Rethink Your Life!
Finance, health, lifestyle, environment, philosophy 		The Work of Art and The Art of Work
Kiko Denzer on Art


Fw: Cob:Stairs, doors thinking thru house details & convenience

Yun Que yunk88 at hotmail.com
Thu Jan 30 20:04:24 CST 2003 

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<P>Cat here,  I know one?  Front doors of old houses were wider because when death came the wake was normally held at home.  The front door was sized to allow the coffin and it's crew to move through.  At least in the vic's in Buffalo NY!</P></DIV>
<P>Stairs.  I have spec's for a set of stairs that are shallower then the standard.  They came from a tear out of a  European imported stair case that was cannibalized for a studio cottage.  The  6" rise was graceful and comfortable to ascend and descend.  The step was also deeper.  If stairs are in the design, but concern about access with changing circumstances.  One option would be to give the stair enough width and structure to accommodate a chair lift.  Another approach could be to look into elevators.  The manufactured models are rather ugly and expensive but I have found some skilled persons who can fabricate for a fraction.  Most of the cost is not the system it's the insurance.  Finally on stairs: they take much room in a floor plan so it is good to design them into your cob with storage space.  The cottage I spoke of had a conglomeration of closets and roll outs including the TV, blanket chest and such all behind classic raised panels not an inch was wasted.  Touch latch hardware was used so there were no knobs or handles, it was very lovely!</P>
<P><EM>for the good of all </EM>Cat<BR><BR></P></DIV>
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<DIV></DIV>>From: "Amanda Peck" <AP615 at HOTMAIL.COM>
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<DIV></DIV>>Reply-To: "Amanda Peck" <AP615 at HOTMAIL.COM>
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<DIV></DIV>>To: coblist at deatech.com 
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<DIV></DIV>>Subject: Re: Fw: Cob: thinking thru house details & convenience 
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<DIV></DIV>>Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 22:09:14 -0600 
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<DIV></DIV>>I'm with Bill and Julie on this one. Although I can understand 
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<DIV></DIV>>stairs--if a second story costs less than more area with a 
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<DIV></DIV>>foundation.... It doesn't really mean I want to HAVE to use them. 
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<DIV></DIV>>One of my cousin's best friend's dad had a stroke. the family had 
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<DIV></DIV>>to convert the dining room into a bedroom for him. Miserable for 
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<DIV></DIV>>everyone, including guests coming over for dinner. And a lesson for 
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<DIV></DIV>>those of us who plan to grow old living in what we've built. 
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<DIV></DIV>>Now, if we are working with cob we may be better able to put an 
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<DIV></DIV>>entrance door at ground level--on to an earthen floor. My house in 
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<DIV></DIV>>the Nashville area had that, but it also had all the problems you 
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<DIV></DIV>>would expect from an 80 year old stick built house. Dry rot in the 
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<DIV></DIV>>floor joists, and a seriously slanting floor as a result. For a 
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<DIV></DIV>>while the washing machine sat on the ground. Not great 
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<DIV></DIV>>electrically. Or anything else. 
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<DIV></DIV>>The kitchen there was stick built. The rest was apparently built of 
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<DIV></DIV>>recycled World War One box cars. 
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<DIV></DIV>>>But I have noticed as I grow older,,, that I grow older,,, And 
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<DIV></DIV>>>after 
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<DIV></DIV>> > spending 2 months in a wheelchair myself, I noticed that houses 
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<DIV></DIV>> > aren't built for them..... WHY???? 
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<DIV></DIV>> > I do not see any reason for stairs... I know they are a romantic 
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<DIV></DIV>>hold 
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<DIV></DIV>> > over from the past. And why is the front door wider than the 
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<DIV></DIV>>back door, 
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<DIV></DIV>> > where you have to take the major stuff in and out of the house??? 
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<DIV></DIV>> > Why can't the hallways be 3 or 6" wider??? 
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