12x16 screen porch addition

[secordpd]

Just some random thoughts on my experiences so far, hope it will help others.

If you are going to rent a towable auger,  think about getting this one, esp. if you need a extension.



as opposed to this one I got from HD rental 




has a problem with the engine hitting the ground, so the only way to use extension is to attach/unattach in hole which was a pain in the butt...


If you are going to buy a post hole digger, this one absolutly  ROCKS



Its the TrueTemper at Lowes $45.

I've used others, and the clamshell doesn't close up as well as this one.  And you don't have to pull the handles out as far, so you can dig deeper in a narrower hole. The also have pointed tips....


Just my 2 cents..

[MountainDon]

If you are going to buy a post hole digger, this one absolutly  ROCKS

I have that one as well, but with the Ridgid name on it. I got it drom Home Depot. I has been the best manual post hole digger I've ever used. Well worth the $$

[secordpd]

Yea Don it really amazed me, I figured I was just going to finish the holes I had dug w/ the auger, but since I discovered my sewer line ran right under the holes I dug, and that needed to re-dig, I was just amazed how well it dug new holes..great tool..

[secordpd]

Here's a few pics of my rebar cages and sonar tubes...






didn't have enough small pieces so the outer piers will have criss-cross footing rebar, and the middle piers will have the # design.
I just bought the cheapest hardware cloth 2' tall, figured it would hold the footing rebar and horizontal pieces where I wanted them.

Then I was reading in    'Building a deck, written by Scott Schuttner' (published by Taunton Press's Build Like a Pro series.  He even quotes Pegg88  'When in doubt, Build it stout') that he wraps his tubes several times with plastic to prevent frost jacking.  He said he tapes and staples them, but I decided to only tape them and left loose enough so the plastic can slide up and down the tube, kinda like an outter sleeve.  Figured it was cheap insurance...

[secordpd]

I bought a small cement mixer, from Harbor frieght... yea I know their stuff is cheap crap from china.  But I plan to build concrete counter tops at some point, and have some other small projects....

I looked online and at the big box stores, $300. was about the cheapest for 3.5 cf mixer. Couldn't afford that, looked on craigslist, only local one was HF 3.5cf and the guy wanted more then he paid at HF, plus it was used! (when I commented on CL he emailed me that it cost for shipping)

  I can only lift 40# bags and figured the smaller one would be fine from HF, it's all steel and one reviewer said as long as you don't overload, it works fine...  The only one in area that had the 1.25 cf mixer was in CT.  So when I got there, it was on sale from $149. to $109.




  I thought great, I'll buy the 2 year warranty for $20(as suggested on a review forum)  When I asked the manager for it, he said he only had open box one left.  When I pressed him about all parts being there, he swore they checked to make sure..  I also asked about the warranty, he said if it breaks for any reason, including overloading, bring it back and free replacement! Whats to lose..  So I put it together and only piece missing was a compression spring, so worked out ok (got one at HD)    I'll let you know how it works....

[secordpd]

Well, Sunday had 2 strong guys willing to help me pour piers (they can lift 80# bags ) so for $35. rented a cement mixer from Home Depot.  It holds 2 80# bags, so figured it would take-up less working time and leave more time for swimming and grilling on my little beach.

We poured 80# bag of premix in hole, 1/3 at a time and mixed with the water in hole with a pitch fork, spining it like a beater.
Tried sucking the water out with wet vac, but it seeped back in.  What water didn't get mixed in, got displaced.  

Then stuck the rebar cages inside the hole, and pushed the rebar down into the footing mix, finished pouring the piers, and pushed another rebar down into concrete and stuck the j-bolt in. Hope it works out.. would have like to make footings wider and deeper, but I guess it will have to do.  The bottom of the holes were pretty hard, if worse comes to worse, I guess I can always jack-up the beam and put a taller 6x6 in. But, 'It is what it is'

Can anyone tell me how long before I can attach posts and beam?