[Wildwood Flower]

First of all, we live in a remodeled old meat-packing plant...an ongoing project.

This little addition (photo 2) needs a roof built over it before winter. The flat roof it has now leaks live a sieve. I use it for a "garden room", it is not an interior room. I want to add bigger windows & a French door (on the other side--courtyard--but that's another deal.)

I want this roof to be sound architecturally and look good. It will be metal.

The problem is the electrical pipes to the house are above this space. I would love to attach the roof to the main building just under the eaves (maybe 1 1/2 feet below the main roof line--or even right snug with it). But there's those darned pipes! (photo 3)

My neighbor man last night suggested to tie into the existing main roof & just continue the roof down over the addition--does that make sense? It would create a slightly different angle.

I'm no expert, but that sounds tacky to me, and not sound. Plus, I think it would look weird.

We live in Oklahoma so we have lots of rain and hard winds, but no snow.

This may take another 10 years to finish this place, but so far everything we have done has been solid and sound--and looks good. I'd rather do nothing than do it WRONG.

So far I'm stumped. Maybe the neighbor man is right. I suppose it would assure the least leaking problem.

I know we cannot afford to get too elaborate, but any ideas?

 

[fordy]

....................First off the building was built too commercial dimensions as depicted by the height of the walls and roof . All those runs of conduit were run on the outside of the walls , probably because it meet the codes at the time and was less expensive than running them in the floor which I'm sure is a solid concrete floor .
.....................Were I too add on to my home in your situation I'd leave the conduit runs alone , lower the roof line down a foot or more , if possible , frame in stud wall on the outside of the existing wall , and insulate . The stud wall will hide all existing exterior conduit and allow you too run additional electric circuits necessary for your needs for the additional added room(s) . I'm assuming here that this additional space is for your personal living situation and has NO commercial purpose .
.....................The small tile block room towards the back will have to have the walls lowered so as too accommodate a lowered roof line to maintain symmetry and a uniform pitch for the new roof . Besides , with a lowered roof line you have Less cubic feet of space too heat and cool and therefore less utility costs I'd think . , fordy

 

[Wildwood Flower]

Thanks Fordy,

I was thinking along the same lines. Now, are you saying frame in the entire length of that small addition to cover all of those pipes? I thought of that too.

The interior of the little addition is not used as part of the house--it is an exterior room, and will be used for gardening and summer kitchen types of stuff. I do not plan to do much with that right now.

I'm going to try to draw a picture and see if I get what you are saying.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[fordy]

Thanks Fordy,

I was thinking along the same lines. Now, are you saying frame in the entire length of that small addition to cover all of those pipes? I thought of that too.

The interior of the little addition is not used as part of the house--it is an exterior room, and will be used for gardening and summer kitchen types of stuff. I do not plan to do much with that right now.

I'm going to try to draw a picture and see if I get what you are saying.

Thanks again for your help.

............Well , most of your problems will be associated with the cost(s) involved with how you handle the tile building . My guess is that , that building is to hold a Rendering tank and all the associated plumbing to pump it's contents out too a tanker truck for removal and disposal . You might consider removing the current contents(rendering tank) and putting a tank for a rain water catchment system by utilizing the large amount of square footage of metal roof available for that purpose . Additional metal roofing would ADD too the catchment system which is a good thing I'd think .
...........The exterior walls of the small tile block building can BE lowered by simply removing as many layers of tile blocks as necessary so as to allow a new lower roof line too be attached too the exterior tile block wall . Or , it maybe advantageous too simply remove the exterior walls(of the small building) completely if they are NOT necessary too your plans . I'm quite sure you could find someone who would come in and simply take down the walls for the value of those Tile blocks . They are very much in demand and NOT cheap if you check on the price of new blocks . I'll defer too Texican here as I'm sure he will want to comment as this is his area of Expertise . , fordy

 

[Wildwood Flower]

Fordy,
There is nothing in the small building--it has all been removed years ago--except for the electrical boxes (they're still in there.) There is still a working pipe for a gas heater (if I ever want to use it.)

I do not want to catch rain water--we have plenty of water.

All I want to do is put a roof OVER this little building--I do not want to mess with the structure of the little building addition.

 

[ricky]

It looks easy to me> pull the wires loose from the wall go behind them and against the wall with your rafters . let the wires rest in the space inside the new roof. you can fasten the wires to the new rafters easy enough

or tie the new roof in to the old one. use 2x6 or 8 rafters sheet it up and shingle it

 

[FiddleKat]

Wildwood I would love to see some pics of the inside. I am just curious as to how you transformed a commercial building like that into a home.
I love when they have this kind of stuff on Home and Garden TV.

Also, with a concrete building, is it cooler in summer? But harder to heat? And do you see more or less of a problem with bugs?

 

[Wildwood Flower]

Thanks Ricky...I think the first choice would look better. I do think there might be just enough room behind those pipes to do it, and they will move a bit.

FiddleKat...Well, glad you asked! I've shown some photos before of the inside. We've been here for about 10 years now. Actually, I painted the whole outside MYSELF--woman power! It was after my DH broke his neck. His SIL put the metal roof on.

I lived in here for about 3 years without windows (in the 3 coolers), 2 electic outlets, concrete floors, no kitchen sink, no shower--well, sort of one. Ha! The things we do for love!

I'll put up some photos of the inside--so far.

On the front left is the first cooler--it's 20' X 40'--(the former freezer)--that's where we have the Living Room & Master Bedroom. Then the kitchen was the former meat-cutting room. It had old nasty windows and machines on the ceiling. I put in a vaulted ceiling--our other SIL built the cabinets & I helped him tile the floors--Saltillo tiles.

Another cooler is beyond the kitchen--I made this into our party room. I did everything myself in that room--2 years ago.

The third cooler was what my son used when he stayed here--it needs more work, still pretty rough.

Out in the side building my DH built an office--now it's a bunkhouse (for guests.) There's also a carpentry shop and a tack room out there.

I want to make this little room we're discussing into a garden room and have a courtyard for summer--maybe a grape arbor for shade.

About heating it: You're right, it takes little or nothing to heat or cool this place. The front room is lined with 8 inch solid styrofoam. The back rooms have 4 inches.

We don't heat the outer rooms--the bunkhouse room has a wall heater (gas).

There's a covered holding pen also--where the cattle were brought in--my DH used it for his horses--and he has a round pen built with it.

We had to replace the septic tank last year--we put in an aerobic tank. We've put in all new gas lines and electric service--which was commercial grade, since that's what fit the building. Fine with me.

So far we've spent about $45,000. but a whole lot of donated labor--both our sons-in-law are contractors--and love us! My DH's folks gave us the place--it had been shut down for several years after they retired.