Our UP Michigan project

Bill Houghton · December 29, 2008, 10:18:26 PM

Three season (two seasons now, something with Photobucket, there were three) photos of our project site. Got a quote today on a 24 X 32 block foundation.

Fall 2008

lonelytree · December 30, 2008, 01:27:55 AM

Love the colors!

December 30, 2008, 02:17:16 AM

Cool photo's Good idea

Bill Houghton · December 30, 2008, 08:22:43 PM

Quote from: lonelytree on December 30, 2008, 01:27:55 AM
Love the colors!

Quote from: Whitlock on December 30, 2008, 02:17:16 AM
Cool photo's Good idea

Thanks for the compliments. We hope to break ground after the ground is dry this spring. Probably do the dry in and then just tinker away myself over the summer, in my spare time

Bill

Bill Houghton · January 29, 2009, 10:39:33 PM

Well, it has taken a lot of time over this winter, but we have settled on a single story, 2 bedroom, 28 x 40 pole building. I have until the end of March when our annual Builders Show takes place in the Superior Dome to finish our plans. I hope to get quotes on how much it will take to shell in the building. Our general objective is to have a dry in done, with roof, soffit and fascia, windows and vinyl siding and floor. Of course that will require the under slab plumbing be done and the heat tube installed for the slab. Then, I am hoping that we can just take it a day at a time on a cash basis and get it to the point of being able to get some heat in there for next winter.

Will keep you posted with pics, etc...

Bill in the U.P.

February 22, 2009, 04:43:12 PM

Hello all,

Still LOTS of snow up here, but making some progress. Have priced out some windows (Andersons at Home Depot) and will be meeting with the gentleman that is going to draw our plans for us.

We have decided to get the plans drawn, then see if we can get a number of quotes for a "shell in". Then, we can take over from there. We will also fill out our spetic and well permits and grind through that process once the ground drys up.

I appreciate all the help we have recieved from this forum and will post pics when there is actually some progress.

Bill in the U.P.

Sassy · February 22, 2009, 06:01:05 PM

Beautiful! Nice change in seasons, although I don't think I'd like to live long-term in snow anymore.

apaknad · February 22, 2009, 11:26:41 PM

i'm getting kinda sick of the winters myself. been in michigan my whole life except for two years in the service.

Bill Houghton · February 23, 2009, 07:15:05 AM

Quote from: Sassy on February 22, 2009, 06:01:05 PM
Beautiful! Nice change in seasons, although I don't think I'd like to live long-term in snow anymore.

Sassy, I agree with the "long-term". We have a vague plan of getting out during the winter months but I don't think I'd like year around in the south either.

Quote from: apaknad on February 22, 2009, 11:26:41 PM
i'm getting kinda sick of the winters myself. been in michigan my whole life except for two years in the service.

Apaknad, are you in the U.P? Is there even any snow down state this year? A frind just came back from Lansing and said it was cold, but no snow.

Bill in the U.P.

February 23, 2009, 07:48:31 AM

Quote from: Bill Houghton on February 23, 2009, 07:15:05 AM

Quote from: apaknad on February 22, 2009, 11:26:41 PM
i'm getting kinda sick of the winters myself. been in michigan my whole life except for two years in the service.

Apaknad, are you in the U.P? Is there even any snow down state this year? A frind just came back from Lansing and said it was cold, but no snow.

Just a light dusting

Season snowfall: Lansing - 64.3″, Ionia - 68.0″, Grand Ledge 67.8″ Big Rapids - 72.0″, BTL - 63.7″, Kalamazoo (WMU) - 99.2″, Hastings - 97.2″, Grand Rapids - 104.5″, Lake City - 113.8″ Holland - 115.1″, Oshtemo - 118.0″, Bloomingdale - 133.0″ (10″ new), Muskegon - 147.6″, Ludington - 149.6″, Hart - 160.0″(10″ new), Kalkaska - 172.5″ Wellston (eastern Manistee Co.) - 185.8″

Lansing is just outside the lake effect area.

apaknad · February 23, 2009, 10:52:29 AM

hi bill,
we just got some more snow yesterday, about 3". we have set a record for total accumulation so far this winter in the jackson area. don't think lansing got much this time. i am SOOOO glad i bought a snow blower from lowe's while i worked there two years ago. got it for a song because i was the guy who assembled everything and this blower was all covered in snow out back and had a flat tire. i offered the boss $300 for it(it listed for $500 and this was winter time so no discounts) and told him all yhe repairs it needed so he said yes. when i went to pay for it i got my 10% discount on top and got it for $272 out the door.

Bill Houghton · February 24, 2009, 05:15:59 AM

Quote from: r8ingbull on February 23, 2009, 07:48:31 AM

Just a light dusting

Season snowfall: Lansing - 64.3″, Ionia - 68.0″, Grand Ledge 67.8″ Big Rapids - 72.0″, BTL - 63.7″, Kalamazoo (WMU) - 99.2″, Hastings - 97.2″, Grand Rapids - 104.5″, Lake City - 113.8″ Holland - 115.1″, Oshtemo - 118.0″, Bloomingdale - 133.0″ (10″ new), Muskegon - 147.6″, Ludington - 149.6″, Hart - 160.0″(10″ new), Kalkaska - 172.5″ Wellston (eastern Manistee Co.) - 185.8″

Lansing is just outside the lake effect area.

r8ingbull, we are getting close to the 300" mark for the year! This has been a winter of either sub zero temperatures OR heavy snow falls. So far we've only had one nice week since the end of November. Reminds me of the winters we had when we were kids (you know, walking to school in waist high snow, up hill, both ways

)

Quote from: apaknad on February 23, 2009, 10:52:29 AM
hi bill,
we just got some more snow yesterday, about 3". we have set a record for total accumulation so far this winter in the jackson area. don't think lansing got much this time. i am SOOOO glad i bought a snow blower from lowe's while i worked there two years ago. got it for a song because i was the guy who assembled everything and this blower was all covered in snow out back and had a flat tire. i offered the boss $300 for it(it listed for $500 and this was winter time so no discounts) and told him all yhe repairs it needed so he said yes. when i went to pay for it i got my 10% discount on top and got it for $272 out the door.

apaknad, nice purchase on the snow blower. We just got our first Lowe's here in Marquette (the only U.P. store). Great place. We've had a Menards for quite a few years.

I was talking to a girl last week about our building plans and she said this about construction: "Quality, cost, and speed - only two out of the three are possible" I find this to be true. The guys I use for the majority of my construction needs are fast and do a great job, but they certainly are not cheap. We've made the mistake (when we were younger) of making price the major criteria for a project and in the end regreted the decision. We hired a cheap contractor on our first house and I came home to find that when they needed to mount an abrasive blade to a skill saw to cut out the block wall for a window, they went into my garage and used my saw!

Of course the next time I used the saw it quit working!

Bill in the U.P.

cbs125 · February 26, 2009, 05:59:38 PM

bill,

my girl friend is currently doing an out rotation in portage healtcare in Houghton/Hancock. she spent a year in houghton 2005-06. we love the area and once she is finished with her rotations (2012) or earlier we plan to move to the area. we were thinking to get some land now and hold onto it. maybe put a small cabin till its time for a house. My question for you do you have any suggestions on how and where to look for a nice piece of land. she would be at portage hospital so we would like to be within a decent radius of there.

Thanks, Corey

apaknad · February 26, 2009, 07:13:21 PM

you really like that snow eh?

February 26, 2009, 10:11:35 PM

it's amazing up there. kelly is a skier i enjoy the outdoors in general. we're in the metro area now and though its convenient to everything, we both raise in a rural area. i'd love to be close to trails and the water but most importantly woods on the property.

corey

Bill Houghton · March 02, 2009, 08:49:42 PM

Hi Corey,

I have been out of town so I didn't see your post till today. Even though the Houghton/Hancock area is beautuful, I have only been up there a few times, usually for a lunch in town or a visit to Mich Tech years ago. I would believe that land prices are pretty reasonable though, as I know a few folks who have brought lakefront property up there the last few years for cottages and investments.

Take care,

Bill in the U.P.

Bill Houghton · March 13, 2009, 11:23:17 AM

Hello folks,

I met with the plan guy yesterday. He said he would have a preliminary set of plans done in a week and a half. Final plans could be in 3 weeks. I hope. I also hope our income stays strong and we survive our taxes for the year.

Bill in the U.P.

Bill Houghton · December 15, 2012, 09:01:16 PM

Hello, it has been forever. Ended up taking a totally different direction.

First brought in a 40 ft. container for tools and storage:

Two years ago I added this flatbed trailer I found on CL. The deck is 8.5 ft. wide and 26 ft. long:

And this was tonight when I left. I will post some more if you are interested. It has been a fun two year project. A lot less expensive than our original plan. When I want to go somewhere else I can. The trailer is licensed and I kept it within the towing limits without an oversized permit.

Inside photo:

Bill Houghton · December 16, 2012, 10:08:58 AM

Here is where we were a few days after Christmas 2 years ago. Bolted the bottom treated 2 x 4 through the trailer with stainless steel nuts, bolts and washers. We used hurricane straps on the bottom and top plates to anchor to the vertical 2 x 4's. You can see the raw metal on the sides where we used a cutting torch to take the rub rails off the side of the trailer. They were removed so the siding would go down over the edge of the trailer/cabin when it was finished. We framed the walls and firred up the floor with 2 x 4's, framed the roof with 2 x 8 and used expanding foam insulation to fill all of the cavities. I have to open a window to use the wood stove, it turned out very air tight

Huge29 · December 16, 2012, 11:15:30 AM

Pretty neat, what does the other side of the trailer look like?

December 16, 2012, 11:58:55 AM

This was yesterday when I left.

seedspreader · December 16, 2012, 05:30:56 PM

Do you have more pictures of the inside?

Bill Houghton · December 17, 2012, 12:23:04 PM

More framing and the inside opposite end.

Sassy · December 17, 2012, 04:36:52 PM

Very nice & clever

BenB · December 18, 2012, 08:38:51 AM

I dig it. Nicely done

A buddy of mine just finished up his fish house/ice shack. He had a custom 4 wheel trailer with hydraulics made up by a shop and it stretches 6 x 20 but then a sidewall pivots open so it ends up 12 x 20.
He's got more than $30K in a fish house - insane!

But I 'fess it is also way beyond cool