So, it is finally time. I moved out of Houston and up to Lufkin back in March of 2010. We have been renting and waiting for our old houston house to sell. It finally sold in June or July and had been looking for land since then until Nov of 2010. We finally closed on some land around Rusk TX. We are trying to do as much as we can with cash so this might be a slow build. We already have the numbers for the usual county septic guys. I will be calling them this week. First up is septic, power, water, and drainage improvements for the old logging road. We will most likely go ahead and put down more gravel as well once the drainage is improved. Once the above is done, we will start with a slab that will become the first building. Up first will be the garage/house. We will most likely go 24' wide and about 48' long depending on how much the slab cost. We will build a 1 1/2 story there. Downstairs will be open except for some support posts and will be framed for later garage doors. Downstairs will be kitchen along the back wall and the rest will be dining, living, and misc. Upstairs will be three bedrooms and a bath. We have four kids we need the room. Once that building is done, we will start on the main house. For now this thread will be for the "garage" build.
I know how everyone loves pictures so here are some shots of the land. Sorry for the phone pics but that is all I really do.
thanks
Austin
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/044.jpg)
Up at the top of the hill you can see our explorer. That is where the main house will later go. The "garage" will be a little more to the right.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/039.jpg)
Nice spot in one of the lower pastures.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/034.jpg)
This is a shot from down the hill looking back up.
The wife climbed on top of the explorer to see what it would look like up on the front porch. Yes, we already have a power pole there but it isn't hooked up yet.
We really love the property and the kids have a great time. Can't wait to start building.
Austin
Looks like a great piece of land. Ilook forward to following along as your dream unfolds. Welcome aboard!
congrats on getting started!
beautiful looking land.. how many acres?
Just a bit over 30 acres. I'm looking at tractors and brush hogs to get it mowed right now.
QuoteJust a bit over 30 acres. I'm looking at tractors and brush hogs to get it mowed right now.
droool. thats awesome!
Another east tx guy
I almost titled the thread that. Nice job on your shed. I can't believe you talked the wife into digging pier holes! HA!
I'm hoping to get quotes for the septic this week. If the wife gets time, she will go up to Rusk and pay the $25 to get hooked up for power.
Also, I got four free interior doors still in their door frame. There are three 30" doors and a smaller one. I also got two free "door lights" or side lights or whatever they are called. They are the type of windows that go to each side of a front door. Someone had bought the front door from them but not the side lights. I'm very pleased! Gotta love home school friends. We are going with three bedrooms and a bath upstairs in the garage so I'm just about covered with interior doors!
Austin
Shes on an exercise kick. Lol
i said well i have some exercise for ya!!
I am still betting there wont be any more dug. Shh, dont say anything.
Sheds still not done. Only half the metal is on it and i have to trim it
Ok, got another septic bid and this one sounds much better. Looks like it is going to be about $5200 for the aerobic system we are going to need with all our clay. This is for 500 gallons of flow per day. I'm thinking of going with grey water for the washing machine so that will help lots.
I also posted in the plan support section asking about going 24' wide with the 1.5 story.
This weekend, I will be finishing up our power pole and we will be able to get hooked up. Once we nail down the 24' question, we will be able to start getting quotes on the slab foundation.
thanks
Austin
Just a little update on the Rusk build. I finished designing the slab (after a BUNCH of study) and sent the drawings out to locally recogmended guys. I've gotten one bid back and should have another today. I'm waiting to meet with the last bidder and will then be ready to start on the slab.
I've been working on the materials list because the two slab bidders I have gotten numbers back from said they will be ready to pour in two weeks.
We are also haveing some "driveway" improvements done while the dirt work is happening. Should really change the place.
I'm hoping to start framing in May or June.
Also, we have power at the property now. We have a new meter that still reads 00000 across the board. I need to put in a couple of plugs to run the compressor and power tools.
Lastly, I had posted in the plan support section about how to take the building wider. I was going to build a 1.5 story for the garage and live in it for a while, but if I build it wider, I will have more room downstairs for cars later and will be able to build it as a one story. I will have some shed dormers upstairs to open up the "attic" a little. We are going 26' by 52' on the garage.
Austin
Quote from: dablack on January 27, 2012, 02:37:50 PM
I'm thinking of going with grey water for the washing machine so that will help lots.
Hook your showers and bathtub up to your grey water too. 4 kids use a lot of water.
Quote from: NM_Shooter on April 05, 2012, 08:51:55 AM
Hook your showers and bathtub up to your grey water too. 4 kids use a lot of water.
True. I will for sure do that. I knew I was at the very least going to do the washing machine but now that I have the interior figured out, it won't be a problem to get the shower and tub to the grey water too. The wife already makes our own laundry ditergent. I'm having her switch to sodium and borate free stuff so I don't have to worry about the plants. Right now she is looking in to potassium based soaps. Looks like it is a little expensive to buy so we might have to make our own.
Austin
Austin just PU on your thread. I am not really a big fan of slab foundations just for the mere fact of the plumbing. I built my garage on a slab and I do have plumbing in that but due to the elevation of the house adjoining that was the best I could do. I know it is probably overkill but you might stick a couple extra pipes in there and deadhead them inside a partition just in case. ;)
My 2- car garage will eventually have an apartment over it as well. The demensions is 26'X44'. So in essence the width is the same. You might check out a couple of pictures I posted to AL & Robin on their build. I used attic truss's . It might be worth looking into as it takes a lot of headache out of the build. They are seen here
http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=10641.msg153479#msg153479
I agree with using attic trusses to get the clear span below. They can gang up several on each side of a dormer to support it, it's a good opportunity to pop dormers out of both sides in those places.
You do need a crosswall near the middle of the downstairs to brace the 52' wall span. Brace walls should really support exterior walls every 25' IIRC.
Quote from: dablack on April 05, 2012, 07:27:27 AMWe have a new meter that still reads 00000 across the board. I need to put in a couple of plugs to run the compressor and power tools.
I've had one of those for six weeks now, every time it starts to dry out it rains again! Hoping to put some digits on it this weekend
where he and i are building its pretty much all slab or piers. and i have seen LOTS of scarry brand new pier houses. no codes isnt always a good thing when you are hiring work done. i swear i dont think there is a builder around my small town i would use after seeing the work done to various family members houses.
all the waterfront lots i looked at were solid clay so he is probably best off with a slab. besides down here plumbing run on the outside of buildings is common. 31 degrees for two hours is considered a deep freeze
Problems with slabs and plumbing are pretty well minimized, IMO, with PEX as the supply piping. Around here virtually everything is built on a slab. Most problems have arisen from the use of PB tubing a couple of decades ago. That was our nemesis. In the 27 years we've been here I have not heard of an issue with anyone's DWV, but PB supply is a totally different matter. Even though we've been through the cost of a re-pipe I'd still build here on a slab again.
And a slab beats a pier any day of the week, hands down, no contest!!
RedoverFarm,
Yes, I actually saw you post and took note of the attic trusses. With six of us in three bedrooms upstairs, a 14' wide room upstairs won't cut it for us. I'm planning on doing conventional framing for the roof rafters. The three bedrooms will be in three of the four corners. The master will get a large dormer to open it up. The two kid rooms will be on the other end of the building and will split that end of the "attic". With attic trusses, the two kid rooms would only be 6.5' wide. All the kids are 8 and under so having a room where the ceiling goes all the way to the floor will be ok. If it gets really tight up there, I can always put a kids room downstairs.
DonP,
Thanks for the reminder on the crosswall. I'm planning on engineered lumber to span the 26'. You might not remember but you helped me tons figuring this all our in the "Plan help" section.
MountainDon,
CjAl is right. Down here, water supply is external to the slab. You usually have the line come up beside the building and then take a 90 to go inside. There is usually a valve there for a easy place to turn off the water. The DWV pipe goes through the slab but you actually don't HAVE to do that either. I'm having all the tubs and johns upstairs so all the waste can converge before being one line through the slab to the septic tank. I will run an extra set of line that will converge for the grey water as well.
Austin
I actually don't see you stick building and getting over 15' width in usable space without supporting the rafter. The attic truss are self supporting and there is no need to use engineered lumber to make that span. Maybe someone else could advise you on using the attic truss and still bumping out on the dormers. I put three smaller dormers in my trusses by heading them off to making them structurally sound. Mine were engineered to be on 24" Oc but I decided to get a few extra and go with 16 oc which will make them a little stouter and less spring inthe floor.
Quote from: dablack on April 06, 2012, 02:08:52 PM
I'm planning on doing conventional framing for the roof rafters. The three bedrooms will be in three of the four corners.
Just to clarify the upstairs and roof situation.... is the width going to be 26 feet as mentioned a reply or two back? If 26 feet wide what are the upper floor joists going to be and are they intended to clear span the width or have a central beam? Does the design have the rafters tied into the upper floor joist ends at the upper wall plates or are there "kneewalls". Does the rafter design encompass a ridge BEAM or a ridge BOARD? All those details would help visualize what is going on.
Think of this place as a one story with a living attic. I will have a couple of large dormers to make it work in the master bedroom.
I was going to use 16" I joist for the floor and 2 x 8 rafters for the roof. Since the rafters tie into the floor then I won't need a beam. I'm thinking ridge board to help keep everything in line. Please remember this is not a permanent housing situation. This is just to get us on the property and out of paying rent. Later this will be the garage with storage upstairs. DonP and I went over this plan in the plan support section and it seemed to work.
If anyone sees any problems with this let me know.
thanks
Austin
Well neighbor, thats a gorgeous piece of property you have. I look forward to reading more and seeing what you do with it!
Dirt work has started. My dirt guy got a full days work in yesterday. Anybody in the Rusk area would do well to get dirt work done by kenny birdwell. He has a website as well to see other jobs he has done.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/land2.jpg)
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/land3.jpg)
There is about a 6' elevation change from one end of the garage to the other. The main house will be at the peak of the hill and the garage is offset north and to the west. Just a reminder, we are going to be living in the garage for a while. It is going to be 26 by 52, on a slab. Basically a one story with a living attic (some dormers).
I haven't ruled out attic trusses but I can't find anyone to see me any that give me more than a 15' width upstairs. I have even asked them for more over hang on the ends so we could get a little more room and they weren't helpful. I still have a couple of places to try but it looks like I might be stick building the living attic.
We also got an RV so we have somewhere to sleep and cool off when building the garage. We picked up a 1990 E350 Fleetwood Jamboree Ralye with 44k miles. Very clean and runs like a top. It has the 460/C6 combo. I'm very familiar with both the engine and trans so I'm feeling pretty good about it.
thanks
Austin
Try http://lonestartruss.com/. They are right down the road from me and have had no issue with my needs on 20' span. I'm about an hour or so from Rusk I think.
Thanks for the tip on lonestartruss. They are working with me on what I want and I think we are just about there. It looks like they are going to be able to give me a 20' wide room in the attic truss with a 3' overhang on the front and back of the building. That will be just about perfect.
Dirtwork and driveway are both complete. Concrete guy should be starting Friday or Monday. We should have a slab in a week.
I will try and post more pics of the driveway soon.
NOTE: Pad work and driveway work = $5300
I will post how much the slab is once it is done.
Gosh, that's fine looking land! Is the absence of any brush/undergrowth natural there or has it been cleared out? Any idea what kind of pine you got? Looks like you might have a slight view from your place. I'm looking forward to seeing your project go up. Cheers!
Doc
Great! Glad they are getting you taken care of!
be carefull bush hogging. we found a friend last weekend.
this is only half of it. we found 9' and never did find the head
(https://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u258/CjAl1/0508121519.jpg)
CJ,
I am man enough to say that would make me scream like a little girl, dead or alive. I'm hoping all the large hogs we have around will keep those things away. What kind of snake is that?
Doc,
No, if I don't mow it every couple of weeks it will revert to sweetgum and pine. We have brush and hardwoods down by the creek bottoms. When we bought it, it was winter and everything was pretty much cut back. Right now I'm mowing about 5 acres with an old riding mower. It is very rough going and the mower is taking the brunt of it right now. I do burn through belts quickly as the mower was never made to take this kind of abuse. Once we are on the property and can afford a tractor, I will be able to brush hog the rest of it (another 15 acres of pasture and pine). Once it has been brush hogged for a year or two, I will be able to keep it up with a 5 or 6' finish mower.
Yes, we have a great view. I don't know how high we are compaired to the surrounding area, but we can see pretty far between some of the trees. This part of Texas is Very hilly.
timber rattler. we dont worry about them too much as they are kinda docile. worry more about the water mocasins and copperheads. altho this on was ten foot long and only twenty feet out the back door and their 4yo got snake bit two months ago and had to be life flighted to houston
amazing how fast everything grows once the season starts. It's one reason I've always been partial to mature pine forests.. nothing but pine needles on the ground. I've also been needing a brush hog, but as it's not in the budget, was hoping to find an old pull behind rotary clipper and drag it behind the jeep! :P
Here is a shot of the new driveway. There was an old logging road here so it isn't completely new but the old driveway was also the drainage so it was in very rough shape. This new road is crowned and has nice ditches on both sides. I'm very pleased.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/029-1.jpg)
Austin
It's almost too nice to drive on! :P
Slab is getting closer. I went 24" deep and 12" wide on ther perimeter beams, and 12" deep, 10" wide on the two interior beams. We are going back up today to install a plug for the RV and to check the rebar. The pictures are from Friday. We should be pouring Monday.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/slabsmall1.jpg)
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/slabsmall2.jpg)
Hopefully I will have some good pictures of the finished slab Monday.
Austin
Looking good, the building inspector around here would have required/preferred a taper instead of a trench but oberall looks good, keep the photos coming. Always insterested in anothers build. I always find something to take with me.
We have a slab!
They started at 9am and were gone by 3pm.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/slab3.jpg)
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/slab1.jpg)
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/slab2.jpg)
We don't have water up at the property yet, so the guys dumped their water all over the slab and then I went and got a bunch of 4 mil poly to put on top. It will hold the moisture in and slow the cure.
I also installed a 30 amp, 110V recepticle for our RV. It should be up at the property in a week or two.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/slab4.jpg)
thanks
Austin
Looks like you are making great progress! Nice property :)
Thanks. The only reason we are going so fast right now is that, this part, other people do. After septic, I will be doing everything so it should slow down a bunch.
Got septic put in. That much closer. Now that we have septic it makes having the RV up at the property that much easier.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/prop2.jpg)
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/prop4.jpg)
So the next step is bring up water from the road. It is a bit of a ways up hill so I'm going with 1.5" SCH 40 PVC. It comes in 20' sections and now that I've got it across the drive, it is going pretty quick. I've got about 1000' to put down. It is a 3/4" feed from the meter and we had a 1" line going to a water hook up we were using for the RV. I just tied into the 1" line about two feet from the meter. Trenching wasn't too bad. I got the trencher in Jacksonville (25 minutes away) and they delivered it Friday afternoon and picked it up Monday morning. I only paid for one day. Gotta love it.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/prop6.jpg)
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/prop5.jpg)
One morning while we were up there it was foggy. Don't usually get fog this time of year. Made coffee out in the lawn chairs even better.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/prop1.jpg)
Austin
Looks great! I'm on the verge of putting the septic in too. I'm looking at somewhere around $6K as I'll need a tank and then a fairly large leaching field. Did you need a field? What did yours run?
Hey Doc. Mine is an aerobic system, so it has multiple tanks, pump and sprinkler system. I've got way too much clay for a leach field to work. I would have to pull the reciept but it was right under $7k. Since I'm out of town, the only thing the county wants to see is one of their certified guys installing the septic. Of course you can hire anyone but then an inspector comes out. I figured it was just easier to use the county approved guy. Not that I would ever use gray water, but if I did, I've heard that it keep wear and tear off of your aerobic system. Again, not that I would do that, even if I'm planting fruit trees that could take full advantage of it, or if I switched to non-sodium based soaps that act as fertilizer for plants.
Austin
That's very interesting, Austin. I confess to being quite ignorant when it comes to septic systems but I do know that clay won't drain and that they used to be a couple thousand with a single ring. Now the requirements are more stringent and $6-7K is nothing to sneeze at! As a friend put it.. "my outhouse is free.. your septic will be $5K.. figure out how many trips to the loo you'll make in the next few years and figure that's what you're paying to use the porcelain!" Guess that makes our toilets, "pay toilets". Doesn't seem right.. lol
Glenn
Yes, I completely agree. It is a bunch of money but this will be out house when we are done. Plus, I've got four kids under the age of 9. I can't imagine those four kids trying to use an outhouse successfully 24/7. Also, it was the only law I had to follow. No outhouses. In fact, now that I have my septic system, I have to sign some documents swearing if the system breaks down, I won't allow it to just go out on the land.
The good news is, if I was to do gray water (which I won't be), only the water from the johns will be going to be septic system. Having so little go to the system would cut down on wear and tear. The rest of the water can go to the orchard (if I was doing grey water, which I am not!). Of course with so much soap going to your land, you really have to watch that salt content. That is why one should switch to potassium based soap if you use grey water (which I won't be).
i am 45mi south of dablack and my soil is pute sand. $3000 for conventional septic installed
Quote from: dablack on June 12, 2012, 12:40:03 PM
Yes, I completely agree. It is a bunch of money but this will be out house when we are done. Plus, I've got four kids under the age of 9. I can't imagine those four kids trying to use an outhouse successfully 24/7. Also, it was the only law I had to follow. No outhouses. In fact, now that I have my septic system, I have to sign some documents swearing if the system breaks down, I won't allow it to just go out on the land.
I've got kids of my own and I know that can be a game changer. My daughter shudders at the thought of it. I'm having a septic system put in next month, despite my grumbling over the leap in prices. "You need to shock the septic now and then", said the engineer. I must admit being shocked as well. I've got 170 acres of woods but am required to get a septic tank that will set me back at least 6K. Can't get a septic tank without a septic engineer's report before the dig. Another few hundred. Oh yeah, the taxes... All to do nature's business.. oh well.
Good luck on your system. At least you'll never need to worry once it's in.
Time for an update!
Home Depot won the bid war and got me my materials for the best price. I think I'm going to run short on 2x6s because I wasn't thinking about all the wall sections that I would be building. I'm building in 8 or 10' sections and then my wife and I are lifting them up. I attach the top piece of plywood to hold it square leaving 1.5" of ply sticking up above the top plate for when I put on the final top plate. We are having a good time.
Anyway, here are some pictures of HD dropping of the materials. I had to talk them into coming up the drive because from the bottom you can't tell where it goes (I like that).
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/024.jpg)
Then when they backed up they got stuck in a sandy spot. They had to take the little fork truck off the back and use it to help move the truck. Of course with the fork truck off the back it was much easier to move.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/025.jpg)
Just as a reminder I'm building a one story with attic trusses so we have a 19' wide room upstairs. The slab is 26' x 52'. Later it will be the garage but right now it will be where we live. I have framing it for garage doors but will fill that area in with a 2x4 wall. I've basically got 8' of the two east corners done on the 26' wall. Now I've just got to build a 10' wall to go between them.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/111.jpg)
In this next picture you can see the doubled up cripple studs that will hold one end of the 9' header for the garage door. I'm using engineered lumber for the header (LVL).
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/115.jpg)
I'm HOPING that I will have the walls up and sheathed by the end of Aug. Then the trusses can be delivered.
thanks
Austin
Got more done over the weekend. It is going pretty smoothly. I spent three evenings up there after work (45 minutes from our house). I would pack at lunch and then go right after work. I would get there right at 5pm, unload everything, build for 2.5 hours and then pack everything up and come home. Lots of work! This weekend I went up Saturday morning and left Sunday night at 8:30. Family came up a little later and just hung out in the camper. The wife did help measure some stuff and acted as the goffer.
Anyway, here are the pics.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/022.jpg)
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/025-1.jpg)
All that is left (for the exterior) is the front wall. I will be framing it with 2x6 for garage doors but then fill in with a 2x4 wall. Later when it becomes a garage it will be easy to convert it with all the framing in place.
thanks
Austin
The trusses are HERE! The trusses were dropped off Friday morning around 9am. They came on a roll back so they were just rolled off. I'm going to rent some sort of fork truck or sky track to put the trusses on. We are having to wait until Monday to make sure it is available. Anyway, here are the latest pictures.
Austin
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/064.jpg)
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/070.jpg)
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/074.jpg)
Well, last Friday I had a 36' Sky Trak dropped off at the property. They dropped it off around 3:00 and I had it until Wednesday morning when they picked it up. I only had to pay for Saturday and Tuesday since they are closed on Sunday and Monday was a holiday.
I will freely admit that Saturday and Sunday went very slowly. I had never set trusses before and I had no help. It was just me. I marked the tops of the walls where I wanted the trusses and would set them as close as possible. Then I would use a minisledge to push them where they needed to be. By the end of Sunday I only had 6 of 27 trusses up. At one point the straps I was using broke and I dropped one truss. It hit some wall bracing and only cracked one spot (I will fix that later). Then I pushed over four trusses with the sky trak when I was backing up. Newbie mistakes for SURE!
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/076small.jpg)
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/094small.jpg)
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/097small.jpg)
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/084small.jpg)
All the bottoms of the trusses are now up. The last gabble truss I sheathed before putting up. I still have at least a weekend of work to do before I'm done with the lower part of the trusses. Then I need to put on the top triangle pieces.
I didn't finish until 9:30 at night Tuesday. I had to use the car's headlights to be able to finish.
It was rough but I was able to set all the truss all alone.
Austin
Thats quite an accomplishment for working alone ! you should be proud
I am sure it made for a lot of getting up and getting down working alone. Sometimes we just do what has to be done whether we want to or not. Wish I was closer to lend you an hand.
Thanks guys. It was very much a chest pounding moment when I was done. With that being said, it was by far the hardest thing to do so far. I'm not much on heights and on the west end of the house, the pad is built up about 6', then with 10' walls and trying to brace up big trusses, well.....I was shaking a little. I used the sky trak to also set the subfloor up there so I didn't have to actually lift one piece myself. Now I have some of the subfloor spread out and temporarily tacked in so I can walk around. Now I'm fine up there.
I'm still adjusting some of the trusses. Then I need to get up there and put some 2x4s along the top of the trusses to square up the top before I put on the smaller upper triange trusses.
Then it is roof time.
Austin
Might consider putting your braces on the underneath side of the triangle in the web area. It will not interfere with the additional triangle portion. When I set my trusses I used 2X4 on the inside of the kneewall. It did/will not interfere with the finished wall later. In fact I had a few extra sheets of 1/2" OSB which I used for each corner on the inside of the kneewall on the four corners. Just a thought.
They actually left me space between the lower truss and upper truss for any size 2x material. I'm running 2x4s along both ends of where the upper triangle truss sits. I've done just about all of one side as of now and it has really locked the lower trusses into place.
Yes, I have bracing in the living area right now but that was the best place for it and easy to get to. Once the roof is on, all that can come down. I really don't want much of anything attaching the truss to each other in the lower truss after the roof is on because we plan on putting closets and shelves in these areas.
thanks
Austin
Awesome work. Very impressive! Quite accomplishment, and a bit ;D challenging I'm sure.
It finally isn't 100F anymore so we are getting more done.
Subfloor is almost done. The heights are really killing me so I wanted to finish the subfloor before I moved higher. It makes me feel much better knowing it is there.
We are putting about 2.5 feet of subfloor inbetween the trusses for closet area and storage.
After the subfloor is done, I will need to finish bracing and putting subfloor on the top of the big trusses. Then I can stand up on top of them and try to lift the top triangle trusses.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/115-1.jpg)
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/114.jpg)
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/068.jpg)
Austin
is the rv there to cushion the fall? lol
I'm thinking once I start roofing, the RV will be a mobil scaffold. HA! Really, I had thought about it, but there is no way to get it to the north or west side of the house.
So, this weekend, I was able to finish the subfloor upstairs and to start putting subfloor on top of the attic trusses. This subfloor on top of the trusses will give me a place to stand to set the small triangle trusses that sit on top of the main trusses. I'm hoping I will be able to pull up the attic trusses with a rope. I have been able to walk around with one of them on my shoulder so I'm hoping it won't be too much to pull up. I have 26 of them to lift up!
Austin
I finished up what we are calling the attic floor (flooring on top of the big trusses to give me somewhere to stand to lift the little triangle trusses). I pulled three of the triangle trusses up to the top and had enough. I ordered a little plug in winch to pull them up. I havn't used it yet but it is supposed to be able to lift 440 lbs. I can think of all kinds of things to use it for.
Right now, I'm finishing up putting OSB on the west gable truss. I REALLY wish I would have done that before lifting that truss! Next time I will put the OSB and the house wrap on before lifting it up! Once I'm done with that (tomorrow!), I will start working on the barge rafters! I'm sure I will use the wench for that FOR SURE! I'm hoping to have the barge rafters on and maybe some roof decking on by the end of this weekend.
I will have some pictures soon. I have been taking lots of them but don't have time to post them up.
Austin
I forgot to say that I spent a couple of days brush hogging about half the property. It was overgrown when we bought it and I have only been able to mow about two or three acres around where the house is. Now I have about 15 acres cut. It is amazing how much better it looks! The kids can even walk around the property like it is a park.
Austin
OK! I got the first barge rafter up yesterday. I built it as a ladder assy. Basically a 2x4 goes along the end of the roof at the very end of the house, I have 2x4 out riggers on 2' centers, and the actual barge rafter is a 2x8. The out riggers are 13" long so the whole assembly is proud from the gable 16". That is what my rear overhang is at the back of the house so I wanted it to match. After I built the assembly on the slab, I used an electric winch to hoist it up onto the roof upside down. Then I scooted it over to the edge of the roof, attached hinges and flipped the whole thing over so it was in possition. Nailed it to the gable and I was done! I couldn't think of an easier way to do it alone.
Here it is built upside down on the slab.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/017.jpg)
Here it is being hoisted up while upside down.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/025-2.jpg)
close up of the one of the two hinges.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/039-1.jpg)
And installed.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/041.jpg)
Here are three of the kids going on a little hike. From this end of the house it is 26' down from where my feet were.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/034-1.jpg)
I'm hoping today to get two more barge rafters up.
Austin
awesome progress. you are moving pretty quickly. hats off to mounting the trusses solo. thats bragging rights for sure!
that snake freaks me out all the way in Minnesota.
Yes, if I would have found that snake on my property I think I might have had to sell. UG! Really though, that is why I like the keep the land as clean as possible. I like trees and forest but I do NOT like underbrush.
well, I didn't get two more barge rafters done yesterday but I got one almost done! HA. I really want it dried in my the end of the year. It is going to be tight!
Got a little more done this weekend. I got the front west barge rafter installed as well as the front fascia board. The fascia boards are 2x10s and 8 or 10' long. They were HEAVY doing them alone. I build little brackets to hold them to the correct height out on the end of the trusses. I'm pleased with the way it is turning out.
I also got the west end OSB cleaned up and almost ready for some house wrap up there. I want both "attic" gable walls wrapped before I start putting on roof decking. Once I start putting on roof decking, I won't be able to reach to attic gable walls except via ladder.
If anyone sees any obvious problems, please let me know.
thanks
Austin
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/small6.jpg)
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/small7.jpg)
So, it has been a while since I've updated. Here are a couple of pics of where I am.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/026_zpsb182577d.jpg)
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/037_zps7b5fe016.jpg)
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/319_zps5fee01bd.jpg)
The above picture is of my little attic. It is 12' wide at the bottom and a little under 6' at the peak. Its perfect for storing bins. You are only seeing half of it in the picture.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/002-1_zps042d5235.jpg)
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/003-1_zpsb7201040.jpg)
I'm very eager to get it in the dry or at least get plastic on the roof. After I finish putting decking on, I need to put 2x4s under the deck where the decking meets between the trusses. Then I can finally put the plastic on.
thanks
Austin
Looks like you are faced withthe same delimia that I am concerning your upstairs subfloor and attic truss.
http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=12778.0
The short strut is not contained in mine so I will have to stick build it to be able to seal off the storage area. If you make access doors to gain entry just make sure they are large enough to allow most tote widths to fit in. I have those storage areas down both sides of my house and they are packed full of totes. You gain a tremendous amount of storage back there.
Ok, let me make sure you and I are talking about the same thing. From your post, it seems like you are talking about my 3rd floor (which I'm calling my attic). Since my attic trusses came in two pieces (32' long trusses are hard to fit on a truck with a 12/12 pitch), there is an area to floor between the 3rd floor little truss and the main 2nd floor truss. Both pieces make up what everyone calls and attic truss, but since I have two pieces, it is easier to name them for their floor.
On the second floor, the room is 19' 1" wide. The side walls are 6' high then it slopes up with the ceiling to 8' high. So the areas between the trusses behind this 6' tall wall is of course 6' deep at the floor and then slopes up to nothing at 6' high. We are going to floor this area by putting 2x4 nailers on both sides of the trusses. These areas will be closets and other storage. That building is 52' long and I have this storage on both sides of the 2nd floor. That is a ton of storage. I'm most likely going to leave most of it just open. I'm going to insulate along the roof and then panel over that (under what would be called the roof rafters will be panelling or wood).
After I set the 2nd floor trusses, I put 2' x 8' pieces of 3/4" ply on top. Then I set the 3rd floor "little" trusses. So I now have another 52' x 12' of storage. Of course, this too is not a full room because of the roof pitch. I'm figuring I will leave 6' x 52' open so I can move from end to end of the 3rd floor and get to the stuff that is stored in the other 6' x 52'. With four kids (three being girls), we have lots of clothes in those 20" wide plastic bins. We could easily fit 104 bins in the attic if we wanted. Of course we don't have that many but it makes the point well. Tons of storage in the attic as well. The attic will be conditioned space because, again, we are insulating between the roof rafters. So, the storage area doesn't have to be sealed off.
We will be using spray foam (like astidham has done under his floor) on the underside of the roof deck. Should be sealed and keep cool very well.
I'm eager to see how you deal with your "extra" storage as well.
Austin
So I'm still messing with the decking. It is going slow but I'm figuring out what works and what doesn't (at least for me). When I was putting the decking on, I was using the metal H clips between the trusses where one 4x8 sheet meets the other. The clip basically ties the two sheets together so they help support each other. The problem was I really don't think they work very well and I didn't feel comfortable with them. I decided to put a 2x4 between the trusses to support the decking. This allowed me to nail the complete perimeter of the 4x8 sheet. This felt much more secure to me.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/006_zpsa6c00afb.jpg)
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/007_zpse0fbb325.jpg)
Now I did this after putting all the decking on so then I had to go outside the roof the finish nailing the decking on. I have a problem with heights so I took the belts and suspenders method. I used my 23' aluminum ladder and tied it off to the tractor on the other side of the house. Then I put on my climbing harness, tied up a blake's hitch and off I went. I have used the blake's hitch before and it works great.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/012_zps0f0562b4.jpg)
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/010_zps7340874e.jpg)
I've also been working on putting some floor between the trusses on the north side of the house. I was going to put it off until later but I needed it there so I could put the blocking behind the roof decking. Here are a couple of shots from below the trusses and from above. I simply used 2x4s nailed to the trusses to act a supports. Since I have a 19' wide room up in the attic trusses, I had 1 foot of subfloor floating between the trusses. These 2x4s were used to also support that 1' of subfloor.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/004_zpsfeda424a.jpg)
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/003_zps39e78810.jpg)
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/008_zps5b74335c.jpg)
So, now I have about 5' of T&G 3/4" subfloor between the trusses. These ares will be closets and built in dressers. I will do the same on the south wall but will only have it 4' deep.
thanks
Austin
I'm home sick today so I actually have a little time to post some pictures and talk about what I've done. Things are really getting interesting up at the build site.
As I've shown before, I'm doing most of this on my own. My beautiful wife does help with some things but we have four small kids so....... On one end of the house, I was able to stand on top of the RV to install the upstairs windows. On the other end of the house the ground drops away very sharply for 6' and then it goes on down hill at a more gental slope. There was no way I was going to be able to use the RV as a work platform. I had to figure out a way to install upstairs windows on my own with no scaffold. Turns out, it wasn't too hard. I drilled a 1/2 hole in the top of the window on the inside of the flange. This means that this hole will no be exposed to the weather. Also, you can't see it unless you really look for it. Then I predrilled all the screw holes I was going to use around the flange of the window. These things are 3' x 5' double glass so they are heavy and a little akward to move on your own. Then I prepped the window opening. Here comes the tricky part. I would tie a rope to the top of the window. While standing inside, I would turn the window and move it outside the window opening. Then I would set the bottom of the window in the window opening. Then while I'm still holding it, I would put a clamp on to make sure it couldn't fall out. With the rope at the top and the clamp at the bottom, the window couldn't fall. I know this is weird, but I took pics.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/167_zpsbfcb5942.jpg) (https://s297.photobucket.com/user/dablack2000/media/house/167_zpsbfcb5942.jpg.html)
In the above photo, the window is leaning out the opening. It is clamped at the bottom and has the rope holding it out at an angle at the top. At this point, I could reach out and caulk the window opening.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/168_zps1e6bc7eb.jpg) (https://s297.photobucket.com/user/dablack2000/media/house/168_zps1e6bc7eb.jpg.html)
This is a little better shot of the rope at the top. I have the rope tied to some thin material because it won't be removed until after the window is completely installed. The thick rope would have gotten stuck between the window and window opening.
Once the caulking is done, pull the window tight to the house, reach out and start putting in screws. If you are really fancy you can have the screws already threaded a couple of threads into your predrilled holes. Obviously, the window is open while you are doing this. Once you get the bottom half of the window screwed tight, go outside, get on that evil ladder and get the top screws. UGGG! Hate ladder work.
More pics.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/163_zpsa8d828bf.jpg) (https://s297.photobucket.com/user/dablack2000/media/house/163_zpsa8d828bf.jpg.html)
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/162_zps0ea8990a.jpg) (https://s297.photobucket.com/user/dablack2000/media/house/162_zps0ea8990a.jpg.html)
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/164_zps7cc3211e.jpg) (https://s297.photobucket.com/user/dablack2000/media/house/164_zps7cc3211e.jpg.html)
Here is how the hole looks once the rope is gone. Not too bad.
And here it is done.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/169_zpsca28473f.jpg) (https://s297.photobucket.com/user/dablack2000/media/house/169_zpsca28473f.jpg.html)
thanks
Austin
I also got to try staining my concrete for the first time. This is going to be a garage later, so I really wanted something to would hold up to car abuse.
Started by power washing the slab and waited for it to comletely dry. Cut my acid 50/50 with water (we wanted a lighter shade of cola) and hit it with the garden sprayer. Let that react for six hours and hit it again. This time I had 60/40 acid so it would be a little stronger. You only really spray it the second time on the spots it didn't take well the first time. This slab is 26x52 and five gallons of acid was more than enough.
Then I let that sit over night. Next morning, I power washed it. As I was drying it off, I could tell I was getting broom marks in it. It took me a while but I finally figured out that I hadn't gotten nearly all of the residue off the surface. So instead of sealing it like we thought we would, we spent the day with deck brushes (on broom handles) scrubbing the slab (insert your best pirate/deck scrubbing joke here). We finally got all the residue off and power washed it again. Now you have to let the slab dry at least 36 hours. I blew off all the water until it was all the way dry and waited. When it was time, I got out our urethane-epoxy sealer. Uh, that didn't go well. You are supposed to put it on thin. Really thin. The problem was, it was windy and I hadn't walled up where the garage doors are going to go later. So, every time the wind would blow, it would skim dry the top of what I had JUST rolled out. No time for it to flow out at all. No time for the bubbles to come out. NOT PLEASED! So, while it looks good in pictures, there are rolling marks and bubbles everywhere. Right now my options are strip it and start over or sand it to get out the bubbles and put on another coat. I'm really hoping another coat will do it. We will see.
Sorry for the crazy pics. This first shot is right after I got done putting on the sealer. It goes down like milk. Very wet and kind of blue. Then it clears dry.....and full of bubbles.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/311_zps525778ac.jpg) (https://s297.photobucket.com/user/dablack2000/media/house/311_zps525778ac.jpg.html)
Then once it drys it looks like this. Sorry for the night shot. When I turned on the lights I was really happy with it until I saw the bubbles and roller marks.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/319_zpsb5cb733a.jpg) (https://s297.photobucket.com/user/dablack2000/media/house/319_zpsb5cb733a.jpg.html)
I will report how the fix goes.
Austin
Also, we finally got the grace triflex up on the roof. I decided to save time I would let a crew handle it. It was going to take me forever so it was money well spent.
Also, in this picture, you can see that I have finally finished walling in the south wall where the garage doors will go later. You can't see it but we also have the "porch" sub-ceiling down....or up? We bought some 1/2 x 10 cedar that will go up on the ceiling now.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/013_zps7db64101.jpg) (https://s297.photobucket.com/user/dablack2000/media/house/013_zps7db64101.jpg.html)
To do this work, I finally broke down and got some scaffolding. The local hardware store ( plug for Harry's Building Supply ) was having a customer appreciation day last Sat. We have four kids so we don't turn down free food. Sure enough, they had some crazy good deals going on, including the scaffolding. Much cheaper than I had seen from the big box stores. It really helped get the porch stuff up and will help tons when we do siding.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/012_zps8d8cbba8.jpg) (https://s297.photobucket.com/user/dablack2000/media/house/012_zps8d8cbba8.jpg.html)
Now we just need to finish up with doors, windows, and the rear fascia boards and we will be ready to move on to plumbing!
thanks
Austin
Austin
Love the trees. You have a nice site there. :)
Thanks Scott,
I need to post more pictures. We have the front of the house wrapped, windows and front door installed and are working upstairs. Upstairs we have all the interior walls built, and I'm currently installing the two tubs and a shower. We were going to go with tub shower combos but the father in law found us some really nice garden tubs. So, I tore down and put back up some bathroom walls to accomidate them and built a platform to put them in. The master tub has a granite surround and the kids tub has a tile surround. The master shower is 34 by 48. Just right! Once the tubs and shower are installed I can start putting in the DWV. I have possitioned the tubs and shower so the drains down have to go through a truss member. As an engineer, I hate taking material out of a loaded member, even if it is ok by code.
I will try to post picture soon.
Austin
Well, we got all the DWV side of the plumbing done and had the pex started. All the pex fittings were in a box and all the pex pipe was coiled up and ready to go. Blue and Red. Next weekend a buddy was taking a four day weekend and he and I were going to finish up the wiring. THen hire out the spray foam, ac and sheetrock. THen it would be move in time. We were planning to move in at the end of Aug.
Thursday night we got a call from the sheriff. The building and the RV parked beside it burned to the ground. The tractor parked 25' away is partially melted. No insurance. Total loss. All my tools were inside. All my ladders, saws, hammers, everything. Needless to say, we are heart broken. I figured someone stole all the wiring and then burned the house. Nope. All the wiring I bought was still rolled up and sitting on the first floor right under where it was stacked on the 2nd floor. Sheriff says it was most likely lightening. Huge storm cell went over right before the fire. We built at the top of a hill. It even melted the green plastic lids off of our septic tanks.
Oh well. We can't keep paying rent, the note on the land and the debt we accumulated while building. We know we will be alright and that nothing of REAL value was lost in the fire. We are glad just to be all together. We thank God for that.
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/023_zps9de4a339.jpg) (https://s297.photobucket.com/user/dablack2000/media/house/023_zps9de4a339.jpg.html)
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/022_zpsef1bcb7d.jpg) (https://s297.photobucket.com/user/dablack2000/media/house/022_zpsef1bcb7d.jpg.html)
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/020_zps304cb34e.jpg) (https://s297.photobucket.com/user/dablack2000/media/house/020_zps304cb34e.jpg.html)
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/015_zpsf6fbc7b3.jpg) (https://s297.photobucket.com/user/dablack2000/media/house/015_zpsf6fbc7b3.jpg.html)
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/008_zpsb78467f8.jpg) (https://s297.photobucket.com/user/dablack2000/media/house/008_zpsb78467f8.jpg.html)
(https://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/dablack2000/house/007_zps03423cd4.jpg) (https://s297.photobucket.com/user/dablack2000/media/house/007_zps03423cd4.jpg.html)
Austin
Austin I am so sorry to hear of your misfortune. Did you have any insurance on the structure, camper or tractor to help cover your loss?
I think the tractor is covered but I still need to talk to them. The camper and house are a total loss. We were told since I wasn't a builder and there was no construction loan through a bank, then we couldn't get insurance. So, I'm out of luck there.
We are currently looking at manufactured homes.....
Sorry for the loss. I can't imagine how hard it must be to have this happen after putting so much time and energy into the place. Here's hoping things work out with the tractor and your future housing plans.
Wow, that is terrible. I am very sorry.
Fire is my biggest fear, its not a matter of if it will burn but when for my place.
The foundation and utilitys are good you can clean up and start again.
dam that must be heart breaking, awfull after so much work
reminder to self- check insurance
Those are heart wrenching pictures, I'm so sorry for you all. All there is to say is I'm thankful no one was hurt. I hope things turn around for you.
Austin, I am saddened for the loss of your building, as well as the thousands of hours that go into these projects. If you do it again, I am sure you will build it even better.
Austin, I am so sorry for your loss, and I know it must be devastating to be almost finished. I hope that something will come through for you so that you can make it through all this. Our thoughts and prayers are with your family, and we are glad no one was hurt!
Wow, heartbreaking is understatement. Sorry for the loss.
What a story! So sorry for your loss. A chance bolt of lightening. It's an eye-opener for all of us.
Thanks everyone. The reason I'm posting this is so that someone else might learn from my mistake. I've been asking around and sure enough, I could have gotten insurance if I really wanted it. Apparently, I was just talking to the wrong people the first time.
If the slab is ok, we will rebuild in the same spot but I'm going to have to pay off the debt I incured during the first build.
I've learned TONS doing this first build. For me, working alone, a 12/12 pitch roof just doesn't work for us. We were going to have a metal roof put on and I was going to hire it out to get us in the house more quickly. Most of the metal guys in the area wouldn't even look at it.
Ideas:
1. Doing it again, I think it would have been much easier to build two stories and put a low stick built 6/12 roof on top.
2. I think it would have been easier to build the complete wall, sheath it, and paper it all on the ground and then stand it up with the tractor or call all the buddies over for a lift day. I know it is a bunch of weight but handling all that sheathing and house wrap on a 10' wall was tough.
3. I should have just done a 8' wall. Price on everything goes up with a 9 or 10' wall. House wrap only comes in 9' lengths. Sheet rock is crazy expensive at 10' or you get more seams with 8' on a 10' wall. So on and so forth. A 9 or 10 wall just takes too much time! Unless you are building a garage that has to have it, don't do it.
4. If you are going to be putting up gable end trusses, sheath them on the ground. I thought I was being smart and sheathed one of them while it was leaning on a tree. Of course it wasn't really straight and the sheathing made it hold that curve! Lay the gable truss on the slab or somewhere flat and then sheath it. Paper would be good too.
For my build, the walls and sheathing went up relatively over night. The trusses and roof took forever. They were just too much for one man to work with. Simple, low slope stick built will be the way I go next time. A second floor would have given me more sq footage and would have been faster to build.
I will be back!
this is a horrible story. so sorry for your misfortune. If we can do anything let us know
Oh My God. My heart is broken. We are in Canton, TX. (really close to you guys) We are working on the roof sheathing right now, but don't have house wrap or any interior anything done yet....I can't imagine what I would feel like losing this much to a fire. But, you guys were so much closer than we are.... I really do hope that you rebuild. You guys were doing such an amazing job, and I appreciate you posting all of your experiences.
Thanks everyone. We are keeping our heads up and moving forward.
We put a trailer on the property and are living there. The trailers note is less than half what rent was so we are doing a little better. I've got the slab mostly cleared off and things look ok. I will most likely tile it after we rebuild.
Some friends came and helped me fell some trees and I still have a bunch to do. After i get all the trees set up and ready to go, some other friends from the forestry forum are coming to saw the trees into lumber for the rebuild. I'm still having to replace all my tools, buy engineered I-joists (for the 26' span), house wrap and other things to get dried in but the sawed lumber will cover most stuff. I'm even going to use sawed lumber to sheath the outside. 1x material will work fine. I will put it on a 45 degree angle for racking strength.
So, I'm hoping in late Jan or Feb (depending on when I can afford to buy things again), I will start a new build thread. I might call it "The New Rusk TX Build".
We will see.
If you want to get started on something before you have all the tools let me know. I will try to come wnd hring the tools. In fact I am wlmost done with my framing gun for a while. I could loan it to you when I am done.
That would be a huge help. The framing nailer especially. If I remember, you got the same Rigid that I did. I'm already used to it and it has the full head nails, not the clipped ones. 99% of the stuff I need to do is with a framing nailer so that will really help get me to the tax return.
thanks
Austin
I am so very sorry for you. This has always been my biggest fear. I think I could get over the financial loss but thought of repeating all my personal labor I am not so sure about. I am glad you are rebuilding, it is very inspiring.
Consider having an engineer give you an opinion about your concrete foundation. Unfortunately if fire gets hot enough it is possible to compromise the integrity of concrete.
It is a rigid but it is clipped head. I do shoot full head paslodes ring shanks in it tho. Unfortunatly this weekend I finished sheathing the gable ends and I framed the bathroom bumo out and it jammed up on me 4 or 5 times. I had to fully disassemble it twice. Every time it jammed was on the paslod nails. But I am close to done with it until I do porches if you want it. There is a broken chunk of the main frame that aligns itnwith the slide too. Might be part of the problem. I think it may have takennone too many falls off the roof
Hey there Texan-
It's good to see you guys on here. I'm from Houston, TX also Bear Creek area. I have been following this site for about 3 years now. Its a really wonderful site with lots of helpful advice on here. I am in planning mode right now and look forward to building soon. I read so many post per day, just thought I'd say hello to you and the family there. Getting out of Houston is awesome man! ;D Keep up the good work and don't give up-
Texan- [cool]
I'm surprised this hasn't been done already. Just in case you've read through this thread you should know this isn't the end of the story! The rest can be found in this thread (http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=13648.0). ;)