20 X 36 in Central Utah

[suburbancowboy]

5/20/2012 update.  This weekend we went up friday and saturday.  We got some of the subfloor down under the cabnets so I can start to finish the plumbing.  I also put in a new door to replace the one that was busted up during the break in I had this winter.  I also had to put some finish on it.  I was a light oak gel stain.  First time I used a gel stain.  I don't care for it much.  Hard to get a smooth finish. 

The major thing that we got started was the log siding.  I am really liking how it is turning out.  Be warn if any of you use the plan for 20% waste on your measurements.  Split boards, broken boards, warped boards.  I will have to order some more.  I have a feeling that it will take 4 more weekends to get the rest of the exterior sheet rock and siding on.    Tuesday I am meeting with the electrician to get a bid on the electrical.  I would do it my self but it is worth paying somebody else to deal with the inspection processes.

[suburbancowboy]

Yesterday evening I went up to the cabin to get a bid from an electrician for the wiring.  He was a very chatty fellow.  Hopefully the bid will come in under 1000.  After he left, I spent a couple of hours working on the siding on the south side.  It was so quite and peaceful.  I didn't want to leave when the sun went down.  Any way I have a question of you all.  I have about 8 tubes of liquid nails left from building last year and was wondering what you all think of using it as caulking between the siding and the window trim?  I would also use it to fill in a couple of knot holes in the siding where the knots have fallen out?

Anyway this is where I got to last night. 



Once I get the bid in I will let all you know to see if it sounds fair.

[Sassy]

I can't help you w/the liquid nails questions but your cabin is looking really nice w/that siding!

[rdzone]

I would not use the liquid nails as caulking.  It is a glue and not made to flex like caulk.  I think you will cause more problems done the road.  I would use a good caulk that will remain flexible over time. Just my two cents.

As far as gluing in the knots I wouldn't use for that either.

[BADB0Y]

I would not use the liquid nails as caulking.  It is a glue and not made to flex like caulk.  I think you will cause more problems done the road.  I would use a good caulk that will remain flexible over time. Just my two cents.

As far as gluing in the knots I wouldn't use for that either.

x2, I was about to enter a similar response. On the knots it might be ok, but around trim will give you headaches...

[mnboatman]

Your log siding looks nice. How did you fasten it?

I'm planning on putting some similar siding on my shed later this summer. I need to install my gable windows and door first.

[Redoverfarm]

suburbancowboy not sure if you mentioned and I missed it but do you know whether the manufacturer has already treated your logs for insects?  It doesn't take long for them to find a new home in your siding.  You might check and if they didn't then I would treat it with some Timbor or other borate chemical before finishing.

[suburbancowboy]

To attach the siding I am using galvanized screws every 4 feet.  As far as treating, I don't believe it is but the satin finish that I have is suppose to have some kind of protection in it.

[suburbancowboy]

I have been having some interesting times with electricians lately.  First one I met at the cabin last week never sent me his bid.  Called him and he says, " Haven't had time to right it up".  So I accidentally called the second guy recommended by my building inspector, I was calling the first guy again to say what's up with the bid.  Anyway after I fumble with my words,  we agree to meet up there after work.  After I talked to him, he called "Richard the building inspector", to find out what minimal electrical means.  So when we get up there at least he was informed.  We walk around and talk a bit in the cabin then he say he can do it Saturday and it will run 1200 dollars.  I am supplying most of the materials as I already had them.  Does 1200 sound fair to most of you?

[ColchesterCabin]

$1200 sounding fair depends on the scope of the project. Around here most electrician's working for themselves are about $45/hr @ $1200 not accounting for local taxes would represent approx 26-27 hours (3+ solid days of wiring). If the cabin is completely open on the interior allowing free running of your cables, and you are going bare minimum requirements and your supplying the materials....hmm I would have to say based on the sq footage 20x36 (720 sq ft= $1.66/sq ft) seems fairly high.  Before I had him start I would have it priced minimum of twice. It would give you a good sense of your local market pricing and wether or not his pricing is reasonable.

Most guys in a project like ours throw a high number at a small project hoping for the home owner to take it knowing they don't want to do the work but would if the project home owner wants to pay the bill they'll do. Ask him if he has a new BBQ he wants you to pay for....lol

[suburbancowboy]

Well I finally got the bid from the first electrician and he said 2500 dollars.  But didn't know when he would have time to get to it.  He also wanted to do a whole lot of extra electrical to meet code which wasn't part of the minimal that the building inspector wanted.  I sent him an email saying thanks but no thanks.  I guess the 1200 dollar bid from the first guy wasn't to bad after all.

[ColchesterCabin]

Well in comparison that's not that bad, but if you have time I would run it one more time. Appearently the $2500 guy used the second theory I mentioned. don't be afraid to try and get it for a $1000 cash no tax, some contractors like that too

[CjAl]

as a former asphalt contractor i will confirm that green cash is good for at least 10% off. this only usually works for the small one or two guy operations not big companies

[hhbartlett]

It sounds high to me. A few years ago I had my old house completely rewired. The house was 20' x 24', 2 storey. They ran everything new right from the entrance, and including them supplying a new panel, wired smoke detectors, electric baseboard heat, gfi's, etc. the whole thing came to $3500. This wasn't "minimum electrical" and I had no other out of pocket expenses. The job took them (2 guys) about 3 days.

So, ya I'd shop around a bit more. The first guy definitely is not really interested in the job, he just threw you a high number. If it's a one day job and you're supplying the materials,  a 10 hour day @ $75 an hour is still only $750.

[AdironDoc]

It sounds high to me.
So, ya I'd shop around a bit more.

Agreed. My brothers are electricians, dad's retired. Housing starts are down, economy stinks. Too many electricians, too little work.  Guys around here are lowballing just to keep their workers busy. You should get a few more estimates.

[rick91351]

Where is your electrician having to come from?  If it is a major commute I can see him jacking it up.  To my ranch we are looking at a hour and 30 from Boise or Mountain Home.  They seem to love to play that game.  Well that is three hours right there plus milage I have been told!!   

[suburbancowboy]

Just a quick update from this last weekend.
Gas guy came up and finished running the gas line from the tank and he hooked up all the gas appliances.  Gas heater, stove and hot water heater.  They all work great. 
Eletrician came up and got the whole cabin wired.  Monday the inspector came up, walked around for 3 minutes and said you pass and gave me the paper work.  I guess that happens when you use his guy.
Later in the after noon the electrician came back up hooked up the power to that now I can run 240 off of the generator.  That is nice but I really wanted to run 120 from my solar panels.  He said that best thing to do would be to get and inverter that outputs 240V and has a four way plug like the generator.  Or he can wire some kind of transfer switch up. 

Have any of you seen such a set up on an inverter?

I also got all the siding on up to eight feet on the walls.
Cleaned off more brick on the fireplace.
Put in the bathroom door.
Put down some sub floor.
Verified that the septic runs water good.
Hooked up the septic line
Move some of the T&G upstairs
Hung the tankless water heater
Plumbed in some lines to drain the water from the system into the shower.
Put some walls up in the bathroom.
Replace some of the stair treads to meet code.  Can't use 2 2X6 have to use 1 2X12.  Isn't that the same thing???

Next thing is to finish the bathroom so that I can get the girls up there for more than 6 hours.

Man I'm beat.

[suburbancowboy]

6/18/12 update.  The last couple of weeks I have been focusing on getting the bathroom complete.  Nice to be able to focus on it now that the rough plumbing is complete.  Last week I worked on getting the insulation in and some of the fittings.



It was a pain getting the insulation behind the pex.  I also got some of the wall and water connections done.  Then this last friday and saturday my wife and I went up to finish the bathroom and she worked on the insulation.  I got all the bathroom complete except hooking the sink to the waste line.  I was missing one 90 degree elbow.   Also when we did the water test the shower had a leak.  Just need chalk around the waste pipe.  Also I have an issue where the abs main waste line connects to the septic pipe.  the abs is 5 inch and the sewer line is 4 1/2 inch.  I had bought a rubber boot to connect the two but the clamp doesn't get tight enough and there is a small leak.  The sewer line is the green pipe.  Any ideas on how to connect the two?

So end of day Saturday the bathroom was mostly done.
Corner shower


Sink and light


Toilet(Girls most favorite)


In the bedroom I am going with some yellow pine paneling.


I also got a lot of the T&G board put in the kitchen area.  Hopefully I won't need to move the cabinets around any more.


I also learned when you get tired you should stop.  I kept working and the last hour I made lots of mistakes cutting out space for the light switches and power outlets.  Also some of the T&G was giving me problems.  Warped and twisted on some.

[considerations]

"I also learned when you get tired you should stop."   Yep...cutting mistakes on wood can be a bummer, but even worse is cutting oneself....humble as this makes me, your statement is an absolute rule at my place.

[AdironDoc]

I've always noticed that it's the "last thing of the day" that gets us into trouble. I've been cut, smashed, and fallen usually when I'm tired and about to call it quits. The pine looks fantastic, by the way. As for the "girls favorite"... I've always been partial to a good reading room myself.

Cheers,
Doc

[Barry Broome]

Those walls look great! Beautiful!

[MountainDon]

Note for the next time, or the next person doing facing the same task.....

Re: "It was a pain getting the insulation behind the PEX. "

Batt type insulation should be installed after the plumbing is in. Then the batts are carefully sliced at the right point, to permit the batt to envelop the PEX. That way the insulation is not compressed, decreasing its effectiveness. Ditto on the process for electrical wiring.

[suburbancowboy]

Folks please be careful out there with fire. 

There is a huge fire just on the other side of the valley where my cabin is.  The town in the valley was evacuated yesterday.  Currently it is about 5 miles to the west of my cabin.  About 40 cabins on the west side have burned and one man died trying to protect his place.  Currently it is at 50,000 + acres.  We saw the start of it last Saturday when we was leaving the cabin.  It was maybe 10 acres then. 
Here is a link to what is going on.  http://www.ksl.com/?sid=21002481&nid=148&title=one-dead-in-wood-hollow-fire-fairview-evacuated&s_cid=featured-3

There is also another fire 20 miles east of my cabin.  Last report it was at just 4000 acres.  This is the driest June in Utah in twenty years.  My wife is on the verge of tears every time she sees the news.  I am thinking of getting insurance on the place even before its complete.  Plan was to get it the end of august when I'm done.  What do you think???

[UK4X4]

I'm relatively close to you - today I contacted some friends to swap phone numbers in case of the same issue to go move my trailer

if it was me - I'd be insuring now- just in case

[suburbancowboy]

I just got off the phone with the insurance agent and he said that the whole county is on restriction so he can't put me on insurance until the restriction is lifted.  So I guess for now all I can do is hope and pray.  I have also been looking at some of the photos of the burned cabins.  Most had the area around the cabins cleared of brush by 20 feet or more.  That wasn't enough.   Funny thing is that you would have two cabins burned and one in the middle that would still be left standing.  Makes you go 

I also found out that the person that died was a local from the area and was probably trying to save his place.  I feel for them.  Most of them have built their own places just like everybody on this site.  If you don't have insurance yet go get it now!!!!!