny house.  Everyone, myself included, are charmed by tiny houses, but they really only serve a specific purpose for a very small segment of the housing market.  The vast majority of housing needs are already covered elsewhere.

As for Matt's comments on 250SF being non-permanent space even if well designed, I'd agree.   The HGTV-grade TV shows depicting a family moving into a tiny house -- wow, cringeworthy.  Even for a couple -- it's still too small -- they've more than likely given up a lot more than the "unnecessary" in order to force a tiny house solution to work for them.   

@Justin Godlewski...  best suggestion yet:

"I've begun installing a fan switch that automatically senses the humidity in the bathroom and turns the fan on or off automatically depending upon the humidity level. I get them at Lowes"

@Bryce Wong.......  look at you.  Well played, sir.  You went the mile, but I'd also suggest going the last inch -- which is, if you kept the demo'd drawer and cabinet door, I'm thinking you clearly have the skee-ohs to properly cut them down and create a finished look for this job.   Still free for materials, and looks complete.

Nice work, Bryce. 

@Account Closed questioned as well -- are you talking about a room, enclosed by four walls, that is 4' wide x 12' long?  

Good suggestion on the dpi, @Jim Adrian. 

The nice thing about Homestyler is that it's from Autodesk -- it's still a toy, but at least it's made by an industry leader -- and you can export standard .dwg files.  For a free program, it likely solves the OP's basic needs.  

More than anything else, just keep in mind that drawing images created in any homeowner-grade software will typically have limited value to a contractor.  It's better than no drawings, but good builders aren't really going to hang their hats on them.  They are diagrams for builders to take notes on -- that's about it.

@Jay Belcher....  Honestly, I would not personally spend any time or money on anything mentioned above except Sketchup.

 You mentioned some familiarity with it -- you might give it another look.  It's definitely not too heavy for simple plan work.  Plus, once you've downloaded the free version of SKP, get familiar with the "3D Warehouse" button.  This opens an almost unlimited library of download-able components -- it dwarfs anything mentioned above.  For example, for your current needs, you can download an endless variety of standard and custom cabinetry in all sizes.  Same with dozens of appliances, light fixtures, plumbing fixures, etc., etc., etc... all free and download-able...  they drop right into your model in 3D.  

You create a model with components, then simply save out views -- plans, elevations, sections, etc.  It can be as simple or complicated as you need.

Personally, I use Revit on a daily basis for design and documents.  That said, I do use SKP a lot, and am continually, impressed with the improvements every year.

You also might consider if you have any concrete knowledge of the actual location of your property line.  A misunderstanding of this information, along with attempting to build within the setback without prior approval will bite you every time.

You've gotten some advice regarding the 12' length, but this dimension is not your problem.  

Four feet width?  As in walls four feet apart inside face to inside face? 

No.