Two BB projects to juggle - this is exciting!

For a long time I have had only one project at a time.  This year is opening with two at once, both Building Beneath projects.  Actually both of them are more than just development of the lower areas.  The one in Rockridge also includes reconfiguration of the Main Level Bath, with its connections to Master Bedroom and Hall.  The one in Trestle Glen also includes an Attic Conversion, a Bathroom Addition at the lower level, and changes at the main level for circulation to all three levels (new stair opening up a room) and including a waterproof deck over the new Bath below.

These houses will not be lifted more than an inch, just enough to remove framing elements, because ... well for different reasons really.  The Trestle Glen house is on a downslope lot, so there is no need to lift it - there is already direct access to grade and the new excavation will increase this accessibility (to a large but presently hard-to-get-to rear yard).  Also, it is a rather well-proportioned cottage from the street and looks "right" the way it sits now.  The Rockridge house is a beautiful Craftsman (pg. 61 in "The Bungalow", by Paul Duscherer & Douglas Keister), and lifting it more than a few inches would ruin the present proportions.

Then the cost/benefit question arises.  There is some benefit for natural light - the higher the windows the more natural light can be brought in.  This is a major concern for basement spaces, which tend to have a cave-like feel, dank and dark. For this particular house, we'll have to reverse the slope of the driveway to bring it gradually down to a side door into the basement area.  Drainage will need to go to a sump and pumped out to the street.  Raising the house could reduce the amount of downward slope in the driveway and/or make it possible for a higher ceiling.  However, the extra cost, for 8 or 10", might not make this worthwhile, as some of the existing foundation seems to be usable.  If an entire foundation is all shot, perhaps even without any bolting, there is more incentive to capture those extra inches.

We are hoping the sewer line is deep enough that we have choices, but in some cases there is no way to hook into the sewer without an ejector pump.  Reliance on pumps is not ideal.  They tend to break down just when one is away for an extended vacation or upon deciding to rent the house out while on sabbatical! And, of course, there is the question of electricity.  Will the solar system be strong enough in an outage?

So ... there you have it.  Two projects to juggle.  This is exciting ... maybe there really will be a change in the economy soon.  In the heyday I had at least three to juggle continuously for years.  Wait and see.  Hide and watch.  Relax and flow.