Building a new house and shop (4 Viewers)

[65swb45]

It is an interesting phenomenon that as you get further into a particular craft, you find that you can substitute a lot more tools in the rough stages than you could as a rookie.

Since I used to argue with my dad a lot about quality tools when I was young, he was greatly amused when I admitted later in life to using rudimentary tools from time to time once I had mastered technique.

 

[1911]

I would want some character in the ceiling; very Mediterranean. Not sure I would shoot it with texture either. I have seen lots of domed ceilings in Greece, Italy, etc. and they all have a smooth but imperfect surface (waves and cervices but no raised areas.....if that makes sense). Obviously your decision and I'm sure either way it will look great.

So it looks like he's using a tape knife like you use for sheetrock joints. I would have thought a rectangular trowel like you use for concrete or plaster would give "the look" that I have in my mind. Take that with a grain of salt as I couldn't finish a sheetrock joint if my life depended on it.

Yeah, I would be OK with quite a bit of variation, and I think Mrs. 1911 may be coming around, if it gets us moved in sooner.

The corners are the hardest to do and look smooth, so that's where a little texture can hide a multitude of sins. I thought about going for the old-world plaster look, but it is hard to get the trowel circles all the same size, because of the changing-radius curves in the dome.

He is using a taping knife, because it is more flexible than a trowel. You need the flexibility with all of the curves of varying radii in the domes.

 

[Honger]

Very cool to see this on the move again. Loving the process.

 

[PAToyota]

The corners are the hardest to do and look smooth, so that's where a little texture can hide a multitude of sins. I thought about going for the old-world plaster look, but it is hard to get the trowel circles all the same size, because of the changing-radius curves in the dome.

I've developed a fondness for troweled plaster walls. They're also called "Venetian plaster" or "Italian plaster."

It can be hard to get a good picture, but I think it's the same as you're referring to with "old world" plaster. They can also do it to varying degrees. I've seen some interior decorators who feel it has to be very rough and unfinished looking, but I've also seen it practically polished glossy. Depending on colors and effects, it can look like aged leather.

I can see that it would be difficult on a compound curved surface, but I have seen it on arched ceilings.

 

[65swb45]

I've developed a fondness for troweled plaster walls. They're also called "Venetian plaster" or "Italian plaster."

It can be hard to get a good picture, but I think it's the same as you're referring to with "old world" plaster. They can also do it to varying degrees. I've seen some interior decorators who feel it has to be very rough and unfinished looking, but I've also seen it practically polished glossy. Depending on colors and effects, it can look like aged leather.

I can see that it would be difficult on a compound curved surface, but I have seen it on arched ceilings.

View attachment 3263943

@65FJ45 has a fondness for the same finish. Tries to talk me in to it every time I see him. Not my cup of tea.

 

[PAToyota]

There's something for everyone out there. And I'm not a fan of the really rough (almost sloppy) versions that look more like exterior stucco in some cut rate Western movie.

I just get tired of all the ultra-modern smooth, white walls with no trim that they seem to think is so fashionable these days. They end up showing every blemish, crack, and wear mark and soon look pretty shabby.

 

[65swb45]

There's something for everyone out there. And I'm not a fan of the really rough (almost sloppy) versions that look more like exterior stucco in some cut rate Western movie.

I just get tired of all the ultra-modern smooth, white walls with no trim that they seem to think is so fashionable these days. They end up showing every blemish, crack, and wear mark and soon look pretty shabby.

One word sums it up: sterile.

A sign of the times.

But I hate just as much seeing knock-down plaster that is obviously the product of someone who CAN'T tape drywall.

 

[PAToyota]

But I hate just as much seeing knock-down plaster that is obviously the product of someone who CAN'T tape drywall.

I totally agree with that. Definitely a difference between troweled plaster and mere hacks.

 

[1911]

I've developed a fondness for troweled plaster walls. They're also called "Venetian plaster" or "Italian plaster."

It can be hard to get a good picture, but I think it's the same as you're referring to with "old world" plaster. They can also do it to varying degrees. I've seen some interior decorators who feel it has to be very rough and unfinished looking, but I've also seen it practically polished glossy. Depending on colors and effects, it can look like aged leather.

I can see that it would be difficult on a compound curved surface, but I have seen it on arched ceilings.

View attachment 3263943

I could be OK with that, or something close; not sure about the mrs.

What I more or less want/hope for is a finish that resembles plastered adobe houses - mostly smooth, with some imperfections and with rounded edges and corners.

 

[PAToyota]

As I say, it can span a pretty wide range of results - both from what is being asked for as well as from the talent of the craftsman. I'd definitely want to see prior work from anyone I was going to hire and have them do some test panels to make sure everyone is on the same page before starting.

At the low end, it looks like someone had no idea how to plaster a wall and just hacked at it. At the high end it can look like burnished leather, worn stone, or a number of other varieties. It's hard to find good pictures of examples because everyone just wants a "face on" picture - which doesn't show texture and finish well.

 

[1911]

Getting a ton of work done on the house; been busy/tired enough not to be here on Mud much. I have to balance my consulting work with work on the house - I want to take time off and work with/learn from the builder when he's here, but I need to bill hours myself to be able to continue to pay him and buy materials.

Mrs. 1911 and I have both tried our hands at plastering; we're happy enough with the results but we're very slow compared to the builder (as expected). I have to be careful to mix small batches so that it doesn't start setting up before we can get it troweled on and smoothed.

All three bathrooms are pretty much plumbed-in. We now have water in the house! I spent yesterday and this morning digging up the water lines from the well house to tap in to. Either the well driller or the contractor that built the shop building and apartment did some goofy (in my opinion) routing of the water lines, but I found a good enough place to tee into the high side (after the pressure tank) and all is good; no leaks anywhere, the line is buried in cushion sand, and voila, you can turn on a valve inside the house and water comes out in the kitchen and bathrooms.

This shut-off valve is only temporary; we'll eventually have a wall-mounted manifold but this gets water in the house for now to test the plumbing before we start walling it up in the bathrooms.

I pulled all the propane lines in the house myself, from the outside second-stage regulator into the house and all the distribution inside the house. The house is long enough that I decided to run a 2 psi system and only drop down to the standard 11 inches water column with individual regulators at every appliance (there are only four right now - a cooktop/range, two water heaters and a gas dryer). Here is the manifold where the 3/4" line from the outside second-stage 2 psi regulator comes into the house in the kitchen. The other two 1/2" lines are distribution through the rest of the house. The cooktop/range will come right off the manifold, which will eventually reside inside the island in the kitchen:

The main hallway and the dome module that contains guest bedroom/bathroom suite is pretty much all plastered and skimmed but still not painted or textured:

Staring to roof over the bathrooms; more plumbing, electrical, and plastering/skimming ongoing.

 

[1911]

Work continues slowly; I have to balance between paid consulting, working on the house, family time, and other community commitments. Nothing too exciting to show - I did finish plastering another room (my office), and sanding that down by hand with a grinding block, now it is ready for the first skim coat of drywall mud. Predictably, my plastering technique is improving with practice. I can do it with more consistent thickness and smoother transitions between areas/work sessions than my first efforts.

I am continuing to work on my propane lines. I trenched 100' all the way from the tank to the second-stage 2 psi regulator location and laid that 3/4" line. I pressure tested the 80' of 3/4" line from the second-stage regulator that runs in conduit to the main distribution manifold inside the house (photo in a previous post) and am happy with it; it's holding 7.5 x line pressure for 48 hours.

Next, I will move the gauge to the line to the tank, and pressure test that before I bury it.

I can install some connections and ball valves on the 1/2" distribution lines inside the house from the manifold in the kitchen to the appliances to pressure test them, but won't permanently cut them to length and connect them to the manifold until we build the kitchen island the manifold will reside in and install the actual appliances.

 

[scrapdaddy]

So much work, you have a deep well of energy my friend!

 

[1911]

So much work, you have a deep well of energy my friend!

Thanks Ron; it can't keep me young, but it keeps me from being old and debilitated! I hope.

 

[Dunbar]

We accomplish that by having our twins at 40 and their sister at 41.

 

[Dunbar]

Didn't think there would be that much amazement at having kids so old. We got married at 30, 1st time for both, and kids didn't show up for the first 10 years. Not for lack of trying. Figured they would show up sooner. Now the boys are about to turn 21 and my daughter is 19. Moving Robert and Mary Kathryn out of their dorm rooms at Baylor today. Stuart is special needs so he gets to hang with us and gets a continual education in conservative-libriteraian politics.
Can't wait to get the other 2 back in the house.
Apologies to 1911, but on building content. We designed a total rebuild of a house in 3.75 acres in Tomball. With the increases in material costs we choked on the build estimate. I redesigned with 2 rather than 1 story and dropped the price by a million and got 85% of what we were after. That was after checking the market to see if any other properties fit the bill in the $800k to $1000k range. Nothing out there we liked as much as the place we had. Then at a happy hour at a neighbors house, our next door neighbor said he's ready to sell his place and move to assisted living near his daughter in Katy. He has an acre more and it's nicely landscaped, better pool, 2 wells, much bigger house he designed and built in 1980. Move in ready for us. And he shot us a price we really like. We can sell our place word of mouth for within $100k of his price. With this economy i didn't relish a jumbo loan. Now we will be able to build the shop and have a relatively tiny mortgage. We close June 20.

 

[1911]

The buried 100' propane line from the tank to the second-stage regulator at the edge of the retaining wall held more than 2x working line pressure for more than 24 hours, and ready for burial, so,

Using the high-capacity assault wheelbarrow to backfill the trench with cushion sand, tracer wire, and caution tape:

 

[65swb45]

Assault wheelbarrow! I like it! Don’t think I will ever have the acreage to justify one, so I’ll just have tool envy from the ‘burbs.

 

[planomateo]

Bravo for running the tracer wire!

 

[PAToyota]

Assault wheelbarrow! I like it! Don’t think I will ever have the acreage to justify one, so I’ll just have tool envy from the ‘burbs.

I have a skidloader and mini-ex on a quarter acre in town...