- 1 week ago
This Old House - Season 47 Episode 22 -
Walpole ADU: An ADU Takes Shape
tele: https://t.me/TopFilmUSA1
#film#shows#usa#usashows#hot#filmhot
Walpole ADU: An ADU Takes Shape
tele: https://t.me/TopFilmUSA1
#film#shows#usa#usashows#hot#filmhot
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00Today, on This Old House...
00:01We're here in Walpole, and the ADU is all framed,
00:05and now we're working on the new addition in the back of the new garage.
00:08Then, will the ADU share its utilities with the main house?
00:11The answer is on the way.
00:13And, I'll head down to Atlanta to see how this southern city
00:16has been embracing ADUs since 2017.
00:27Ah, that's it.
00:53Hey there, I'm Kevin O'Connor, and welcome back to This Old House
00:56and to Walpole, Mass., where we are working on this ranch house right here.
01:01It was built in the early 70s, and it's just under 1,300 square feet,
01:06and it is currently home to a former active-duty military family
01:10who spent many years on the road and have finally put down roots here in town
01:15so that they could be closer to family.
01:18And, they are about to be a lot closer to family.
01:22That's because our homeowner Jill's parents are building an ADU,
01:26or accessory dwelling unit, right in the backyard.
01:30And, we'll get to that in a minute.
01:31But first, let's talk about what's changed since we were here last.
01:35So, this is where the old garage was,
01:37and it was never in the original scope of the project.
01:39But, because the foundation was not below the frost line,
01:42it wasn't up the code, and to bring it up the code,
01:45they determined that it was going to have to be underpinned.
01:47So, they figured to save time and money, they would just pour a new foundation,
01:51which is what you can see here.
01:53So, the new garage is going to go on the old footprint.
01:56Now, behind it, though, this is all new space,
02:00and that's for a laundry room that's going to go right here,
02:03a half-bath behind it.
02:05And then, the rest of the space is going to be a proper entryway and mudroom.
02:10And, you can see that they started the framing, and Tommy is going to pick this up and continue it.
02:15Now, in the backyard, check this out.
02:18A lot of changes back here.
02:20So, obviously, this is the original house, but you can see all of the new construction here.
02:25The part that Jared, Kevin, and their crew have framed, sheathed, and even put a little bit of trim on.
02:29This addition, with the foundation underneath, runs about 65 feet long and about 25 feet wide.
02:36But, inside, it is separated into three distinct spaces.
02:40Let me show you.
02:41So, the first space is going to go right here, off of the old house, which you can see is
02:47right here.
02:48On the other side of this wall is the current primary bedroom.
02:52So, we're going to come through that wall, bring it to right about here,
02:57and then that primary bedroom is going to get bigger, have an ensuite bath, and more closet room.
03:02Now, from here, going into the space about 20 to 22 feet, to right here,
03:10this is what they're calling the bonus room.
03:13Just around 500 square feet, and it's going to be a big open space
03:17that's going to be shared by the family in the primary house, as well as by Grandma and Grandpa in
03:22the ADU.
03:22And you'll have access to it from two doors, one on this side, one on that side.
03:28Beyond this wall, all of this, going to the back of the house, this is going to be the ADU.
03:35Just under 900 square feet, and Grandma and Grandpa are going to get one bedroom, two full baths,
03:43a laundry room, a living room, and a kitchen.
03:46Pretty sweet space, and they'll also have access to the back yard.
03:50Now, the next thing that we need to do is actually to cut through the old house to connect these
03:55two,
03:55and I'm going to go give our GC Kevin a hand with that.
04:05Hey, Kevin, how are you? Good to see you.
04:07Good to see you.
04:08A lot of progress out front. I love to see it.
04:10Yep.
04:10This is the wall that's coming down?
04:12Yeah, so we're going to open up this whole wall.
04:15We're going to rip all this off, and we're going to frame the door for the primary closet,
04:20and then frame for the primary bathroom.
04:22Got it. Okay, so it can all go down.
04:25I will give you a hand setting up, and then I'll give you a hand doing the demo.
04:28Awesome. Looking forward to it.
04:29All right.
04:43Not protecting the floors. I presume these are coming out?
04:46Yeah, so we're taking all the hardwoods throughout the whole house, getting them out of here.
04:49So no need to put plastic down.
04:51Nope.
04:56Kevin, this place is starting to come together here.
04:58Yeah, you get a sense of what just a little extra room is going to do to make this a
05:01real primary suite.
05:03It's got a little more cleaned up, and we're good to go.
05:10All right, so you got all the studs cut.
05:12So, Jared, the crew is really making great progress here.
05:15Yeah, Tommy. Carlos and his crew have really been moving along nicely here.
05:18Yeah. So you can see we've got this 2x6 wall we're getting ready to frame here.
05:21This is going to be an exterior wall.
05:22Yeah. It's going to grab these stairs coming up from the basement,
05:25so we're going to have a door here at the top of the stairs.
05:27And then this wall here, we're going to take this 2x4 wall,
05:30and we're going to continue it to tie into the 2x6 wall,
05:33because this is going to be an interior wall.
05:35Mm-hmm. Yep.
05:36So the interior wall can be 2x4, and for two reasons.
05:40We don't have to worry about the exterior insulation factor,
05:43because this will be our exterior wall here.
05:45But we do want to be able to make sure that this wall thickness
05:49remains constant all the way across, because this wall is going to go away,
05:52and we want to make a nice flat surface for our new cabinetry to mount to.
05:56And Carlos is over here marking our top and bottom plate stud locations,
06:00or the 2x6 studs.
06:01But you notice he's taking it from the outside of the wall,
06:04because the sheathing is going to go all the way out here,
06:07and we want to make sure that it's good practice that the sheathing
06:10will end up somewhere with a 16 on center.
06:13So you can see that Carlos has our jack studs and our king studs marked
06:18for this side of the door to rest the header on,
06:21and 2 kings here with a jack to rest the header on there.
06:26Make sure everything's together, transferred,
06:28and then we separate these and nail them.
06:44All right, so for the header that's over the doorway to the stairway,
06:47it's a 2x6 wall.
06:48To make the wall thickness right, we take the 2x8,
06:51use three of them with two pieces of sheathing filler.
06:54That gives us our 5 1⁄2 dimension.
06:56Perfect for what we need.
07:07All right, let's stand this one up.
07:10Make it 35 and an eighth.
07:13Okay, 2 at 85 and an eighth.
07:15You got it.
07:18There you go, Tom.
07:19Top and bottom plate, 85 and an eighth.
07:21Okay, thank you, sir.
07:30All right, now we can cut our studs and nail them in place.
07:34We'll slide it in place.
07:41All right, now we have this corner all framed.
07:44This is an interior wall, and this is the exterior wall.
07:48We get this wall sheathed, and then we can work on the rest of the framing
07:51for the new addition and the back of the grind.
07:57An important consideration with an ADU are the utilities.
08:01Electricity, gas, water, and sewer.
08:05Will they share those utilities?
08:06Will they have to run separate?
08:08And these rules change from state to state, town to town, and they're ever-changing.
08:13And I'll predict they will change in the future.
08:16But for right now, in this town, at this moment, we can share the utilities.
08:20So here's our water line.
08:22This feeds the main house.
08:23We'll branch and feed the ADU over here.
08:25Here's the sewer.
08:27The existing cast iron sewer goes out to the street.
08:30This is the old drain lines for the old bathroom group above us.
08:33Here's the kitchen sink, and you can see the cast iron that comes down here.
08:37Some new PVC to outside.
08:39Here's a new bathroom that's off the addition here.
08:43And at this point right here is where the ADU drain comes in.
08:46And that's where our plumber, Bob, is working.
08:51I'm glad to see we've got a good plumber on duty.
08:53Hi, Bob. How are you?
08:54Good, Richard. How are you doing?
08:55Good. What are you working on here?
08:56So I am laying out for these two ADU bathrooms right now.
08:59Okay. Two baths here. You've got a kitchen, right?
09:01Yep. Drain, waste, and vent.
09:03Look at you with a tablet and everything.
09:04So I see there's back-to-back toilets right here.
09:08Mm-hmm.
09:09Two labs right there and a lab right there.
09:11Correct.
09:11Okay. So you ready to just drill?
09:13Now that everything's laid out, I'm going to drill the pilot holes.
09:16But what I'm going to do is I'm going to drop a flag.
09:19Drop a flag.
09:20Yeah. So I take these landscape flags.
09:23Okay. This one says lav.
09:25We drop through the pilot hole.
09:27So why do you do that?
09:28So I do it because I work alone.
09:30You do?
09:30And it makes it much easier if I can get all the flags down
09:33and then go downstairs to see if I have any hits or any obstructions.
09:36No apprentice?
09:37No apprentice. Haven't found the right one yet.
09:39Really? It may come along.
09:40Yeah.
09:40I hope so someday.
09:42All right. So then you drop these down.
09:44Now you'd know exactly where you're in relation to like I-beams or joists.
09:48And once you know you're good to go, then you drill all the holes once in the right spot.
09:52Correct.
09:52That's pretty smart.
09:53You steal that from somebody?
09:54No.
09:55Never.
09:55All right.
09:57All right.
09:57Let's do the pilot holes.
10:07All right.
10:08Down here in the basement, here are your flags.
10:11All right.
10:12Here's the two lavatories.
10:13Here and here.
10:15You didn't hit anything.
10:15I love it.
10:16There.
10:17Toilets.
10:18Perfect.
10:18This never happens.
10:20Never happens.
10:20It's a plumber's dream.
10:21Show you over here where it did happen.
10:23All right.
10:24This is our laundry waste over here.
10:26You can see the center of the wall.
10:27Oh, I see it right there.
10:28Look at the pilot hole came right down through and at the top too.
10:31So what'd you do?
10:32So I took a measure down here, readjusted it upstairs, sent it back down.
10:36Now we know we're good to drill.
10:37And if you hadn't have done that, you would have drilled right through the top of that
10:39engineered lumber, taking every bit of the structure out of it.
10:42Correct.
10:42I like that.
10:43All right.
10:44So you've run your main right here.
10:45I love it that it's pitched perfectly.
10:47I even love this.
10:48You've labeled all the branches.
10:50I love that.
10:50Nobody does that, Bobby.
10:51Not often.
10:52All right.
10:53So I see a laser level.
10:55How do you use it?
10:56Yeah.
10:56So I use this laser to set up my centers.
10:58It gives me the center of the water closet upstairs.
11:01It is.
11:01And it gives me the center mark on this pipe so I can cut my Y in perfectly.
11:05So let me see if I understand this.
11:07So here's your typical toilet drain size, three inch.
11:10So there it is centered.
11:12And now.
11:13This 90 goes here.
11:14Yeah.
11:14So clear.
11:16We can measure that.
11:18Yep.
11:18And you can measure the long lateral.
11:20It's unbelievable.
11:21Correct.
11:22It's like an unpaid apprentice.
11:24I love it.
11:24It's the best worker I have.
11:26Well, I'm an old dog and you taught me some new tricks.
11:29That's pretty good.
11:30I appreciate it.
11:31And you are now ready to go until you can drill these holes.
11:33So I'm going to get out of your way.
11:34Good job.
11:35I appreciate it.
11:35Thanks, brother.
11:36Let's get to work.
11:45The original electrical service was overhead.
11:48Off of a pole out front over the driveway to the front corner of the garage.
11:52While the old garage came down, so everything was disconnected, giving the homeowners an opportunity
11:56to rethink the service.
11:57The new design is to have it come off a pole here in the back of the house, which means
12:02we can bury it and bring it to the back corner of the ADU.
12:05And helping us with that is our electrician, Sean Brennan.
12:07Hey, Sean.
12:07Good to see you.
12:08Kevin, how are you doing today?
12:09All right.
12:09So this is a lucky find.
12:10A pole out back?
12:11It is.
12:12So it's perfect to have a pole on the backside of this house.
12:14So what goes into getting the service changed from overhead out front to underground out back?
12:18You have to file a work request form with the utility company basically stating the pole
12:23we want to come off of and the size of the service.
12:25And typically there's no issue with that because they want their customers to be paying their bills.
12:29All right.
12:29And so what are we bringing in?
12:30On this case, we went from a 200 amp, used to be overhead.
12:33We're now going to 400 amp for the ADU.
12:36So we can actually have two meters here.
12:38So two 200 amp services.
12:40They're going to be separate.
12:41Correct.
12:42So separate utility bills for both houses.
12:44That's correct.
12:45Oh, that's awesome.
12:45You look a lot better on the ground.
12:47Oh, yeah.
12:47So you got trenched to get that done.
12:49So we had to lay this trench out, put a base layer of sand, gets it all nice and level
12:54so that we really have no void underneath the pipe, make sure it's sitting flat.
12:57How deep is the trench?
12:58The trench has to be 18 inches down, which is the requirement of the NEC, which is the National Electric
13:03Code.
13:03We tell our site guy that we like to be 24 so that our 90 degree sweeps at the pole
13:08and at the house will be completely underground.
13:10All right.
13:10And conduit's going in right now?
13:11Conduit's going in right now.
13:12Can we watch?
13:13Absolutely.
13:14All right.
13:14We're good at watching.
13:17So what is this process, Sean?
13:19So that's basically called a PVC hotbox, as we'll refer to it in the trade.
13:24And it applies heat to it so that you can make your own bend.
13:27So you heat it outside, you drag it in.
13:31It's pretty floppy.
13:32So they got to kind of guide it to make sure that it doesn't kink because you want that pipe
13:35to stay round.
13:37So once they glue it, we usually use water to make it cool down quicker.
13:41And also so you don't burn your hands and then form it in the direction we're trying to go.
13:45So typically when we have a bend, we like to work to the bend to make it and then come
13:48the other way and join them together.
14:03Are you ready to backfill?
14:04We put down six inches of sand on top of these conduits and then we lay this direct burial tape.
14:10On top of that.
14:10Yeah.
14:11Just so if anybody's ever digging back here again, hopefully they see this tape before they go too far.
14:15And then once that's done, I call the local wire inspector.
14:18He comes out here.
14:19He checks that six inch of depth of sand, make sure the trench is still deep enough, and then we
14:23can backfill the whole thing.
14:24Perfect.
14:24All right.
14:25Well, I appreciate it.
14:26And you guys.
14:27Appreciate it.
14:27Thanks.
14:29Today I have come to Atlanta.
14:31Like a lot of cities in this country, places like Los Angeles, Austin, Seattle, has an affordable housing crisis.
14:38So in 2017, Atlanta passed a law that allowed for the development of ADUs or accessory dwelling units, little houses
14:45on existing residential lots.
14:48Since the law was passed, over 350 have been permitted and there are more on the way.
14:52So I have come to find out why the city has embraced ADUs and what the residents are building.
14:59Well, thank you for inviting us back.
15:00You guys were great to work with a few years ago on that single family in Atlanta, but now ADUs
15:04as a specialty in the firm.
15:06That surprises me.
15:07Yeah.
15:07There's been a large demand, so we are handling all of the ADUs that are coming into our company.
15:12So what do they allow you to build?
15:14Up to 750 square foot, 20 foot in height, and typically they're detached structures from the primary residence.
15:20Nice.
15:21Okay.
15:21What are you going to show us?
15:22Well, today we're going to show you four different properties that we've been working on.
15:25We have one that's in the design phase, so we can give you an idea of what's possible.
15:30We're going to show you one that we're in the middle of construction on.
15:34One we wrapped last week, so you can see it kind of all come together.
15:37And then one that we finished a year ago.
15:39A little bit of everything.
15:40Yeah.
15:41Awesome.
15:41Let's go see.
15:42Okay.
15:44This is the primary home, and it is a 1930s bungalow.
15:49Yeah.
15:50And the previous homeowner, at some point, built this structure.
15:54Oh, yeah.
15:54That's definitely an old building.
15:56Yeah.
15:56So, I guess, what, a one-car garage plus something?
15:58And so, this has great potential.
16:01Absolutely.
16:01So, show me what's possible.
16:03Yeah.
16:03So, this is the plan that we've come up with.
16:05Oh, that is a vision.
16:06Yeah.
16:06Absolutely.
16:07The best part about this is that we're going to be grandfathered into the lot line setbacks.
16:12And so, you'll see on the side yard, it's actually right on the lot line.
16:16Okay.
16:17And then, to the back, it's about three feet from the fence.
16:19So, that's allowed to stay if you renovate this and don't tear it down?
16:23So, we're renovating it.
16:23We're using the existing footprint.
16:25And if a homeowner didn't have the grandfathering, and they wanted to build new, what are the lot line requirements?
16:30That's a great question.
16:30So, it would have to be 15 feet in from the back, from the rear setback, seven feet from the
16:36side.
16:36So, it's actually right here in the center of the yard.
16:40Yeah.
16:40So, he does have a real diamond in the rough.
16:42Yeah, absolutely.
16:43Can I see how rough the rough is?
16:45Yeah.
16:46Wow.
16:47That's going to have to go.
16:48Yeah.
16:49This would scare a lot of homeowners.
16:51It's not insulated, little block foundation.
16:54Yeah, it's nothing to write home about.
16:56Watch your back, because this is going to come down hard.
16:58Good.
16:58So, talk to me about cost and timing.
17:01How long does something like this take and how much does it cost?
17:05You sound like a typical homeowner.
17:06Those are like the number one topics we like to talk about.
17:09So, timing.
17:10So, you can expect 12 months start to finish.
17:12And what that means is the first six months is design and layout and permitting.
17:18The second six months is actual build time.
17:20Okay.
17:20And cost?
17:21Cost.
17:21Cost.
17:21So, you can expect 300 to 350 per square foot for accessory dwelling units.
17:27And at 750 square foot, that's approximately 230 to 260, depending on your finishes.
17:34Right.
17:34Okay.
17:34And do you know his plan?
17:36There's currently three plans.
17:38A, B, and C. Plan A is to long-term rent it.
17:41That was his first idea.
17:42Plan B is to mid-term rent it.
17:44And Plan C is to actually move into it, rent the primary residence.
17:48Yeah.
17:49And maybe travel part of the year and enjoy, you know, life.
17:52Cool.
17:53All right.
17:53Well, thank you for showing us.
17:54Yeah.
17:54On to the next.
17:57So, you'll notice behind us, that's actually the main house.
18:00And they have an incredible lot here.
18:02And this is it.
18:03And then, this is it.
18:04Hiding underneath here is an existing 750 square foot cement block building.
18:09And we just wrapped it with cement board siding.
18:11Oh, wow.
18:12So, you get the favorable setbacks because it's existing.
18:14But otherwise, sort of a blank slate.
18:16I can't wait to show you.
18:17All right.
18:18So, welcome in to a full-size kitchen here.
18:23There's going to be a seven-foot island here with seating for four.
18:26Cabinets are in the car houses.
18:27Cabinets are currently going in.
18:28Then, you'll have an open living concept with a dedicated living space, which is, again,
18:33open to it.
18:33Vaulted ceiling makes it feel a lot bigger.
18:36Well, it does.
18:36This is below your 20-foot height max?
18:39Absolutely, yep.
18:39But it doesn't add to the square footage.
18:40It's just volume.
18:41Oh, yeah.
18:41So, you can go up.
18:42Then, we've got room for a full-size washer and dryer here.
18:46Full-size HVAC system.
18:48No mini splits.
18:49Oh, so ducted heat and AC.
18:51Yeah.
18:52And then, welcome into our first of two bedrooms.
18:56One of two.
18:56Perfect.
18:57Why don't we go see the finished project?
18:58Yes, please.
19:02So, we'll see the main house here.
19:04And then, we have the ADU in the back.
19:06This is a new construction here.
19:08So, we did not get the advantage of a grandfathered-in setback.
19:11So, here, we're seven feet from the side and 15 from the back.
19:15Fits in there nicely.
19:16And what's your total square footage here?
19:19We're hitting right at 550 on this one.
19:21Come on in.
19:21Please.
19:22Lead on.
19:24So, you'll see with a smaller footprint, it is a little tighter in here.
19:28Right.
19:28But we still get a living area.
19:30And then, we still get all the appliances in the kitchen, but they're a little bit smaller.
19:35So, a smaller refrigerator.
19:37And then, a hot plate instead of the range.
19:39Yep.
19:40And they counteracted the smaller space with these giant ceilings.
19:44So, it doesn't feel as tight.
19:46Full bath in there.
19:47Full bathroom here.
19:48The vaulted ceiling really gives it that volume, which is great.
19:51Yeah.
19:51It makes it feel a lot larger.
19:52Let me show you a cool trick that we have here.
19:55This is an all-in-one washer and dryer unit to save space.
19:58Nice.
19:58And here's a pretty large size primary.
20:00Oh, yeah.
20:01This is plenty, huh?
20:02Yeah.
20:02We're getting a closet here and a workspace.
20:04Very nice.
20:05And, I mean, high ceilings in here, even though I presume the upper loft is above us.
20:10There's a loft right above us, but these are still 10-foot ceiling height in this bedroom.
20:14Let's check out the loft.
20:16So, this is where we're going to pay for that 10-foot ceiling height and a higher stair
20:22rise.
20:23Yeah.
20:24You're not kidding.
20:24That's a big step.
20:25How is that even legal?
20:26ADUs actually have their own stair code.
20:29Oh, okay.
20:30So, this one works, even if it is steep.
20:32Oh, this is tasty up here, huh?
20:35Big vaulted space, a second bedroom.
20:38Very nice.
20:39So, how do they use this space?
20:40Is this a rental?
20:42Yeah.
20:42So, they actually opened this up as a short-term rental.
20:45And, even though you see we're just finishing, they've already had two renters in.
20:49Wow.
20:49That's very well-appointed.
20:50Nicely done.
20:51I'm going to send you off to see Meg and our last finished one.
20:58Oh, my.
20:59Welcome to the city of Decatur.
21:01Wow.
21:01You saved the best for last.
21:02For sure.
21:03Yeah.
21:03This is stunning, isn't it?
21:04Yeah, it is.
21:05And so, different city, different rules?
21:07Absolutely.
21:08So, you can actually go up to 1,000 square foot here.
21:12Nice.
21:12Up to 24 foot in height for two stories and 10 foot setbacks.
21:16Okay.
21:16And how much of that 1,000 square feet did you guys avail yourself?
21:19We did 525 square foot and it has a sleeping loft up above.
21:23Oh, I love the door.
21:24That's nice.
21:25Yeah.
21:25Oh, I like the space too.
21:27Welcome into the living area.
21:28You can see that we have a nice big entertaining center with the 15 foot ceilings.
21:33Big upper window to let in the light.
21:35Really gives a nice, like, light airy feeling, doesn't it?
21:38Sure does.
21:39And then, we have a full-size eat-in kitchen, so lots of spaces to sit.
21:43And then, a little hidden storage under here.
21:48Oh.
21:48Never a wasted inch up in underneath the stairs, which is great.
21:52Yeah.
21:52So, the stairs bring me to a nice next topic.
21:55This is another ship's ladder, but because we only have seven and a half foot ceilings,
22:00the rise is not as high as the last one.
22:03Let's head up.
22:04Let's try.
22:05Oh, yeah.
22:06Big step up, but not as much as the last one.
22:08Mm-hmm.
22:09Another great loft.
22:10So, how do the homeowners use this?
22:11For a pool house in the summer.
22:13In the off-season, they do a rental.
22:15Be nice to come back to a place like this.
22:17I think you're welcome.
22:18Well, I mean, I cannot thank you enough, Meg, and Christina too.
22:21Beautiful places, and quite honestly, a lot of ideas to bring back to Boston, so thank you.
22:25I can't wait to see.
22:26Yeah.
22:27Yeah.
22:41Next time on This Old House.
22:43I'm back in town to install the most popular siding in the country.
22:46I think one of the big factors, Zach, was the maintenance.
22:49They want a low-maintenance product that they're not going to have to worry about painting every
22:52four or five years.
22:53Then, fitting HVAC into any building is always a challenge, and we're going to show you a
22:58solution that tucks right up in between the ceiling choices.
23:00Inside this factory, we'll see how a building comes together from a pile of wood to a structure
23:06ready to roll down the road.
23:09That's next time.
23:24We'll see you next time.
Comments