Is building in Illinois during the winter a bad idea. Should I wait till spring? I know there are factors to figure in but in general would you start a project now or wait until spring.
Mark
Hi Mark,
There are a few things that are less desirable to do in winter, pouring concrete is one that I prefer not to, but, commercially it is done all the time, using heated water and blankets to slow the cure, and shingles where heat is needed to activate the sealing strip, but other than that, we are mostly limited by our willingness to tolerate less than desirable conditions. Keep in mind that building with wood in the winter, it is at its greatest compression so build accordingly. That wood will move substantially between December and July, so the door that fits snugly in January may not open at all in August. Other than that....build away. I'm lucky, I just got closed in so I can work inside through much of the winter, with the exception of siding which I plan on working at as the weather permits.
Jim in Northern Illinois
Depends at what stage you are at. We are staring our addition but just like any season there concerns with weather. Cold in winter hot and rainy in summer and spring. It has been verywarm here in OK this year so far but off course we planned to pour footings over the TG weekend the temp is supposed to drop like a rock. One thing I can say it is easier to dress for the cold then when its 100+ degrees. You can only get so naked and those splinters ouch :).
I like to work Spring, Summer, and Fall.
Winter is time for planning, double checking figures, buying some items while waiting for Spring, etc.
Water is usually frozen when it comes down in winter so it doesn't penetrate as deeply if it is cleared frequently... which is a job. Fungi are dormant in the cold so mold and rot don't get a foothold. For wood these are bonuses. It is tough to do concrete in winter. The days are short and we are less productive. There is no one best time, just options to choose between.