Well we broke ground yesterday ( [cool]), so I guess I can start my build thread. That was the good news. Bad news is that we had to take out more trees than I wanted to for the drainfield area. The pooh nazi's want it c-l-e-a-r and that was that! Soon as I get time I'll post some pics of the excavation.
frazoo
Awesome welcome to the forum! Yes we love pictures even of dirt!
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I know, not very exciting, but after a record winter for us, we are chomping at the bit to get going. Driveway turns right at the trackhoe, then down twenty yards, then left for another thirty yards.
frazoo
Frazoo, Im sure yiu mentioned it before,but I cant remember, what part/town in VA? and could you add it under your personnal info to the left? Its just makes it easier to keep up with. Thanks.
Its great to see you getting started. I'd like to ,but really dont want concrete poured until temp. stays above 40 deg. And besides that the ground is so saturated from the snow,they'd probbably slide over the hill.
Looking forward to seeing your progress!
Darrell
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Excavator made his way to the house site, warm temps dropped the bottom out of the saturated ground so he stopped.
DDog, I know what you mean about waiting for better temps and conditions, we probably won't be ready for a pour for weeks at least. I fixed the location thingie, thanks for the heads up on it.
SWMBO is making me move my canoe I'm building in the living room out to the workshop. They just don't understand :( :).
frazoo
another boat builder? canoe in the living room, eh? sounds like a great place to work as far as i am concerned. when i got married 3 and a half years ago, i had a motorcycle in my den.. it was in the process of being rebuilt.. good thing that i got that done before starting on the house! what kind of canoe?
Pocono C, it is a little plain jane 14 footer made the stitch and glue method w/ fiberglass. Free plans off the internet, great support site for building boats (reminds me of this site, just different genre). Boat building is a disease.
frazoo
Frazoo,
I can remove those logs for you for a small fee... rofl
:) :) :)
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Last tree going down. Everything drying out nicely now. Met with the pooh nazi today. He turned out to be a very nice person, was very professional and helpful. He redesigned the drainfield from what the soil engineers had come up with previously and saved me over 1k. To top it all off my excavator didn't charge me anything to come out and meet with him and dig the two perk holes. Turned out to be nice day. Snow forecast for Tuesday night though.
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frazoo
Good solid start to your build. You'll have a nice photo journal as you go along.
Look forward to watching the progress.
Hello All,
Back at it after 6 months delay with health, layout changes, %&*#@% engineers and inspectors! Last i posted was regarding using a garden tiller for the footing. I was a lucky sonofagun on the first two sides, no rocks, no roots in a previously wooded lot. Murphy came calling the next day, i finally ended up renting the track hoe a couple days ago to finish the footing dig. Gotta point up the corners and bottom of the footing, set my grade rebars and call for the inspection.
Have lurked some from time to time, very impressed with the progress on some projects (can you believe that Kentucky A Frame? WOW!)
New pics in near future.
still plugging and plodding, frazoo
Good to see you are at it again ! We bought a house in Gladstone in foreclosure and are working on it a piece at a time. I have to believe we are close to you as we are right off of RT 60. While we don't have near as much to do as someone building a new cabin or cottage, think of a shell with everything needing to be repaired or renovated and you'll get the picture. I'm getting pretty good at running PEX and redoing plumbing fittings. I have a operating shower and water closet and once I get the upstairs bath refloored I'll have a working tub ( clawfoot ).
Looking forward to seeing your progress.
A lot accomplished this weekend (at least my back feels like it was a lot!). Finished the footings and called for inspectins this a.m. . Now wait and hope.
ChuckinVA, we're not too far from Gladstone. After you posted, I tried to remember where I had seen Gladstone, so went a-looking during a shovel break. Saw a really nice little cabin/cottage with board and batten siding, front porch and addition on rear of house. Looks very much like the small homes with a loft here, only 50+ years old. Wife was thrilled to see something "real world" close to comparison to what we are building. A local was telling me that Gladstone used to be some kinda railroad worker layover/layup community? I'd like to read some of the history of the place, looks interesting.
frazoo
A major milestone (or not :) ) today. Passed our first inspection [cool]. I know, it's just a hole in the ground but it's OUR hole in the ground! It meant a lot to wife and daughter, they really worked hard this past weekend. Turned in to one of those life lessons for daughter, apply yourself, work hard and get rewarded (best part of lesson was learning that not all rewards are of the monetary type but can be very gratifying). Next days off to work at site is next Mon. and Tue. Will post pics once I'm out of the ground.
frazoo
Congrats on your first inspection and good luck with the rest of the build.
Frazoo,
I know the place you are talking about.It is on Gladstone road. We bought one of the railroads old houses in the town of Gladstone. They are in the 100 year + years old range. There is some history and pictures at the C & O railroad historical society web site. The house was flooded in 1969 and 1985 so it has withstood a lot in it's 100 years. We are slowly starting to get things done but is is a long process and I keep finding new things to put on my list.
didn't get much done this week, rained several days, but I'm not complaining, it's been VERY dry here (local reservoirs are down to 68% of their capacity. I did get stone put down for the driveway and cleared up the problem with the ridge beam, collar ties and ceiling joists (some may remember this from a different post). And the great thing about it was it did not cost me anything for an engineer. The local building supply has a deal worked out with an engineering firm to provide the building supply's customers with any recommendations/calculations and documentations as might be required (within reason) for free, as long as the customer buys from the building supply. The other good thing about this is the local building supply is beating the crap out of the big box stores prices on everything I've priced with them.
So, in VA., building a 16 X 28 building with loft, using 2 x 6 walls and 2 x 12 rafters I need two LVL's 1.75" x 18" and can leave the cathedral ceiling open. Engineering firm said to let them know if the pointy-heads had any questions about the documentation ;D.
frazoo
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First photo is finished rough driveway, it will be as wide as the cottage. Second photo is the small house I mentioned previously. It appears to be about 22' X 14 or 16' wide before the add-on at the rear.
More pics of footing pour today, but took me 3+ hours to upload and post these two.
frazoo
Frazoo,
What is the local building supply you are using? And yes that is the house I was thinking you were talking about. I like the looks of is as well.
Thanks,
ChuckinVA, I am using two suppliers as my primary sources, just depending on the quote they give me for a particular order. I approached both prior to beginning and explained what I was building and gave them an estimated total materials package of 35-40k for the building materials. The best price, taking into consideration the quality of materials from each gets the business for that order. I'm using Blue Ridge Building Suppy near Crozet (it's on my way to the site) and Hill Hardware in Amherst. Both (so far) are beating the crap out of Lowe's on pricing and quality of materials with BRBS coming in as the leader of the pack so far. BRBS's price on the two LVL's I will need was almost 2 hundred less than HH, but HH has been very competitive on all the rest. HH is closer and will site deliver for free if your purchase makes it worth their while.
I haven't checked in Appomatox for a supplier yet, they are pretty close too.
The only thing I don't like about that little house is the gingerbread on the gables. IMO, that house is too small to carry that off, looks a bit busy, but that's just me. My wife likes it, says it dresses it up a bit. We'll see who wins (or am I fooling myself thinking there is really a contest or decision to make). ;D
frazoo
My dad lives in Amherst so I do buy from Hill hardware when I can. I know the guys at BRBS in Crozet. Glen Parsons used to work at Lowes before he opened BRBS almost 30 years ago. In Appomattox there is J E Jamerson Building Supply. They are an old family business much like Hill Hardware but they have just about anything you need.
CHUCK
Ready to pour!
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Footings twelve inches thick minimum
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+1 on your opinoin of the "ginger bread house", too busy for me :o and this is an exciting time for you as you broke ground in the foundation, keep up the good work!
Made a little progress (yahoo!!) this weekend.
This is my wife Sherrie at her corner pier
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This is daughter Heather at her corner pier. I have been warned on pain of death not to post her pic! :P
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My corners are finished, Heather and I mixing and pouring concrete mix
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Four corners set
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I bet the progress feels good! Enjoy where you're at - like everything else, you'll soon find you've been enjoying the place for 20 years and you'll wonder where the time went!
Frazoo,
I'm curious why you aren't staggering your block from the corner out? [__][__][__][__]
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Looks like you have some excellent help!
CHUCK
CabinFever, that is so true! Hope you don't mind, I am borrowing some of your design ideas for our little place. Yours looks great!
ChuckinVA, It's early life will be as a pier foundation, then evolving into a laid block foundation after it is dried in. I (we) wanted a solid foundation with a particular look we had noticed in a foundation we saw years ago. The pier columns will stand proud of the wall foundation by an inch or two, giving the foundation more than just a straight across face (hope I explained that so it can be visualized somewhat?).
Dan
You might have considered playing rebar pieces in the joint to later tie into your surround. If you are stepping back the perimeter wall from the post they could be held to the inside rather than the outside to compensate that offset. I guess they will appear as a architectural corner. Although current expenses play a part in " do it now or do it later" but it would be much easier to lay the foundation wall up now rather than trying to work with a building overhead. Sort of like building a ship in a bottle.
I can visualize what you are saying. I just had seen the footer and thought you were going to continue the foundation wall. I would definitely be easier to complete the foundation wall now before you build a house over it plus would protect your utilities from the start. But I understand wanting to keep costs down. Every time I turn around I find something else I need to do at the house. Looks good so far. Keep the pictures coming !
CHUCK
What you are describing sounds like a pier and curtain wall foundation. If you're interested it is described in chapter 4 of the codebook;
https://www2.iccsafe.org/states/Virginia/Residential/Res-Frameset.html
Redover and Chuck, your point on ease of installation before a house is in place is noted. Redover, I can still extend the reinforcements (rebar) out of the corner piers as the concrete pour only extends up 1.5 blocks in height right now, I'll just have to drill a few holes in the joints, then set the steel in place and finish the pour (thanks for that suggestion). I DO like buidling ships in a bottle! ;D
DonP, thanks for that link, it's appreciated and now bookmarked under my favorites.
Dan
Starting tomorrow, got the next 7 days off work, will try to hit the piers and complete them this week before winter sets in. If I can get the concrete work done, I should be able to keep working throughout most of the winter on framing, if it is not a bad winter like last winter here.
I am considering "modifying my floorplans to a 18' wide by 28" long design. I am using 2x12's for my floor joists. Can I (by code in VA) cantilever a foot on each side to give me the 18' width vs the 16' original plan? I've looked in the link DonP provided for me but I can make sense of the charts provided (i'll be gracious with myself and call it old-timer's disease).
thanks for any hlep.
frazoo
dislexic too!
Sure, you can cantilever the foot. Here's two ways. The cantilever table is in chapter 5, table 502.3.3(1). You can also cantilever the depth of the joist being used anytime, load is considered to move at a 45 degree angle without trouble. Don't forget to always block between joists over the girder when you do a cantilever... think about how the joist is trying to squirrel around with load on that outboard end, the blocking forces them to stay upright.
Same deal here, we're hoping to get concrete work done before it gets rough. Farmer's almanac says this one won't be as bad as last. A pessimist is right more often than an optimist but we might as well go in with high hopes :D
Been a long while since I was here (or the build site for that matter!) Had to take care of some health issues, then the heat kicked in here, so things are slooowww right now. I just finished my change order drawings for the building inspectors office and sent them for approval to do the 18' width cantilevered as mentioned in my last post.
Quick question regarding cantilevering and deflection. With the weight of the walls out beyond the fulcrum that the girder provides, would the "springiness" in the middle of the unsupported floor be reduced somewhat? Just curious.
frazoo
Welcome back :)
reading my last post and remembering freezing my tail off... I think the pessimists were right :D
If it helps my farmer's almanac is predicting a cooler than normal summer... I can't wait [cool]
Yes the cantilever will help dampen the main span. For this cantilever it wouldn't be noticeable I'd bet.
Nothing better then a family building project! Great start and I look forward to following your build :) [cool]
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I bought the generator over a year ago (I think), finally took it out of the box today, added oil and gas, pulled the starter cord twice and it fired right up. Let it run for 30 minutes no load.
Spent as much time on the road to the build site as we did building so we purchased the travel trailer so we can spend my two, three day weekends per month on site instead of on the road.
Even though I haven't been working on the cottage, I have been building furniture for it. I'll post some pics in the next few days.
thanks for the welcome back guys.
frazoo
Hope all is ok w/your health! Good to see you back.
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I built three of the end/bedside tables and the small three drawer dresser for my daughter. The tiger striped cherry came out very nice, I think.
Currently working on a pie safe with punched tin front.
Building inspectors office was fast, I received the approval for my change order from 16 x 28 to 18 x 28 yesterday.
frazoo
Edit: thanks for asking Sassy, much improved!
[cool] Beautiful wood and workmanship!
Wow, beautiful grain patterns. Love the contrasting tones.
Really nice job on the table & dresser - love the tiger wood grain!
Glad you are feeling better :)
Welcome back! Great looking furniture - clearly you've done this stuff before!
Went to property this weekend to finish up piers only to find they had been vandalized :(. Two were torn out, could have been worse I guess. Trying to figure out what's next. Oh well...,
frazoo
Sounds like it's time for a couple of well placed/hidden trail cameras. I had a friend who had to buy a camper and move it to where he was building his house and he actually slept there each night until the house was framed. Sorry to hear about this.
How upsetting >:( Sorry you had to go through something like that... :(
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