New House Build in the Country!!!

[aczlan]

Vented (efficient enough to use PVC pipe for the exhaust) with a fresh air intake (so it pulls combustion air from the outside)

Aaron Z

 

[EddieWalker]

I don't have any knowledge of LP fireplaces, but have found that the secrete for a good fireplace is in how heavy it is. All the ones that people complain about to me are light weight. I personally have a wood stove and absolutely love it. I even enjoy cleaning the ash out of it because it's part of the process that is such a joy living out in the country. From cutting up the logs, splitting and stacking the wood, to enjoying the fire in winter, I love every part of it!!!

If I was buying a LP fireplace, I would start with the local suppliers and ask them about their better models. Not the most popular, or the cheapest. For a fireplace, it's worthwhile spending whatever it costs for quality. Then I would google the brand and model they recommended to see what I could find out about them online. Read some reviews and find some complaints. Amazon always has the best reviews, but there are other sites out there like this one that will specialize in fireplaces and wood working/living off the land, with reviews.

Your builder would be a good source to find the supplier, but probably not so much for what model to chose. Take his advice, along with everyone else, and do your research.

 

[justinramani]

Minor progress - they got the burn pile ready to go. They did a pretty good job of stacking it all up!

 

[justinramani]

And a few pictures of the road - still a work in progress....

 

[SethWilliams]

Nice looking house! Congrats! Looks very similar to the house my wife and I are wanting to build in a couple years.

What are your plans for the living space over the garage? It seems like you have plenty of room in the house as it is.

 

[justinramani]

Nice looking house! Congrats! Looks very similar to the house my wife and I are wanting to build in a couple years.

What are your plans for the living space over the garage? It seems like you have plenty of room in the house as it is.

The space over the garage is for family. That way they can stay as long as they want and we both still have some separation/privacy. The builder is giving us a great deal on the garage build.

 

[EddieWalker]

That's a nice looking burn pile!!! Something I can truly appreciate.

It looks like your driveway makes a little turn to go around a couple of trees as it comes up the hill. I've learned that no matter how much I like a particular tree, I never miss it when it's gone. I've made the mistake early on of trying to keep a tree and work around it only to have it die on my anyway, or be a never ending source of problems. Trees are wonderful if they are away from the house, all buildings, fences and roads.

If you do not have code for how wide your driveway has to be, ten feet is plenty to drive on. Honestly, 8 feet is all you will actually use, the rest is just a buffer for bad drivers. Then you will need another ten feet on both sides of your driveway for drainage. Figure five feet to the bottom of the ditch and another five feet going back up again to the tree line. At 30 feet, you are still on the minimum width. I think 50 feet is better!!!

Even when you clear back the trees, they never stop growing.

No matter how big you make your trenches, there will always be that storm that proves you didn't make them big enough. Maxxing out how much water you can handle today will always be something you appreciate when it's really nasty outside.

 

[GPintheMitten]

8 ft wide is not really enough. You want the drive wide enough to be able to put your tires on the entire width by changing from driving on the far right and far left and at every point between.

This requires a drive that is minimally 1.5 times the width of your vehicle.

 

[truckdiagnostics]

Personally I like the turn then people can not look down the road and see the house.

 

[aczlan]

8 ft wide is not really enough. You want the drive wide enough to be able to put your tires on the entire width by changing from driving on the far right and far left and at every point between.
This requires a drive that is minimally 1.5 times the width of your vehicle.

My driveway is big enough to fit a 4 axle front loading trash truck down it. We can also fit a 53' semi truck if they cut across the lawn by the garage (or if we move the cars and they swing wide past the garage).
Wouldnt have it any other way.

Aaron Z