Thursday, December 23, 2010

Rocking out with Sheetrock

I think that the fact that Mercury was in retrograde stalled progress on the house.   Builders First Source refused to deliver the sheetrock due to weather, being shorthanded and the economy and finally suggested that I buy it from someone else.  So I did.  Lowes not only met the lower price of BFS but gave me free delivery and delivered it with a smile the next day.  How's that for service?  Hey BFS, why not just shoot yourself in the foot while you are at it?  I was a cash paying customer building a house.  What more do you want?  Well anyway Lowes is my newest favorite store.  Actually it always was but now I am proclaiming it. 

I ordered my interior doors yesterday from Lowes and they gave me a ten percent discount just for asking.  Wow!  I never thought they'd do that but asking for it saved me $290.

The hall (living room)
The drywall hangers came out yesterday and got started and they finished up today.  They were quick and efficient and did a great job.  I thought their price was reasonable too.  It's really nice to find someone that does good work, is on time and charges a fair price.

The bedroom
 As an added bonus today, I also installed my main entry door.  I love this door (also from Lowes).  It is made of fir and has full panel reed glass.  It is a contemporary classic.


Now it is time for sheetrock finishing.  They are scheduled to come in tomorrow and get started.  I am hoping that by Wednesday it will be completed and we can get started texturing and painting.  Then time for trim work.  I am looking forward to getting my miter saw out and cutting some trim wood.



The view from the pasture

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Grinding to a Halt

This week proved to be totally unproductive unless you count the day I went there to correct a few of the incompetent framer's errors in framing up rough door openings.  Sheetrock was scheduled to be delivered on Monday but due to the enormous blizzard (by WNC standards) of 2 inches of snow, delivery was postponed.  No amount of pleading or threats was sufficient to motivate Builders First Source to make the delivery this week.  Each day more phone calls and still no delivery.  It boiled down to the fact that the delivery guys just didn't want to, but they managed to come up with the excuse that there was too much ice and snow even after I drove in with my two wheel drive pickup and then scraped the driveway with my tractor.  Each new week is a learning experience in building a house.  This week the lesson is patience.

My somewhat eccentric electrician sent me a bill this week demanding immediate payment explaning that he could no longer carry the burden of the expense of this job.  He also stated that he would no longer do extras unless paid for in advance.  The strange thing is that he has never before requested payment and only recently completed rough in.  His check is in the mail.

It's cold out there and makes it difficult to go there an do anything outside, like clean the jobsite, which is in desperate need.  I also need to build a pump house since the new pump has been installed.  I have to give a plug to McCreary Well Service for their very prompt and courteous service in drilling the well and now in installing the pump.  They were also a thousand dollars cheaper than another bid I got on the pump.  They came out the day after I awarded the job to them and completed it that day.  I would hope that some other subcontractors and suppliers could take a lesson from them in how to do business, especially in this depressed economy.
The great blizzard of December 2010

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Nice and cozy

Just in time for the big snow and freeze, we got the insulation in this week.  It only took three guys less than a day to do it too.  I had considered doing the fiberglass insulation wall installation myself but when I found out how much they were going to charge me, decided not to.  There will be plenty of work for me to do pretty soon though as sheetrock is scheduled to go in on Monday if we do not get too much snow that it.

Leah lent me a really great propane heater which I got installed today.  After it's initial lighting, it only took a few minutes to start feeling the warming up effect in the house.  It will be nice and cozy in there this December and January while I am painting and doing trim work.  The all resourceful Leah also has a finish nail gun and compressor to lend me to make that work go even faster and smoother.

I am in the process of trying to make a decision on which wood stove to put in too.  I am torn between the ever popular and reliable Jotul like I have in my current home and the really cool Morso which costs more.  I am also considering yanking out my Jotul from my present house and installing it in the new house and then replacing it with a fireplace insert since there is an old fireplace in the living room.

There are just so many important long term decisions that have to be made in such a short period of time.  I think that has been the most challenging part of building a house.

Sprayed foam in the roof and fiberglass in the walls

The temporary heater sure is nice.

Sitting in this chair trying to imagine the finished living room

Monday, November 22, 2010

Exterior almost complete


Checklist:
Roofing - done
Siding - done
Painting - almost done
Deck - almost done

Now its almost time to move indoors.  The HVAC contractor is scheduled to start roughing in the refrigeration lines to the heat pump but needs the electrician to run some wires.  It seems that the electrician had a small problem with this HVAC guy in the past so now there seems to be a bit of a conflict on the job.  The electrician wants something in writing from the HVAC guy as to what he is suppose to do.  Come on now kids, play nice.  No fighting, share your toys.

If everyone cooperates we could get the framing, electrical and mechanical inspection this week and then get started on insulation.  I have decided to let an insulation contractor spray foam in the roof and under the house and I will put in the fiberglass wall insulation.  No problem, I used to have a ceiling business so have done tons of insulation work in years past.  It's not a pleasant job but two days of work and it will be done.

Here is a sample of the maze of pipes that will be one day hidden from view.  I thought it might be a good idea to take pictures, just so I know whats hidden away in my house.
The electrical wiring looks like spaghetti running every which way and all converging in this box.

The gas guy is suppose to come run the gas line to the stove this week also.  His name is Plato.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Got it's Skin

Hugo and the siding crew got to work this week and got some siding on but could not finish as we ran a little short of material and of course it is special order and of course he had to go start another job.  So now the material is in and awaiting Hugo's return.  We are scheduled to complete the siding on Monday.  You can see in the photo the batten strips on the second level and it looks kind of like candy stripes but they will get painted the same color as the siding, green. The trim is going to be a lighter green and the eaves and deck brown.


My friend Joe Burkett is coming over in the next day or two to see about making concrete countertops for the kitchen and bath.  Joe does really beautiful work as you can see in these photos from another job.  I love the heavy look of concrete counters and the lightness of the "Japallachian" vanity base which we will use as a model for my bath. He uses reclaimed heart pine for the base.



 Today I got to ride my tractor which is always a treat.  I spent a good part of the day cleaning the job site of debris, burning combustibles, saving what may get reused and piling up metal, plastic and cement products for a trip to the dump.  Then I was able to grade ruts and add some fill next to the house.  It looks great.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Just in time

The roof got put on this week and just in time as we had a good rain and now a forecast of snow.  I didn't have any snow yet in Asheville but did get a very brief hale shower.  Pedro and his crew did a good job.  This was the first crew on this job that I trusted and seemed to really know what they were doing.  With these guys, one thing leads to another.  One of the guys helping Pedro is a landscape contractor and wants to do some rock work for me.  They have another friend to do the sheetrock work.  These guys came to me as a referral from one of the framers.  They have quite the referral network going on here, and most of them hardly speak English.  I think they are on to something in the business world.
Pedro and the roofing crew

Other progress being made is in plumbing and electrical.  Both of these contractors are long time locals and speak English pretty well.  They are on the job and I feel safe in their hands (as far as plumbing and electrical go that is).  The plumbing rough in is complete and is holding a hydrostatic pressure test.  Electrical rough in is in progress.
hog panel handrails
The hog panels are up.  One of the roofing crew asked as he watched me install them if I had some animals that I was going to keep on the deck.  I think they came out nicely and was a fraction of the cost of the stainless cables.  While they are not as slick as the cables they do the job and look kind of industrial/farm style.
The awning roofs over the south windows
I have abandoned my idea to use a combination air conditioner/heater window unit installed in the wall.  It was just a little too ghetto and if I ever decide to sell this house one day, I am sure it would not help the process.  I am instead getting quotes on a split heat pump system where I'd have one coil for each floor.  This will be a lot more expensive but I am sure I will appreciate it next August and September.  I also have insulation contractors bidding the job.  Open cell foam under the house and in the vaulted ceiling and fiberglass in the walls and attic.  I hope to have photos of completed siding by the middle of next week.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Shit Happens!

It finally stopped raining but one "widow maker" did not survive the high winds and fell smack dead on the portable toilet.  Luckily no one was inside at the time.  A new toilet was delivered today so we are back on schedule in the portable waste department.

Several days of rain created a sea of mud and the few subs that did show up to try to get some work done left soon after.  The newly graded and back filled areas around the house are now rutted up and will have to be graded again when things dry up.

On the positive side, Hugo, the siding contractor showed up on Friday and got a good start trimming out the windows.   Luis also showed up and got the two awning roofs framed up over the south facing windows.  Jose' is scheduled to start the metal roofing on Monday so with the good weather forecast and lots of people on the job this should be a big week for progress.  If the plumber comes back and finishes and the electrician comes to rough in his work, the exterior will be complete and ready for insulation.

I am working on making the handrail panels for the deck by using galvanized hog panels from Tractor Supply.  My initial attempt at making a double framed panel with mitered corners proved to be too difficult and time consuming so I am going to plan B which should look great and be a lot faster and easier.  Photos to follow.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Progressing

While there is not much to see in photos, work is actually being done.  It's mostly small stuff like handrails, a little painting and priming, taping joints in the foam board and this Friday, grading was done.  This week is scheduled to be a big one though, with siding being installed, plumbing being roughed in, roofing materials being delivered and possibly installed with the electrical rough in close behind.  There should be some facebook and blog worthy photos by the end of next week that really shows some progress.

I am slowly shifting from my supervisory position, or should I say babysitting position, to more hands on activities.  I installed all the brackets on the porch and kitchen, and ripped lumber for the siding guys and for the hog panel handrails.  That's right hog panels.  What is that you ask?

I got a price on stainless steel cables and fittings to fit between my deck posts as a railing.  The price: $1165.00 for materials.  I was to provide the labor.  Over a thousand dollars for some 1/4" cable and fittings.  That seems a bit much to me.  I had the brilliant and what I thought to be original idea to make frames of wood and sandwich galvanized hog panels between them to use as a substitute for the stainless cables.  Price of wood and hog panels?  About $150.  Hog panels are the type of galvanized steel mesh panels used in fencing in farm animals and I suppose usually hogs.  They sell for about $21 at Tractor Supply and look very techno industrial, just like the expensive stainless steel wires.  I'll have photos soon I hope.  Turns out that it was not an original idea as I found photos of it being done on the internet and it looks way cool.


Exposed kitchen beams and brackets

Porch brackets

The bridge to the upper parking area is done

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Catching up in the garden

Had time to think

Appalachian Gothic?
...and to drive my tractor.
The sweet potatoes are looking good
I took a break from working on the house this weekend to catch up in the garden.  With invaluable help from Devon, we managed to dig the rest of the potatoes and sweet potatoes and clear out all the old tomato, corn and bean plants for composting.  I tilled the soil in preparation for planting garlic and winter cover crops of Austrian Peas and Rye grass.  We had gorgeous weather and even had time for a visit to Hooker Falls in Dupont State Forest and dinner in Brevard.

It was a good weekend to recharge the batteries.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Seis Mexicanos con pistolas de clavos

 It means "Six Mexicans with nail guns".  The army of Mexican carpenters returned this week in all their glory.  With David at the helm calling out instructions and measurements in Spanish, the team worked like a well oiled machine, nail guns a poppin'.  As you can see, windows are installed and the screen porch has been framed and roof decked out.  Things are shaping up and I am getting close to completing my contract with the incompetent contractor.  After a week's absence he showed up today to tell me about the difficult week he had and to bark a few incomprehensible orders to the crew.  He spent the rest of his time on the job site on his cell phone while I worked with the carpenters on getting the right cuts on the screen porch and helped install the sliding glass door.
I have abandoned the idea of putting steps leading down from the screen porch in lieu of a bridge coming off of the deck reaching out to the upper parking area.  This new idea came out of the difficulty I was having in coming up with a good plan for the steps.  Sometimes a problem can be the impetus for a better and more creative design. 

Next will be siding and roofing and all that is now in the works, finding contractors and materials.

We are having beautiful sunny weather, perfect for construction.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Two steps forward, one back

Progress is being made but it has been two steps forward and one step back.  The absence of supervision and carpentry skill has lead to some details coming out wrong which then have to be accommodated for or redone.  I had to relearn a lesson that I learned the hard way years ago.  Don't take the low bidder.  There is a reason that he is low.  In this case it is lack of a knowledgeable supervisor, or one who at least speaks English.  The carpenters are hard working and have great attitudes but lack blueprint reading skills.

Communication with them has been challenging.  Next time, and I hope there is no next time, I'd pay the extra money and go with the proven and competent builder.  If you are reading this, please make a note and learn from my expensive mistake.

The roof sheathing is now up, so soon, once windows are installed the structure will be dried in.   That will be nice to have the rain kept out and the dryness in.  I am now thinking about siding (Hardi-board or SmartSiding?), exterior trim, painting schemes, getting roofing installed and prematurely, I know, landscaping.
Tim Posey, my consulting architect will be starting a new job on Monday so will be available on a very limited basis, so now I take the helm in guiding this misguide ship through the stormy waters of construction. 

Building this house has been challenging but fun and exciting. This week has only been challenging.  I am looking forward to completing my contract with this incompetent contractor and moving on to more reputable and skillful subs.  I will be happy to give out the name of the contractor to anyone interested and more than happy to recommend a couple of others that I know, like Mark Catoe or David Bennert.




Cosmo admiring the view of the garden

The south west corner

The back of the house looking south

The stairs will be torn out and redone

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Framing

The skeleton of the house is going up at breakneck speed.  The framing crew came out on Tuesday and after a delayed material delivery and a lot of head scratching, got started.  Tuesday was productive with two guys but Wednesday was explosive in how much was done.  Six carpenters and their foreman were working in two teams with the foreman calling out dimensions and directions all in Spanish.  As if this was not confusing and overwhelming enough for me to watch, the added language barrier made it over the top.  I must admit I did pick up a few new words in Spanish like "dos por cuatro" (two by four) and "un poquito más" (a little more) and the Mexican workers had very nice personalities and attitudes about their work.  
The kitchen post and beam construction

The screen porch
As of Thursday

A few mistakes in framing were made and after some meetings with Tim Posey the architect and David the foreman, solutions were being found and corrections made.  The biggest challenge has been to get the correct material on the job.  It seems that we run out of everything.  Either I am a terrible estimator or someone in the area is building a shed or barn and is needing a little extra material.  Either way, I am continuously making trips to the lumber yard.


The windows have arrived and by the time of this posting the second floor will have been framed.  I expect the roof to be on by Tuesday and windows installed by Wednesday.  A few more days of detail work and it will be time for siding and roofing material. 

Friday, September 17, 2010

Here we go.......

Checklist:  The foundation is complete.  The cellar waterproofing complete.  Temporary power and underground electrical lines are complete.  The inspector is coming out to do his final foundation and waterproofing inspection this morning. 

Now we are off.  The material takeoff is done and the  framing contractor is lined up to start on Tuesday.  Windows are on order and I am now in the process of choosing interior doors, flooring, and other trim and finishes.  I am looking for simple clean lines which I try to describe as Appalachian Farmhouse Zen or maybe Shakerish or a kind of simple Arts and Craft style.  No fancy moldings for me but plenty of large square cut shapes.  Simple square two panel doors in fir or pine, square barge moldings around doors and windows, light natural wood floors, some dark slate colored tile for countertops is what I have in mind.

I am expecting the framing crew of five will only need a couple of weeks before the entire house is framed, windows installed and dried in.  Then it will be roofing and siding time which is what I am also selecting now. 

There are so many decisions to make in such a short amount of time.  Even though I have been thinking about this for years, when it comes down to the wire, decision time, it gets scary and exciting.  It's something I'll have to live with for years. 

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Winter approaches


My friend Devon offered to help me split firewood this weekend in exchange for some help at her house burning a brush pile.  We had not counted on the rain but worked through it getting soaked and muddied in the process.  I rented a 30 ton hydraulic log splitter, which got the job done.  Up to this winter I have always split all my firewood a little bit at a time with a splitting maul.  That process was not bad but this year I had tons of firewood to split from all the trees that came down during excavation of the house site.  What I learned is that it is much better to split it all at once with a hydraulic splitter and to have some help doing it. 
The work was quick, efficient and enjoyable with Devon's help and smiles.  She is one wood splitting woman, I must say as I had to hustle just to stack what she was splitting.  The wood was just flying off that splitter and into the stacking pile.  All in all we must have split two cords in about four hours time.
I'll be at it again tomorrow but will only get about half of my wood pile split.  The rest will be wood for next winter.

Friday, September 10, 2010

The Overview

Thought it might be helpful to include a few photos so that you could get an overview of the property.
Entering the property from the east end.
 

 



The waterfall on the lower end of the property.
The pasture looking east from the back of the property.

South Elevation of the Farm House

Moving Right Along

This was done in one day.  When I was told that they were coming out to start work yesterday on the concrete walls and pilings I figured a mason and a helper would come out and it would take them about a week.  What actually happened is that a huge crew of masons (don't know exactly how many) showed up each with his own laser.  The job was completed the same afternoon.  This morning we had an inspection which passed with flying colors and then by noon the concrete truck was out there filling the block holes.  The foundation resembles something that you might think of when you say "Fort Knox".  I think this house will stand for a long long time.  Unfortunately the crew did not want to be photographed, as I guess you can imagine why.  Next we have to pour three round columns to support the deck and a slab in the root cellar, where I'll store all my goodies from the garden and orchard.  Then it's on to framing the structure.  I'll have my third price by Monday and hope to start the following Monday once I get the materials assembled on the job site. Spending winter in the farm house is looking promising.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Footings

This is the foundation, the base of the house, that which supports everything above, like the arch in your feet.  This foundation could support a 4 story building I am sure.  It is full of 5/8" steel rebar and 14 yards of concrete, which is 40% more than was calculated.
Other than the concrete crew being an hour late and my getting very nervous and going 40% over on the estimate, it went off without a hitch.  The guys actually had to scrape the last of the concrete out of the concrete pump and use compressed air to get the last few crumbs out of the hoses in order to finish the pour.  Whew!
Tomorrow the mason is scheduled to start putting up the concrete block walls and piers.  We should be ready to start framing by Monday.  I really need to get to ordering windows before these guys get ahead of me.  Maybe I'll be in before the end of the year after all.

Friday, September 3, 2010

The Foundation under Construction

Digging the footings
Today the real work began.  Two very competent machine operators drove up, unloaded two Bobcat machines and commenced to digging courtesy of Marty Williams of Foundation Specialties.  In only an hour or so they had the basement dug, leveled out and deposited the fill over on the drive where I needed some extra fill.  After the surveyor came out and laid out the corners they started digging the footings.  I want to stress the adjective, competent.  Even though these two guys spoke five to six words of English between them, they were able to make clear their questions, concerns and give me advice as to what should be done.  I couldn't be more pleased with their work.  When I left the job site at 6:00 P.M. they were still happily digging.   We are scheduled to pour the footings on Tuesday.

Jerry Henderson doing the site work
Now I must also give credit to Jerry Henderson shown at right.  Jerry was the master at creating the finished graded house site from a wooded and rocky hillside.  This huge excavator made short work of those trees but did get it's track knocked off once by a larger than life boulder.  The most amazing thing was watching Jerry swing the boom, curl the bucket, while simultaneously spinning the carriage by tracking forward on one track and tracking reverse on the other.  The movements of the machine were only an extension of him.  It was if I were watching a large yellow prehistoric creature effortlessly careen through the forest knocking over some trees and delicately nibbling on some.  I have GOT to get the video camera out there if he ever comes back.  In addition to having the house site ready to go, I also have a gravel driveway and a temporary power pole courtesy of our fine electrician, Phil Price. 
We are now under way.

Fake Farmer builds a real farm house

As some of you know, I am what is known in Asheville, in some circles, as a Fake Farmer.  That means that I wear Carharts, drive a pickup and have bumper stickers which reference chickens and eating local, that sort of thing.  I often have dirt under my fingernails and use the words "sustainability, permaculture, chicken tractor and soil" more often than most.  In order to make my life as a fake farmer more full time, I have taken on the project of building a small farm house, not fake, to live in.  That will mean, more time spent in the garden, on my tractor and at the farmer's market, hopefully selling and not buying.
This blog is for the two or three of you out there that may be interested in seeing photos of and hearing about the progress of the house construction.  We are only digging the footings but already have stories worth telling about hitting huge rocks, unstable footings, the EPA, the Transylvania Permit Department, architects and structural engineers and the experiences of a flat-lander building in the holler.
Stay tuned for photos and stories.