How about a Random HOUSE thread

[Jim Bremner]

Joanna, my wife and I will be moving soon due to her MS causing safety issues with our two story house.

I've been looking at houses that I could build with hidden ramps that can't be seen from the street. If I bought a decent home and added some Craftsman style to it I could hide the ramp in the front porch. I would slope it sideways to the driveway and it wouldn't be seen from the street.

Some Craftsman front doors are 40"-44" wide and that would help with getting a scooter or wheelchair in and out.


Anyways... Let's see some stylish houses.

[doug_porsche]

Yep, but somebody was going to....

[Por_sha911]

[doug_porsche]

and a local favorite

[Por_sha911]

What? Oh, OK, that kind of random house...

[doug_porsche]

and the most random house I have ever been in

The Sarah Winchester Mystery House.

I was introduced to a gentlemen once who collected architecture. Had two or three Frank Loyd Wright houses, etc.....

[Jim Bremner]

I'll get this one out of the way.

[MT930]

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

You beat me to it.

That's the first thing I thought of when I read the subject.

[bivenator]

[RANDY P]

lookie what I found in my last purchase

[Jim Bremner]

Guys, Can we get this back on track? This is a serious thing for me. I'll be selling my home that I've raised 4 sons in.

Joanna and I will be downsizing due to health reasons.

Yes, I put the "House" pic in only due to I knew that it would make it in.

[porsche4life]

Originally Posted by doug_porsche

.

I was introduced to a gentlemen once who collected architecture. Had two or three Frank Loyd Wright houses, etc.....

Sounds like my kind of dude!

[pete3799]

[Cdnone1]

I built a completely accessible home for my son who is confined to a wheelchair. Most things that you will want are hard to add to an existing home ie: extra wide halls and doorways. Modified height for light switches etc. A roll in out shower with a main drain in the floor will be handy plus any supports you may need to put in for a sling and track system later
We hid the need for actual ramps by designing all the hardscapes to facilitate access to all the entrances and exits of the house by a wheelchair.I actually lifted the garage floor three feet so there could be level access to the house. Let me think about posting a picture of my house on the internet to show you what I mean.
I would be happy to talk to you about what we did. It's good you are doing this and thinking about this up front.
Steve

[Jim Bremner]

Scott,

THANK YOU! We did think of raising the garage floor. I was looking at one house that the garage was 14' away. When I was a kid my Dad used 4 floor jacks and lifted the garage and moved it 50' and turned it 90*

[Heel n Toe]

Jim, I'm sure you can just look at this house and see how that entry way can be modified to have an obscured ramp and wider door.

http://www.freshomedesign.com/2009/10/leavenworth-cabin-%E2%80%93-house-design-with-a-single-shed-roof/

I have always loved shed roof designs with lots of glass.

[genrex]

This is a 1700 sq ft house. Very nice, low budget. Gently-sloping ramp from driveway to front door.
Craftsman-style fence in front of ramp. The fence blends in with the lines of the house, and the
style is perfect for greenery/ flowers:

[drcoastline]

I guess my first question would be do you intend to retrofit an existing home or build your own pre-planned handicap accessible home? If you build your own it would be much easier to design the ramp into the home so it is not as prominent. I think most people think a handicap ramp must be a rigid structure of concrete or wood. But what about the idea of grading or regrading the lot in the event of a retrofit so it gently slopes to the entrance? If the grade is gentle enough and the topography the lot rises with the ramp/walk you could eliminate the railings to make it less imposing structures.

[Scuba Steve]

Originally Posted by doug_porsche

Yep, but somebody was going to....