Picking a start date?

[MushCreek]

We finally have somewhat of a plan for our new house, and have figured out how to pay for it as well. Now I'm trying to figure out the best time of year to start. We're building near the mountains in SC, almost on the NC border. They usually have mild winters, but this year has been cold and wet, with well above normal snow. I had always thought to start in the fall, and hope to be dried in by the coldest part of winter, but after this year, I'm starting to wonder. My current thinking is to get the excavation and foundation work done in the fall, then wait until spring to begin framing. I'll have to quit my job once I start, but the foundation will be contracted out, so I could keep working until I was ready to go up with the house. Of course, spring isn't know for dryness, and the area has that lovely red clay that gets so slimy when wet. Most of the wall framing will be done right on the floor deck. I should have the place dried in before the real hot weather starts, and I'm better equipped to work in heat them I am in cold at this station of my life. If I had started last fall, I would have lost a lot of time freezing my jewels off and trying to keep dry!

Time will be of the essence, since I will quit working to build the house, and the sooner it's done, the sooner I can look for a job, and get on with a garden, etc. My wife will stay behind in FL and keep the income stream going until it's time to move to SC for good. I'll either start late this summer/early fall, or do as I said above- get the foundation done while I'm still working, than have at it in the spring. Any suggestions?

[archimedes]

Sounds exciting that you're getting closer.  What type of foundation?  Will there be a basement?

[dug]

Can't really help you much- not familiar with that particular locale.

But based on my personal experience, whenever you do start you will trigger the wettest, windiest, nastiest weather spell on record for years. So...please wait until I'm dried in! 

[MushCreek]

I'm going to do two buildings- the barn first, which will be built on a monolithic slab, and the house (which will actually be quite a bit smaller) on a full walk-out basement. I'd like to have both foundations done at the same time, hopefully saving a few bucks, and minimizing the excavation period.

[Redoverfarm]

For the most part on the east coast and mountainious area most contractors will try to have it dried in by winter and give them some place to work when the weather turns bad.  Although they are not unemployed while doing so.  To me having it dried in, partially insulated (ceiling) when winter hits is the perfect oppurtunity to work as everything else draws to a standstill.   It is also a good time to pick up a helper that normally would do this kind of work but was laid off during the winter months.

[firefox]

If you dry in the barn first, you can possibly make large sub assemblies there If the weather is bad and then move them into place
at the house. If you have trees in the right place, you might set up a
cable between the house and the barn so you can transport
stuff across easily.
Just some crazy ideas to think about.
Bruce

[archimedes]

From what I've read about basement construction aren't you supposed to frame the top of the basement walls before you back fill ?

If you're not going to start the framing of the first floor until after winter, but building the basement prior to the winter, wouldn't you be leaving the bottoms of the basement footings exposed to freezing weather, awaiting the construction of the floor framing in the spring?

Having never built a home with a basement I just guessing here.

[MountainDon]

Hmmmm.  What's the reasoning behind the barn first and the house later?  I'm thinking I'd like to have the home done to where it can be lived in first. But maybe that's me and I don't know your reasons. Might be good ones like a place for the animals or a place to store tools. 

I'd prefer to start in spring and not leave an unfinished, uncovered basement sitting over wintet, myself.

[diyfrank]

No need to wait to backfill.

[ScottA]

Friday sounds good. 

[MikeOnBike]

Friday sounds good. 

[MushCreek]

Friday sounds good. 

I'll tell the wife.....

The reason for the barn first is.... I need a place to live while I build the house. I'm also worried about inflation on building materials, so I'll stockpile as much as I can. I also need a place to store excess from our old house, as the wife will be living in an apartment (in FL) during the build. Now that you mention it, the idea of an open basement sounds like it could be trouble, if only because the lawyers would call it an 'attractive hazard' if kids get into it and get hurt (I've been sued before). If I had the ground work done this summer, I could start in the early fall, and probably be dried in before the cold ugly stuff starts. Hmmmm.

[Freeholdfarm]

I think you are very wise to build the barn first and for good reasons.  I expect you are correct that materials prices are going to go up -- buying now and holding what you need to build the house, will be better than savings in the bank, as inflation is almost certainly going to continue to be much higher than the interest paid on savings accounts!

If you put a bathroom in the barn, you should be quite comfortable there while you build the house, and could use that for a guest room later.

Kathleen

[cabinfever]

Its been my understanding that you shouldn't let the basement sit through the winter where water can accumulate and freeze, causing cracks. I excavated in May, poured the foundation in June, and worked like hell to get a lockable shell before the first snowfall.

[MushCreek]

I don't think freeze damage is an issue in SC; I've been told the ground never freezes there. Of course, the year I decide to do it won't be 'typical'!

[firefox]

I think I remember people on this forum saying to put a cover of hay over it if
you are worying about freezing, but I don't know the particulars. So better that some of these
more knowledgeable folks chime in.
Bruce

[MushCreek]

Now I'm thinking maybe I'll just do the barn slab in the winter; the weather shouldn't hurt a monolithic slab. Then, while I'm building the barn in the spring, they can do the house foundation. By the time the barn is done, the house foundation will be cured and ready.

[diyfrank]

We pour concrete foundations year around right through the freeze. Ive yet to see one crack. I backfill a lot of them the next day, (some 10' walls). During the coldest snap this year we built a tent over the formed foundations and ran propane heater to thaw the ground for a couple days. We then mono poured the footing and walls and  replaced the tent for over night. The next day striped and backfill. We did 21 homes start to finish including  landscape all in a 3 month period. Nov-Feb.  Concrete isn't as fragile as people try to make it sound. If it was my house, I would take the winter off just because it's cold and if I'm not being paid I loose the momentum.