Build thread: house of freedom

[freedom_in_4low]

That turned out really nice. I’m planning to do some kind of metal railing for my interior stairway also. I want to do something a little fancy maybe a roll bend of sorts

that would be slick. I'm torn between being glad my wife is going through a clean, straight lines phase, or wishing she'd have asked for something like that so I could justify buying tools to make it happen. I did at least get a miter saw out of it.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

Fking A if this weren’t your real life it would be funny.

I sure as shit wouldn’t be getting on that pitch roof. If I built a custom house I’ve always said I wouod design it with big over hangs and no gutters so everything dumps onto sloped ground away from foundation so I almost never have to get on the roof!

I'm at that point where at least some of it has to be funny to keep my sanity. In the end, we're ending up where we want to be, so it'll be worth the journey.

What's not funny is designing a house when interest rates are 2.8% and have been in the 3% neighborhood for close to a decade and then watching them climb in a period of 3 months to end up at 6.25%. I'm just glad I was super conservative when initially choosing our price point, so instead of living in cash-rich Dave Ramsey fantasy dreamland I'll just have to live like I already have been for my entire adult life anyway.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

there's no natural gas here so it's propane, but the HOA doesn't allow above ground propane tanks. I didn't even know burying those was a thing that people did.

I'm sure that was fun in all the rock.


I suspect we won't use that much, because it's just for cooking and hot water, which is good because propane has been super expensive lately.
We didn't have a compliant way to vent the water heater exhaust through the roof without taking space for a chase out of an upstairs bedroom so we had to use a tankless heater that could run through the wall. I originally asked about doing instant HW with a recirc pump, and declined when I was given the cost, but apparently that message didn't get through and we got it anyway.

The HVAC is an air source heat pump with electric backup. I work in HVAC and write heat pump control software so I'm familiar but it's the first time I've ever had one so my initial reaction to pulling up during or shortly after a defrost cycle was one of surprise.

I actually used to design commercial chillers for Trane and would have liked their equipment but our GC didn't have a connection with a Trane installer so it would have been quite a bit more expensive.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

it was fun to watch the aerobic system go in. I made sure they placed the sprinklers out of the way for a future shop.

This picture just helped me realize that AC line set I talked about did NOT get stolen. There was only one line ever there!

 

[B00mb00m]

there's no natural gas here so it's propane, but the HOA doesn't allow above ground propane tanks. I didn't even know burying those was a thing that people did.

View attachment 394244


I'm sure that was fun in all the rock.


I suspect we won't use that much, because it's just for cooking and hot water, which is good because propane has been super expensive lately.
We didn't have a compliant way to vent the water heater exhaust through the roof without taking space for a chase out of an upstairs bedroom so we had to use a tankless heater that could run through the wall. I originally asked about doing instant HW with a recirc pump, and declined when I was given the cost, but apparently that message didn't get through and we got it anyway.
View attachment 394249

The HVAC is an air source heat pump with electric backup. I work in HVAC and write heat pump control software so I'm familiar but it's the first time I've ever had one so my initial reaction to pulling up during or shortly after a defrost cycle was one of surprise.

View attachment 394248

I actually used to design commercial chillers for Trane and would have liked their equipment but our GC didn't have a connection with a Trane installer so it would have been quite a bit more expensive.

Maybe you could expand on the difference. I’ve heard of a gas furnace backup for a heat pump but never two heat pumps as redundant.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

Maybe you could expand on the difference. I’ve heard of a gas furnace backup for a heat pump but never two heat pumps as redundant.

It's just an electric furnace backup instead of gas. The two systems are just two zones - 4 ton for main level and a 3 ton for upstairs. We need a lot of cooling capacity for our summers but our winters are pretty mild so the furnaces probably won't come on that often.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

speaking of upstairs...we don't need a full 7 tons of cooling right now, the upstairs unit is sized to account for this space. Finishing this room got cut for budgetary reasons but I'll take my time and do it myself over the next couple of years. It's my man-cave/theater above the garage.

24x24, so I'll run the theater across one side and have something like a pool table and maybe a bar area with a beer fridge in the corner. It's not plumbed for water but it would be doable if I really wanted to.

The biggest task will be getting that 16" LVL beam up on the top plates so I can start framing the ceiling and relocate those rafter braces.

Also pictured is the foil-backed radiant barrier roof deck. Infrared radiation is a huge component of heat transfer from your roof into your attic and it makes a very noticeable difference in summer attic temps. It would be intolerable to be in here in July for more than a few minutes...like a solid stream of sweat running off your chin and imminent dehydration and heat stroke. But with this stuff it's conceivable I could probably get some construction work done up there. The foil backed decking was like a $2k add, which is not much for a roof like this. It was less than the add for Class IV impact resistant shingles, which will lower my homeowners insurance by enough to pay for themselves in 3 years.

 

[Modoc Guy]

The house looks great! Congratulations on getting that far without going crazy!

It’s a real pity that what you’re experiencing is what’s happened to all the trades. Workmen with little or no training and experience, and language barriers.

And on top of that, material costs
are through the roof, and even poorly trained labor costs are high.

And as a highly skilled retired tradesman, it’s really hard to watch this shit-show unfold.

I’ve been in my new semi-tract home for about a year, and I’m totally appalled at some of the workmanship and finish of this place. And I saw plenty of crappy work while shopping new homes in my area.

And I don’t think you’re off base in complaining. We ought to be pissed about how things have deteriorated to the point where we are now!

But I hope that all the troubles are behind you, and you and your family can start enjoying the fruits of your labor.

Enjoy, stay warm, healthy and happy in this new year, and your new home!

 

[JMT]

That's a great looking house!

Doorbells are overrated.

Love the brick choices (without the mortar splatter everywhere).

The range area has to be the most stupid screw ups I've ever seen.

The chimney without flashing runs a close second.

Nice work on the rails. Aesthetically I would like the rails on the angled stair portion to tie in end to end with those on the horizontal platform, but I hear your dilemma.

Congratulations!

 

[freedom_in_4low]

i should show a zoomed out version of that photo. We're of similar square footage (2800 ish) to the house next door with the pool and they look comparable from the street, but the aerial photo just looks amusing to me.

Our lot has so much topography that we had to squeeze the main floor down to the minimum HOA requirement, and with a really compact footprint, while the house next door is mostly one floor and stretched out to like 100 feet wide.

The house that just barely peeks into the lower left corner is a 3700 sf monster being built by a guy that sold his billboard company and now has a mobile dog grooming service with his wife because was bored. He makes the third Marine and second retired police officer on our street. He found a flat spot to build the house but he had to build a $50k bridge (really just buried a 5' diameter tin horn) over a creek to get to it.

 

[BlueC]

We close on Friday and wow if I'm not just as excited to be done with this process as I am to be in the house. We're walking through to generate a punch list this afternoon

Do your walk-through, but I highly suggest you pay a good home inspector to look it over BEFORE closing, even if you have to delay.

BTW, some of these problems scream GC and crews that typically work on tract homes to me. I see stuff like you have posted frequently with those houses and crews.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

The house looks great! Congratulations on getting that far without going crazy!

It’s a real pity that what you’re experiencing is what’s happened to all the trades. Workmen with little or no training and experience, and language barriers.

And on top of that, material costs
are through the roof, and even poorly trained labor costs are high.

And as a highly skilled retired tradesman, it’s really hard to watch this shit-show unfold.

I’ve been in my new semi-tract home for about a year, and I’m totally appalled at some of the workmanship and finish of this place. And I saw plenty of crappy work while shopping new homes in my area.

And I don’t think you’re off base in complaining. We ought to be pissed about how things have deteriorated to the point where we are now!

But I hope that all the troubles are behind you, and you and your family can start enjoying the fruits of your labor.

Enjoy, stay warm, healthy and happy in this new year, and your new home!

thanks, and yes I think we're getting there. At least getting to the point where I'm in control of my own destiny and if anything else gets screwed up, it'll be on me!

My biggest thing with GC is just lack of communication both with us and the subs, and a general lack of project management experience. We've watched other houses start and finish while doing ours, had a couple times of 4 weeks of nothing done because something didn't get ordered or some sub didn't get scheduled because GC waits until the current task is done to think about the next one. At one point in December I asked if we could close on 1/15 so we could get moved in before my wife started spring semester at school, and she said no it wouldn't be enough time...meanwhile there have been periods where multiple trades could have been working outside and inside without stepping on each other, and then when we needed to ask her something last week we found out she was on vacation in Mexico. I mean, nothing wrong with vacations but when you have a big project finishing up...not to mention it's at least the SECOND time they've vacationed to Mexico during our project. Yes. Seriously.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

Do your walk-through, but I highly suggest you pay a good home inspector to look it over BEFORE closing, even if you have to delay.

BTW, some of these problems scream GC and crews that typically work on tract homes to me. I see stuff like you have posted frequently with those houses and crews.

That's very good advice, and yes, home inspector comes Wednesday, and a new neighbor and soon to be friend owns a water restoration company, he came and did the infrared scan and moisture testing this weekend. I've seen way too much to just trust things are done right, and though I know enough about a few specific trades to be dangerous, I'm not a construction pro by any stretch.

 

[Zorba]

Nice house. Sorry about the HOA. How did the GC do timewise? Our little 150 sq ft addition took 7 months, I was pretty steamed for about 5-1/2 months of it, but over all they did do a very good job.

 

[Viking Jeeper]

About 5 years ago during a hurricane a neighbor texted a few of us and said one of his off ridge roof vents had blown off. We all envisioned huge amounts of water pouring into their house so we headed over to help. Shortly after we got there he was coming out of the attic and said the hole for the vent had never been cut, it was essentially decoration for the 15 years it had been there. We found the vent and it had been held on with ONE nail.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

the electricians finally moved the outlet. They were hemming and hawing about whether they could just lower it so they could keep it in the same stud cavity , even though the "this space must be empty" extends all the way to the floor. They were trying to get in the minds of whoever wrote the manual to figure out why and how they could get around it. All over cutting another hole in sheetrock when we all knew the sheetrock guy was already coming back anyway. I'm glad I was there to disabuse them of the notion.

When I left, the lumber yard was gathering returnable materials, a mason was correcting brick issues. a sheetrock guy was taking care of patches, and a cleanup crew was getting ready to mop the floor. Sounds like we're getting another load of dirt to lessen the slope off the edge of the driveway and around the aerobic system tank, and sod is scheduled for Thursday but there's been doubt cast on that happening because a winter mix is forecast tomorrow and the sod place has to be able to cut it and get it out of the field. I'm playing middleman between lender and GC because lender wants sod to be in place before sending the appraiser out to make sure everything is completed. I've made it known in no uncertain terms that I have no interest in delays at this point given the intricate schedule existing around vacating our rental.

And now I'm on hold with the local credit union I use to access my Colorado-based credit union, to make sure they aren't going to give me trouble when I try to get a cashiers check for down payment and closing costs.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

I guess OSHA just doesn't care about residential construction?

that's a 14 foot ladder sitting on dirt (photo is 3 weeks old, before paint, driveway and patios were poured).

 

[freedom_in_4low]

I spent most of last Friday at the house working on the railing interacting with exterior painters, the guy doing the mailbox, and a guy doing dirtwork. DIdn't realize until the afternoon that I'd forgotten my 4 year old had given me some stickers that morning.

 

[2001slvrstntj]

Custom home, been there done that. It is all in the GC, ours was great, not the cheapest but I was building our forever home so thought best to get the right guy. That guy is not always out there, we got lucky. We talked to satisfied customers of custom homes and got their input and GCs to start the search, worked out. Hang in there, looks great!

 

[tworley]

House looks great! Glad its on the downhill side of things for you.

We moved into our house last year and had the interior painted, popcorn ceiling removed, new carpet and a bathroom sink/cupboard combo put in.

-The painter was 3 weeks behind schedule. Multiple times he said "Ill be working late, til 8pm if you want to come by and look at things or have any questions". I'd show up after work about 615 and the entire house was empty. Multiple times he said he'd work late only for me to show up to an empty house. Our first floor has a built in, square flower pot that has a galvanized bottom. We said "don't paint that, we want to leave the stained oak and we'll redo it ourselves", we were even acknowledged. The next day, the whole thing, including the galvanized bottom is painted

-Hired a "handy man" that our realtor suggested to us to install a new sink and vanity in the downstairs bathroom. We picked up the vanity at home depot and left it in the garage. The next day we go to look at it and the handyman removed the old vanity, which was sitting on the plywood floor board (previous owners remodeled around it with tile), and placed the new one on top of the plywood, made no mention to us whatsoever that the tiles no longer matched around the vanity. He also installed a sump pump in the basement and I noticed just the other day that the 14/2 wire he used is just dangling in the crawlspace and not secured to anything. Thats probably on us, we shouldnt have hired a handyman.

-Carpet guy, carpet guy did ok. There is just a couple of spots where I think he overcut on the stairs and there is a sliver that probably no one would notice. What was annoying though, was our painter said he and the carpet guy were best buds and they could work together at the same time without stepping on each others toes. The next day, the painter calls me and says "I cant work today, Randy is in my way and I just cant get anything done until he is out of there".