A Victoria's Cottage in Western Maine

Started by Jeff922, April 14, 2010, 10:14:50 AM

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Jeff922

My monolithic "bell" slab is also my finished floor.  This week I stained the concrete.  I have to seal it with two coats of sealer after this cures.  I used a water based environmentally-friendly, low VOC concrete stain.  I have to say this was very stressful; once you put this stuff down and it soaks in, there is no going back.  I had a few minor mishaps and did some experimentation on-the-fly as I went.  I am pleased with the results however.  The color is Dark Chocolate.  It was a lot of work.  1) sweep and rinse 2) clean with chemical cleaner 3)scrub and rinse several times 4) first coat of stain adding texture with sea sponge 5) second coat of stain 6) going to need two coats of sealer 7) a final coat of protective polish.  Total cost for the entire 732 sq ft of the first floor is about $700 - not too bad.  Plus it will be a super durable, easy-to-maintain floor. 








"They don't grow trees so close together that you can't ski between them"

Jeff922

Here's the stain after 3 coats of sealer



Now it has a nice sheen




I decided that buying a set of factory spiral stairs is just not in our budget.  They are expensive!!!  A "cheap" set of all metal stairs is about $1500.  Instead I'm building a set from plans I got from this guy:

http://jself.com/stair/Stair.htm


The most expensive part is the steel.  I had a company do the welds for me also.  Going to pick up later this week/early next.  The pipes and fab work will cost $325 and the rest is just wood.  I think I can do this for under $600.
"They don't grow trees so close together that you can't ski between them"


Bishopknight

Wow, your floor came out awesome Jeff!

They broom finished my slab so I can't do that, but I'm glad you included the prices you paid so I would have an idea even if it was an option. Thanks. 

Also, I like that spiral staircase. I've seen quite a few custom made ones like that. I'm sure someone with your skills can pull it off.


Jeff922

Thanks for the support BK.  I was a little hesitant to do the spiral stairs project, but I'll go way out of comfort zone to save a few bucks. :D  I'm not so much intimidated by the woodworking, it's the math that seems difficult.  I don't remember learning about helices in geometry class.  But the plans seem straightforward.  I think I can easily save us $1000-$1400 on this. 

The project is underway:




The steel components.  I had someone do the welding for me.




I'm using all construction grade wood.  Here's all of my stock prepared.  Next I have to glue up blanks for my stair treads.






Today I painted my metal components.  Those are the spacers that will go between the stair treads.

"They don't grow trees so close together that you can't ski between them"

Bishopknight



Jeff922

Here's an update on the spiral stairs project.  This side project is an economic necessity (spiral stairs = $$$$$) however it has been a lot of fun so far.  It's nice to do some traditional woodworking and take a break from building.






A LOT of time was spent gluing up blanks for stair treads and balusters.  I used a gallon of wood glue!






These blanks were run through a planer and then two were glued together to make a 21" wide blank (2 treads each)






Next I started to make the stair treads.






Polyurethaning the first six treads.  I added a grit to the polyurethane for the top of the treads - so they're not slippery.


"They don't grow trees so close together that you can't ski between them"

SkagitDrifter

Now, that there is really cool.
Talk about turning construction grade material into gold.
Nice work- looking forward to seeing more progress.
I may have missed it but will you use wood or metal for the hand rail and balusters?
Great job!
Tom
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.
Abraham Lincoln

Jeff922

I'm using a metal center post painted a metallic dark grey which will make aesthetic sense with the exposed Simpson hangers.  Some people veneer the center post, but I don't like things that are trying to look like something they're not.  The balusters and handrail are wood also.  The handrail is laminated and molded flat then pulled into a helix.  I worked in a woodproducts manufacturing environment for almost 10 years using hardwoods exclusively - maple, birch, beech, and ash.  But I'm no hardwood chauvinist.  I actually like softwoods like pine.  They tool well, smell nice, and ya can't beat the price. ;)  Thanks for the positive words!
"They don't grow trees so close together that you can't ski between them"

rdzone

The stairs look great so far.  I downloaded the stair plans from the same site as you.  I had planned on a smaller cabin and was going to use spiral stairs, but we have been building the 2 story universal so we went with John's layout.  Have you found any problems using the plans/instructions?


Chuck
Chuck


Jeff922

#59
No problems so far.  Some of the wording is a little confusing, but the concept is a good one.  The only issue someone may run into is getting the right pipes.  I had to make many phone calls.  The 3 1/2" i.d. schedule 40 pipe is difficult to get.  I asked a guy who installs industrial sprinklers (which is where I had my 3" pipe threaded) why it's hard to come by.  He said it's an older size - everything used to be 3 1/2" and 5".  So getting the right steel is the hard part, but the woodworking part is quite enjoyable.
"They don't grow trees so close together that you can't ski between them"

archimedes

Wow, I'm impressed.

Is the center pole supporting all the weight of the treads?  How are the treads connected?

Great job!
Give me a place to stand and a lever long enough,  and I will move the world.

Jeff922

bman, check out the pick on this link:  http://jself.com/stair/Stair.htm

At first I was like "really? no diagonal bracing on the treads?"  But if you think about it, the balusters tie all the treads together and therefore, one's weight gets distributed evenly.  There is a 3" center pole on which the treads and 3 1/2" spacers stack.  I beefed up almost all of the dimensions however since I'm using softwood.  My treads are a full 2 1/2" thick.
"They don't grow trees so close together that you can't ski between them"

John Raabe

Here are two images from Jeff's link above:

   

It does make structural sense as the treads are all working together. A very nice project and thanks for the fine photos and documentation.
None of us are as smart as all of us.

Jeff922

Thanks for posting that pic John   ;)
"They don't grow trees so close together that you can't ski between them"


mstack

Jeff,
Thanks for allowing me to look around Sunday. The plan is a nice one and although I'd change a couple things around for my taste you've done an amazing job. I was surprised at the space because I expected it to look smaller in person. That wasn't the case. Once again, well done.
Mike

Jeff922

I'm glad you stopped by Mike.  Getting a sense of scale is so difficult when looking at plans.  I'm sure it helped to see it in person.  Thanks for the positive words!  I hope your property purchase goes well.   :D
"They don't grow trees so close together that you can't ski between them"

Freeholdfarm

This looks like it's going to be a REALLY nice house!  You are doing a wonderful job!  Thank you for sharing the process with us!

Kathleen

Jeff922

Got the stairs in place yesterday.  I still have to laminate the handrail, but it's coming together nicely...























"They don't grow trees so close together that you can't ski between them"

speedfunk

wow.  That looks awesome!  Very nice job so far.

bayview

Quote from: speedfunk on June 28, 2010, 07:14:42 AM
wow.  That looks awesome!  Very nice job so far.

   Ditto!  ;D

   Quite an undertaking . . .    I commend you for taking on such a project.

/
    . . . said the focus was safety, not filling town coffers with permit money . . .


John Raabe

Quite an example of a handsome elegant handbuilt stair. Kudos! :D :D :D

PS - Just added this to the quick forum links (right hand column) on the main CountryPlans site.
None of us are as smart as all of us.

rdzone

Chuck

Jeff922

Thanks everyone  :)   Some notes on this project so far:
1)  Stair diameter is 5' - 4"
2)  treads are 2 -1/2" thick
3)  tread rise is 7 - 1/2"
4)  balusters are 2 - 1/4" square
5)  I have about $650 dollars in this so far (need to laminate handrail - won't add much to cost))
6)  I have about 60 hours invested so far.
7)  overall, this has been real fun - I would do it again, no question we saved some money.

"They don't grow trees so close together that you can't ski between them"

archimedes

Give me a place to stand and a lever long enough,  and I will move the world.

CREATIVE1


Quote from: Jeff922 on May 14, 2010, 08:02:37 AM
My monolithic "bell" slab is also my finished floor.  This week I stained the concrete.  I have to seal it with two coats of sealer after this cures.  I used a water based environmentally-friendly, low VOC concrete stain.  I have to say this was very stressful; once you put this stuff down and it soaks in, there is no going back.  I had a few minor mishaps and did some experimentation on-the-fly as I went.  I am pleased with the results however.  The color is Dark Chocolate.  It was a lot of work.  1) sweep and rinse 2) clean with chemical cleaner 3)scrub and rinse several times 4) first coat of stain adding texture with sea sponge 5) second coat of stain 6) going to need two coats of sealer 7) a final coat of protective polish.  Total cost for the entire 732 sq ft of the first floor is about $700 - not too bad.  Plus it will be a super durable, easy-to-maintain floor. 


What brand did you use?  I'm doing the same thing (except my floor is textured flagstone) and I think your job looks great.