Crazy, paranoid or just growing up?

[cordwood]

desimulacra the person who uses a peach fork or brass rods is a "dowser".  The process is known as "dowsing".  I did my own location for the well at the cabin and a couple others in the neighborhood.  I hit water at 193' at 10 gpm.  When I bought my property I witched or dowsed which ever you prefer and found 2 locations on 5 acs.  Luckily the one that I drilled was only about 70 feet from the cabin.  My well driller used my rods and hit the same place ( just a little double checking) and said that is where he would drill it also.  Fasinating how it works but it does work,  I showed my son (13) how and he found every culvert on the mountain with it.

Some people just flat out can't get them to work.  I tried to show them but they were unable to get any pull or swing.  I haven't perfected it as to the depth or GPM. 

We have always called it "wiching" and I use two cut off coat hangers bent in an "L", When they cross you are over water! I used to locate utilities the same way when records were not available and these new fangled devices weren't around
 

[JRR]

.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dowsing
.
http://skepdic.com/dowsing.html

[MountainDon]

I believe more in James Randi, than in dowsing.

http://www.randi.org/library/dowsing/

http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/encyclopedia.html

[tc-vt]

Tom,

Your post sounds like I could have written it 7-8 years ago when I had the same disillusions with city/suburban living and all of the 'trappings' of a mainstream life of just working and paying the bills.

I built a 20x30 story and a half.  I did the foundation, a frost protected slab here in northern VT, myself with the help of a friend with construction experience.  The cost and difficulty of a slab is not much more than the cost of piers and a framed first floor.  I did the slab in two stages: first was a 2 foot tall 18 inch wide perimeter wall which was then filled with compacted gravel on top of which the radiant tubing and a concrete slab was poured.

I wish I went ahead and just did a full second story instead of the cape style.  The cost would not have been that much more than the cape style I did and I would have full height walls for furniture and windows.

Septic was done by myself - dug trenches with a rented mini excavator and used Infiltrator chambers for the leachfield.  Digging the hole for the septic tank tested the limits of the small mini excavator.  It was getting difficult to dig deep enough so I opted to go with a shallow septic tank which required less depth to the hole than a standard tank.  Tank was delivered and placed in the hole and I backfilled with the mini excavator.

I was fortunate to have a good spring which gravity feeds to the house.  This I hired out.  I don't think there is any better way than to have someone else do it.  Bringing spring tiles and stone to the spring site and laying 400 feet of tubing 4 to 5 feet deep is not a job for a rental machine.

Good luck with all of it.

Tom

[xecutech]

Thanks Tom.

Well, I haven't scared myself away yet! I am still doing some research. I may pay to do the foundation, so it may be a piece of property with a foundation for a few months to get the money together to start everything else.

My child support ends soon, so that should free up some more money for the project. I am considering a 2 story, so we can have some extra room. I was thinking of making the upstairs a large master bedroom, with a master bath and large closet. Then the downstairs can be the living room, kitchen, dining room and another small bathroom.

We don't need extra bedrooms, but have considered an additional small cottage/cabin so when we do have guests, they can have their own privacy. Could rent it out on the weekends as a private retreat for anyone considering getting out of the city. Supplemental income!

[tc-vt]

Tom,

The other thing I did which I am very happy that I chose to do was to use I-joists for the second floor and trusses for the roof.  The clear spans they give you with no interior bearing walls will give you flexibility as to where you put your interior walls.  If you go with I-joists, go big on them or go closer than 16 on center if they are going to go the full 20 foot span.  I have Boise All-Joist AJS-20 joists which are about maxed out at 20ft.  They haven't sagged at all but in that section of the floor you can feel someone walking, ie. - it's bouncy.  I am going to add a midspan beam (any day now, finally, after thinking about it for a long time) of three 2x6s or 2x8s nailed together to stiffen it.  The I-joists and trusses are lightweight and easy to handle, too.

Tom

[xecutech]

Thanks for the additional tips Tom. I understand what the trusses are, but not much on the ijoists. Time to google it again!

Me and my wife have been talking more about the property. It has a creek that never dries up and there are springs on the property that most of the family gets their water. How do you pump spring water into the home? I will be visiting them this next weekend and will be asking them a ton of questions about the property.

[glenn kangiser]

Generally a spring box at the source of the spring to keep it clean then a pump as required, or gravity if there is sufficient elevation.

[xecutech]

So, it's cheaper than having a well? Sounds promising. Any filtration requirements or permits required?

[glenn kangiser]

It should be a lot cheaper.  Use proper precautions against contamination, filtering etc if needed and keeping animals fenced away etc. no runoff from above - lots to think about.

Permits depend on where, but I would think only on the plumbing if you are in a permit area.

[MountainDon]

You can get purification equipment that uses UV light to kill the gremlins without chemicals.

here's one...

http://www.home-water-purifiers-and-filters.com/ultraviolet-filter.php

and another...

http://www.ultraviolet.com/products.htm?gclid=CJ-Ahfa4rJcCFQ8QagodL1nKjw

[xecutech]

Again, thank you for the information. Hopefully soon I will have something to contribute back to the forum as I learn how to build my house. Maybe some pics of the building site after next weekend!

[glenn kangiser]

Many times asking your questions answers questions for others or generates other questions and answers.  It's all good.

[fritzsaw]

howdy,executech.i couldn't believe you are planning to build in hohenwald.we moved here 3 years ago from nc and friends still have trouble finding us on the map!i am into diy construction,woodworking,chickens,tractors,and other self-sufficient stuff.i also just finished enclosing my carport!shoot me an e-mail and perhaps i can help you in your endeavours.fritzsaw.

[Bishopknight]

Now, after reading through alot of threads here, the only thing that I feel uncomfortable about doing my self is the foundation. It actually keeps me up at night trying to decide how to accomplish this myself! I feel pretty confident that I can frame the house once the foundation is started.

Welcome Eecutech 

I felt the same exact way. That's why I wanted to take a lot of pictures chronicling my progress so that It could help others. It wasn't easy but looking back, the single hardest and most important thing was getting it completely level. The rest went relatively smoothly. 

Good luck, I look forward to seeing your projects in the future.

[karnf]

Welcome xecutech to a site for creative and independent thinking minds in a time which we need for our
country to survive into. A strong hardworking self sufficient thinking Americans as our forefathers were in
building our nation. Your are not the crazies but the enlightened!
Hey xecutech and fritzsaw; do you live close to the Elephant Sanctuary for I really want to visit the place
to see them free. As I understand; they are elephants that have come from abusive situations such as
run down zoos and circuses where they were abused.