Hindsight

[Redoverfarm]

Yes we have heard of the old saying that "hindsight is 20/20".  I thought it would be appropirate to start this tread as it relates to the building process.  I am sure that each of us has run accross different aspects of your build in which you would have done something differently that would have improved the overall appearence or function of your structure.  I think others would benefit from the information to avoid some of the pitfalls that we have already experienced.  It's true that economics plays a major role in our design or plans but maybe "we" can be persuaded to alter or substitute some other aspect to improve by the trial and errors of others.  OK I will get down from my soapbox and start.

On my house and cabin I had wished that I would have installed a wider soffit extending to 18" to 24" rather than the present 12".  It would have greatly improved drainage away from my foundation.

On my house I should have planned ahead on any future additions as it pertained to the placement of water, sewer and electrical lines.  Yes I have managed to suffice on the original design but have added an additional square footage to an area that once encompassed the water line.  Now it is not as easily attainable if ( and I say that with a prayer) I would develope a leak in the line at a later date.  I did have the forethought to encompass the water line in a piece of 4" (corragated  ) pipe which should have been smoothwall for the ease of replacement or repair.

Insulation is another aspect that I fell short especially in the area of the soffit / wall intersection at my house which could have prevented ice daming at my house. On the cabin I would have re-thought the rafter size to incorporate a higher R-value.  Sprayed insulation should have been given more thought in that area.

Plumbing should have incorporated more shut off's to eliminate the need of shutting down the complete system for maintenance of several appliances or supply lines.

Additionally in the electical portion of both the house and the cabin I should have extended this to incorporate an additional circuit to be used for repairs to the exisiting.  That wouldn't have had to be more than one recepticle in each room on an emergency circuit to have power and lights for repairs to the dedicated circuit for that particular room.  More wire yes but not that much in comparison to extension cords and work lights.

Alright these are a few of mine.  Do you have anything to share.

[Alan Gage]

As someone preparing to build in a few months I'll read this thread with interest. Thanks for starting it.

Alan

[glenn kangiser]

Underground cabin wise....

If you get big and weird like mine, spring for the EPDM which Mike recommended after I built mine.  Nearly no chance of problems since it is pond liner.  Extend past the sides 10 feet if possible.

Include French drains as a requirement, not an option if you want to keep future problems away.

[Redoverfarm]

Yes Glenn even on my cabin I put perforated 4" as a footer drain but getting it proper and putting it in are two different things.  There is a product now that is a water proof sheeting that is plastic and resembles corragated cardboard that channels the water to the footing to be picked up by the foundation drain.  But for anyone with a basement (or cave   ) a foundation drain is a must.

[rick91351]

Underground cabin wise....

If you get big and weird like mine, spring for the EPDM which Mike recommended after I built mine.  Nearly no chance of problems since it is pond liner.  Extend past the sides 10 feet if possible.

Include French drains as a requirement, not an option if you want to keep future problems away.

Speaking of French Drain I think they should be required around any footing or foundation.  We in may location are very blessed to have a lot of gravel pits and drain rock.  However other places I know are not that lucky and the cost of drain rock is sky-high.  Are there alternatives if materials such as rock and or rubble not available or affordable?   

[MountainDon]

It is much easier to install blocking at the wall tops, between the rafters or trusses if it is done before the roof sheathing in installed.

[dug]

Here are a few on my list,

1-  Plan on paper as detailed as possible the entire build from start to finish. I think this is even more important for a first time DIY'er because sometimes it's hard to imagine how one step may affect the next. I did draw plans but some of the details that I omitted and figured I'd just work out as I went along came back to bite me in the arse, resulting in wasted time scratching my head and a larger scrap pile.

2-  Once the foundation is complete and you start building make it a priority to get the roof up ASAP. Make sure finances are available and have the roofing material on site as soon as you are ready for it. I wasted many hours and money futily rigging tarps that shredded in storms and shoveling rain and snow off the deck attempting to keep it dry. My stress level was greatly relieved when I finally had it water tight.

3-  On a cathedral ceiling (which I did) I think I would spray foam between the rafters for added insulation and avoiding venting issues next time around.

4-  When in doubt, over size your lumber and make sure the engineering is sound. You'll never be sorry, especially when 60 mph winds are buffeting your house! There are places to pinch pennies and places not to.

5-   If possible, enlist (or hire) help for certain jobs. Many times two people can do a job 3 or more times faster than one person. Tacking up a 20 ft. long piece of 30# felt on a wall 15 feet in the air by yourself on a windy day can be done (I did) but was it worth it An extra hand would have paid off big time in that case. Time = money and your time is valuable.


That's just some of the things that I would have done differently. There's more, and more to come I'm sure.

[MushCreek]

I haven't even started yet, but I can say one thing for sure- I should have started 10 (or 20) years ago!

[Redoverfarm]

Another area of miscalculation was two retaining walls.  At my house I had poured 2 one of which was 7-1/2' running 38' to 24".  I had to go back in a few years ago and install deadman anchors on the largest.  It took several years of freeze, thaw, and settling for it to appear. The top had tilted some 6" from 1996 to 2002.  No easy task to remove the soil, bolt bearing plates, and cable them to the anchor in the yard some 15' away.  It would have been so much easier to have installed them at the time they were built.  The other wall which is not quite as high or long has moved very little.

This brings me to another subject and that is rebar.  I was always told that rebar has little shear strength and most of its strength comes from a lateral pull.  The aforementioned wall was pinned to the house foundations  at several locations but the wall did move.  Did the rebar snap allowing for the movement. I am sure that it did not bend that much.  There is a possibility that the portion that was pinned into the house foundation pulled out but there is no seperation between the wall and the house.  The other end was anchored in poured concrete so it is doubtful that it had failed.

[Redoverfarm]

Underground cabin wise....

If you get big and weird like mine, spring for the EPDM which Mike recommended after I built mine.  Nearly no chance of problems since it is pond liner.  Extend past the sides 10 feet if possible.

Include French drains as a requirement, not an option if you want to keep future problems away.

Glenn this is the product that I had mentioned below.  

http://www.cosella-dorken.com/bvf-ca-en/products/foundation_residential/dimplesheets/products/ms.php

[glenn kangiser]

Thanks John. I used that product on Mike's house project.  It works great.

Underground cabin wise....

If you get big and weird like mine, spring for the EPDM which Mike recommended after I built mine.  Nearly no chance of problems since it is pond liner.  Extend past the sides 10 feet if possible.

Include French drains as a requirement, not an option if you want to keep future problems away.

Speaking of French Drain I think they should be required around any footing or foundation.  We in may location are very blessed to have a lot of gravel pits and drain rock.  However other places I know are not that lucky and the cost of drain rock is sky-high.  Are there alternatives if materials such as rock and or rubble not available or affordable?   

Rick, there is a sock - filter cloth that goes over a perforated drain pipe - the ribbed kind - that claims you do not need rock with it.  Just slip it on the pipe or buy the pipe with the sock already over it.  Maybe I will use that on my current underground project now that you mentioned it.  I worry a bit about clay sealing it off but that was not a problem the manufacturer mentioned so I guess it is not a problem.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GOBN24/ref=asc_df_B000GOBN241368393?smid=A2526A4EPM2APX&tag=dealtmp439355-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395105&creativeASIN=B000GOBN24

http://www.acehardwaresuperstore.com/plumbing-heating/plastic-pipe/poly-corragated-drn-tbng/17775.html

[Don_P]

We use the socked drainline, cover it with washed gravel, cover that with 3' wide landscape fabric, then backfill with earth. It's a PITA to have to dig back alongside to fix drainage 

[volstuckinnc]

Thanks John. I used that product on Mike's house project.  It works great.

Rick, there is a sock - filter cloth that goes over a perforated drain pipe - the ribbed kind - that claims you do not need rock with it.  Just slip it on the pipe or buy the pipe with the sock already over it.  Maybe I will use that on my current underground project now that you mentioned it.  I worry a bit about clay sealing it off but that was not a problem the manufacturer mentioned so I guess it is not a problem.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GOBN24/ref=asc_df_B000GOBN241368393?smid=A2526A4EPM2APX&tag=dealtmp439355-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395105&creativeASIN=B000GOBN24

http://www.acehardwaresuperstore.com/plumbing-heating/plastic-pipe/poly-corragated-drn-tbng/17775.html

I've seen that stuff get clogged when put in clay soil without rock around it.  As Don points out - digging it back up is a PITA.  I socked and then put my drains at my house down in a gravel bed 7 years ago.  Still flowing fine

[Redoverfarm]

I guess this is only a concern for person in a snow region but I thought I would post it anyway.  When placing the waste line vent the stack should be in the "upper 1/3" of the roof plane.  I am not sure whether there is a minimum heigth of the stack but somehow I recall something about 18".  Even with this amount if it is placed on the lower 2/3 of the roof the slidding snow can damage the stack.  Don't ask me how I know this.

[davidj]

My biggest mistake is over-engineering, but fortunately that doesn't seem so bad once the bills are paid and the work is done.

Some other things I'd do differently, in no particular order:

1) Currently I've got 3 x 2" plumbing vents.  I'd do a 3" and a 2" if I did it again, and also make then longer (currently about 10") and use metal pipe.  This should make it vent better, make the vents stronger and reduce the chance of them getting blocked by snow (the metal should warm up quicker to melt off any snow too).  Even with 12/12 metal, and vents near the ridge, it's still possible to get a bunch of accumulation in a wet storm.

2) Use real cedar board and batten.  We faked it with expensive cedar plywood but, for a few more $, I could have done the real thing.

3) Saving some money by using 1x10 joists rather than I-joists.  The I-joists are nice, but with 10' spans they're overkill.

4) Checking my plans before they were submitted, given the last-minute corrections needed corrections (there was a 12/31 deadline and I was out of the country, but having e.g. three different roof nailing schedules on the plans is just ridiculous!)

5) Using more casement windows.  We needed a bunch of double-hung windows because of adjacent decks, so went with double hung everywhere except when egress rules forced the use of casement.  In retrospect, we should have done casement everywhere except where we needed double-hung (the Marvin casements work really well).

6) Buying a good cordless circular saw earlier - would have saved a lot of generator hours.

7) Putting poly down in the crawlspace before everything got moldy

Some things that I did right:

1) Followed Glenn's advice and put 2x4 scaffolding down both side walls - made a lot of the roof work straightforward

2) Built the biggest crawlspace we could given the constraints (>4' needed engineering).   When there's 3' of snow for half of the year then you need as much storage as you can get.

3) Getting the wood-burning stove in as soon as possible.  Working in 35F temps is tough - working in 65F temps is perfect!

4) Buying the ATV with tracks - towing construction materials by hand in a kids sled isn't the way to build a cabin when it's snowed-in 5 months/year.

5) Buying good tools.  Especially the gennies, the compressor, good cordless tools and a quality circular saw.

6) Becoming addicted to CountryPlans

7) Most importantly - having a fantastic wife, and the most helpful group of friends and neighbors that anyone could ever have.

[Alan Gage]

Using more casement windows.  We needed a bunch of double-hung windows because of adjacent decks, so went with double hung everywhere except when egress rules forced the use of casement.  In retrospect, we should have done casement everywhere except where we needed double-hung (the Marvin casements work really well).

Can I ask why you wish you'd have gone with more casements? I've never lived in a house that had them and don't see the big benefit. Not that their isn't one, I just don't know what it is....which is why I'm asking. 

Alan

[MountainDon]

I don't know about davidj, but I like them because when open they are fully open, none of this upper or lower half only. Plus if you mix right and left they can catch breezes and funnel them into the interior. And I believe a good one seals better than any other window when closed. Back home when I started the diesel in the back yard in winter I could always smell it as it warmed up with billowing clouds of white exhaust filling the yard. When we replaced the old single hungwindows with new casements I could no longer smell it unless I cracked the casement lock mechanism open.

[davidj]

Can I ask why you wish you'd have gone with more casements? I've never lived in a house that had them and don't see the big benefit. Not that their isn't one, I just don't know what it is....which is why I'm asking. 

Mtn Don's suggestions of being to open them wider and catch the breeze are two reasons.  Also they're less effort to open when they're in harder to reach places - pushing up the double hung is harder than winding the handle if you're leaning over furniture.  Finally, it turns out that the inside screen has some advantages - no need to take them down when the snow is piling up and if you e.g. want to pass something through the window, it's convenient to take off (when you open the window you're already in the right place to remove the screen).

My original reason for having them would stop most houses from using double hung if building to code - it's pretty hard to meet egress requirements with double hung (or, conversly, pretty hard to meet CA wall bracing requirements - 4ft shear wall within 12ft() of the corner - without having weirdly-placed and oversized egress-compliant double-hung windows in a small cabin). 

[MountainDon]

Inside screens, are nice. Forgot that. Plus the crank is easy; we have a couple in the bathroom by the whirlpool tub. They would be impossible to open close without climbing in the tub if they were not casement types.

Plus if you want to get very fancy ($$$) you can get them with mini-mini-blinds between the glass.

[rwanders]

   I really should have made my crawlspace a little taller---I have only 12" between the ground and my foundation beams and it cramps my style (literally) when I have to work under the cabin. I needed more clearance or less depth to my middle! 
  Thought I was being clever when I had the well guys install a "drainback" system so the well line wouldn't have water in it unless the pump was pumping for freeze protection------then my failure to be on site to supervise the burying of the line resulted in a small "belly" in the line which freezes. I had to install 80 feet of expensive internal thermostatic thaw wire to remedy the problem. 

[Don_P]

I agree with the pros of casements, the main con is that they are swung out in the weather. If it is raining they normally need to be closed where you could oftentimes open the upper of a double hung. In high wind they can be torn from their mechanism if open. But I do like ours.

[MountainDon]

Live in the desert and the rain issue is greatly reduced.   

[MelFol]

My hindsight is simple.  Don't work alone. Grab all the help you can corral. I figured I could do it alone and worked mostly alone for 4+ months, every day, rain or shine, in a push to get our remote construction dried in before winter hit Alaska.  Framing and roof especially are the pits when working alone.  And construction is a lot more dangerous and strenuous when working alone.

[Rover]

Re the casements.  I've seen casement hardware bugger up after a few years.  I had to replace all of mine.  This time the casements have stainless steel hardware so I hope that helps.  I haven't seen double hung windows have any problems.