Best practice for full walkout basement plan?

[GeneDavis]

I'm about to begin a plan for a friend that is a single story above a full walkout basement level, a very simple arrangement with the main footprint just doubled down.

 

Having done these before but long ago, I cannot remember (nor do I have the plans available) whether I did the walkout level as floor 1 or floor 0.

 

Floor 0 will have more than half of its walls wood-framed, and its slab floor will have 4-foot frostwalls under at the full-exposure locations.

 

So, should I built that lower level as the basement (level 0) or as level 1?

[DRAWZILLA]

I would set the basement level as floor 1 so you still have floor zero as a foundation plan.

[GeneDavis]

Thanks, Perry.

 

So having built it already as walkout floor is 0 and main floor is 1, I'll need to raise the roof an appropriate amount, build floor 2, exchange 1 for 2, then exchange 0 for 1, and then go to work on zero to get the foundation I want.

 

Right?

[DRAWZILLA]

I have always started my drawings  my way and never had to repair like you say, so I have no idea what you might have to fix. BTW there are people here that like the floor zero for the basement level. I never did.

[GeneDavis]

I suppose I could start over, but I've forged ahead and now have gotten myself stuck.  See the plan, attached.

 

I'd like the basement slab to be at elevation zero, and am close, but the structure specs have me confused.  Note that the lower level floor (floor 1), cannot be selected for room spec.  Room specs for floor 0 (the no-room basement, i.e. foundation) and floor 1, the walkout lower level, need fixing.

Wilson cottage updated.plan

[robdyck]

I design walk-out foundations all the time, and I prefer to keep the basement at the default level, Floor '0'.  I find it simpler to keep the main floor at the elevation of 0'-0" and subtract for the lower level. If you're using pony walls for some of the foundation walls, the display options for pony walls work well and provide plenty of options for plan view.

[Chrisb222]

2 hours ago, robdyck said:

I design walk-out foundations all the time, and I prefer to keep the basement at the default level, Floor '0'.  I find it simpler to keep the main floor at the elevation of 0'-0" and subtract for the lower level. If you're using pony walls for some of the foundation walls, the display options for pony walls work well and provide plenty of options for plan view.

 

+1, I design a lot of walk-out basements and do the same. To create frost walls at the full-exposure walls, I just take an elevation and select the wall, usually a pony wall with wood framing atop concrete, and drag it down.

 

Making separate foundation and basement plans from the same floor is easy with dedicated annotation sets.

 

If the foundation and the basement are on separate floors, how is the model correct and how do you use it to create elevation drawings??

[GeneDavis]

Thanks, everybody!

 

I went to the archives and snaked out a copy of the plan before I mucked it up with level changes, and got busy doing pony wall specs, and dragging footings and walls down where needed, and now I remember it's what I did before for these walkouts.  I just don't get enough practice.

[johnny]

I personally use Floor 0 too, but mainly since i really don't do an extra plan sheet beyond the basement/foundation plan.  I typically just show wall sections in the areas that have foundation below to describe the condition.  I can say i've had foundation subs ask for a "clean" foundation plan without the floor plan too - but we typically find a middle ground.

[joey_martin]

85% of my work is basement....Floor 0 is for the basement. Use Layer/Anno Sets to control what is visible between the 2 different plans. 

 

[ShaneK]

I have many walk-outs and all are on floor zero. Pay attention to deep footings and site elevations.

[DRAWZILLA]

I still like the foundation on floor zero and the basement on floor 1. It might be a California thing as I don't like to clutter up any floor plans with all the stuff we have to include on the foundation plan like many shear walls and holdowns we have to include on the framing and foundation plans here. Some times it just gets to much to put on a floor plan.