At Home In The Woods

[Obed]

After we move in the house, there will still be stuff to be done that I will be happy to post if there is still any interest in the thread. It all may seem anti-climatic at that point. We still need to finish the back porch, move massive amounts of dirt, plant grass, run grey water and gutter downspout drain lines, and build closet shelves. These projects should start pretty soon as the weather allows.

I've been surprised at the interest the thread has drawn. One guy said this thread/house building project was like watching a car wreck about to happen, trying to warn the driver (Obed), and the driver was not listening. I think some people may have lost interest in the thread after we parted ways with the original construction manager.

I'm very grateful for the responses and input we've gotten from people in the thread. People gave us tips that, at the very least, were very helpful and sometimes may have helped us avoid a train wreck.

 

[srs]

After we move in the house, there will still be stuff to be done that I will be happy to post if there is still any interest in the thread. It all may seem anti-climatic at that point. We still need to finish the back porch, move massive amounts of dirt, plant grass, run grey water and gutter downspout drain lines, and build closet shelves. These projects should start pretty soon as the weather allows.

I really enjoyed following this thread from beginning to end. I know I'm interested in follow up projects and I'm sure there are plenty other TBN members who would agree. Merry Christmas OBED and to all!

 

[CurlyDave]

Being able to park a car in the garage will be quite a step up for us.

Personally, I have never been able to bring myself to waste a perfectly good garage by parking a car in it.

I might start out with good intentions, but my packrat mentality soon needs that sheltered storage space...

 

[Obed]

Certificate of Occupancy Inspection

This morning my wife went out and checked the pressure gauge on the gas line. The pressure on the gauge had dropped from 15 psi to 9 psi. There was a leak in the gas line. My wife called the county to tell the inspector about the issue before the inspector showed up for our certificate of occupancy inspection. However, the inspector did not get the message and got here this morning. When my wife told her about the gas line, the inspector started to leave but I asked the inspector if she could look at the rest of the house in case there was something we would need to fix.

The inspector took a very cursory look around. She said we needed railing on the front porch because it was higher than 30" above the grade. I went over to look at the end of the porch because I knew I had piled dirt to make it less than 30" high. The inspector mentioned that even if the height of the dirt beside the porch was indeed less than 30", the ground dropped off too quickly. I admit that I had put the minimal amount of dirt at the end of the porch in an attempt to barely meet the 30" requirement. The grade probably drops 6" during the first foot away from the porch. I told the inspector I would add more dirt at the end of the porch.

I asked her if we fixed the porch grading and the gas line if we would pass the CO and she said yes. I just hope she doesn't look around for other stuff during the next inspection. One of the subs claims the inspections are just "fee grabbers"; that they like to find things wrong so they can come back and charge another inspection fee. I wouldn't be surprised if there is some truth to the statement.

This afternoon, one of the H&A workers came by and found the leak in the gas line. The owner had quickly disconnected the gas line from the meter and put a pressure gauge at that end of the line. The leak was occuring at the pressure gauge.

Our next CO re-inspection for the gas line and porch will be Monday. We weren't planning on moving into the house until the floor finish cures so the re-inspection doesn't really change anything. However, it did discourage my wife some because this was a big milestone she wanted to be able to check off the list.

 

[Defective]

Let me get this straight...

People park their cars in the attached workshop?

Weird!

 

[Obed]

Let me get this straight...

People park their cars in the attached workshop?

Weird!

That's hilarious.:laughing:

 

[Diamondpilot]

Being able to park a car in the garage will be quite a step up for us.

Personally, I have never been able to bring myself to waste a perfectly good garage by parking a car in it.

I might start out with good intentions, but my packrat mentality soon needs that sheltered storage space...

Not to make fun but I get a kick out of people like you. My best friend and neighbor for example. They have a 2 car garage. He drives a 1 ton diesel 4x4 truck that was $50,000 when new in 2007. His wife drives a Lincoln Aviator that was $50,000 when new in 2006. They have the garage packed with about $35 worth of junk on a good day. He spends 20 minutes or more each day and probably $5 in fuel letting them warm up while he scrapes snow and ice off the vehicles at 6am so they can get to work.

Drives me nuts.

Chris

 

[Obed]

Today the electricians came finished their work - we think. We still need to verify the work. The electrical plan had so many details that we will need to check the electrical work very closely. We've already had the electricians fix a few things that weren't quite right the first time around. For example, some of the light switches in the living room got put in the wrong places. Those issues were caught and fixed before the drywall went up. Today we had the electricians change the order of switches at a number of switch boxes that didn't seem logical to us or just weren't the order that we would like them.

We are supposed to get our electrical inspection tomorrow.

 

[scoutcub]

Obed -

Sooo....what are you putting in the garage then?? Wife's car, and the JD? Will you're dually fit?

I built my 30X32 garage specifically to put my dually in. It's been out in the elements for 4 years and I hated it. Got the garage done, and then tractors started creeping in.....and a jetski...and a chipper....and ladders....and the subs tools.....and snowblowers.....and the mower.... etc. etc. Soon, I had re-arrange the entire garage so I could ~wedge~ my dually in there before I left for overseas. :thumbsup:

Last week, my wife told me on Skype "yea, you're trucks covered with snow"....huh????
I guess my sub had to remove the truck from the garage and re-arrange again, to start building interior walls.....
Back out in the elements again.....

And, a very Merry Christmas to you and the family!

 

[brin]

Man, that would be the most boring show on TV. Here's how it would go.

There's Obed digging. Next day. There's Obed digging some more. Next day. Obed's still digging...

On a rare occasion something interesting would happen.

Watch Obed wreck his tractor down the hill. Oh, look! There goes Obed running his car into the ditch!

But then ...
What's Obed doing now? He's digging. Next day. More digging.

Do you think TBN would sponsor the show?

Obed

:laughing:Obed...Good to see you have not lost your sense of humor...:thumbsup: