Starting from nothing in the Ozarks, updated building progression from beginning

Started by Ozarkhomesteaders, July 05, 2015, 09:18:29 PM

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Ozarkhomesteaders

Ok So It has been a Really long time since I have posted on here. So I am just going to start from scratch and start at the beginning and work my way up to where we are at now.  Look forward to a lot of pictures and information.  Hope you all enjoy taking a walk through this journey my wife and I have been on.
Thank you Josh
Ozarkhomesteaders

Ozarkhomesteaders

This is where it all began in 2009 in Pennsylvania.  We purchased right at 6 acres of Land in Missouri in Nov. 2008.  We kept going back and forth as to what we were going to live in until we built our house.  Are we going to get a travel trailer,  or a Trailer house?  We decided it would be more economical to build a small cabin to live in until we can add on or build a house.  We couldn't afford to travel back and forth from Pennsylvania to Missouri during building process so we decided to frame our cabin up in PA and make it so we could take it appart and transport it to Missouri.  We rented the biggest Penske truck we could loaded up and went to missouri with everything we had including our 14'x20' cabin.  So here is the story.
Ozarkhomesteaders



Ozarkhomesteaders

It took a lot of precise calculations of the Penske truck size to engineer our cabin to fit inside when the sections were taken apart.  Of course we labeled everything when we took it apart to everything went back together properly.  Luckily it all worked out here are some pictures of Our cabin disassembled and getting loaded in the Truck ready to move half way across country. 








Ozarkhomesteaders

Ozarkhomesteaders

Well we made it to our property in Missouri and got all the Materials for the cabin unloaded from the Penske truck so we could have somewhere to sleep.  Got our holes dug for our foundation piers.  Got the string all laid out and started filling tubes with concrete. 



Ozarkhomesteaders


Ozarkhomesteaders

Ozarkhomesteaders

MJW

Michael

I don't want to live forever. I just want to live while I'm alive.

Jeff W


Ozarkhomesteaders

Ok I have finally got all our pictures uploaded to photobucket so know it is just a matter of getting you guy all up to speed of where we are at in progress.  So this will be like construction warp speed. I'll try to get all the pictures in order and explain things as we go.  I'll try to answer all your questions as soon as possible.  This progress is just a little over 6 years we moved here in May of 09.  We are also in Douglas County as well.  I hope you enjoy and get picture overload haha. 
Ozarkhomesteaders


Ozarkhomesteaders








This picture also shows the water tank we bought to have running water.  Just had to carry water everyday from a large spring just off of our property.  Had a shallow well pump with pressure tank to plumb our lines.  Worked pretty good just hauling water day in and day out gets old quick.  Always timing showers lol.  Finally got a well drilled 2 years later but we will get to that.
Ozarkhomesteaders

Ozarkhomesteaders

That last picture is probably about 4 months after the move to missouri.  You can see we had our wood stove in place. Also had our antenna in for TV.  Went 2.5 months running a generator before we were able to get electric installed.
Ozarkhomesteaders

Ozarkhomesteaders


Insulation in yeah, keeping the heat inside.




Getting the house wrapped.  Don't want any little house's running around :P


Start of siding.
















Ozarkhomesteaders

Ozarkhomesteaders

The start to finish of building the balcony off of our bedroom/loft.





Stained and siding done on south side.








Ozarkhomesteaders

Ozarkhomesteaders

That Last pic shows our chicken coop so I'll show you that process. 






And finally painted and ready to go
Ozarkhomesteaders


Ozarkhomesteaders

A couple garden pics to mix it up.




This is 2 years after living in MO and by far the best day of the whole process so far.  YES  [cool]





Joy to the world LOL hauling water sucks as many of you have or still may be experiencing.  Gives you a much greater appreciation for the little things many of us have taken for granted.
Ozarkhomesteaders

Ozarkhomesteaders

Finishing up the soffit and over hangs. 



Back Side

Now Front of house.



You can see we also painted the front door.  Was a recycled item. 
Ozarkhomesteaders

Ozarkhomesteaders

I couldn't find any pictures of the building of the barn.  We bought a pole barn kit and my wife, the inlaws and I built it in about a week and a half and the only pics I could find are the end result. 



You can also see the well house has been completed.

A work bench I built out of some leftover lumber
Ozarkhomesteaders

Ozarkhomesteaders

The small flower bed I had been promising to my wife for a few years now.


Now this brings us up to July of 2014 which is where the project we are currently working on is taking place.  The original house is 14'x20' and here are the pictures of the 24'x40' addition we are building.  My wife and I were alright living in a small house for few years but now that we just have had a son we needed to expand our living space.  Oh and by the way the barn is 24'x24' in case you were wondering.

The breaking of ground by hand begins.














Measure Measure and Measure.  I was very keen on Starting everything  out perfectly square and level.  Even in the digging process, I figured the more accurate you are in the beginning the easier and more accurate you will be in the end. 
Ozarkhomesteaders

Ozarkhomesteaders

Everybody who has hand dug for their foundation,  I have a lot of respect for but also, omg my back ugh what a lot of work. 


Some concrete has arrived. 


Framing up for footers.  Once again I cannot stress this enough measure everything at least three times.  You will thank yourself in the end.  Footers are 6" thick and 12" wide.  With plenty of rebar.




Oh yeah here is the cement mixer I got from harbor freight worked like a champ.  Only two 80# bags at a time though.  But it was well worth the $240.  I could mix and pour about 80 bags a day by myself comfortably.








Barn full of concrete.  Woah
Ozarkhomesteaders

Ozarkhomesteaders

Framed up foundation walls and pouring.  I did my walls in 6 sections (4) 12'x12' corners and two middle sections on the 40' sides.  I just kept at least 3-4' of rebar sticking out of the concrete for the next section of wall/rebar to tie into.  Once again I was very very particular about making sure concrete walls were plum, level and perfectly square.  Saves so much time and frustration in the end.  Walls are 8" thick and between 26"-32" tall.  Also brace, your forms and once you think you have them braced securly put some more bracing in. 

















a little out of order but you get the idea.
Ozarkhomesteaders


Ozarkhomesteaders

And now to some framing.  ahh finally.












I guess you could say my Deck Dance lol.


In case you were wondering I got the opportunity to tear down a few houses for the lumber which saved us a butt load of money  so a little over half of the first floor floor joist are recycled.  All of the math, calculating, thinking and rethinking every step and ten steps ahead paid off.  Floor is perfectly sguare and level.  YES  something finally worked.  Should make the rest of the building process that much faster and easy. 
Ozarkhomesteaders

Ozarkhomesteaders

framing up the first floor walls,  went with 2x6 exterior walls.  Also all recycled lumber.




Went with 11 7/8" I joist for the 2nd floor, floor joist.  Shows them mostly installed.






Ozarkhomesteaders

Ozarkhomesteaders

We wanted to go with an open floor plan for the first floor.  We also liked the idea of having an open area from the second floor down to the first.  To say the least this was a bit challenging to make it all work  and have the space we still wanted upstairs so one thing we did to try to aid in this was to design our stairs to be a little more space saving.  So here is what we came up with.  I think it will all work out, this process resulted in numerous night redesigning and measuring and thinking.  In the end though you have to make a final decision so you think,  yeah that should work and go with it. 






Getting some of the exterior zip sheathing on the first floor.


Since I was alone for the most part of the building, you start coming up with different ways to get thing accomplished such as when putting the sheathing on I would tack a 2x4 to the previous sheet so that it would catch the sheet I was installing with a less chance of dropping the sheet.  This to my surprise work out rather well.  You will also notice regular ply wood on the corners.  I Had got about ten good sheets from recycle projects so I figured it would be best to use them on the corners for strength. 



Ozarkhomesteaders

Ozarkhomesteaders

Getting all the sub floor down for the 2nd floor.   You will also notice some advantech mixed with some 3/4" plywood also because I was able to get about 15 good sheets from recycled house.  I used them on the second floor just because on the weather issue.  I was a little afraid to use them on the first floor so I went with all new Advantech on the first floor and then used what 3/4" ply I had on the second floor and finished it out with advantech.  Matched up perfectly and once again saved a good bit of money in the process.





Getting second floor walls framed up and also more exterior sheathing. 






This picture kind of shows hot the one side of the existing house will be removed as well as half of the roof to open it up into the existing house. 

Ozarkhomesteaders

Ozarkhomesteaders

Trusses have arrived on site just 4/12 pitch 24' long with 2' overhang pretty standard. :D


The installation of trusses.  Had a buddy help me with about half of them.  I had left the one second floor wall off so we could get the trusses up to the second floor and then from their up on the walls.  Then we framed and stood up the last wall to tie everything together.  Work out pretty good and didn't have to hire a crane.










And all installed.










This is the was the wall I left off to get the trusses up their.  Now installed and some sheets installed.

Ozarkhomesteaders