At Home In The Woods

[jake98]

18" insulation, I guess. Don't know if they have that in Home Depot.

 

[Obed]

The house plans originally called for trusses spaced at 24" O.C. The original truss design also came back with trusses spaced at 24" O.C. We went with 19.2" OC. So our floor will have 25% more trusses than the house designer and truss designer specs called for. We have a center load bearing wall which I hope will help to counteract some of the bounciness. Also, our trusses are 24" high which seems to be pretty hefty. Most of the trusses I see around here are 18" high or less. We have done more than the minimum. However, trusses are expensive so we made our best cost/benefit analysis that would fit in our budget.

 

[EddieWalker]

I don't know any details of your trusses. What I do know is that when 3/4 plywood is put on a floor with the floor joists too far apart, the plywood will bounce on you when you walk on it. 12 inches is ideal, but too much money for most unless you are installing a hot tub on it or a waterbed. Otherwise, it likes 16 inch centers. At that, you'll still feel it move a bit, but it's not to a point that it's bothersome.

Maybe the material you're using is stiffer then 3/4 T&G plywood?

Eddie

 

[Obed]

I am convinced that BCIs, or any type of engineered joist that looks like the cross section of an I-beam has a significant bending mode under shock loads which is not usually accounted for in design calculations. I think the thin OSB-like section in the middle can buckle and fold slightly into a V-shape under shock loads, which contributes to springiness.

Our trusses are the open-web design, not the I-Joist design. I don't know which type is stronger or less bouncy.

 

[Pops15]

I don't know any details of your trusses. What I do know is that when 3/4 plywood is put on a floor with the floor joists too far apart, the plywood will bounce on you when you walk on it. 12 inches is ideal, but too much money for most unless you are installing a hot tub on it or a waterbed. Otherwise, it likes 16 inch centers. At that, you'll still feel it move a bit, but it's not to a point that it's bothersome.

Maybe the material you're using is stiffer then 3/4 T&G plywood?

Eddie

We built one house with joists 12" OC. We usually go 16" OC and double the joists under partitions, under a tub if it runs the same direction as the joists,and under the water heater and furnace. Going 12" OC costs about the same as doubling the joists in high load areas with 10" spacing.
The 12" OC floor was as solid as I've ever seen but there are downsides to going that route.....not the least of which is you can't stack your 16" OC studs and ceiling joists and in some areas the code requires everything to be within 1 1/2" of being stacked straight up.
Pops

 

[Pops15]

Our trusses are the open-web design, not the I-Joist design. I don't know which type is stronger or less bouncy.

Are your trusses built out of 2X4's turned flat ways? Those things are incredibly strong, plus they make life easier for the mechanical and electrical guys.
Pops

 

[Bartcephus]

Obed,

Back on the trench diging... A middle buster from TSC for less than $200.00 is one of the best ditch diging tools I have. I've used it for burying electric lines, water lines and digging drainage ditches. Cleaning out the trench with my Box Blade on angle. For a short ditch, it takes me longer to change implements than it does to do the actual tractor "work." (play?) It also does a marvelous job of turning over the soil before tilling or disking. You can also get a "chisel" blade for them instead of the plow shoe. Just too hang dandy and afordable....

I have enjoyed your thread and thinking about following your lead as far as living out of a camper for awhile. I too am comfortable out in the woods. I am green with envy. I already have the camper, (a 32 foot gooseneck) I guess I just need a "storage trailer" and some land. I wish you could move that 61 acres to NE Texas! That place looks AWESOME. (Have you sold it yet?) Seems like you have the perfect setup now for construction, a temp home on site, power, good water, sewage, and a wonderful wife with a baby on the way. On site every eve to check progress and involved. Way to go Obed! Happy New Year!

 

[charlz]

I am wondering if you have thought of/checked into a 'whole house fan'? One of my friends just built a house and put one in. He loves it. For those times when it's cooler outside but no breeze to change the air in your house. While it is pulling in cooler air it is also cleaning the hot air out of your attic further cooling your house.

He says he has also used it when they have burnt or cooked something smelly, kick on the fan, crack a few windows in the kitchen and 'problem solved'.

 

[Obed]

I wish you could move that 61 acres to NE Texas! That place looks AWESOME. (Have you sold it yet?)

Bartcephus, thanks for the nice comments. The 61 acres are still for sale. The people who went to look at it liked it but have decided to buy some land in the valley instead of up on the plateau. I'd sure love to sell it but understand 61 acres on a mountain river could take awhile to sell.

Obed

 

[Obed]

I am wondering if you have thought of/checked into a 'whole house fan'?

charlz, yes we are putting in a whole house fan. I lived for 3 years with some relatives who had a whole house fan. That fan made a huge difference in cooling the house.

I really don't understand why more people don't install whole house fans; they just make sense and are much less expensive to run than AC. It seems that many people, maybe most people, that we know NEVER open their windows. The have either the heat or the air running all the time. That just doesn't make sense to me. Plus we like the fresh air and like to air out the house. It's also nice to hear the birds singing outside.

Obed