No Experience Building

[country boy]

Hi everyone! I've been looking at building a cabin for a while now. I have been looking at building a 20x40 1 1/2 story just like Dave and Kims. http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=6311.20    I would live in this cabin year around. The house that I currently live in now is somewhere around 1200 sq ft and has more than enough room for me. I figure depending on how big the loft is I can build the cabin in the 1000 to 1200 sq ft range. My family owns land that I can build on also.

Only problem is I have no experience building anything before. I am a auto mechanic so I know how to work with my hands and have lots of tools. Is this too big of a project to take on without having prior experience? I would be doing the majority of the building by myself with occasional help from friends and family when needed. Also do you have any tips that might help me in the right direction? I should also mention that I'm good at reading directions and pick up on things very fast. Any help is appreciated 

[rayian]

Get a good framing book or two and do some reading. After awhile you'll either feel like, yeah I can do that or else that's to much for me.

[rick91351]

The one thing that you do need to really think about is do you have the 'stick to itness'. You have to be honest with yourself on this.  ALL your free time for at least a year will be eaten up by the house.  It is so easy to say heck YA I can donate all my free time to that.  But look at your past projects and be brutally honest with yourself.  DID I COMPLETE THEM?  When it is beer thirty where are you?  How much of your own love do you want to put into a house.....

I think it was the great production framer Larry Haun said so elegantly in his own style.....  Now you are not building furniture you are building a house.   

Him and his brother's videos were loaded on to You Tube that go with the companion book.  Don't be fooled it is harder than they make it.  Wink!  (Just like being a mechanic)  But then they ran huge framing crews all over California.  They improved techniques and I seen a video of Larry just before he passed and that big old long California framing hammer was just another body appendage.  And he still flowed with his acquired knowledge and loved to teach.  (Fine Homebuilding video)

This said watch a couple You Tube of framing they are all over You Tube how and not to and you can see pretty fast who is and who is not.... and talk to a few people.  You might even barter a repair to a someone in the trades ie plumber or HVAC contractor or sheet rocker.  Some things to me made sense to cast off to the trades.  I really did not want to learn plumbing 101 / electrical 101 the hard way when the part I did not know I needed is now a three hour round trip plus time in the store.  Sheet rockers are in and out so quick.  They call for materials and they are there delivered and they are nailing and screwing while you are trying to still round up your trailer.  Here insulation is much the same way.  The knock off they get by buying on the volume they do apposed to Lowes and HD.

Then there is the acquired knowledge of people on this forum and others.  So heck yes you can do it....  Just remember you are building a house not furniture.  Framing is sort of easy with common sense and then pick up a few tips then you will be swinging that big old California 'framin' hamber' like a pro.....   

[country boy]

Thanks for the advice!! I just ordered a couple framing and carpentry books today. I'll also check out some videos on Youtube on framing. Thanks for the motivation also! I'm hoping to maybe get dirt work and a foundation put up by this fall. Then I'd start construction next spring. I feel like starting next spring will be best. It'll give me time to plan everything out, study, and save up more money. Thanks again

[rdpecken]

My advice would be to do a smaller project first, to gain experience.  Maybe a small shed (Maybe 8x10 or 10x12) that will be useful on the property even after you build the house.  You will use all of the skills learned in building the shed on your house.  Good luck... Randy

[Adam Roby]

Someone here recommended this book to me:
"Working Alone: Tips & Techniques for Solo Building" by John Carroll.

If you will be doing a lot of work alone, he gives a lot of tricks on how to do things smartly and safely. 

Also, when ordering books like this, don't just buy everything new.  There are many great deals to be had on both Barnes and Noble and Amazon.  I look for used books, and 99% of the time they look almost brand new... so a book that is listed at $40 might cost me $1.99 plus shipping.  This gives you the option to order quite a few and get a good feel for things before starting.

[NathanS]

I'd recommend Joe Lstiburek's book on building for whichever climate you're in.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1?ie=UTF8&field-author=Joseph+Lstiburek&search-alias=books&text=Joseph+Lstiburek&sort=relevancerank

He concentrates on the envelope of the building, and what the best practices are for making a properly air tight, water tight, vapor controlled, thermal envelope. The proper way to avoid ice damming, and all that good stuff.

[Don_P]

My advice would be to do a smaller project first, to gain experience.  Maybe a small shed (Maybe 8x10 or 10x12) that will be useful on the property even after you build the house.  You will use all of the skills learned in building the shed on your house.  Good luck... Randy

Here's one way to do it smaller. Building a stick model of your frame does help thinking through the details. I set this outside at various times of year playing with solar and modified what I had planned to build.

Well, then she changed my mind once underway, several times. One of my favorite quotes from a carpenter friend when he was just starting out. He was working for an older woman and explaining how he was intending to do the repair work on her house. She replied,"Oh honey, it's so nice that you have a plan". He was working for a woman who had lived in the real world for a long time and knew the plan was good right up until they got into the work.

About the middle of a really well thought out complicated plan, that is on about plan D of the day, "Oh honey" is going to come out of somebody   

[country boy]

I'll definitely check out those books also. And I really like the small scale idea. Definitely going to do that. Also I'll try to do some small projects also. I've been needing to make another workbench for my shop....perhaps a wood one this time!!  A shed is a good idea too. Can always use more space to store junk!! haha. Thanks for the advice everyone!! Keep it coming 

[Dave Sparks]

Along with the advice plan to just sit in a chair at the site and look around. Do this at each season and you may find the best way to "site " the home and its access. Things like snow falling off the roof to a garage door or front door, sun light in am or pm.