Hi everyone,
We have been long time lurkers on this forum, and are finally starting our house! Over the past few months we have bought a couple sets of plans, asked some questions, and finally decided on a full two story over a block crawlspace. The costs added up to almost the same for a 1-1/2 story as a 2 story, and since this will be our full time house we chose the slightly larger plan.
A little background on us: We have lived on this 4.28 acres for the past 6 years(its a fixer upper), grooming it and managing it to become exactly what we want. We hope that it will really be to our advantage that our current house is only 150' from the construction site! My husband is a land surveyor by trade and I am a stay at home mom. We raise all of our own meat, eggs, milk, and most of our vegetables here on the "farm". We actually were able to use pigs and goats to do a good amount of the clearing work. We are just very excited to start building here in the next few weeks, and would love to share our progress with all of these great people on Country Plans. :)
First Floor
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/firstfloor20x32_zps91b04607.png) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/firstfloor20x32_zps91b04607.png.html)
Second Floor
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/secondfloor20x32_zps5977da61.png) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/secondfloor20x32_zps5977da61.png.html)
Overview
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/overview20x32_zps294dd203.png) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/overview20x32_zps294dd203.png.html)
Will laying out the site, with a curious pig supervising.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/MarcysiPhonepictures234_zps659cc413.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/MarcysiPhonepictures234_zps659cc413.jpg.html)
Woods before the pigs
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/pigarators_zps7b67ba4e.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/pigarators_zps7b67ba4e.jpg.html)
House site at slightly different angle after running the pigs and reseeding
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/houselocation_zps4e2f3ea2.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/houselocation_zps4e2f3ea2.jpg.html)
Really like the layout! - efficient.
Thoughts- Given you are looking at a crawl space, you may want to check the two story that was done in Michigan with the usable walk up attic space. It did not add much to the project cost, but added a bunch of usable space. See the picture gallery.
Good luck!
We had a last minute change of graders and were able to get started sooner than expected! These guys were awesome, and we are very glad we chose them over renting some equipment. Worth every penny! ;D Here's some photos of the progress:
Spring before Grading
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/spring1_zpsc3024a0d.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/spring1_zpsc3024a0d.jpg.html)
They came to "drop off equipment," and then went ahead and started at 6pm!
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/photo8_zps4cc27ae0.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/photo8_zps4cc27ae0.jpg.html)
Some very generous friends loaned us this to make some mulch of tree tops.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/grading4_zps8fd5839b.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/grading4_zps8fd5839b.jpg.html)
The house site after they went home for the day.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/grading2_zpsea6c8fb7.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/grading2_zpsea6c8fb7.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/grading5_zpsb9d2e577.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/grading5_zpsb9d2e577.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/grading1_zps92e65558.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/grading1_zps92e65558.jpg.html)
Hopefully on Monday we will have some footings dug and some gravel laid.
What are some ways to connect a built up 3ply 2x10 girder to the block perimeter foundation? We can't find a clear answer, any suggestions would be of much help. We liked the way Squirl connected his with solid bearing on the block, but aren't sure if that's possible with the 2x10's height.
Here are some things we have thought of, but we aren't sure which would work the best.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/a1723ca9-2485-42ea-aaac-cc6560058bbb_zps9cbf0999.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/a1723ca9-2485-42ea-aaac-cc6560058bbb_zps9cbf0999.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/0a925f8a-dcd2-4302-80d2-90102aa4e01e_zps0f5da57f.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/0a925f8a-dcd2-4302-80d2-90102aa4e01e_zps0f5da57f.jpg.html)
some simpson brackets that may work
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/simpson_gh_zpsd728c44c.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/simpson_gh_zpsd728c44c.jpg.html)
Looks like you guys are off to a great start! Are you by any chance anywhere near York or Cherokee counties? I'm wondering because I just received a job offer so as soon as I get my first couple of paychecks I'll probably be ready for some grading on my site and would love to hear referrals if you are anywhere in my area.
Peace,
Ray
Thanks Ray, we are located near Anderson. That's great about the job, I've read some of your posts and look forward to seeing what others are doing locally!We probably would be too far for referrals, but a good place to start might be local concrete suppliers, they may know of some good graders in your area.
Here's the latest progress on our build, working between the rain.
Paul our grader came out monday and finished the driveway and dug footings.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/footings_zpsc38e5cf0.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/footings_zpsc38e5cf0.jpg.html)
A view of the drive after putting up some erosion control.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/erosioncontrol_zps7418f6f2.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/erosioncontrol_zps7418f6f2.jpg.html)
A tail for drainage in case it rained.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/tailbulkhead_zps0f4d0f36.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/tailbulkhead_zps0f4d0f36.jpg.html)
Today we passed our first inspection, Randy the inspector was a really nice guy(I should have got his picture ;))!
After passing the inspection Paul our grader called in our concrete and came out to help us with the pour! :)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/footing3_zps047c71ab.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/footing3_zps047c71ab.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/screeding_zpsd0b52f80.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/screeding_zpsd0b52f80.jpg.html)
Unfortunately we made a slight miscalculation and ran out about a quarter or so yard short, so we will have to fill the last pier footing with hand mixed concrete.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/ranoutofconcrete_zps6294864b.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/ranoutofconcrete_zps6294864b.jpg.html)
All in all it was a great exciting day! However I will recommend making sure you don't have any dogs around, as the concrete truck driver told us all dogs love concrete. We learned the hard way as one of our dogs escaped the fence and swam one of the footings (he's all washed and ok though). d*
My heart goes out to you with all of this rain! I'm just up the road a piece, north of Travelers Rest. Luckily, I'm finally in the dry so I can work inside.
I've never fit a beam into a block wall, so I'm not sure which method is best. Just be sure that you have solid concrete under the beam, and all the way to the ground (fill the holes). I believe the wood either has to be pressure treated, or insulated in some way from the concrete. Mine is a big LVL, and we wrapped it in self-adhesive waterproofing on the ends. My place is ICF all the way up, so I have no mud sill.
Thanks Mush Creek, that may be the best way to go, just build up block under the ends and fill them. We actually got really lucky until last night and haven't got much rain. The rain started last night here :-[ we were hoping to use this long weekend to get a good start on the crawlspace. I've read through your build, it looks great! I can't wait till we have this one in the dry! Thanks again for the advice :)
I would just cut the block, you'll have to cut two blocks to get the correct depth then core fill below and on the sides,just use cheap bag mix to fill dont waste your money on the brackets.I would not cut the beam to fit . They have been using this method for years and nothing was set on treated lumber with no issues.Idealy if you lay the block out first you could set rebar in the cores that will be below and on the sides of the beam.
Thank you Patrick, we really appreciate it. It's so simple and we were trying to make it complicated d*
Well we have had about 4.5"+ of rain since Wednesday but we have still been able to dry off the footings to get a little block work started. Now that we're getting a little better at laying block and have gotten a little help from Will's parents it should start moving faster. Typically we don't get this much rain in a month let alone 3 days!
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/willblock_zpsd53f160a.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/willblock_zpsd53f160a.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/foundation2_zps95824b49.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/foundation2_zps95824b49.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/found5_zpsefef9f9d.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/found5_zpsefef9f9d.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/foundationcats_zpscd56c754.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/foundationcats_zpscd56c754.jpg.html)
We aren't sure where this little guy came from, Hannah found him in the FEMA tarp, and he proved to be hours of entertainment until he hopped away! ;)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/dirtyhannah_zpsbd584537.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/dirtyhannah_zpsbd584537.jpg.html)
Hopefully this rain will subside and we can finish this crawlspace. I just want to thank everyone that posted tips about laying block because they were all most helpful! ;D
looks like a good start!
We'll with 10 inches of rain in the past ten days we finally had a whole day to work on the foundation! Everything is a muddy mess, so Will set up a pallet walkway to help.
Here is where we started today:
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/found6_zpsa0ab3a80.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/found6_zpsa0ab3a80.jpg.html)
Here's where we got to at the end of the day( thanks again to Tommy and Holly for all the help!)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/foundation4_zpsc2d83de3.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/foundation4_zpsc2d83de3.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/foundation7_zps34aabb57.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/foundation7_zps34aabb57.jpg.html)
We have had a time getting the block level. When we poured the concrete and set the corners with the surveying instrament, the corners were all very close to level(within a 1/16 of an inch) Unfortunately every place the concrete truck poured the cement and we raked ended up being slightly high(maybe 1/2 inch). In hindsight we would have spent more time checking the level of the entire surface rather than just corners. After the first course using line blocks and line levels we realized the error but it was too late. Finally Will remebered a gift given to him from Uncle Gary, a vintage craftsman transit, it worked perfect! ;D
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/transit_zps03153a2f.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/transit_zps03153a2f.jpg.html)
And here's a fun "manufacturer suggested" way to clean a fema tarp. This will also make great grand opening barbecue entertainment! ;D
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/cleaningafematarp_zps06b404b0.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/cleaningafematarp_zps06b404b0.jpg.html)
Only one more course of block to go on the top, close the end, build 4 piers and we'll be done with the block work! :D
I'm impressed at your progress despite all of the rain!
Thanks Jay, it is really discouraging to have to clean up all the mud and water just to get more rain!
We have been busy the last two weeks! Our house is really coming along, and best of all we are working with wood now!
Preparing to place the last closure block.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/lastblock_zps642eea8d.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/lastblock_zps642eea8d.jpg.html)
Finished foundation and center girder. This is where we got to last weekend
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/finishedfoundation_zps042e7610.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/finishedfoundation_zps042e7610.jpg.html)
Almost through with floor joists.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/floorjoists_zps5be40160.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/floorjoists_zps5be40160.jpg.html)
Laying down the floor sheathing (it took about twenty tubes of liquid nails!)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/oldsubfloor_zps42ac2357.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/oldsubfloor_zps42ac2357.jpg.html)
Deck dancing time!! ;D
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/deckdance_zps1fd3aad9.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/deckdance_zps1fd3aad9.jpg.html)
End of the day saturday
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/finishingupsecondwall_zpsacf5d128.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/finishingupsecondwall_zpsacf5d128.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/onewallup_zps4360d7b6.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/onewallup_zps4360d7b6.jpg.html)
We had a little trouble with one 16' section of the wall wanting to slide as we stood it up yesterday, so today we used the metal straps that bundle the wood and toe nailed the edge of this wall. Unfortunately the largest window on this wall fell where we had planed to split it in half to stand it up, so we just didnt put on the sheathing and stood up all 32'.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/strappingbottomplate_zps75cecc39.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/strappingbottomplate_zps75cecc39.jpg.html)
Here is the wall jack Will made with a boat winch and 2 -16 foot 2x6's. He cranked it up while we went back and forth lifting each end and putting bracing under the end. We roped off the top so it couldn't fall all the way over. When it got above my head he did both and I kept an eye on saftey, there was no panicking involved what so ever ;)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/walljack_zps8c2726b9.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/walljack_zps8c2726b9.jpg.html)
Here's where we stand at the end of a long weekend!
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/endoftheday2wallsup_zps7d303edf.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/endoftheday2wallsup_zps7d303edf.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/2wallsupandlou_zps92e0ed7e.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/2wallsupandlou_zps92e0ed7e.jpg.html)
The remaining sand being used for castles and such
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/2wallsuppermitbox_zpsc3f62a18.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/2wallsuppermitbox_zpsc3f62a18.jpg.html)
[
A little more progress, thanks to the help of some really great friends and family! Hopefully we will be done with the entire downstairs this weekend, and be ready for the floor trusses on Monday.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/06d11d8c-0cce-4063-9f9e-b4bbf23cd136_zps848c2f48.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/06d11d8c-0cce-4063-9f9e-b4bbf23cd136_zps848c2f48.jpg.html)
We snagged an awesome deal on scaffolding on craigslist.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/fourwalls1_zps217702b4.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/fourwalls1_zps217702b4.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/4walls2_zps7db3867b.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/4walls2_zps7db3867b.jpg.html)
some interior framing
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/int2_zpsd474648d.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/int2_zpsd474648d.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/int1_zps953663bc.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/int1_zps953663bc.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/mudroom_zps65e0ead2.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/mudroom_zps65e0ead2.jpg.html)
Late night trip so the home improvement store with the "framing crew"
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/framingcrew_zps6a1ea13e.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/framingcrew_zps6a1ea13e.jpg.html)
We are really learning a lot building this house, and the more we do the better it gets. One of our good friends works for a contractor and he was able to loan us a set of wall jacks, they make raising walls super easy! Little things like this give me more confidence for framing the upstairs, and I highly recommend getting some if you don't have a big crew for raising walls.
The floor trusses finally came, but a mistake had been made in the length of trusses at the stair opening. We were able to make due with what they sent and only exchange three for repairs. The decision to use floor trusses instead of engineered I joists was to make mechanical and plumbing installation easier. We are hoping that the increase in floor system price($600) can be recuperated in the HVAC savings(one unit instead of two). We have been able to get the exterior, and most of the upstairs sheathing finished. It is almost ready for framing the upstairs walls, and the scary part roof trusses.
Will moving floor trusses in.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/floortruss4_zps32ff5fbf.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/floortruss4_zps32ff5fbf.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/floortruss5_zpsd3df4758.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/floortruss5_zpsd3df4758.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/floortruss7_zps1d276abf.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/floortruss7_zps1d276abf.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/floortruss1_zpse034489b.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/floortruss1_zpse034489b.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/floortruss3_zpsdd419035.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/floortruss3_zpsdd419035.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/upperdeck_zpsb1ac84a7.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/upperdeck_zpsb1ac84a7.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/floortruss2_zps516a1646.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/floortruss2_zps516a1646.jpg.html)
Stairs
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/stairopening1_zps31331fe6.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/stairopening1_zps31331fe6.jpg.html)
Pictures of the latest progress. With the rainiest season on record we will be very glad to get a roof on soon.
raising a wall with wall jacks
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/walljacks_zpsb24c922c.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/walljacks_zpsb24c922c.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/stairwindow_zps14bb57e2.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/stairwindow_zps14bb57e2.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/upstairsframing2_zpse59059a8.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/upstairsframing2_zpse59059a8.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/ext1_zpsfcf3e714.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/ext1_zpsfcf3e714.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/ext2_zpsf0351766.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/ext2_zpsf0351766.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/upstairsexterior2_zps6982125a.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/upstairsexterior2_zps6982125a.jpg.html)
We are going to try to raise the trusses tomorrow, hopefully it will go as planned.
Roof trusses are on! We debated back and forth about hiring a crane to raise the trusses, but finally decided to put them up by hand with the help of a few strong men. At the end of one wall we left off a sheet of sheathing and one stud so we were able to slide the trusses up through the opening. After the truss was up on the deck we slid the ends up on the top plate upside down and then turned them upright. It is important to note that our roof pitch is 8/12, if it were any higher we could not have fit them through an 8 foot wall.
First we set up a system of cat walks to provide a good solid platform to work from. This took an hour or two, but proved to be extremely useful.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/CATWALKS_zps1ae993a8.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/CATWALKS_zps1ae993a8.jpg.html)
Based on advice from a builder friend we cut our sheathing on the ground for the gable ends so that once it was up we could prop it with legs and put it all together. For bracing we used some 12 to 16 foot 2 by's nailed and clamped on the back side of the gable wall to prevent them from going too far.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/SHEATHINGTHEGABLEENDS2_zps7cd4688c.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/SHEATHINGTHEGABLEENDS2_zps7cd4688c.jpg.html)
Once the gable ends were both stood up and the top plates were marked 24"o.c. the rest of the trusses were brought up and stood up one at a time fairly easily. We braced each one with 2x4's on the outside till permanent bracing and sheathing can be put on.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/LUNCHTRUSS_zps38005a18.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/LUNCHTRUSS_zps38005a18.jpg.html)
Triangular bracing to the gable ends
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/bracingthegableends_zpsf75e0290.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/bracingthegableends_zpsf75e0290.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/trussesstood_zpscbc2691f.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/trussesstood_zpscbc2691f.jpg.html)
It is really starting to look like a house! ;D
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/view_zpsaa701b04.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/view_zpsaa701b04.jpg.html)
WOW Great work.....
With the labor day weekend, and deadlines for the bank, we haven't had time to update our progress. The last few weeks have really been a hard push to get the house dried in. With the rainiest season on record it is really a sigh of relief to get this far!
One of our good friends who has been helping us a ton with the build came up with these structural knee braces. These are lag bolted on to the gable end truss on the outside, and bolted with ledger lock screws from the inside. They placed these first and then attached the rafter to the top before placing blocking.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/knee2_zps8706621a.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/knee2_zps8706621a.jpg.html)
A little oil rubbed bronze spray paint to the lags for a little extra accent.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/knee3_zps6af27f3b.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/knee3_zps6af27f3b.jpg.html)
Finished end before sheathing
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/fly_zpse5d27e1d.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/fly_zpse5d27e1d.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/Copyofknee5_zps7303c55e.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/Copyofknee5_zps7303c55e.jpg.html)
Will getting ready to trim excess sheathing.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/mexican_zps25049b32.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/mexican_zps25049b32.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/roofers_zpsb774e7e7.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/roofers_zpsb774e7e7.jpg.html)
On a side note, make sure you have a ladder long enough to reach the roof before nailing on the last piece of sheathing and tar paper. I had a heck of a time wrestling the extension ladder around trying to figure out how to get poor Will off the roof. Finally we settled on wedging the ladder in the back of a truck and Will rappelled down it with his climbing harness.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/Copyoftarpapper_zps0db49c4a.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/Copyoftarpapper_zps0db49c4a.jpg.html)
Starting the roofing. We used just 29 gauge galvalume from a local supplier, they roll it and cut it to exact length for $1.60 a linear foot (three feet wide)! We were sure glad to have gone with a 8:12 pitch roof over anything steeper.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/theroof_zpsb685678b.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/theroof_zpsb685678b.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/scafold_zpsd727113a.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/scafold_zpsd727113a.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/canweslideonityet_zpsbe6f4efa.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/canweslideonityet_zpsbe6f4efa.jpg.html)
After a couple of long weekends our house is mostly dried in, and has a fresh septic system! We left out one window upstairs so the drywall can be put in with a boom, and we are still waiting on some doors to come.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/photo4_zps2d572208.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/photo4_zps2d572208.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/photo11_zps922674f2.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/photo11_zps922674f2.jpg.html)
Great progress! I wish my project was going that fast.
Those brackets look a lot like mine. I made mine out of rough-cut cypress, then two coats of preservative before priming and painting. Although mine aren't technically 'structural', they certainly are strong. I through-bolted them with massive square-head bolts through the gable framing.
(https://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k18/flgargoyle/001-4.jpg) (https://s84.photobucket.com/user/flgargoyle/media/001-4.jpg.html)
Looks like you have really good taste Jay! We are actually deciding on a blue grey paint color for our exterior too ;D I really like the cypress, we just used pressure treated pine for ours and now have to wait till they dry for painting. I'm very curious to see your big reveal now, your house is looking really good from those pictures!
looking mighty fine , mighty fine . hope yall will give a expence report up to this point when u get time . for future referance if anyone cares , one can cut the fire out of a tji as much as u want so long as u stay 2in away from the upper and lower bands . didnt know if yall knew that b4 using the trusses. ;)
Things have slowed down a little since we got our first draw. We had a little crunch time right there before the appraiser came out and it really took a lot out of us! After a relaxing weekend with no kids and some whitewater kayaking with good friends we are ready to press on. Who knows maybe we will have a certificate of occupancy by Christmas ;)
This past week we had to work on all the loose ends: finishing interior framing, changing out the sashes on the windows(they came with the wrong grids) and cleaned up for finish grading. We've decided to put on the porch and side the house before we start our plumbing and elctric rough in. Being first timers at both we decided that it would be best that we don't accidentally drive a nail into a pipe or wire! Today we started the porch that will wrap around the front of the house, and had the siding materials delivered. Photos to come soon, photo bucket isn't working tonight.
Jimbo : Thanks for the compliment! Here's a breakdown of what the build has cost so far, we have done all the labor ourselves except for the grading, septic, and HVAC(these things would have cost more and taken longer for us to do.)
Grading/Gravel(250' drive) $2850
Foundation $1900 (block crawlspace 40" 4 piers and center girder)
Framing lumber $6700
Trusses(floor and roof) $2800
Roofing (29ga galvalume) $800
Windows $2300
Doors $800
Misc fasteners adhesives $1500 +++ (porch hardware is INSANE!)
Porch lumber $ 1000
Finish grading and more gravel $750
Septic system $2450
Nichiha (fiber cement) and Miratec trim $2600
One other large cost for us has been tools and equipment. There are many things you don't really "need" but they will make the job way easier(ex. framing gun, wall jacks, scaffolding etc.). Just another expense to consider that we didn't put much thought into before we started, but you can buy some good tools on craigslist to save money.
I think that is most everything so far. Hope this helps anyone looking to build in the southeast. I know reading some other peoples costs it gave us the courage to build ourselves. One other thing we wanted to mention was that there is a wealth of free information on the internet (including this site) that has really made this all possible for us. We planned and studied everything we could for four years before we started this build. One of the most helpful things for us has been youtube instructional videos. (Some really great ones are from a carpenter Larry Haun) Just thought we should share because they may help someone else.
I hope you're not buying fasteners and hardware at the big box stores. You can get nail gun nails for less than half the price, delivered right to your door. The most extreme case was buying 500 galvanized lag bolts I needed for my window bucks. They were $1.40 each locally, but I ordered them from McMaster-Carr for $.27! Added to the higher prices, a trip to the local store is an hour of time and two gallons of gas.
I LOVE tools, and don't consider them in the price of my build. If you get them at a decent price, you can sell them after you're done. There's very little that I'll ever part with, though!
Jay,
We have been buying all of our fasteners and hardware at box stores d*. We will be doing online shopping in advance for the rest of fasteners! The problem we most often run into is that we aren't sure exactly what we need in advance, so we end up stopping by big orange on the way home (and pay the price).
The porch started moving along a little faster once we finished setting the footing and posts. The posts ended up with some slight error, that in hind sight could have been prvented by temporarily framing the porch with 2x4's and coming back to put the posts in last. Hindsight is 20/20 I guess, and it seems that there are as many ways to frame a porch as there are carpenters :). All that we lack to finish the front porch is the roof and rails, but we've decided to start working on the siding and trim for now.
Here the finish grading has been done, footings have been poured, and posts are being put in.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/porchfootings2_zpsc1baab65.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/porchfootings2_zpsc1baab65.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/porchfootings_zps83f6df24.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/porchfootings_zps83f6df24.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/posts_zps57db7701.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/posts_zps57db7701.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/ca47376e-d801-4497-8acc-aa59b0814144_zpsd5bdbe78.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/ca47376e-d801-4497-8acc-aa59b0814144_zpsd5bdbe78.jpg.html)
spray painting our over priced fasteners, we'll make them look worth $1.50 a piece d*
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/orbhardware_zpsf4437f24.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/orbhardware_zpsf4437f24.jpg.html)
I think this is where we left off last weekend. We really liked the way rich2vermont ran his deck boards, so we ran ours in a similar fashion. I think it will give the porch a little something extra. This is one of the wonderful things about this community, all of the creativity, and sharing. I hope one day we can give someone else valuable ideas and insight from our build.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/deckboards3_zpse0b80e60.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/deckboards3_zpse0b80e60.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/deckboards2_zps91dc94db.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/deckboards2_zps91dc94db.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/deckboards_zps3ed1744d.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/deckboards_zps3ed1744d.jpg.html)
This weekend we worked on running the beams for the porch rafters to rest on, siding and trim. We are using a 8-1/4 fiber cement lap with 7"show and miratec for the trim. The brand of fiber cement is called nichiha made in Georgia, and it seems to be a good quality product that is fairly easy to work with. To attach it we are using the framing nailer with galvanized plastic collated ring shank nails.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/sidingstart_zpsac68d58d.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/sidingstart_zpsac68d58d.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/porchbeams_zpsdbcf8201.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/porchbeams_zpsdbcf8201.jpg.html)
A couple of things that I do that make things work a little easier sometimes. On a porch where the decking goes around a corner I typically frame the corner "hip" girder as 3 ply and use the next wider size for the center ply. This is slipped up above the other 2 plies by the thickness of the decking. Then instead of the decking boards meeting eath other in a miter, they butt into that raised strip. By doing that if the boards vary a bit they don't show that the tips are meeting where you began and begin to not meet at some point across the "hip".
Before i put on the decking we run a vinyl or colored metal counterflashing that has a leg turned out over the ledger and then runs up the wall the tyvek is cut and laps over this wall flashing with a few inches removed just above the deck surface. The siding is then held up 1-1/2" or so above the decking and the counterflashing is exposed. This keeps the siding off the horizontal surface as per manufacturers instructions. Same thing with the roof ledger, holding the siding above the shingles amd exposing that flashing.
Thanks Don! I'm going to go ahead and order some flashing for that ledger board when I order the metal for the porch roof. I thought we may need some flashing there but wasn't sure since it will have a roof. Luckily we made a frame around all of the deck boards so we will only have to take up a few to put in the flashing. We still have another porch to frame on the back and I think it will go a lot easier than this one.
Starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. This siding has proved to be a long process, but we are about 2/3's done with it now. For the top above the belly band we will use board and batten. Hopefully we can finish the exterior before the days get so short and cold. During the week in the evenings we have been working on plumbing, it really doesn't seem too bad, just taking our time.
Finally got all of the deck boards screwed down.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/cdc28fc9-1261-4f98-9431-2ef0f04b6d5a_zpsa0abf7f2.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/cdc28fc9-1261-4f98-9431-2ef0f04b6d5a_zpsa0abf7f2.jpg.html)
Last of the doors installed, it really feels good to be able to lock the house!
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/frontdoor_zpsec46aea5.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/frontdoor_zpsec46aea5.jpg.html)
Upstairs bathroom pex lines run.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/pex1_zps83fc9306.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/pex1_zps83fc9306.jpg.html)
Lap siding on the back and side halfway painted.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/siding_zps1f97fd84.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/siding_zps1f97fd84.jpg.html)
Front view of siding.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/siding2_zps1c637b83.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/siding2_zps1c637b83.jpg.html)
The siding has been really slow going but were finally done!! Hooray ;D All that is left now on the exterior is two small entry porches, some porch roofing, and painting!
This past week I built two small awnings for the front south facing windows. They will work to shade those rooms from midday sun in summer and add some curb appeal to the house. I precut and asembled the pieces on the ground, and then Will was able to hang them with the lift.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/awning_zps0bc01a10.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/awning_zps0bc01a10.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/awning2_zpsb907c805.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/awning2_zpsb907c805.jpg.html)
Here is the lift we rented, sunbelt rented it to us for the weekend(fri- monday at 9am) for only one days rent as long as we didn't actually run it more than 8 hours. Worked out nicely since it only needed to be running to move, unfortunately it rained half the weekend.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/lift2_zps6a92d8f1.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/lift2_zps6a92d8f1.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/lif_zps51770a3b.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/lif_zps51770a3b.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/lift3_zpsf9514d24.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/lift3_zpsf9514d24.jpg.html)
This weekend we were able to finish the remainder of the board and batten. The shorter days this time of year really slowed us down on the siding, but we're really happy with how it turned out!
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/side3_zpsb2a476ca.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/side3_zpsb2a476ca.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/side1_zps0a732e40.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/side1_zps0a732e40.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/side2_zps48e07602.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/side2_zps48e07602.jpg.html)
A few side notes about working with the fiber cement siding:
Make sure you have an extra blade or two our house could have used three but we only got two. The cuts are much easier and smoother with a sharp blade, and the hitachi blade we ordered on amazon lasted a lot longer than the irwin we got at the box store.
Some handy little square ended pinchers worked great for squaring up the corners after the circular saw.
We used a worm drive Ridgid circular saw for all of our cuts, and felt like it did a great job.
A box cutter works great for scoring and breaking hard to cut pieces of fiber cement. That in combination with some cheap square nippers work great to make pretty clean lines.
Make sure you have some actual goggles the dust gets around safety glasses pretty easily. And make sure you have a good face mask to wear, it smells like stale cigarettes when you cut it, and is surely as bad on the lungs.
This is a very nice project and an interesting floor plan layout. Great family photos as well! :D :D :D
It has inspired others who have the Universal Cottage plans. Here is an example: http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=13389.msg175040#msg175040
Thanks, that really made our day! We've been out here working on plumbing feeling a little discouraged, and that really brightens things up!
Can't believe I'm just now seeing this thread. Yall have done a great job on this build.
I saw where you said you are glad that you didn't go any steeper than 8:12 pitch. How was it up on that pitch putting on the metal roof. I've worked on a 12:12 pitch roof and it was TERRIBLE! I was thinking 7:12 but 8:12 looks just a little better.
thanks
Austin
Thanks Austin! It wasn't too bad up there, just make sure you rope yourself off, and wear sticky shoes. Another thing that would have really helped is later on we rented a 35' lift and it could have really made things faster. Seems like half of the battle was getting everything up there with scaffolding. I don't know what rental companies you have around but some only charge for one day over the weekend as long as you don't actually run the machine more than 8 hours.
This is one of my favorite builds! Any update?
Hi Austin sorry for the delay, we were busy preparing for our rough-in inspection this week. We passed the first try! As Mushcreek stated they do not turn the truck off around here. I don't know if I have ever been so nervous in my life, but it was a breeze. The only faults he found were a non tempered window within two feet of a door, and we had not framed up an attic access. At any rate he was a really nice guy and I hope he comes back for the final.
One of our friends was kind enough to help us with the electrical rough in.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/breakerpanel2_zps7b563e89.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/breakerpanel2_zps7b563e89.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/breakerpanel_zps4e7f54c2.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/breakerpanel_zps4e7f54c2.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/beforeroughin_zps07ce03af.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/beforeroughin_zps07ce03af.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/toiletdrain_zpsab12259d.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/toiletdrain_zpsab12259d.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/washeralcove_zps45af0dae.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/washeralcove_zps45af0dae.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/tub3_zpsd934dd99.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/tub3_zpsd934dd99.jpg.html)
Day of the inspection. We don't have anywhere to store all of this stuff, but luckily the inspector didn't mind.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/roughin2_zps64396280.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/roughin2_zps64396280.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/roughin_zpsccb55c7e.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/roughin_zpsccb55c7e.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/drainsink_zps788c5fbd.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/drainsink_zps788c5fbd.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/porchperlins_zps59b39d0d.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/porchperlins_zps59b39d0d.jpg.html)
This week the insulation will be installed, and drywall on friday! We should be able to keep it warmer in the house to get more done on these cold nights. We have a stove pipe installed for a woodstove, but haven't been able to find just the right stove yet.
Where did you get your floor trusses and attic trusses? I'm 26' wide and 52' long but I'm still getting HUGE bids for my floor trusses!
By the way, everything looks great! Thanks for the update and congrats on the inspection. In my opinion, yours is the best looking house I have seen on this forum. I just love it.
thanks
Austin
Looking good! Nice neat plumbing and electrical work. I'm at about the same point inside- about ready for drywall. I gave up on the outside between wet and cold weather. Everything around here is red mud. I'll get back to it as the weather improves.
Jay we are right there with you! This house isn't going to get painted till the spring at this pace. Our plan was to finish the exterior in time for the cold but with all the rain we've had we didn't make it. Were you able to find someone to do your drywall, or are you doing it yourself? we look forward to seeing some updates on your thread soon too!
Austin, I hope you can find some reasonable floor trusses, they will make all of your utilities way easier to run. The only thing I can figure as to the price jump may be the span increase requires much more engineering? One other place you may check is if you have a menards close by, they actually sell trim-able floor trusses on their website. Here's a link:
http://www.menards.com/main/building-materials/engineered-products/floor-trusses/c-5659.htm?criteria3_facet=26+foot
I finally got someone to quote my drywall, and I can live with the price. He comes well-recommended, so I am starting to get excited. Getting ready for the drywall is slow and tedious, strapping the ceiling and leveling it out. My trusses are pretty wavy, so it's a slow process getting a decent ceiling plane. I keep finding other things that need to be done, such as support blocking in the walls for future hardware, etc. I find it hard to do this kind of detail work in the cold, too. We were down to +3 F. the other day! Once I pull the trigger on the drywall, there should be plenty to take pictures of.
Well a lot has changed this week in our little house, it's amazing how fast people who know what they're doing can get things done! We are so excited to finally see what the rooms will look like after all this time. Wednesday we had some dense pack cellulose insulation put in the walls. It was a very messy process and would have taken us a while to figure out. After it was all installed the low was 23 degrees and we were able to heat the house up quite well with a small propane heater. Friday we had the drywall crew come out and hang the drywall. They were only here a little more than half a day and the three of them hung about 3/4's of the dry wall. We were really suprised to see the only tools they used were a rotozip, a drywall screw gun, and a small fold up scaffolding bench! While they were installing drywall we used the time to dig out and level the crawlspace for the vapor barrier... I would strongly recommend doing this before you install any floor joists, even in our 40" tall crawlspace it took two of us a full day to level it.
Cellulose in the stairway
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/cellulose3_zps48266c04.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/cellulose3_zps48266c04.jpg.html)
Heat shield going up
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/heatshield1_zps1bb0fb8d.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/heatshield1_zps1bb0fb8d.jpg.html)
Stairway after half the sheetrock is put up
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/drywall3_zpsdc6548f1.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/drywall3_zpsdc6548f1.jpg.html)
Living room and load bearing post
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/drywall2_zpsfc024949.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/drywall2_zpsfc024949.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/drywall1_zps8beba0de.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/drywall1_zps8beba0de.jpg.html)
Kitchen and dining room
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/drywall5_zpsc55e3c33.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/drywall5_zpsc55e3c33.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/drywall4_zpsb6b40c7f.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/drywall4_zpsb6b40c7f.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/kitchendrywall_zpsf8ee997d.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/kitchendrywall_zpsf8ee997d.jpg.html)
Looks Great. Mine is very similar. Great minds think alike :)
What are you going to use as far as HVAC? I see you'll have a wood stove.
I'll install a wood stove too but I'm thinking of a mini split or multi split.
We are having a 2.5 ton package unit with a heat pump put in. I looked into mini splits and multi splits, but we would need so many it wasn't economical. That was one of the few things we have hired out, but really check around, prices varied wildly $5250-10,500! Most companies insisted we needed two units, fortunately my brother is an HVAC technician in Florida and could tell us what we really needed. We only have insulation in the walls currently and the drywall crew has it up to like 95 degrees in there with just a kerosene heater. Hopefully with a little woodstove we won't have to use the central heat much, but it is nice to have a back up when the fire goes out.
I got several estimates and was quoted $7600 for 2 systems and 3 exchangers. My oldest son works for a HVAC company in the parts department. He got me a Mitsubishi Mr Slim multi split for almost $3000 less than my best quote. The down side is I've got to install it. I just hope it works as good as they say. I've got to get a wood stove too.
Lots of progress in the last week and a half. The drywall crew was able to finish up by Thursday, and I asked the question "How soon can we paint?". The owner told me you can go ahead as soon as we're done d*. Hah talk about a huge mess to clean. Our shop vac would either clog up very quickly or dust would blow everywhere. We found a little water in the shop vac would catch most of it, and then we used a dust mop on all of the walls. So a day and a half later we started with the primer. A few weeks ago we bought a paint sprayer from one of the box stores and were eager to try it out... Needless to say it has some kind of learning curve we weren't quite able to figure out, and it was more mess than it was worth so we have reverted to brushes and rollers. After all the time to set up, tape everything, and then clean the machine it was almost as time consuming to use the sprayer as to paint by hand. We ended up using way more paint than we thought, 15 gallons of primer, 8+ gallons of ceiling paint, and 8+ gallons of wall paint so far! We also found that the roller had better coverage on the walls with less paint than the sprayer. Anyhow it still feels like we have tons to do before we can move in, but it is nice to have paint on the walls!
Finished Drywall
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/drywallfin5_zpsb2ebc3c3.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/drywallfin5_zpsb2ebc3c3.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/drywalfin3_zps2960faeb.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/drywalfin3_zps2960faeb.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/drywallfin2_zps26546a23.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/drywallfin2_zps26546a23.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/drywallfinish1_zps74335405.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/drywallfinish1_zps74335405.jpg.html)
Primed walls
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/prime1_zps689aa475.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/prime1_zps689aa475.jpg.html)
Corner wood stove heatshield
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/prime2_zps9fbf2eaa.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/prime2_zps9fbf2eaa.jpg.html)
Ceramic fence insulators as spacers
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/prime2_zps9fbf2eaa.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/prime2_zps9fbf2eaa.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/prime4_zpscdf59f7b.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/prime4_zpscdf59f7b.jpg.html)
Paint SW "misty"
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/paintlr_zpsff8a1f21.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/paintlr_zpsff8a1f21.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/Paintlr2_zps83298e8c.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/Paintlr2_zps83298e8c.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/paintdr_zps1a3d0a06.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/paintdr_zps1a3d0a06.jpg.html)
Hopefully we can finish painting this week and the flooring should come this week.
WOW that is coming along. Sort'a nice to walk in and not having drywall mud boxes and stilts and knives and buckets and what have you everywhere I bet. The outfit we had was the neatest drywall crew I was ever around. But WOW they had so much stuff. Where ours turned into the house from hell getting the texture blown in I sort of went through withdrawals with just Ellen and I being there. The dogs would keep looking to see if they were coming back in the morning.... :D You guys are - LOOK'IN GOOD!!!
Looking good !
Getting the drywall done and painted is a great relief.
Makes it look like a real home.
Nice looking build. d*
I like your windows. Mind sharing what kind of windows they are (material/brand).
Thanks
Thank you for your compliments! It does really define the spaces, and turn it into a real house. We really felt like it would be a huge relief to have the sheetrock up, but it still feels like we have a mountain of things to do before we can move in.
Archimedes, the windows are just vinyl single hung from a company called YKK(same company that makes zippers). They are lowE, and energy star rated, but they were just the cheapest ones our local building supply sells. We've been happy with their performance so far, and I think their quality is better than most of the lower end windows at the box stores.
On the upside we had a snow day here in South Carolina today and were able to finish all but one rooms paint, and built the mold for the concrete stove pad. For the pad we used cement board strips to create an air space with full sheets on top. Then we left about a one inch gap around the edge and framed it with melamine boards for a mold.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/stovebase_zps338a3975.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/stovebase_zps338a3975.jpg.html)
We picked this little heater up off of craigslist the other day, it's the same type the drywall crew used, and it can run off diesel. It sure saves us money over using the propane one we had bought.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/heat_zps67e288c4.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/heat_zps67e288c4.jpg.html)
Another weekend of progress on the house:
Concrete poured in the mold for the wood stove hearth.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/floorstovepad_zps69233704.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/floorstovepad_zps69233704.jpg.html)
We broke the mold 18 hours later
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/stovepad1_zpseb700d9f.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/stovepad1_zpseb700d9f.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/stovepad2_zps9631cd0e.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/stovepad2_zps9631cd0e.jpg.html)
Flooring 1x6 blue stained yellow pine
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/floorpile_zps4c49517b.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/floorpile_zps4c49517b.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/br1_zps363aeecb.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/br1_zps363aeecb.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/hall5_zpse1e45290.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/hall5_zpse1e45290.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/hall7_zps4da1dbd4.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/hall7_zps4da1dbd4.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/br3_zps7109ab78.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/br3_zps7109ab78.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/lrfloor1_zpsabd59ad2.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/lrfloor1_zpsabd59ad2.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/lrfloor2_zpsdfcd6587.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/lrfloor2_zpsdfcd6587.jpg.html)
What a great project, mwhutch. I might need to borrow a number of your details. I especially like the rafter braces on your gable wall, the covered porch, and the window awnings. Very nice! What size are your windows on the gable wall that has four windows and the porch? They look like a nice size. I guess that is a fourth detail I want to borrow. You know what they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. 8)
Seeing the durock in the stair area for the stove brings to mind more grist for the design mill for others. We used steel studs to hang the drywall and durock on in the alcove formed by the stairs just to keep as many combustibles out of that area as possible. I also ran the wall up above the stairs ~42" and at the stair angle to form the handrail wall, trying to avoid having balusters and the treads exposed to heat. It did work in that regard but was a mixed bag. what I failed to account for was the high thermal expansion/contraction of the steel. I simply plastered over the durock with mesh tape on the seams, surface bonding cement and a layer of joint compound. The seams have all cracked at the joints in the stove area. So I like not having wood there but obviously the idea still needs improvement. For the hearth pad itself we poured the slab on top of rows of 8" blocks leaving a cubbyhole under the hearth slab where we store a couple of baskets of newspaper and kindling. That has worked well and I've copied that detail on several other houses. I tend to sit on that hearth which is about 12" high, in front of the stove probably as much as anywhere.
Thanks North Sask, we really like the craftsman style, so we dressed up a plain rectangle house into a craftsman cottage. The front windows are 36"x60" as are all the others except for a few small ones. They really let the light in, but if we could have afforded it we would have more with no wall space to put anything!
Don_P, that's a really good idea with the metal studs, we too thought of that after we had already framed it with wood d*. We thought we had solved that issue with the lack of drywall behind the durock and the ceramic spacers into an open wall to disperse heat. Wouldn't the paper on the drywall be combustible though? I hope it won't be a danger with a double wall pipe to the stove, but we could add a heat shield to the pipe as well as the stove. I do like the idea of storing stuff under the hearth, and having it slightly higher it would probably be less risk for tripping! I think at any rate we will do some testing to make sure nothing is at risk.
Nice flooring- where did you get that pine?
Jay we bought that from a man in walhalla, David at "the lumber connection." He sells all sorts wood at really good prices, you can look for him in the materials section on Craigslist. He delivers all over too! We had to wait a while for that blue stained pine, and some is just cabin grade but we call it character.
Thanks- I know Dave. I got my cypress timbers for my roof brackets from him. I didn't know he could get the blue stain pine. I'll be getting my flooring from him- eventually.
A very hectic month here trudging through the final stages of building. We are determined to press on this month and finish the house so that we can return to our normal lives. At the beginning of May our builders risk policy expires, so the pending deadline has put the pressure on! These last few weeks we have had some great friends and family help us with trim and electric, they have been a real blessing to us because we have become tired and weary from the build. The end is very close in sight now and we are sure glad to see it!
Tile in the mud room
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/mrtile_zps521b0258.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/mrtile_zps521b0258.jpg.html)
Half bath and laundry alcove
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/hbtile_zps3c672f64.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/hbtile_zps3c672f64.jpg.html)
Upstairs bath and Kerdi tub surround.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/tilemb_zps1929b28d.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/tilemb_zps1929b28d.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/mbtile1_zps9ebb6e07.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/mbtile1_zps9ebb6e07.jpg.html)
Kitchen cabinets, the cabinet maker has to come back to put trim under the sink to match the counter height. The plan was to paint the cabinets, but we aren't sure now we like the "paint grade" wood so much we can't decide!
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/cab1_zpsc49eb499.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/cab1_zpsc49eb499.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/cab2_zps2753ed32.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/cab2_zps2753ed32.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/cab3_zps8f691f91.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/cab3_zps8f691f91.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/cab4_zpsce838cc3.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/cab4_zpsce838cc3.jpg.html)
Light!
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/light_zps49666acc.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/light_zps49666acc.jpg.html)
Looks sharp! I really like the floor and lights.
I also kind of like the paint grade look. Just wait. You can always paint them later.
Well after nearly a year of not posting on here we are finally getting around to posting the "good enough" finished pictures of our house. Looking back through the thread I don't know how we did it, it all just seems like a blur! We officially were allowed to move in April 9 of last year, but even after nine months of living in the house there are still little things that need to be finished. Over all we just love our house and would not have chosen to do it any other way, but building it was not the "easy way" by far. We have been able to keep momentum from the build and have since completed a barn, torn down our old house, and are launching a land surveying company this month. Once you can build your own house everything else in life seems easier :) We are extremely thankful to this community of people for showing us how to build a house, and we couldn't have done it with out you all!
Street View
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/frontfin_zpsd012f300.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/frontfin_zpsd012f300.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsourxeh03.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsourxeh03.jpg.html)
View from the front door.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsrvmvipf3.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsrvmvipf3.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps1fpcjcf2.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps1fpcjcf2.jpg.html)
Kitchen
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/kit1_zpsdef48127.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/kit1_zpsdef48127.jpg.html)
Closer view of concrete counter.
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/kit3_zps3ecfcf0d.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/kit3_zps3ecfcf0d.jpg.html)
Living room, dining room
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpssxnywwmc.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpssxnywwmc.jpg.html)
Mud room and half bath
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/wdmudroom_zps054888c8.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/wdmudroom_zps054888c8.jpg.html)
Upstairs bath
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps27wk96vv.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps27wk96vv.jpg.html)
(https://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u676/Mwhutch/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps1y7hbzbi.jpg) (https://s1327.photobucket.com/user/Mwhutch/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps1y7hbzbi.jpg.html)
Wow- Looking good! You certainly knocked it out quickly. I'm still plugging along here, finally getting to some finish work. Of course, I'm one old man, stubbornly working alone, so it takes time. Your place came out terrific! If you ever wander up to Travelers Rest, PM me and we can get together.
Jay
Looks good. I really like it. Very clean. I really like the painted cabinets against the pine floor.
Did you put anything on the floor? Poly?
Also, tell me more out the concrete counter tops? Were they poured in place or are they the kind that you pour in a mold and then flip over?
Austin
Thank you Jay and Austin!
Jay we got most of the house done in 10 months, but if it were up to us we would have taken more time. I'm sure you are able to pay a lot more attention to detail than we did. We would love to see your house one day, I'm sure it's going to be beautiful!
Austin, the floor is finished with pure tung oil from one of the milk paint companies. It seems to be holding up really well. For the countertops we made a mold from melamine that was as smooth as dry erase board. First we filled about half the mold with sand mix concrete(for the top) then placed premade metal reinforcement, followed by regular concrete for the bottom. To color the concrete we bought a pigment mix from cheng. Once the concrete dried and was put in place we used a slurry mix to fill any holes, and then finally coated it with z aqua poxy. The concrete counter turned out very smooth with minimal sanding, and the aqua poxy is very durable. I think for our counters(20sq ft) the whole countertop was <$200.
Very nice! We have about 30 linear feet of counter top. I can do granite myself for $750-800, concrete for ???, or maybe a thick oak slab for cheap. I'm not sure right now. Your concrete looks great and make me lean that way.
Is the area around the sink two pieces? I bet that was hard to line up! Nice job.
Austin
mwhutch - love your statement - "Jay we got most of the house done in 10 months, but if it were up to us we would have taken more time. I'm sure you are able to pay a lot more attention to detail than we did. " How we so identified with that. We were not going to spend another winter in the fifthwheel. We still have a few weeks of finish work to do. But will not until spring is here and warmer temps. Then we can get the windows opened up and start lacquering again and doing more finish sanding.
Really like the way your place turned out. [cool] Looks very nice nestled there in the trees and the interior came togather very well!! [cool]
House looks great! I am looking to build the same type of house on a piece of land I own. May I ask what the total cost of the house so far? I am trying to get a good budget down. thanks and great job.
Austin,
The counter top is all one piece there in the corner surrounding the sink, the seam there is just where we put silicone between two pieces of melamine in the mold. We didn't have a wet sander to polish the counter top so we just used the small diamond hand sanding blocks, which were not enough to sand out that crease.
Rick,
I completely understand how you feel about spending another winter in the fifthwheel! Our winters here in South Carolina are fairly mild, but our old house had no insulation and only a wood stove for heat. Our daughter(4 at the time) asked if we could please put a wood stove in every room of the new house so that it would be warm. Everyone always tells you not to move in until the house is finished because you won't ever get it finished, but we were plenty happy with "done enough," and hopefully we will get it finished eventually! Thank you so much for your kind words! Your house looks amazing, I can't wait to see it all finished!
taylorpr,
Over all including site prep and septic, we have roughly 70-80K invested in our house. This would probably vary widely based on location and material prices.
I really like how the floor turned out in the bathroom by the tub. Do you remember the name of the tile or color of the grout?
You really did great work, hope my bathroom turns out half as good.
Rg