Author Topic: Building a house! (Read 2149 times)

ms · « **Reply #30 on:** July 30, 2010, 10:45:45 AM »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNQk6gh4PK0

krod47nw · « **Reply #31 on:** August 05, 2010, 05:12:10 PM »

How about an update on the progress. I love to see houses go up.

Kevin

Oldshooter · « **Reply #32 on:** August 05, 2010, 05:36:07 PM »

Glad to hear of the house project guys! Sounds like a great family adventure. I was going to build our new home but after a chicken coup project I decided I dont have the stamina any more. We will be doing the inside finish though(the slow part) Hard to see the progress on the inside. but good luck and keep us posted on the progress!

Graybeard · « **Reply #33 on:** August 06, 2010, 04:54:37 AM »

We set the center beam in place yesterday for the rafters and got four pairs of rafters set in place to support it before the storms and darkness moved in. I looked this morning and all is still standing. I sent photos to Matt this morning so maybe they will post some more soon.

Matt · « **Reply #34 on:** August 09, 2010, 06:43:14 AM »

Here are some updated pics

Spanky · « **Reply #35 on:** August 09, 2010, 07:03:07 AM »

Lookin' good. Is the barn gonna be living area too? I have seen a few barns converted to homes with the beams left exposed... it looks great.

Spanky

Tommyt · « **Reply #36 on:** August 09, 2010, 09:38:53 AM »

Have you guys looked into anything like this

my Buddy did the sky light in a addition and I told him about leaving some walls lower for air flow and now the sky light keep the closet lit too
I know If I get get to build retirement home I will limit the height of all interior walls so it will have full air flow. I often wonder why homes are not made with air flow in mind ,My BIL is a design engineer and built his place in CT 2 story and because he can do all the hightec design and drawing heats his house every sq. in
with one wood stove placed on the main floor and he told me that the living rooms 10 foot ceiling was not for appeal but to help his air flow ? The system in the link is not the one he used I just looked up S.L and liked the picture
Just something too consider
http://buyskylights.com/mts1.htm
http://buyskylights.com/tube1.htm

billy_56081 · « **Reply #37 on:** August 09, 2010, 03:55:37 PM »

Your doing good Matt. I was lucky enough to have a dad who was a building contractor. He taught me quite a bit growing up it comes in handy. You folks are lucky enough to have no building codes down there, will save you a ton of money. My advice is insulate well it will save you a ton in cooling costs.

burntmuch · « **Reply #38 on:** August 09, 2010, 04:10:44 PM »

Hey Matt are you doing anything special as far as electric. I know you done alot of expermenting with solar & wind energy.

briarpatch · « **Reply #39 on:** August 09, 2010, 05:40:24 PM »

Dont really know what you have done or not done. What you have or dont have but a framing nailer makes things go a lot faster.

Matt · « **Reply #40 on:** August 09, 2010, 07:35:23 PM »

Quote from: billy_56081 on August 09, 2010, 03:55:37 PM

Your doing good Matt. I was lucky enough to have a dad who was a building contractor. He taught me quite a bit growing up it comes in handy. You folks are lucky enough to have no building codes down there, will save you a ton of money. My advice is insulate well it will save you a ton in cooling costs.

Thanks Billy, I am no stranger to a hammer or saw. Having no permits to buy or plans to register has saved tons of money and as plans go all I have is what is in my head. I have not put anything on paper other than figures for supplies. As to insulation I should have around a r23 - 25 rating by the time I an finished. With 7/16 OSB on the inside and outside walls I will use r13 between and blue board and siding on the outside. The vaulted ceilings will get r19 and the rest will have blown cellulose 18 - 24 inches worth. I am installing a 36" attic fan and plan on 3 room ac/heating units and maybe a small 120 window unit in the kitchen.

Quote from: burntmuch on August 09, 2010, 04:10:44 PM

Hey Matt are you doing anything special as far as electric. I know you done alot of expermenting with solar & wind energy.

I plan to wire for DC lighting and maybe fans also I have 2 5k watt inverters that will be installed but until I can get enough money for solar panels thats about as far as I will go. I will be using only solar for my water heating though. I hope to be able to use solar to make steam and using it for electricity generation also.

Tommy, thanks for the info but I dont think I want to tackle sky lights right now. but I will have all high ceilings in the main rooms with lots of air circulation and ventilation.

Spanky, Yes the main section of the barn which is 20x36 will be the living room, dining room and my office which will be in the loft. There are no beams to spice it up but I am vaulting the ceiling from 9' to 12'

Dale, Sure as heck wish I had the money for gas cause It has not been an easy task getting the rafters set and now I have to deck it... fun fun...

Quote from: briarpatch on August 09, 2010, 05:40:24 PM

Dont really know what you have done or not done. What you have or dont have but a framing nailer makes things go a lot faster.

Man I wish I had a framing nailer... every single nail has been set with a hammer and at this point I think that is closing in on 100 pounds of them.

Matt

gypsyman · « **Reply #41 on:** August 10, 2010, 03:28:23 AM »

oldfart hit on something in his post. About your children. Even if it's just holding a board, pounding a few nails.etc. Get them in on this. 50 years ago, my dad built the house we live in. I can remember chipping common red brick, at 5, for the house. Probably only did a couple, but, they were my contribution. Made me feel real good. Still does. Nothing will make their chest's stick out farther, than to tell their buddies, yea, we helped mom and dad build our house. gypsyman

Graybeard · « **Reply #42 on:** August 10, 2010, 01:14:01 PM »

And when someone asks them "were you raised in a barn" they can truthfully say yup shore nuff.

The boy's room is half of my side shed and will be approximately 15'x36'. I think he has figured that their total living space will be around 2750 sq. ft. when all is done. That's prolly twice the size of my house.

Oldshooter · « **Reply #43 on:** August 10, 2010, 04:22:42 PM »

Hey i got a question. Are those openings in the new construction tall windows or are they doors? And what about windows, are there gonna be any upstairs?

Heather · « **Reply #44 on:** August 11, 2010, 04:18:26 AM »

Quote from: gypsyman on August 10, 2010, 03:28:23 AM

oldfart hit on something in his post. About your children. Even if it's just holding a board, pounding a few nails.etc. Get them in on this. 50 years ago, my dad built the house we live in. I can remember chipping common red brick, at 5, for the house. Probably only did a couple, but, they were my contribution. Made me feel real good. Still does. Nothing will make their chest's stick out farther, than to tell their buddies, yea, we helped mom and dad build our house. gypsyman

These boys have shoveled dirt, measured, stacked, and carried EVERY stud for the whole house. Right now with my car not working we haven't been able to go out there much, but they ask everyday if they are gonna get to go help build the house. Since we are pretty much stuck here they are helping me sort through things for a yard sale and pack up the things we won't be needing before we move. When I tell them to do a chore I always get a yes mam, but some times I get a yes mam then a sigh. I tell them it is to help us move and they are more than happy to help!

Heather

powderman · « **Reply #45 on:** August 11, 2010, 04:54:44 AM »

When I tell them to do a chore I always get a yes mam, but some times I get a yes mam then a sigh. I tell them it is to help us move and they are more than happy to help!

HEATHER. You've done a great job with those kids, I'm proud of you. I grew up in a small town in Ill. Almost everybody I went to school with had chores to do at home, it was part of being a family. The kids that didn't have chores were generally brats and undisciplined, and grew up that way. Way to go. Charlie.

billy_56081 · « **Reply #46 on:** August 11, 2010, 06:57:38 AM »

Just having a Gopher around can greatly speed up a building project. My daughter was not near big enough to help when we dug out and straightened my basement. But what she did was get us whatever we needed when we were woking and it took many hours off the project.

Graybeard · « **Reply #47 on:** August 11, 2010, 07:23:53 AM »

Looking at this image:

Down stairs the two openings to the right are to be windows. The one at the corner on left just hasn't gotten covered yet but will be.

The upstairs opening is a door that will eventually go out onto a deck. Down stairs again there is a door directly opposite to the opening shown that goes out to the far side from this image.

There are two windows planned for upstairs same as down stairs on that wall shown here. He just hasn't cut out the OSB yet where they will be. There is a door coming from barn loft into second floor and will be one from under the loft into the lower floor in kitchen area I believe.

There is a door up front to enter the barn that will be the living room and as you move along that wall there is a door to enter the boy's room and it will also have a back door to the same area the door from the addition leads to.

williamlayton · « **Reply #48 on:** August 12, 2010, 06:40:00 AM »

You folks are to be congatulated---Job looks good.
If you need a hand--yell.
Blessings

Matt · « **Reply #49 on:** August 12, 2010, 07:14:33 AM »

WILLIAM..... is that loud enough?...

We managed to get all but 10 sheets of the OSB decking on the roof yesterday and hope to finish it today. Then the real fun begins, getting it ready to live in... Our deadline is the 19th of this month and I dont have a clue how I am going to pull it off. I have managed to work a trade with a friend of mine to get 66 sheets of 7/16 OSB for the interior wall though I am having to trade him my laptop for it. I am hopeful that I can sell one of the TV's that I have fixed to get most of the bathroom fixtures and maybe even some of the wire I need. I still need to figure out a way to get the money for the insulation and 1/4" OSB for the ceilings as well as some of the smaller stuff such as outlets and switches.

Anyone who wants to help is welcome as I am not sure I can get it all done by myself in time but for sure anyone that wants to send us a few 2x4's or a roll of insulation would be appreciated. I plan to wire and plumb the addition this weekend and hope I can get it all knocked out in a day or two. I still have to get the septic tank and field lines in as well as getting water run from the road which is about 150 yrds or so. Tank and lines are going to set me back about 650 bucks and the line from the road another couple hundred.

As I figure it I have got to come up with 3000 bucks to get and do everything I have to do to move in. We will not be putting up any trim or such for a while and flooring will also come later as we have concrete and can use throw rugs and such till we can afford to buy carpet and tile. Painting and such will also come later as funds allow seeing as pretty just dont matter as all we care about is a roof over our head with a working bathroom and kitchen. After the fire a few years ago we learned that all the extras in life are just that and are not needed to survive or even to be happy.

Well I am off to get the rest of the roof on and to get the walls wrapped before the storms get here tomorrow.

Matt

billy_56081 · « **Reply #50 on:** August 12, 2010, 05:31:36 PM »

Keep at it Matt, it is amazing how fast things go up if you keep at them.

Heather · « **Reply #51 on:** August 13, 2010, 10:09:52 AM »

Here are some of my fav pics from building our new home! The boys have gotten very creative with the scrap wood. WE have built boxes, small tables, and even a robot with movable arms!

Heather

hillbill · « **Reply #52 on:** August 13, 2010, 05:10:00 PM »

if this is yur first house yull love it however. yur second house will incorporate all the stuff yu didnt get in the first one that yu wished yu wud of dun.and yu will have many more skills the second time.ill do a b igger back porch next time with a sink and freezeproof plumbing to clean garden produce and game.and maybe a bbq pit under the bak porch with a chimney.i like to live and cook outside.

krod47nw · « **Reply #53 on:** August 18, 2010, 07:45:15 AM »

Matt,

Did you finish the electrical, or are you still needing supplies. I may be able to dig up a few odds and ends that were left from building my house. PM me and I'll see what I have.

Kevin

MGMorden · « **Reply #54 on:** August 18, 2010, 08:04:19 AM »

Interesting thread. Good luck on it. My brother built his own house (he's in construction) and swears by it. Nothing like doing it yourself to make sure everything is exactly how you want it.

Oldshooter · « **Reply #55 on:** August 18, 2010, 08:54:07 AM »

Well if it aint exactly like you want it, you have the contractor handy to complain to!