Building a new house and shop (2 Viewers)

[mdsims]

The builders took a couple of weeks off after finishing the exterior shell, but have been back now for a week and are busy laying electrical conduit and wire in the floors before pouring, as well as bringing up all the plumbing, drain, and vent risers:

electrical & plumbing in the floor before pouring

• 1911
• Oct 12, 2017

Floors will be poured next week.

They have also started on the exterior waterproofing, which will take 2-3 weeks.

On a different note, these photos are from a game camera elsewhere on our land:

game camera buck

• 1911
• Oct 12, 2017

game camera buck night

• 1911
• Oct 12, 2017

game camera hog

• 1911
• Oct 12, 2017

I'm on my way!

 

[scrapdaddy]

All cool stuff! I'm excited for you.

 

[GeoRoss]

Looking great!

This is the point where things speed up!

 

[1911]

Looking great!

This is the point where things speed up!

At least until we run out of money. If we can get it enclosed and buried before then, the rest can wait until I can make more money. We're paying cash for the whole thing, and don't want a mortgage. We underestimated the cost of concrete and rebar in our local (booming) new house building market.

But we did get the floors poured today, and the waterproofing of the exterior moves apace.

Pouring the floors #2

• 1911
• Oct 18, 2017

 

[GeoRoss]

At least until we run out of money. If we can get it enclosed and buried before then, the rest can wait until I can make more money. We're paying cash for the whole thing, and don't want a mortgage. We underestimated the cost of concrete and rebar in our local (booming) new house building market.

But we did get the floors poured today, and the waterproofing of the exterior moves apace.

Pouring the floors #2

• 1911
• Oct 18, 2017

I hear you on the mortgage thing. We are in the beginning process of selling our house and paying cash for the next. I think I'll enjoy life without a mortgage.

The good news on the interior stuff is that it isn't rocket science. Once things are weather tight there are a fair number of projects you can bang out slowly.

 

[1911]

I hear you on the mortgage thing. We are in the beginning process of selling our house and paying cash for the next. I think I'll enjoy life without a mortgage.

I'm pretty sure you will. I know my stress level went down exponentially after we became completely debt free; hence my unwillingness to take on any again. Good luck with getting your house ready to sell, and selling it. IH8 moving.

 

[UltraFJ40]

Dude, that is awesome. I'm pleased and jealous at the same time.

 

[1911]

Latest photos, floors all poured in one day last week. 5,000 sq. ft., including the garages. The floor floats on the footers, it is not structurally attached or pinned to the footers or walls. There are drains under/between the footers, if by chance any water gets under the footers and floors somehow. And a vapor barrier between the crushed rock fill between the footers (under the floor) and the floor.

master bedroom floor

• 1911
• Oct 23, 2017

all floors poured

• 1911
• Oct 23, 2017

 

[1911]

Waterproofing of the exterior is completed; still needs to cure for a day or two and be tested before burial. The builder guarantees that it won't leak. Rain is forecast for day after tomorrow, so that should be a good test.

Waterproofing

• 1911
• Nov 6, 2017
• 2

 

[scrapdaddy]

Just keeps getting better and better.

 

[firestopper]

Like scrapdaddy said...

 

[dubyahard]

It's been too long. We need an update!

 

[1911]

It's been too long. We need an update!

Thanks.

Not much to report on; the first good waterproofing test (1" of rain) showed a few small leaks in some of the domes. Builder came back and treated those spots additionally, now waiting on another good rain to test again. The builder guarantees it won't leak.

Meanwhile, I have been cleaning up construction trash from around the site and the dirt piles, getting ready to start moving dirt from the piles to the back of the house. The leaks are in the domes, none in the back walls, so we could start backfilling the rear of the house (the working space between the hill and the house) up to the top of the walls, and probably will start that next week.

I've also been trimming and cutting trees in the creek next to the south end/master bedroom, to make it a prettier view. It's a lot of work; the junipers/red cedars are pretty overgrown everywhere, and you can't get even a small tractor down in there, so all the limbs and trees have to be hauled out of the creek by hand. I'll take a photo of it next time I'm out there.

 

[Music Man]

rope and chain, and use tractor to pull up the hill?

 

[1911]

rope and chain, and use tractor to pull up the hill?

The problem is, the creek bed is rocky and uneven. I'm afraid pulling the limbs that way, they would catch on every rock. Plus, the road is built up above the creek bed with culverts underneath, so there is only the width of the road to pull with the tractor in that direction. Here is a photo of the creek bed (after I have cleared this part by hand), if that gives you a better idea of how it is. There is no water running in it right now (until the next rain).

creek bed

• 1911
• Dec 5, 2017

 

[1911]

As of this morning, back filling has begun:

Backfilling begins

• 1911
• Dec 5, 2017

We rented a "soil processor" to sort out rocks; rocks will be OK to bury in the back, but you don't want big rocks up against the waterproofing on the wall. Only using it was needed.

soil processor

• 1911
• Dec 5, 2017

 

[scrapdaddy]

Every step is well thought out!

 

[1911]

A photo from today; the drain mat is in place along the back walls. This is neat stuff, it conducts water inside, and protects the back wall waterproofing from rocks and etc, and still works even when compressed by the back fill dirt. The idea is that any water that does get to the back wall will be channeled down to the french drain at the bottom of the wall.

Drain mat in place

• 1911
• Dec 7, 2017

The dirt contractor also brought in a much larger front-end loader today, so the back fill should go much faster than with just the track steer. I'll get a photo of it tomorrow or the next day.

 

[tstepp920]

A photo from today; the drain mat is in place along the back walls. This is neat stuff, it conducts water inside, and protects the back wall waterproofing from rocks and etc, and still works even when compressed by the back fill dirt. The idea is that any water that does get to the back wall will be channeled down to the french drain at the bottom of the wall.

Drain mat in place

• 1911
• Dec 7, 2017

The dirt contractor also brought in a much larger front-end loader today, so the back fill should go much faster than with just the track steer. I'll get a photo of it tomorrow or the next day.

That type of drain mat is the only thing that I have used that actually works as claimed. Good stuff.

 

[1911]

That type of drain mat is the only thing that I have used that actually works as claimed. Good stuff.

I appreciate the endorsement; this stuff was recommended to me by the dome contractor, but it was expensive so I am glad to hear that it really works!