How to change floor structure

[IBBrowning]

I'm new to Home Designer Suite and drawing an existing timber frame home for a remodel and addition. I don't understand where the 12 5/8" floor structure (L) I'm seeing on the Room/Structure edit panel is coming from and why it can't be changed. Help documents say it is shown for reference and can't be changed there, but I haven't found it anywhere in defaults either. I have existing floors supported by beams which are an 1 1/2" thick so the 'floor structure' is an 1 1/2" thick (or 9 1/2" with the beams which I would prefer to draw separately). Seems simple in theory but everything I try ends up changing the 'floor height above' to an incorrect value and puts 12 5/8" between floor and ceiling.

 

[LawB10]

You cannot change the floor structure in Suite, you have to adjust the ceiling height to what you want.

[ioanwill]

what about in Architectural. So you want a 200 thick concrete slab, exposed finish, how can you set the floor structure to 200mm thick, it keeps defaulting to 318mm

[katalyst777]

According to the Comparison Matrix of Home Designer programs, only Pro has the ability to:

Customize construction methods for walls, floors, ceilings, and foundations. Specify wall layers, floor structure, platform height, mudsills, framing methods, and more.

[DavidJPotter]

You can emulate thickness by increasing or decreasing the thickness of the "Floor Finish" input box value, that is the only route to altering the floor thickness in Suite, that is better than nothing.

 

DJP

[midway22]

Floor finishes only work for desired floor structures greater than 12" it seems (negative values wouldn't save in Suite 2016)

 

Fairly disappointed that after building my house plan for our remodel I can't get the floors anywhere close to their size. This causes problems with exterior aspects, ceiling heights (secondary cabinet problems with dropping the ceiling) and staircases.

 

I didn't think I would have to dig through the tool to find the gotcha variables they purposely locked down. And this isn't a uncommon or commercial scenario, every home owner remodeling their pre-60/70's house will almost certainly have this problem as the floor dimensions were rarely 12".

 

I read in another thread where defining the room as a court (few other types also) would change the value to 4" but would treat it differently in other regards. Haven't gotten this to work yet but might be the extremely hacky way to compensate.

[solver]

Suite is very limited in what it can do with the building structure, but it is documented in the comparison linked in post #5. 

 

I do not understand selling a product with this type of limitation -- what good is the software if you cannot build an accurate model, but then it's also a $100 product that is not intended to use for creating build or remodel plans.

 

You could set your rooms to be a Porch, or other type that uses a default 4" concrete slab, then make up the difference with finish floor thickness as you describe. Not ideal, but it should get you closer.

[LawB10]

You could also change the foundation to monolithic slab, that changes the floor structure to 4"

 

Keep in mind your going from an old standard to a new standard

[DavidJPotter]

Home Designer Suite is sold for $99.00 (you get what you pay for). Home Designer Pro sells for $495.00 and with it you can make the floor platform thickness whatever you wish by default settings. Blaming  the software is not the answer, if you want exactitude, you pay for it or you make due with what you have.

 

DJP