Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - Incorporating enclosed porch into kitchen
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nbjmiller
09-28-05, 03:00 PM
First of all, if this is in the wrong forum forgive me and feel free to move it. I don't know where to stick it!
I just bought a house in S. Iowa (moved from Texas) with a half finished enclosed porch. It looks like someone was going to put a laundry room there. The walls are studded and insulated. I was planning on incorporating this area into my kitchen after insulating the floor and taking down the wall (I have taken down supporting walls before).
The porch is rectangular and has two walls supported by the stem wall of the house. The outside corner is supported by a post (it was a rotten 4x4 sitting on 2 bricks! :wall: ). My frost line is 4 ft (Iowa) so I dug a new footing & installed a new post, and doubled all joists to get a deflection ratio that will allow for ceramic tile.
Before, vinyl siding was brought all the way down to the ground to serve as skirting, but I would like to incorporate some insulation in the skirting if at all possible.
I have 2 questions -
1. I am worried about the porch moving with respect to the rest of the house in the dead of winter (frost heave up to 2.5 in.), which would ovbviously be a problem with tile. Does anyone have experience with this? I believe the pier was done correctly but don't have experience up north.
2. I would love to add some insulation to the skirting, but can't find any info on how to skirt this area and it needs to move with the frost heave.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
I just bought a house in S. Iowa (moved from Texas) with a half finished enclosed porch. It looks like someone was going to put a laundry room there. The walls are studded and insulated. I was planning on incorporating this area into my kitchen after insulating the floor and taking down the wall (I have taken down supporting walls before).
The porch is rectangular and has two walls supported by the stem wall of the house. The outside corner is supported by a post (it was a rotten 4x4 sitting on 2 bricks! :wall: ). My frost line is 4 ft (Iowa) so I dug a new footing & installed a new post, and doubled all joists to get a deflection ratio that will allow for ceramic tile.
Before, vinyl siding was brought all the way down to the ground to serve as skirting, but I would like to incorporate some insulation in the skirting if at all possible.
I have 2 questions -
1. I am worried about the porch moving with respect to the rest of the house in the dead of winter (frost heave up to 2.5 in.), which would ovbviously be a problem with tile. Does anyone have experience with this? I believe the pier was done correctly but don't have experience up north.
2. I would love to add some insulation to the skirting, but can't find any info on how to skirt this area and it needs to move with the frost heave.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
nbjmiller
10-02-05, 09:47 AM
Well, I've either stumped the panel or asked a seriously dumb question. ANY advice would be appreciated.
The more I think about it the more stupid it sounds to put continuous tile over the transition between house and porch, at least before the first winter. Maybe I'll fill the transition with floor leveler and see if it cracks, then tile in spring if it doesn't. I will be suprised if it doesn't crack, and will let you know just for heck of it.
BTW - the only reason I'm so detirmined is because I've already bought my semi custom cabinets and tile! the wall has to come out, but I guess I could do hardwood. The materials are so much cheaper to tile, though.
The more I think about it the more stupid it sounds to put continuous tile over the transition between house and porch, at least before the first winter. Maybe I'll fill the transition with floor leveler and see if it cracks, then tile in spring if it doesn't. I will be suprised if it doesn't crack, and will let you know just for heck of it.
BTW - the only reason I'm so detirmined is because I've already bought my semi custom cabinets and tile! the wall has to come out, but I guess I could do hardwood. The materials are so much cheaper to tile, though.
lefty
10-02-05, 09:08 PM
nbjmiller,
You didn't ask a "seriously dumb question". However, converting a porch to living space is going to require that the addition be BUILT as living space, from the ground up. That means you need a proper footing, which the porch obviously didn't have.
You will probably have to tear the porch out entirely and and go from there.
Check with the local bldg. dept.
You didn't ask a "seriously dumb question". However, converting a porch to living space is going to require that the addition be BUILT as living space, from the ground up. That means you need a proper footing, which the porch obviously didn't have.
You will probably have to tear the porch out entirely and and go from there.
Check with the local bldg. dept.
nbjmiller
04-05-06, 03:10 PM
just wanted to add to the collective knowledge bank...
My footing did not move at all - I drywalled and tiled before winter and absolutely no cracks. It has been a mild winter, however. I skirted the porch area with pressure treated 2x2 frames filled with 1 1/2 inch foam and skinned with 1/2 inch plywood. I installed them in tracks with overlapping foam inside so that they could heave with the ground and not buckle. Too complicated to totally explain but I found the info in house building book in the section on building pier and post house. I can't find the book right now, but if anyone needs the info email me.
I guess until we have an arctic freeze the jury is still out, but so far so good. Our kitchen is huge - 17' x 17'!
Thanks , Nick
My footing did not move at all - I drywalled and tiled before winter and absolutely no cracks. It has been a mild winter, however. I skirted the porch area with pressure treated 2x2 frames filled with 1 1/2 inch foam and skinned with 1/2 inch plywood. I installed them in tracks with overlapping foam inside so that they could heave with the ground and not buckle. Too complicated to totally explain but I found the info in house building book in the section on building pier and post house. I can't find the book right now, but if anyone needs the info email me.
I guess until we have an arctic freeze the jury is still out, but so far so good. Our kitchen is huge - 17' x 17'!
Thanks , Nick