batter boards are up!
I will Start building the beams monday, the lumber yard is closed until then..

 

Isn't the sight just a bit too flat?  And where are all the rocks and big stumps?

Other than that it looks like a great place to build. 

I'm sure we will find some when we dig the piers!! lol

There's got to be roots being so close to the tree, and there's always got to be branches you're gonna need to trim. Oh yeah, ya gonna get the gutters that keep out the leaves?        
Nice tractor, keep them pics coming.

I hit roots digging the batter boards.
i will need gutter gaurds.
also i just bought the tractor, very fun machine

I got a question, would it be a problem to inset my piers to a width of 19'?
would the 6" overhang on each side be a problem?

Good luck on your project. I'm hoping to start framing a 20x30  1.5 story this September in Oklahoma as well. Got my under slab rough plumbing and foundation done already, need to save more money for the big leap.

Thank you ntexastomm, good luck to you.

Quotegot a question, would it be a problem to inset my piers to a width of 19'?
would the 6" overhang on each side be a problem?

That's exactly what I did on mine. 19 ft. by 29 ft. on my 20 by 30. I did some research and asked a few folks here, it didn't seem to be any problem.

Thank you dug, i will do the same as you.
in addition i will make my beam about 6 to 8" longer in case i need to re-square after the beams are nailed.

I'm looking at buying a framming nailer and a compressor, anyone recommend one ? a combo or seperate?

  to a fellow Okie.

Porter Cable makes good nailers and compressors.

Thank You ScottA,
I have been looking at the porter cable cfnbns combo

After trying to dig piers with an auger and posthole diggers for 8 hrs and only getting 1 hole ~20" deep, i had a backhoe come in and dig 2 strips 18" wide x 18" deep, deeper in some areas. by ~32' long



i set in 4 lengths of rebar, tomorrow i will bend some rebar in an L shape and tie them protruding from the footings where the sonotube will be placed to extend the 6x6 post brackets out of the dirt.

Thats a beautiful property and a perfect building site

and that looks like it will shape up to be a pretty beefy foundation

Thank you Bobcat, i poured the concrete today. i will add more pictures in a little bit.
i used 6 yards of concrete to fill the holes close to grade

more dirt pictures

cow and concrete, the cows knocked over my batter boards the first time i put the up.

Im going to attempt running sonotube collums to support the foundation beams instead of running 6x6 pt post.
if i can get them all level to each other.
out comes the water level!

Water levels work!

If you use a home made one color the water to make it more visible.

I believe it is best to work from a central point and work to get each post or sonotube leveled to that reference. That's more accurate than working from one post to another.   

Why is the rebar sticking out of your footers off center? Isn't that where your piers will be?

Thank you MountainDon I will do that...
and Osprey, my backhoe guy dug the footers a little off center so the rebar is 4" outside of centerline of my pier.
to compensate for this i am using a 12" sonotube closer to the center of the footing that will pickup the stubbed out rebar

Quote from: MountainDon on June 03, 2010, 06:26:42 PM
Water levels work!

If you use a home made one color the water to make it more visible.

I believe it is best to work from a central point and work to get each post or sonotube leveled to that reference. That's more accurate than working from one post to another.   

Water levels work great.  For those who want a high-tech approach, a $35 dollar laser level and a $0.99 yardstick will also work nicely, especially on a project this small.  Cut a 2x2 sheet of plywood.  Set it right in the middle of the foundation.  Level it.   A couple of $2 centering bubbles work great, along with a pack of shims.  Use bricks, or similar to provide a sturdy level platform in the middle slightly higher than the top of your piers.  Now place the level on the platform.  Make sure not to move this platform until you are done.  Set your yardstick on top of the first pier or sonotube and shoot the laser dot on it.  Say it hits at 6".  Rotate the level around the perimeter to each pier and raise the top of each pier so that the dot hits at 6" on the yardstick.  Poor man's transit.  Very accurate.  Working from the center is the only way to do it.

This one has a nice micro adjustment that allows you to fine-tune level:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_236983-16878-60208_4294936478+4294837357_4294937087?productId=1170545


I have used this method on several projects and found it very easy and accurate.  I have 100' of retaining wall that is within 1/8".  I checked it with a high-dollar laser level when we had a contractor over to do some concrete work.

Some new laser levels have a tripod screw mount.  I tried using a tripod but found the platform easier to use, as it is more stable.

Thank You for the advice Native_NM

finished the sonotube toda.
we are using the sonotube to hold the bracket for the 6x6 pt post, this will keep the post out of the dirt and make our foundation adjustable.