[SSearchVT]

How are your legs and back after insulating? I did my garage walls and ceiling one weekend - figured I could skip running that night. I also realized the smartest $20 I ever spent was for the hammer stapler - the problem is it's so easy to put staples in you go through a shit load of them.

BTW - love the dining room set...

[TheIglu]

Crazy Mark, just crazy. We just moved into our already built house this past weekend and I am already loaded with projects. Could not imagine working, building AND moving by Thanksgiving. You are doing awesome!!!!!

[R7]

Originally Posted by SSearchVT

How are your legs and back after insulating? I did my garage walls and ceiling one weekend - figured I could skip running that night. I also realized the smartest $20 I ever spent was for the hammer stapler - the problem is it's so easy to put staples in you go through a shit load of them.

BTW - love the dining room set...

My legs and back are fine...it's an easy job on the body compared to the rest of the project
I bought the hammer stapler the day I started building and I agree that is a very good time saving investment. And yup, you tend to use a lot of them.

Yeah, the dining room table..I think it's an antique and may be worth something? Good for a card game and a few beers anyways

[R7]

Originally Posted by TheIglu

Crazy Mark, just crazy. We just moved into our already built house this past weekend and I am already loaded with projects. Could not imagine working, building AND moving by Thanksgiving. You are doing awesome!!!!!

Thanks Clayton and congrats on finally closing on your house. You may be loaded with projects now but once you're done and the place is how you want it, it will all pay off for you.
My house won't be complete by Thanksgiving but I'll have enough done to get a CO from the town so I can move it. I've got until mid February to complete the house 100% so I can start dealing with the banks again

My only project planned for next year is a LOT of trail work and maybe the start of a small woods MX track

[Fantastipotamus]

From:

Originally Posted by R7

To:

Originally Posted by R7

Fantastic. This thread is great.

Nice work, I think it'd be very cool to be able to tell any visitors that you actually built the house they're standing in from the ground up.

And the best part, if anything goes wrong, you don't have anyone to bitch at but yourself (and a few subcontractors).

[R7]

Originally Posted by Fantastipotamus

Fantastic. This thread is great.

Nice work, I think it'd be very cool to be able to tell any visitors that you actually built the house they're standing in from the ground up.

And the best part, if anything goes wrong, you don't have anyone to bitch at but yourself (and a few subcontractors).

Thanks for the compliments. I'm 50/50 with the subcontractors...the ones I found on my own have been great...the ones I used that came with a recomendation from other people have been aweful.

It actually started out a little before that picture you posted

[bentbryan]

Originally Posted by R7

My only project planned for next year is a LOT of trail work and maybe the start of a small woods MX track

What are your plans for the lawn? Plant material? I know you said you don't want a big lawn but yoouse need sometin!

Looking good!!!

[R7]

Originally Posted by bentbryan

What are your plans for the lawn? Plant material? I know you said you don't want a big lawn but yoouse need sometin!

Looking good!!!

Stranger, where you been hiding? Thanks for answering your nextel the last 1080 times I called it

I'm doing something with the lawn this Saturday, you coming down? My plan was to spread the lyme, starter fertilizer, then the fall blend grass seed mix, then cover it with a thin layer of hay/straw.... But I'm thinking of calling around for some hydro seeding and see if someone can come on short notice and get it done Saturday. Everything is pretty much to grade now, I just have to drag it a few more times and do a final rock pickup.

I'm not gonna go crazy for now with shrubs, the deer are going to eat them anyways...I may just plant 4 roaderdendrums (sp?) in front of the house and call it a day

[SSearchVT]

Seeding the lawn yourself will save a ton of money - but be more work. I don't know what your looking for for a lawn, I'm of the school if you mow anything enough times - it looks like grass. Mine has gone from Scotts mix to Vermont Blew over the years (Whatever blew through the air and germinated in the yard). Looks fantastic when I mow it, holds up to the weather, needs nothing.

I ran around when the house was built (September 1999) with grass seed, then a quick fertilizer, and finally took a scrap of carpet and dragged it over the whole lawn to get a thin layer of dirt on top. No mulch. Lawn looked great in the spring.

Save yourself some work later on - lay out the beds around the house now - before seeding the lawn. Even if you don't put any plants in them. Lay a garden hose out to get the shape. Put edging down if you want to. Put the fabric down with the bark much over it (I chose not to use fabric). Come spring - the beds are ready to go, just scoop the mulch aside.

[R7]

Originally Posted by SSearchVT

Seeding the lawn yourself will save a ton of money - but be more work. I don't know what your looking for for a lawn, I'm of the school if you mow anything enough times - it looks like grass.

It cost me about $350 for everything, though I still need another 7 or 8 bails of hay. Hydro seeding was in the 1300-1500 range..
I'm really not that fussy with grass...though I guess I do want it to look somewhat good.
All the grading is done, the entire area has been raked out, fertilized and seeded as of today. I've also got well over half the yard covered with a thin layer of hay.
I'm really hoping it rains soon because I don't want to stress my well to much. I had the sprinkler going for 3 hours non stop today before running out of water... I guess that's what happens when you pump 8 gallons a minute from a well that makes a gallon and a half a minute.

[R7]

Well, my well went south and is not producing very much water...which I had a feeling was going to happen anyways. I've been able to keep the front half of the yard moist so the grass is starting to grow but I've lost hope in the backyard. Once there is rain in the forcast, I may just re-sead it again and see what happens. I can only water for about 15 minutes before running out of water...and it takes about 6 hours to recover enough water to run it for another 15 minutes. The call is already in to the well company....

Anyway, the grass is growing, you can see the brown colored hay is turning green






And I finally got the footings for the free standing deck in place

[burnham]

Looks great! What's with the free standing deck? I assume it's to keep the house from taking in water and rotting, just never seen it done before.

[R7]

Originally Posted by burnham

Looks great! What's with the free standing deck? I assume it's to keep the house from taking in water and rotting, just never seen it done before.

You guessed it first shot Not only does it hold moisture against the house, it's also a trap for dirt and leaves and other crap that can also hold moisture.
I've seen and heard of many decks pulling away from houses and falling off hurting people...even when they are lag bolted to the house. The system I use is MUCH stronger (gotta think about that future hot tub), looks better IMO, and most importantly will not allow any water or moisture to be trapped against the house.

I worked inside the house most of the day insulating. I did manage to take a quick ride to the VBC for lunch with Sean and Leah today, it was great seeing you'z again.
Had some company when I got back from lunch, great to see you Bob and thanks for the compliments...and yes, I can't friggen wait until this is done and overwith..

I did some of my own water testing for volume so I had some facts to give to the well company. It's simple math really and my results are telling me that my well is making about 1/3 gallon per minute, not the 1.2 gallons I paid for.
My hose puts out about 8 gallons per minute, I watered until I got air and shut the pump off and waited 6 hours for it to recover. After 6 hours, I got exactly 15 minutes worth of water before the air came again...and at 8 gallons per minute, I used about 120 gallons of water...6 hours = 360 minutes...120 gallons divided by360 minutes is .33 gallons per minute

Oh well, the grass is still growing..and the R1 looks nice in front of the house

[R7]

Who woulda thunk, I had to mow some of the lawn already. I had to go out and buy a lawnmower because...well I didn't own one Good time to buy I guess though.

Saturday I didn't do anything to the house as I spent the day up at the races, still had Sunday and the holiday Monday to get things done. The goal for the weekend was to get the insualtion complete and ready for inspection...which I finished today at 7pm. I have to call for that inspection first thing in the morning.
I've got a few odds and ends to finish inside the house and it's ready for sheetrock. The sheetrock was delivered today as well, 12' sheets, split between 2 rooms upstairs and a couple dozen sheets downstairs...glad I didn't have to lug those things up there.
I may even have some free time this week to start the deck.

Only pictures i took this weekend were of my grass..keep in mind it was seeded 2 weeks ago yesterday. Amazingly it has grown like this with minimal water..even the backyard is green now and I haven't watered that at all. Today was the first time it's rained here in 3 weeks.

[neuthunder]

well there have been plenty post like this but.... I havent seen this post since may and holy hell nice work! congrats on the new house!

[daviid]

looks pretty sweet. how is the well situation working out?

[ftrain]

So what inspections have you had done so far?
What is the model number of that vermont casting defiant wood stove?

[R7]

Originally Posted by daviid

looks pretty sweet. how is the well situation working out?

I just talked with them today, they agreed to drill it another 200' and lower the pump for the credit I received from the hydrofracking. If it fails, I need to drill a new well

[R7]

Originally Posted by ftrain

So what inspections have you had done so far?
What is the model number of that vermont casting defiant wood stove?

From the start?

1. Site layout... house, driveway, septic and well locations
2. Foundation hole inspection
3. Backfill inspection (make sure the tar is on properly)
4. Rough Frame inspection
5. Who knows what with the septic but the RIDEM and the designer were there for 3 inspections for that.
6. Electrical service inspection
7. Rough electrical inspection
8. Rough plumbing
9. Rough mechanical (which didn't pass but they are allowing me to continue)
10. Insulation inspection
11. Windows and siding completed

That's it so far and I still need..

1. Sheetrock inspection for screws before taping
2. Finish electrical
3. Finish plumbing
4. Finish mechanical
5. Smoke/carbon monoxide/heat detectors
6. Final inspection for CO

I'll have to look at the casting number on the stove, I have no idea as it was given to me. The sucker gives off some heat though!!

[duc106]

WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



1. Sheetrock inspection for screws before taping



I hope you have him working saturday night!!!!!!!

[ftrain]

Originally Posted by R7

I just talked with them today, they agreed to drill it another 200' and lower the pump for the credit I received from the hydrofracking. If it fails, I need to drill a new well

How deep is the well already? My boss drilled over 1,000 feet and got similar results. Then they redrilled 40 feet away and only went down 200+ feet at hit major water. You might be better just starting a new well.

[ZX-12R]

Originally Posted by duc106

WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1. Sheetrock inspection for screws before taping
I hope you have him working saturday night!!!!!!!

I agree. That is just retarded. Are they going to make you tear down an entire sheet if you crush the edge with a screw at a joint?

Looks like the town is trying to get extra permit fees.

[burnham]

Originally Posted by ZX-12R

I agree. That is just retarded. Are they going to make you tear down an entire sheet if you crush the edge with a screw at a joint?

Looks like the town is trying to get extra permit fees.

It's just to make sure you have enough screws in each sheet.

[theothersean]

Originally Posted by burnham

It's just to make sure you have enough screws in each sheet.

take digital photos of the amount of screws used and email it to the inspector

[duc106]

1. Sheetrock inspection for screws before taping


What I was refering to with that is we are going to hang the house on Saturday and then 1st coat on Sunday, so Mark has some work to do with the inspector to get this approved. This inspection is very common but when your working part time it is a pain in the ass.