All Forum Posts by: Jay M.

In this case you have two concerns.  The posts are holding up the ridge beam which holds the upper gambrel roof from sagging.  You also have the beams helping with the tension on the floor joists from keeping the lower gambrel roof from spreading out.   Consult a structural engineer not an architect.  This one is tougher than the typical scenario and don't get your hopes up this will be an inexpensive alteration.

 I was once a carpenter working under a superintendent named Dick.  Whenever a salesperson would stop by Dick would say "I only meet with salespeople at lunchtime.  If you're selling.....You're buying".......  It always got a chuckle....and a free lunch.

Most of us know "manufactured home" means a mobile home.  Sometimes people mistake that term for "modular home" (home pre-fabricated in pieces and assembled).  You should clarify which one you're really interested in the responses would be more concise. 

I see you're doubting your numbers and can't possibly see how almost nothing works??  That means you're doing something correctly.... I would be concerned for you if you're seeing any number of properties "working" off of listed sources.  Everyone and their brother is now an "investor".....deals are as abundant as (insert cheeky metaphor here)...

 It's everything.  Town planning department, town meetings, engineering after town approval to determine what type of zoning.  Now they're hung up on water supply after finally getting approval for the home sites.  It's not guaranteed they will have the water to do this so 4 years later there is still a chance it's not buildable.  The days of the 1950's where you bought large tracts of land in AZ or FL and subdivided it and start marketing it in 6 months are over........Way over!!  The regulation required to build a single family home on a lot that has already been approved for single family use is absolutely staggering.

Specific brands of RTA cabinets that others have had good luck with specifically painted cabinets. I'm leaning towards rtawoodcabinets. One of their warehouses is near me.

If you're giving a deposit for labor only and not materials that is a problem.  It won't end well.  Oh you may skate for a job or two or five but as sure as the sun rises and politicians lie it will end badly. 

How badly it ends is directly correlated to how much money you gave them........There's actually a scientific formula somewhere outlining this.....

If your pockets aren't deep enough to lose a six figure sum just to determine that it isn't a deal then you're barking up the wrong tree on this one.  The cost in engineering fees, permitting, commissions, attorney fees, market analysis and development, utility engineering, water / septic concerns (possibly even having to build a sewage treatment plant), architectural fees.......etc... just to get to the point to determine if it's feasible is absolutely staggering.  And time consuming.  The builder I complete most of my designs for has a 384 lot subdivision they've been working on for 4 years.   They're still a year or more away from a shovel.......If they're lucky!

Call the building department and ask them if they have plans on file for your condo building. Tell them you're interested in your floor plan. If they don't then.........

 From your drawing the end of one side of the beam looks like it's over an outside wall so that should be okay if there is a footing under the block wall.  It wouldn't shock me in MA if there is no footing under the wall in which case you'll need to account for load at both ends of beam.  To know if the column / pad under (if there is a pad under and column isn't on slab alone) is sufficiently sized you'd have to dig up slab.....  Unless you happened to have a plan from the building department showing it which if it's a block wall I'm certain they don't have it.    If you use an LVL to carry the ceiling load then you won't have to upgrade the rafters for structural reasons but you will have to pad them down to get the insulation in unless you spray foam it which is very expensive.