14x36 in Northwest Arkansas

OlJarhead · November 28, 2010, 11:26:42 AM

OW!!! I hate seeing that

Sorry you almost cut off your finger

I have a couple of friends who lost fingers to saws, both carpenters by trade (one no longer with us due to cancer). I hate to see it.

Now me, I'm the one who shot himself with an air nailer! Those who have and those who will.....

shallyman · December 02, 2010, 10:30:32 AM

jdhen, your house is looking great. i really like the proportions of the design. looking forward to more interior photos when you can splurge for a new camera. nice color choice on the siding. hope your finger heals quickly without any problems.

January 06, 2011, 10:37:06 PM

Thanks for the kind words, Shallyman.
I did finally get a camera, even if it is an old hand-me-down. At least it was free!
Got some pics of the things we've been working on.

Let's see....we got a vapor barrier down in the crawlspace. The light coat of green mold that was starting to grow on the floor joists was gone in a matter of days! The floors stopped swelling too!

Makes for a nice clean storage space.

Finished the built-in bookshelves/ entertainment center in the living room. I plan to put some paneled doors on the spaces housing the TV and the stereo.

Started in on the first flight of stairs. Can't decide yet whether or not to paint the risers and skirt board or simply give them a coat of oil.

The newel post will eventually go where it's supposed to go but I just have it sitting there against the wall. It came out of an old house and sat in a barn for 30 years. We're glad to have it!

Put some simple shelves in the kitchen in the style my wife requested.

I wasn't sure what I wanted to use for base and door trim when my neighbor, who works in construction, offered some oak trim that he'd pulled out of a commercial job and was headed to his burn pile. It has a light coat of varnish and some glue on the backs of the boards but with my belt sander I easily cleaned them up and after a light coat of oil they're beautiful. I have enough to finish out the entire house. After pricing oak boards in Home Depot, I would say I have at least $400 worth of trim!

We've also been busy outside.
Railing for the north porch

Dug 2 - 50 ft permanent raised beds for the garden (only 15 to go!!

)

Started the orchard with 13 apple and 3 pear trees

Fencing to follow but so far the tomato cages have been effective at keeping the deer at bay.

Yesterday, I started framing the south porch sunroom in. I'll post some more pics as that progresses.
So much to do, it's hard to know where to begin!! Still having fun though......

jdhen · January 06, 2011, 10:41:09 PM

I think the photo files are larger than my other camera so some of the images are cut off and I'm describing things that can't be seen. I'll have to try to figure this new (old) camera out!

MountainDon · January 06, 2011, 10:43:05 PM

You can change the default image size in photobucket so when you upload their system will size them down.

January 06, 2011, 10:58:27 PM

Jesse looks like you are over the hump. Looking good and probably a good feeling to have gotten so much acccomplished.

HoustonDave · January 06, 2011, 11:05:10 PM

That's some beautiful work you have done there.

rdzone · January 07, 2011, 12:37:38 AM

Looks great! One question it might be the camera angle but the stove looks to close to the combustibles (i.e. The stair treads) do you have any problems with the heat from the stove and the treads?

Mike 870 · January 07, 2011, 08:57:33 PM

Looks really like a really warm and welcomeing place. I like the built ins and the kitchen shelves. The wood beams and ceiling also looks really nice contrasted with the white walls.

January 07, 2011, 11:24:06 PM

The place is looking really nice.

jdhen · January 08, 2011, 09:55:25 AM

Quote from: Redoverfarm on January 06, 2011, 10:58:27 PM
Jesse looks like you are over the hump. Looking good and probably a good feeling to have gotten so much acccomplished.

Thanks, Red. It is a good feeling. I'm so appreciative to you and all of the community here for the help and suggestions along the way. I never would have thought I could do something like this if I hadn't seen all the others successfully accomplish the daunting task of building their own home. I'm so glad to have come across this site some 3 or 4 years ago!

Thanks to all for the nice comments!

jdhen · January 08, 2011, 10:03:43 AM

Quote from: rdzone on January 07, 2011, 12:37:38 AM
Looks great! One question it might be the camera angle but the stove looks to close to the combustibles (i.e. The stair treads) do you have any problems with the heat from the stove and the treads?

Rdzone-The stove is within manufacturer's required distances from the stairs and the walls. We've had hot fires almost daily since November and because of the built in heat shields on the sides and back of the stove, the walls barely get warm at all. In fact, I took the heat shield off of the side that faces the room because I was so disappointed by the lack of radiation out to the side!
Still, I had to laugh (embarrassingly) when I realized I left a box of matches and the wicker basket next to the stove! Not very smart on my part. Thanks for pointing that out.... Would it help for you to know that the fire extinguisher is right around the corner in the closet?

rdzone · January 08, 2011, 01:46:42 PM

Cool. I hope you don't think I was trying to be critical, because your place looks great! I just didn't want you to have any problems down the road. I can't wait to get to the stage you are at now!

Chuck

IronPatriotTN · January 08, 2011, 03:38:23 PM

I love those built in shelves. Very well done.

January 16, 2011, 12:16:46 PM

Thought I'd post a couple of pictures of the sun porch.

I used 3 track aluminum storm windows which were a lot cheaper than even the most basic single hung vinyl. The windows are tacked up temporarily while I try to get used to the look of it. It almost feels a little too modern. I think they should blend in a bit more once the windows get trim and small pieces of siding are hung in the space between. I still have to cut the sills for the windows.The door will be a combination screen/storm door. The base of the knee wall will be covered with hardie stucco board and since there's a 10 sheet minimum, the north porch will also get the same treatment to hide the piers.

Even with it not being closed in, it's already working. Yesterday it was sunny and much warmer behind the windows then outside.

Nice to see that the sunsets continue to be strong, even in the winter.

speedfunk · January 31, 2011, 10:28:49 AM

Jesse:

Your place coming along so nicely. Its got to be one of my favorites on here. The size,built ins, great looking from the outside as well. Just a great place...should be proud...wtg! I hope the finiances come into place, lack of funds breeds creativity though.

I will have to show deb your shelves in the kitchen , we want to do something simliar instead of cabinets that you have to OPEN. maybe over the sink somehow so you put them there wet and the water drains saving a step. lol.

jdhen · February 01, 2011, 01:15:37 PM

Hey Jeff, thanks for the props, man! Means even more coming from someone who's done what you have!

I agree that open shelves are the way to go. Not only do they look good but you don't have to build doors

(which I think are a pain)

The finances are slowly working out. It will take longer than we'd hoped but like you and Deb we're adverse to debt so loans are out of the question. At least there's a roof over our head that we owe no one on! That feels real good...and makes some of the mess totally worth it

duncanshannon · April 09, 2011, 10:21:32 AM

awesome project!!

just finished reading the whole thing. it is inspring to read - we are in the planning phase and will be for a couple of years.

i really appreciated all the photos you loaded showing us your progress and to help describe some of the challenges you faced (ie, the loft flooring).

Your place looks fantastic! huge contrats!

John Raabe · April 09, 2011, 04:12:18 PM

Very nice project jdhen! First cabin job. You really took that Builder's Cottage plan and did a very nice expansion.

jdhen · April 10, 2011, 01:25:02 PM

Thank's Duncan. I appreciate the nice comments.

Thank you, John, for your comments and for making the plans available at such a great price. I never would have tried this had I not come across your website!

I'm starting on the east room and I need your or any other of the experts help here. I decided to build the addition based on this book I came across at the library.

Sorry it's so blurry- hope you can get the idea.

They show a 10x12 three season porch built on what looks like deck framing, similar to what I did for the north porch. A ledger is bolted to the house, double 2x's are used on the outside to support the walls and roof, joist hangers are used to support floor joists.

They used 2-2x10's to span roughly 10 feet.

Mine is similar, but I wanted a 12x16 room so I placed the first footers (and soon to be added piers) 8 ft away from the house and 3 more placed 8 more feet from there. It's difficult to see them all because of the long grass. There are a total of 6 piers.

I'm using 8ft lumber so I'm planning to frame the first section to the first 3 piers as they did in the book. (though using 2x8 lumber to span 7'9". I will leave space on the posts to frame a second 8 foot section to the last 3 piers. I hope this is making sense, it's tough to explain...

My plan is to use doubled 2x8's on the outside to support the walls and roof.
I'm suddenly worried that the 7'9" span for the 2-2x8 beam is too long to support the walls and the roof. Do I need to add another pier between each section, making the span only 4 ft?
I should have posted before I started but the book showed a plan that looked simple but now I have doubts. And I think we all know how tough it is to find a beam span chart for every situation.
This one shows 2-2x8's can go 9'2" http://www.ideasfordeckdesigns.com/calculators/beam-span-calculator.php but is that taking into account wall and roof loads? Most of the other charts I come across are beam sizing for houses starting at 20ft wide which of course has greater weight in the roof.
Need some help....Thanks!

April 10, 2011, 05:32:12 PM

Q: When you state the ledger is bolted, I take that to mean ral bolts with a washer and a nut on the inside, like the ones on the door sill. Noy lags, as my query would then be how thick is the material the lag is screwed into? Min. thickness of the part supporting the ledger load would be equal to 8X the diameter of the lag screw. (mainly putting this here for readers who may think, 'I'll use a lag screw'.

Read this on deck support
Note the post preference. Too late for here, but again, for other future readers/builders.

Thanks to jfmann

Also let it be noted that I believe the newest IRC iterations will not be permitting joists/beams to be secured to the side of a post unless it is notched in. But I can't lay my fingers on that.... might in in the IRC2009 I was looking at, but no more time to browse at present. That said, many decks have been built with joists on the post sides. Maybe some of those collapsed, I dunno.

jdhen · April 10, 2011, 05:43:14 PM

No issues with the bolting of the ledger, MD. As with the north porch ledger I used 1/2 inch bolts with washers and nuts and more than are required, to boot. Since I used 2x6 framing on the main gabled portion of the house I needed wide rim joists at the ends. There are 2-2x10's with spacers. I placed the 2x spacers at intervals I knew would be at the bolt locations. Consequently, I'm bolting into 3-2x's sandwiched together. I needed long bolts!

Don_P · April 10, 2011, 07:57:30 PM

If I'm understanding the layout correctly... #2 or better Southern Yellow Pine (SYP), 2-2x8's will carry the gravity loads, I did check a single post landing at midspan... but don't do that. If you stack the loads over the posts below this will reduce the floor beam loads. Remember you can header above as well.

Those books are a pet peeve of mine, the author of that one has a degree in english lit and creative writing. This months Mother Earth News has a shed that must have been designed by a commitee in a bar. The only thought on the publishers' minds is whether they can sell the book.

jdhen · April 10, 2011, 09:17:46 PM

Thanks, Don. I was hoping you'd respond. Can you elaborate a little on "header above"? Do you mean that I should use 2-2x's for a top plate (on edge, rather than flat as usual) with wall posts (rather than 2x studs) to shunt the roof weight over the posts?
If so, the only problem I see is that there are 3 windows on each side and one of them on each side will fall directly over the post. I guess headering (is that a word?)that weight around the window would still get the bulk of the load closer to the pier, rather than loading the middle of the beam.

Oh, and I think you're right about the books. Looking through some of the other projects and seeing inconsistencies and outright errors is what made me start to doubt the plan I was focusing on!

Don_P · April 10, 2011, 10:24:39 PM

That's why I was hedging and checked the girder with the load at midspan and it did check for vertical loading. Do read the IRC post on girders on the child board. I am assuming this is gabled and the rafters are landing on the 16' walls perpendicular to the house. I was hoping you could put a doubled 2x10 header over the windows and put their supports down over the piers, sounds like that's not possible but this does work IMO, remember my advice is worth pretty much what you're paying for it. Bracing these rooms full of holes is a concern as well, hopefully you'll fully sheath it and the outer end wall has a decent plywood section to help keep it from racking?