Well after some set backs both man made as well as natural, high water table, forest fire etc. We have been able to at least pour the concrete for the knee wall and Fab-Form footing. Was a little sketchy never trying this system before, but no blow outs during the pour and that was the main thing.
Lot when we bought it..
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Aug1920121.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Aug1920121.jpg.html)
After a little clearing had been done..
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Sept3020121.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Sept3020121.jpg.html)
Starting to level and bring out fill
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/June920132.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/June920132.jpg.html)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/June9201316.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/June9201316.jpg.html)
And then the forest fire thought that it would set us back another three weeks. Lost a number of cabins in the area and close to 70,000 hectares were torched.
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/June232013Fire.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/June232013Fire.jpg.html)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/June232013Fire1.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/June232013Fire1.jpg.html)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/June242013Wabush.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/June242013Wabush.jpg.html)
As soon as the all clear was given we made the mad dash back out to the lake to see if we lost anything. As luck would have it we had no burn out to deal with and started on the ICF Blocks for the Fab-Form Monopour system.
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/July1720137.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/July1720137.jpg.html)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/July1720135.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/July1720135.jpg.html)
Pump truck showed up on July 17th 2013 on time :)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/July1720131.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/July1720131.jpg.html)
It was do or die time with the pour. Just the pump operator, me to direct the concrete into the forms from the inside and the other-half on the outside to watch the bag fill and hope we had no issues. d*
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/July1720133.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/July1720133.jpg.html)
Ran home to get some sleep till the afternoon, and went back to check on things. Looks like everything went as planned which will be the first time during the entire process so far :)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/July1720138.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/July1720138.jpg.html)
Next comes back fill and floor....... More to follow.
Nice work. I've been reading about the ICF and Fabform system and it is good to see that you were able to bring it off successfully. It makes a lot of sense and saves much work and wood.
Here was my earlier post and a link to an article on the topic: http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=13106.0
Did you use the Helix reinforcing?
Quote from: John Raabe on July 18, 2013, 12:58:06 PM
Did you use the Helix reinforcing?
No, we just used re-bar since it was a little late to consider the Helix micro system. Lost a few weeks on the pour to begin with and needed to get things started before it snows :)
Thanks for posting your experience on the other thread (http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=13106). If you want you could edit your post there with a link to this thread.
You have a good start on a great project in a fantastic site. Hope to see more as it progresses.
Thanks for the words of encouragement. Neither I nor my girlfriend have ever attempted a project of this size, so we had ensured that our homework was done and checked well ahead of time. I am sure we both are going to be in store for many more long days before winter, which seems to settle in around here by mid October till the following May. Right now it is our plan to close everything in before winter, which might turn into a very lofty goal with only two pairs of hands and work on the interior during the winter months. As luck has it we made sure that the land we purchased was road accessible year round, even it that means plowing it myself. ;)
We plan on taking a run out this evening, so I will take a few close up's of the Fab-Form bag filled as well as the support brackets to give people a better idea of how the sewn corners stood up.
I made it out to the build site today since I was waiting on materials to show up. Took a few images of the Fab-Form system now that it is filled with concrete so people can get a better idea of what it is all about.
This is a 16x6 footer
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/July2020136.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/July2020136.jpg.html)
The adjusters
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/July2020133.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/July2020133.jpg.html)
Inner sewn corner with support bracket.
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/July2020134.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/July2020134.jpg.html)
Another image of the bag system.
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/July2020135.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/July2020135.jpg.html)
Yay, more materials to start on the floor...
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/July2020131.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/July2020131.jpg.html)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/July2020137.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/July2020137.jpg.html)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/July2020132.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/July2020132.jpg.html)
I was able to get the sill plate down this afternoon before it started to rain. Back again in the morning to close up the crawl space and lay the floor.
Thank you for posting this. I have several questions:
You seem to be on a flat pad. Trenches for the footer were not needed and you can backfill?
Were you able to setup the forms working alone?
Did the concrete contractor have any problem working pouring into this?
Were voids an issue - did you use a vibrator to make sure the concrete was settling?
Would the concrete contractor have been willing to work the Helix material?
Quote from: hpinson on July 21, 2013, 10:35:00 AM
Thank you for posting this. I have several questions:
You seem to be on a flat pad. Trenches for the footer were not needed and you can backfill?
Were you able to setup the forms working alone?
Did the concrete contractor have any problem working pouring into this?
Were voids an issue - did you use a vibrator to make sure the concrete was settling?
Would the concrete contractor have been willing to work the Helix material?
Hi, will answer your questions in order :)
1. You have the option to dig out your footing area if you wish, we plan on back filling to the bottom of the ICF stands, so it was a quicker solution for us. Others may rather go down but the results will still be the same :)
2. I did, but I would never do it again. Not due to the fact that it can not be done, but just for shear ease of assembly a second person to share the load would have been great!
3. The contractor consisted of the pump truck operator, myself and wife. He ran the pump and boom, I directed the hose into the forms, and the other half watched the outside of the bag to make sure it was filling evenly. An extra person to watch the wall's would have been nice since we did have an end and side wall that required alignment after the pour was completed.
4. We only had one spot that we needed to ram a stick down into to free up the concrete enough to fill the bag. This might have been due to the doubled up re-bar in the 3 foot section that stuck. Once we rammed it a little it slid down and we were able to continue with the pour with no issues. The use of a vibrator with the bag could have you wind up with more water in the lower portion. You can use one, but need to be very careful. A small mallet and 2x4 banging on the sides as we poured worked very well.
5. I never mentioned the Helix to them since we were behind the 8 ball with our pour due to the fire and would not have been able to order it in time. I could not see a reason why they would not since they could have just poured it into the hopper before the pump to mix it.
If I have overlooked anything, please feel free to ask away. We have people in our area pretty interested in this system now that they have dropped by to see it filled. :)
Well we managed to get a little done today between down pours ???
Why is it when you want to try to close uop something the sky's always open up to ruin your day?
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/July2120132.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/July2120132.jpg.html)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/July2120131.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/July2120131.jpg.html)
About half of the floor joyce's are up, and the rest are sitting on the sill plate on end so they will not warp over night....
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/July2120133.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/July2120133.jpg.html)
Well back at it again in the morning....
Coming along nicely - rain or shine!
Looking good!! We took a vote tonight - we will trade a little of your rain for our 98 degrees and 8 yes 8 % humidity. Looking for them to lock the forest down here very soon.....
I guess we can not complain too much about the rain here now after the fires we had. Close to 30 cabins went up in the fires here two weeks ago. We were within a 1/2 mile of having it run right through our area where a number of people not only have weekend places, but year round homes as well.
We are looking at setting up our own pumping and fire protection for the area we are in with a number of others. This last fire started out small, but the winds took it and things got out of hand very quickly. The town we live in even had a mandatory evacuation for three days, but the only two ways out of the area were both closed due to fire as well. Kinda trapped like rats on a sinking ship there for a little. As luck would have it we did happen to get a little rain which helped the 4 tankers get 80% of it under control. It is still burning to the east of us but contained now.
Fire season could be trouble for lots of folks this summer. It is still relatively early and many areas, including normally wet Whidbey island are very dry. We are under a full burn ban on outdoor fires. We did some recent fire clearing as 25 years of trees and underbrush were cut back from the house. There was a devastating fire last through here in 1949. That was long before houses were out here but there are few old black decaying stumps still around to remind us.
Well unfourtunatley today did not turn out as well as we would have liked. My supplier, "the wife" who happenes to work at the local lumber yard made her first error. She did not get the correct amount of hangers or the correct size to start with. We were able to do a little running around and make up the diference, but between my Doctor appointment, and her phsyio the dream of laying all the flooring disapeared very quickly.
We were able to at least get one row done and move the rest of the plywood up onto the floor area so that I can try to lay it all out by myself in the morning. :)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/July2220131.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/July2220131.jpg.html)
I needed to lay the plywood down yesterday for the flooring due to the forecast calling for heavy rains over the next twenty four to thirty six hours. If I would have thought things out better, I would have just installed it properly rather than just laying it out to cover the crawl space to prevent it from becoming a swimming pool. Oh well, live and learn I suppose. But it did offer us the first glimpse of the view of the lake we will soon have from the living room :)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/July2320133.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/July2320133.jpg.html)
We will get this fixed up on Friday, and start framing up the exterior walls over the weekend.
WOW great view! [cool]
Boy, there's just something about the view of water thru Pine trees! Beautiful spot. Glad to see it wasn't altered by that fire!! Just went thru that at my place up north, a sudden change of the wind direction and our little area was spared. Unfortunately that cost 19 Hotshots their lives!
Looking forward to your build..Oh just wondering, where are you planning your shop build for that nice looking Cherokee!
Quote from: upndown on July 25, 2013, 10:57:05 PM
Boy, there's just something about the view of water thru Pine trees! Beautiful spot. Glad to see it wasn't altered by that fire!! Just went thru that at my place up north, a sudden change of the wind direction and our little area was spared. Unfortunately that cost 19 Hotshots their lives!
Looking forward to your build..Oh just wondering, where are you planning your shop build for that nice looking Cherokee!
We were very lucky, many others close by were not. About all we will be doing will be pushing the road down to the lake that I started last fall. Not sure if that will happen before winter though. This way we can still have the trees which also perform double duty as a wind break.
Have not thought of where the shop/garage will be going just yet. Still working on the house :) One project at a time, and after the spill I had this afternoon I might need to slow down a little. Took one step too far and wound up going though the flooring into the crawl space breaking a rib or two in the process. Fought though the pain and managed to get all the plywood glued and screwed down though :)
Will see how I am feeling in the morning. Wanted to get a start on the walls this weekend!!
We managed to get out to the building site this afternoon to seal up the crawl space and begin framing up the outer walls. We wanted to have a dry area under the floor for two reasons. One to help prevent moisture from coming up into the living area, as well as to give us a little extra dry storage.
The wall's were a little bit of an adventure with my recent broken ribs, but we did manage to construct two eight foot sections and erect them with bracing.
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/July2820133.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/July2820133.jpg.html)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/July2820131.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/July2820131.jpg.html)
I guess I am back at it again in the morning alone, but at least I know that I can raise a wall section alone if needed :)
It was a slow day on the build today, the plans I needed blew away and I did not locate them till I was ready to leave for the day. Did manage to get one eight foot section just before the door up. Rain in the forecast for the next few days, so I will see what I can get done between down-pours ;)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/July2920131.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/July2920131.jpg.html)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/July2920132.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/July2920132.jpg.html)
Not too much action today. Broken ribs kept me up most of the night, and trying to move boards around really is not doing me that much good.
Did manage to frame up the doorway and the rest of the front sections as well as lay out the corner for Wednesday.
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/July3020132.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/July3020132.jpg.html)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/July3020131.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/July3020131.jpg.html)
I managed to get out this afternoon for a few hours to continue with the rough framing. About 1/4 of the way and with the trusses on thier way I need to move a little faster. Still need to put on the sheeting before they arrive too :(
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Aug120133.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Aug120133.jpg.html)
If it was not for all the windows I would have had more done today. Feel like telling the other half that if she wants to look outside "here is the drill" :)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Aug120135.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Aug120135.jpg.html)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Aug120136.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Aug120136.jpg.html)
Had these great expectations of what I was going to get done today, build and setup the rest of the walls. It started off on a good footing till about the fourth nail outta the nail gun.
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Aug220134.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Aug220134.jpg.html)
If you look close enough, you can see where the tip of the nail started to come out down towards my wrist where the red dot is.
But I sucked it up and managed to get two more wall sections done before heading home at noon.
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Aug220135.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Aug220135.jpg.html)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Aug220133.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Aug220133.jpg.html)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Aug220132.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Aug220132.jpg.html)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Aug220135.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Aug220135.jpg.html)
Nothing like a nail through the palm to slow progress. Looks like you still got a decent amount done despite the setback.
Quote from: pmichelsen on August 02, 2013, 02:54:05 PM
Nothing like a nail through the palm to slow progress. Looks like you still got a decent amount done despite the setback.
Well I had some pretty high expectations for today, and as luck would have it I thought it would be a good idea to try to nail myself to the wall section I was building right at the start of the day. Seemed to be more painful pulling it back out the 2 1/2 inches then it did going in :)
Oh well, it started to rain right after I left at noon today so I suppose being able to get a few sections completed today was better than none.
Today's safety talk. Do not point the nail gun towards you and attempt to use your wrong hand while holding things square. It has a tendency to jump and double fire with painful results :)
Ribs and now the hand how many more body parts are you going to have to offer up before your finished? ;)
I have a small lite HF framing nailer and once in a while it seems to have a mind of its own. (Wont say it is possessed but close.) I bought it to shoot 2.5 inch ring shanks on a shop I built. Seemed like once a day it had to go lets say spirited with doubles and once in a while then a triple and would settle back down. It has been on the self since I finished the shop. I could send you it..... :D
Get healed up and get back at it.......
Quote from: rick91351 on August 02, 2013, 05:22:20 PM
Ribs and now the hand how many more body parts are you going to have to offer up before your finished? ;)
I have a small lite HF framing nailer and once in a while it seems to have a mind of its own. (Wont say it is possessed but close.) I bought it to shoot 2.5 inch ring shanks on a shop I built. Seemed like once a day it had to go lets say spirited with doubles and once in a while then a triple and would settle back down. It has been on the self since I finished the shop. I could send you it..... :D
Get healed up and get back at it.......
Just trying to balance things out. Ribs are on the left and the hand is the right :) Can not wait till we move onto the roof! Going to be tied off with a full body harness on at all times the way things are going so far. You would never know that I am a occupational health and safety officer with over twenty years of mining experience now would you ??? One would think that I should know better, but following my own advise if not a strong point when trying to get this done in the time allotted. Sad part about the hand was I was not even rushing this morning :(
Quote from: tmcmurran on August 02, 2013, 06:16:25 PM
Just trying to balance things out. Ribs are on the left and the hand is the right :) Can not wait till we move onto the roof! Going to be tied off with a full body harness on at all times the way things are going so far. You would never know that I am a occupational health and safety officer with over twenty years of mining experience now would you ??? One would think that I should know better, but following my own advise if not a strong point when trying to get this done in the time allotted. Sad part about the hand was I was not even rushing this morning :(
Underground or digging huge holes? So would that be like working for MSHA down here or company mine safety officer? I in the past have done some exploratory work with a group that looks at and makes offings on old mine works and claims. Me; I am just a arm chair geologist with no real schooling or training but sort of can see things. I am really just a tag along. (But they sort of listen to my ideas. :o ) Of course this bunch of investors they are receptive of unworked properties as well. ;) I have never been to Labrador yet - it is in my bucket list.
"You would never know that I am a occupational health and safety officer with over twenty years of mining experience now would you"
I was going to post earlier about being the most "extreme" build so far...........and that statement just cracks me up....
But I think the double broken wrist superman dive wins this years country plans injury of the year !
If you think I am doing good so far, just wait till the roof :) That even scares me!
Quote from: rick91351 on August 02, 2013, 06:41:15 PM
Underground or digging huge holes? So would that be like working for MSHA down here or company mine safety officer? I in the past have done some exploratory work with a group that looks at and makes offings on old mine works and claims. Me; I am just a arm chair geologist with no real schooling or training but sort of can see things. I am really just a tag along. (But they sort of listen to my ideas. :o ) Of course this bunch of investors they are receptive of unworked properties as well. ;) I have never been to Labrador yet - it is in my bucket list.
Mainly open pit and pipe lines. Out west it was gas pipe lines and oil sands mines, here it is iron ore mining. Basic concept is the same, blast the rock and move it to the crusher. Run it through the mills to separate the ore and dry it before shipping out on the train to port. Never have had the desire to work underground, have this thing about being buried alive I guess.
Took a few days off to recover from my war wounds and managed to finish off both side walls and the end facing the lake except for the patio door. Will finish that off in the morning and onto sheeting the place in before the roofing starts later in the month. Be nice to have it dry now that we are in our rainy season here.
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Aug720133.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Aug720133.jpg.html)
I never said I was a carpenter, but just about finished the framing portion anyway. Should have the patio door finished off on Friday, then it is onto sheeting it over starting on Saturday. Had my generator die on me last night so I needed to blow more money on a new one today :(
This is what it is as of 4:00pm this afternoon...
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Aug820132.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Aug820132.jpg.html)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Aug820131.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Aug820131.jpg.html)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Aug820134.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Aug820134.jpg.html)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Aug820135.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Aug820135.jpg.html)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Aug820133.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Aug820133.jpg.html)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Aug820136.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Aug820136.jpg.html)
That is a lot of rock! ;D
Quote from: MountainDon on August 08, 2013, 05:05:24 PM
That is a lot of rock! ;D
I moved all that with a mini excavator and tracked bobcat. It was far from a pleasant experience after obtaining the approved septic plan back from the survey company that stated silt, sand, gravel and clay to a depth of 6 feet. After going down 3 feet we hit water :( Took 35 tandem loads of fill to even get the lot to this point, and I think I still will need to haul another 15 to 20 for back filling everything. Oh well we are well into it now, and are looking forward to working on the inside out of the rain :)
If you asked a few years back if I ever thought I would be able to get as far as I have I think I would have laughed at the idea. Never know what you can do till you jump in and go for it. I have work alone on this pretty much full time. Would say without a doubt 90-95% of the construction so far has been a single person job. The roof trusses are another story. Already have family lined up, and bought the plane tickets to get them here :)
Gotta do what ya gotta do I guess..
Looking good.
I've been building my 20x32. Mostly solo. Then came the trusses. The roof is 12/12, and I used parallel chord trusses, similar to a scissor truss. You definitely need help. I only had one or two extras at a time and only really working on it on the weekends. It took a lot longer than expected.
Standing them was easy, getting up there to brace them until there are enough to put plywood on was the challenge. I ended up building a sort of temporary loft floor so I could safely get up there.
Scaffolding would work but that would be pricey. I was able to use materials I had and will reuse, so no cost. If you have some interior walls a catwalk works nice too.
I also managed to stick a rather large splinter deep into the palm of my hand in the process. Not near as bad as your injury, but enough to slow me down for a few days. A week later I pulled another 1/2" of the same splinter out, guess I didn't get it all the first time.
Good luck. Don't look down!
Quick update this morning. All the framing of the outer walls has been completed without any further injury :) Roof Trusses should be in town by the end of the week. Will start sheathing over the shell this week and hope to have it completed by weeks end and the installation of the trusses around the 21st or 22nd. Weather here is starting to turn already, so that means we will only have another four weeks or so of decent temperatures in which to complete the shell before the snow flies again for eight months. I will soon need to get back to work, so my time really needs to be managed as efficiently as possible to get the most done as I am able to.
Looking to be a pretty miserable day here again, but will still head out to see what odds and ends I can do before the next load of material arrive Monday morning.
Have a great Sunday people!
Been a little slow going on the sheathing, but then again going it alone till today is no cake walk. Was able to complete three walls now and even cut a few doors and window openings. Roof is planned for next week, so I really need to get myself going.
Side view, missing a couple of window openings here still.
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Aug1420131.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Aug1420131.jpg.html)
Patio door overlooking the lake!
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Aug1420132.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Aug1420132.jpg.html)
It get's better! Just found out the the expected roof trusses will not arrive on time. I guess this would not be an issue if we were in a more southern location, but we will be starting to see frost in the next couple of weeks, and I really did not see myself installing metal roofing covered in ice :(
Oh well, not to much I can do about it at this point.....
Impressive progress despite the injuries. I think you get more done injured than I do when I'm healthy. Looking good!
Quote from: germanbird on August 16, 2013, 01:16:25 PM
Impressive progress despite the injuries. I think you get more done injured than I do when I'm healthy. Looking good!
Just pig-headed determination :) Looks like we are going to go ahead with installing all the window and doors next week along with putting the siding on while we wait for the trusses. Had the father in law flying in to give me a hand with the trusses next week, but since it looks like that will not happen we might as well get as much done as we can while I have a helper :)
Short update, images to come later.
The roof trusses arrived the other day, a week late mind you but it gave me time to install all the doors and windows as well as ensure that everything else was ready to go. The 6 foot patio door might prove to be a little challenge, but I will see what I can do once the glass has been removed. Crane has been priced and as soon as I grab a few bodies to fasten the trusses it should be good to go. Starting to get frost here in the morning and needed to scrap the ice from the windows the other day. Need to get this show on the road sooner rather than later. Metal roofing and ice do not seem like a good mix :)
Come on tmcmurran, just wrap yourself in packing bubbles like the Michelin Man and you'll be just fine :o Good luck with the trusses! Still loving the view.. Can't buy a view like that in AZ !!
Quote from: upndown on August 30, 2013, 10:56:30 AM
Come on tmcmurran, just wrap yourself in packing bubbles like the Michelin Man and you'll be just fine :o Good luck with the trusses! Still loving the view.. Can't buy a view like that in AZ !!
;D Injuries have pretty much healed up now, but still can not sleep on my side yet. Going a little slower now and looking at what I am doing rather than rushing so much. Seems to be working so far :)
Did a little clean up over the long weekend ahead of the crane to lift the trusses up.
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Sept220136.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Sept220136.jpg.html)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Sept220134.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Sept220134.jpg.html)
I even managed to cut up about a cord of fire wood :) The other half came out to help with the 6 foot patio door, but once we un-packed it we noticed that the side was damaged and needs to be sent back. That's ok since the supplier needs to come out this week with the siding, plywood for the roof and the metal roofing :)
Been a little slow going once again while waiting on the crane to lift the roof trusses into place. Went out yesterday to install the 6 foot patio door over looking the lake :)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Sept820131.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Sept820131.jpg.html)
Crane will be on-site this Thursday and all our roofing and siding materials are on-site waiting. Going to try to get out this afternoon to start setting up the scaffolding so at least everything will be ready to go.
We need to get things moving so everything will be out of the way for back filling. We have had the odd flurry and ice starting to form on the puddles over the past two weeks, so winter is close.
all these one man and one woman builds is getting my hopes up and giving me confidence. good job [cool]
Quote from: Jimbo Ricketts on September 10, 2013, 03:04:51 AM
all these one man and one woman builds is getting my hopes up and giving me confidence. good job [cool]
It is allot of work going it alone, but not impossible. A little help here and there will go along way though to speed the process along. Had to fly the father in law up twice now to lend a hand. The roof is going to be a two person job since I doubt even with the crane I would be able to get it done in a decent amount of time. At $155 per hour for the crane I really do not want it to take too long :) Then the installation of the metal roofing material might be a little bit of a chore trying to do it alone. Once the trusses are up we will need to tear down all the scaffolding and move it outdoors for the metal and siding. Still looking like a few more weeks till the outside is all completed, but getting there :)
Do not think I have been this sore in years ??? but the trusses and ladders are up. Took 6.5 hours to raise them with one other person helping. Boom truck was used due to the second floor built into the trusses. Will get some better images shortly, just had the work CrackBerry with me for this one.
But on a real positive note, it was an injury free day!!!
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Sept122013.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Sept122013.jpg.html)
Now that is so [cool]. An injury free day! ;D Good news as well the trusses are up. :D
Well I thought I would take a day off from sheeting the roof and watch someone else work for a change. Sad part is just how much it costs to watch others work. But we now have our well drilled before winter :)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Sept21201312.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Sept21201312.jpg.html)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Sept21201314.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Sept21201314.jpg.html)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Sept21201310.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Sept21201310.jpg.html)
Having a well and water is so [cool]
How deep did they have to go?
Quote from: rick91351 on September 22, 2013, 09:12:51 AM
Having a well and water is so [cool]
How deep did they have to go?
Well they guessed it would be in the 120 foot range, and it came out at 130. So I suppose they hit the nail right on the head. Flow could be a little better, but at 3.5 gpm I suppose we can live with that too. If needed we can add an indoor storage tank to take up any shortcomings once we get moved in and know our average consumption but I am thinking we should be good at that rate. Not like we are filling up a hot tub every day :)
3.5 that is the Nile River compared to what we have right now!
However you might see about a large pressure tank. That has a lot more storage with out having to purchase another storage tank plus a pressure tank.
Quote from: rick91351 on September 22, 2013, 01:05:24 PM
3.5 that is the Nile River compared to what we have right now!
However you might see about a large pressure tank. That has a lot more storage with out having to purchase another storage tank plus a pressure tank.
That is a feasible alternative, and would save space in the utility room :) Going to price a few large pressure tanks and see what and where I can find one at a decent price :)
Roofing day!
Going to start the installation of the metal roofing today :) Need to getter done sooner rather than later with the weather really starting to turn up here in the sub-arctic!
Going to use the self sealing ice and snow weather guarding rather then felt under the strapping. Cost is a little higher, but with sub zero temperatures and tons of snow I think it will pay for its self with less issues down the road.
Will be sure to have a photo installation guide once it is all up later in the week. :)
Just a quick update. Going to start to put the metal on in the morning. All the weather shield and strapping are in place and if the rain holds off Friday up the red roof goes! I still need to cut the door out from the loft on the front, and cut out the large window above the patio door over looking the lake before the weather gets much worse. We did manage to cut out and install the pipe and support kit for the wood stove on the other side, so that is good to go.
I still have 4 135 watt solar panels to get up and the generator/well shed constructed before the snow hits :( Lots to do and so little time.
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Oct320132.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Oct320132.jpg.html)
About time I added an update here..
Well after a few stumbles we have managed to get the metal on the roof and begin the siding.
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Oct1220131.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Oct1220131.jpg.html)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Oct1220136.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Oct1220136.jpg.html)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Oct1320139.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Oct1320139.jpg.html)
Even managed to get the wood stove in and started insulating where I will not be running any electrical.
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Oct1320137.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Oct1320137.jpg.html)
The other half is leading the charge with tile and rock work around the stove mantle :)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Oct1320133.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Oct1320133.jpg.html)
Two Q's for you
wood stove chimney- I'm guessing your not in a code area ?
a few things pop into my head -
height above the roof to get a good draft- be in line with code - see section 2
http://www.northlineexpress.com/chimney/chimney-pipe-stove-pipe/chimney-pipe/help-pipe-install-planning.html
If your in a snow area you'll need some V protection on the roof to divert snow either side of the stack
I'm just getting my wood stove/ fireplace quoted and no local supplier would do me a wall exit and up install
they required an exterior enclosure over the pipe.
I was intending to exit the wall with 2 -30deg bends at the apex of the roof but they both refused
No, that is just set in place to check the distance before closing in the eves. :) But then again code in Canada is a little less stringent it seems then in the US. As long as the installation follows CSA Standards all is good. The cap only needs to be three feet from the exit point, but we will be well above that :)
So we managed to finish off most of the front and install the second floor door. Just need to remember that the deck is not there and take a wrong turn at night :)
Need to finish off the sofit and a little metal in the morning before moving around the side and to the rear for the window install above the patio door. Just might get this buttoned up before the snow flies yet!
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Oct2020131.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Oct2020131.jpg.html)
Just managed to finish off the lake view window and all the trimmings today just before the first real snow fall of the year. Still have a little on the one side left to do, but that will be a quick afternoons work.
Looking up from the lake
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Oct2320131.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Oct2320131.jpg.html)
Front views
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Oct2320135.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Oct2320135.jpg.html)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Oct2320132.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Oct2320132.jpg.html)
Left side view
Needed to take a little wood into town for the woodstove there this afternoon :)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Oct2320133.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Oct2320133.jpg.html)
Unfinished right side view
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Oct2320134.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Oct2320134.jpg.html)
We have started the electrical and insulation so soon enough it should be able to retain a little heat from the wood stove :)
Had the camera with us today, but with what we needed to do we really had no time till the ride back in to town.
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Oct272013.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Oct272013.jpg.html)
Will try again in the morning :)
Quote from: arjan on November 05, 2013, 06:20:47 AM
[cool] Nice house, a beautiful place. I did not think so early in the Labrador snow falls, we have the first snow fell yesterday.
Yes unfortunately the snow comes early here and stay's till mid June. Makes for a very short building season and creates a rush to complete outside projects. The -50 to -60 degree Celsius temperatures force people here to ensure that they are well insulated ahead of time. Has not been too cold yet, but starting to get that way. Now the rush is on to complete the wiring, insulation and vapour barrier to retain the heat from the woodstove during the winter work indoors.
I have been putting in R20 in the 2x6 walls, and what turns out to be R35 in the ceiling. So far the inside seems to be holding the heat quite well, but we have not had the temperature drop below -20 so far. Heating is currently provided by a single wood stove till all the electrical is in. Once that has been completed we will have a number of area's with in-floor zone heating as well.
And your English is far better than my Russian :)
Well that time of year again when I need to be out everyday just to keep the road clear :)
Sad part is I still need to get up to add another section or two to the stove pipe......
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Nov720138.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Nov720138.jpg.html)
Quote from: tmcmurran on November 07, 2013, 08:45:46 PM
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/Nov720138.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/Nov720138.jpg.html)
I'm looking forward to seeing progress on the upper level deck. I assume that will come next year or beyond. Will there be a lower level deck/porch as well?
Hi there!
Yes, we plan on adding a wrap around deck on the ground level, as well as an upper one where the "door to no where" is. That will be a summer project since we are in the process of trying to keep the road open and get as much done to the inside as we can during the winter. The plowing seems to take up far more time then I thought it would due to the amount of snow and cold weather these past weeks.
Good luck with your winter work. I can't wait to see the summer progress on the decks.
Well things are progressing. Septic system is in, but when we went to drop the pump into the well this afternoon we had issues. Never would have guessed that ice would still be present in the casing creating a dam effect that will not permit the pump to go in. Now we are looking at what we can do to either melt the ice or smash it enough to get the pump down the 120 feet.
Anyone have any ideas on how to clear ice from the case? Rough guess it is about 12 feet from the well cap, but we are unsure of just how thick it is. I was able to get a pipe down and smash it up a little, so it might not be very solid.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Holy cow that is a new one to me...... This time of the year and you have ice. WWOOOWWW!!! I think I would talk to the well driller and see if that is possible or you are finding another anomaly.
How about something like this ?They must be used up you way ?
http://www.heatersplus.com/heaters.html
Is this some kind of permafrost thing ?
Randy
So I managed to pull up roughly five gallons of mud, silt and sand from in side the casing yesterday and force the pump down 120 feet of the 140 foot deep well. Once it starts to see some use the ice issue should take care of it's self. No one here has ever heard or a deep well in this area icing up as bad as ours did, but I blame that on 1. not putting the pump in last fall, and 2. the fact the the hole was not cleaned out before the drillers left to create the mud and ice dam.
Oh well, all is good now and pretty much back on schedule to move in the end of the month. :)
Nice work so far. I too am looking a 24x40. Care to share your floor plan?
Bathroom starting to get done.
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/July1020144.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/July1020144.jpg.html)
Main hall way on main floor.
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/July1020141.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/July1020141.jpg.html)
Starting to fill in the back yard and road down to the lake
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/July1020142.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/July1020142.jpg.html)
And had to buy a loader :)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/Albert%20Lake/July1020143.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/Albert%20Lake/July1020143.jpg.html)
Well we managed to get a little more done over the past few days. Now onto sanding the plaster in the bathroom and kitchen area ahead of dropping in the various items required. A little more electrical needed to be done since it was over-looked during the initial installation. (Now why is that)? 30Kw Stamford Generator hooked up to a Lister HR3 Air Cooled Engine all ready to go and installed in the shed. Solar panels to be installed on the roof of the generator shed to provide the best exposure to sunlight.
Will have some additional photo's tonight to post once I get back. :)
Well rather than posting again I will just add the images.
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/July1520141.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/July1520141.jpg.html)
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/July1520143.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/July1520143.jpg.html)
Gen-set now in the shed. Still need to run the ducting and wires to the house.
(https://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/July1520142.jpg) (https://s179.photobucket.com/user/tmcmurran/media/July1520142.jpg.html)
The other half is out tonight to lay the in-floor heating and get the tiles down in the hall and bathroom. Wonder how that is going to work out :)
Will add the video of the Lister running once it finishes uploading to Photo-Bucket.............
Well after what seemed like days, the video of the first start up of our off grid 30kw Lister Gen-Set seems to be completed. With the fuel consumption that is an 1/8th or less of a 8000 Watt gas generator I think we made the right choice :)
https://vid179.photobucket.com/albums/w306/tmcmurran/IMG_0515.mp4
Ya, well for some reason the quicktime player is not working for me so I do not know if anyone will be able to view the video. Let me know, and I will try another option to post it.
It works / runs for me. I did have to click on the message in a black box that asked me to activate quicktime, but a few seconds after that the Lister roared into life. Then a single click on the image would pause the video and a double click would restart it.
I tried posting it direct the second time and it seems to have done the trick :)
It might be a browser specific problem, I am using Opera and it does not work (quicktime player it out of date).
I will try with another browser once I get around to installing it.