House Description

            This home is not for everyone.  From design to execution, unique is the only word that applies; one of a kind, at four words, will also work.

            Not at all formal or pretentious, but comfortable; an open design allows light and air movement and envisioned boundries of rooms which are not physically there.  Although quite open, there is no visible path from any public area to any private area of the home.  Construction details reduce sound from entering private areas as well.   Currently, interior doors as shown on the floor plans are on the bathrooms, office No.1 and the basement access only.  Framing provided will allow separation by doors of other areas if desired. 

            There is no plastic in or on the house. Traditional building materials were used, being wary of new “miracle” products, which flooded the market after the original energy crisis just prior to construction.  Framing is 2X6. Exterior walls are finished with drywall on the inside, even under the paneling, while the exterior uses ½” exterior grade plywood under the siding.  Roof decking is tongue and groove 5/8” sheeting beneath winter guard and 340# composite architectural shingles. Interior utility walls are also 6 inch.  First floor joists are 2X12 on 12” centers and second floor joists are 2X10 on 16” centers. Visible support posts and beams were nearly 100 years old when acquired, to assure dimensional stability.  After cleaning, function and character combine in beams up to 10X6 exposed, and 8X10 posts.

            The new open stairway treads are 1-3/4 X 11-1/2 old growth southern pine with 7-1/4” rise; they are incredibly comfortable to use.  Tread width of 36” and landings of 45” X 90” guarantee there is never a traffic jam.   Indigenous cherry is used for railings in the living and sneer rooms.   All but two windows are Andersen thermo-pane casements with a third glazing panel.  Skylights and sliding door are also Andersen.  Interior window trim is wood.  

            Insulation is fiberglass batts, with additional foam board in the living room ceiling (17’AFF), and behind the drywall in the basement. Vapor barrier was applied to all exterior walls and ceilings during construction; there is very little air leakage.  Siding is #1 clear, smooth, western red cedar and even the corner boards are mitered.  Exterior surface treatment is Sikkins Cetol, in cedar. Cetol allows individual board character to show, while offering protection.  Soffit vents are 100%, as is the ridge vent, offering the best attic ventilation available. Wiring is all copper, supplying 20A outlets throughout the home.  All water supply plumbing is also copper. Waste and vents are PVC, per code.  Gutters and downspouts are galvanized, feeding to an underground drain field keeping all water away from the home.

            Basement walls are poured concrete, 8’ high with furring strips and drywall.

Main Level Floor Plan (Enlarge)

Upper Level Floor Plan (Enlarge)

Basement Floor Plan (Enlarge)

SIZE:

House only:        1st floor   1117 Sq. Ft

                                2nd floor     850 Sq Ft

                                Basement 1117 Sq Ft

                                TOTAL     3084 Sq Ft            

ZONING:Agricultural/residential

UTILITIES: 

• ELECTRIC:  The house has a 100 Amp service, which shares an underground 110V feed to the “barn-ette” for lighting and a few utility outlets.  A whole house transfer switch places the entire house (and barn-ette) on a standby generator located behind the house on a slab, enclosed with the same building materials as the home.  The generator is not included with the sale of this property. 

• GAS: Propane 500 gallon above ground tank is on-site for the boiler and water heater. Underground tanks are now legal here.  Addition of gas for clothes dryer and range would be quite easy, due to locations and 6” utility access wall.           

• COMMUNICATION: Six pair to pedestal at end of drive, across road. Outlets in house are either one or two-jack plates, for alternate lines available to a single line instrument, or for multi-line instruments.           

• HEAT:  Four zone, individual thermostat controlled, hot water system with a 21st  century copper and ceramic boiler and slat-finned radiation panels.  If you prefer, the centrally located Hearthstone soapstone woodstove will heat both upper floors on the worst of days.  Integral air circulation system will distribute heat to all open areas and maintain whole house temperature within 2-3 degrees. 

• AIR CONDITIONING:  A stand-alone high velocity air conditioning system provides quiet, extremely efficient cooling to all rooms including walk-in closet, bathrooms, and basement. 

• WATER:  Private well, about 125’. 

• SEPTIC: Private 1000 gallon septic tank and original 6’X10’ dry-well, which is selectable as alternate to two newer 6’X10’ drywells.  Alternate use offers drying time for soil, which sure isn’t needed in this sand box, but is now code.

CONVENIENCES OF GREAT NECESSITY

• Alarm system:  Fire/burg/environmental central station monitored system. Four house and one shop keypads offer complete control and status of individual sensors.  This is a top of the line hard-wired system.
  
  The alarm system, through its internal scheduler or any of the keypads, will control the News and Music system, a dedicated kitchen outlet, and rotate the rotor for the entertainment systems.  Rotor control is not included with this property sale.

• Vehicle detector:  It is a long way to the end of the drive, about 330 feet. A wired (in conduit) underground vehicle detector provides annunciation through all alarm system keypads when a vehicle enters the driveway.  If it is dark, this also activates the “midnight sun,” providing illumination at the house, garage, and shop. Lighting is timed for automatic turn off. This is a tremendous convenience not only for us, daily, but also for arriving guests, while advising the unwelcome.  In addition to the “midnight sun,” motion detection lighting is at the walk to the house.
  
  

• Midnight Sun:  Two low voltage controlled 500W quartz lamps at the roofline illuminate the entire entryway on both “public” sides of the home. Additional quartz lighting at the walk to the garage-shop and down lamps at garage stall doors are incorporated into this system.  Switches are available at numerous locations in the house and the shop, as well as from the alarm system.   An additional “sun,” is available for the north view from the living room; this lamp is hardwired. 

• Navigation lamps:  With an open floor plan, five small lamps will illuminate the entire house for walking or gentle ambient light.  With low voltage control at numerous convenient locations around the house, no one is ever, left in the dark.  Strategic planning means the navigation lamps never disturb anyone, even if napping. 

• News and music system:  The forerunner to today’s “whole house” systems.  This system provides three channels of quality monophonic sound. Selectable in the master room, master bath, kitchen/dining area, front porch, and hot tub room, all with individual in-room volume controls and channel selection.  The system comes on and off automatically via alarm system scheduler for each day of week, or may be manually controlled from any keypad.  This system uses commercial, baffled speakers, power amplifiers and a 70V distribution system. Tuners for source material are not included with this property. 

• Entertainment: TV outlets are in all rooms of the house.  Speaker jacks are in the living room.

• Hot tub room:  Wishing an outdoor tub, but not wanting to shovel snow or leaves off, an ideal compromise was established.  The tub room connects to the home through the three season enclosed front porch.   Two walls of the tub room feature sliding overlapping vertical “barn doors” on tracks.   When closed, the room is secured.  When open, the screened openings allow the breeze to flow through, taking condensate with it, while offering the feeling of being outdoors.

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