Finally starting an addition on our shed

[STx]

I spent a lot of time shopping for this one, it took me almost a year to buy one. I've rented small mixers before and almost always ended up mixing in a wheel barrow because they didn't work very well. This is the first one I've used that I think is faster and better than the manual wheel barrow method.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I like that mixer too.

I bought cheaper one from lowes when i did my pole barn, max cat or something like that. I mixed over the hole and dumped straight down. It lasted for the job.

 

[clemsonfor]

good thing about amazon is that they take anything back or refund and almost a no questions about it. Better return and easier than walmart or any walk in store. So if its crap and does not work, get on there and tell them to send you a label for their crap back! But a NT item on there would not be prime and returns would be a bit more of a hastle. That's why I like prime.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

good thing about amazon is that they take anything back or refund and almost a no questions about it. Better return and easier than walmart or any walk in store.

They have become more particular about returns. I bought a wrong valve they wont take back. Other items they now charge for a lot of returns.

 

[STx]

I've made a little progress. The water line and backflow protection valve have been moved out of the way, most of the framing lumber is here and I've got my first pier formed completely. The existing building is framed in 2x6 and we're doing the addition with 2x8 so the form is 2" below the 2x6 to keep the floor levels even. Once the first pier sets, I'll put a nail in the corner of it and square upy 4 corners, mark them level and run strings. Then I'll pour the corners, fill in the edges, run strings across and get the interior. Hopefully, I'll have all the forms done mid week and will start framing towards the end of the week.

 

[STx]

Corners are done, I'll be able to get the rest of these piers finished tomorrow. Then it's supposed to rain for 4 days, just as I'm ready to start framing. We REALLY need the rain though, so I won't complain if it happens.

 

[EddieWalker]

Hearing the same thing about Harvey and what it might do. Predictions here are for 4 to 12 inches of rain. Nobody seems to really know, so they just keep saying what other storms did, but ignoring all the times they predicted massive flooding and it never happened. We're stocked up on food and supplies. Hope it doesn't get too bad there.

 

[STx]

We're 50ish miles West of Corpus Christi, rain has started to fall (we really need that), wind has come and gone but will pick up tonight for sure. We couldn't find a hotel that would let us bring 20 chickens and 3 pigs (pet friendly my butt) so we're going to ride it out in the Morgan Building. Our forecast is 40-60 MPH sustained winds, we've done that here in some bad thunderstorms but, I'm glad I went ahead and spent the cash to get the 100MPH sustained wind rating on my shop so we have an alternative if it's needed. I was in Houston for Ike and remember what Galveston was like. Based on that and the rain coming with this one, I think CC, Aransas Pass, Port O'Conner isn't going to get flattened and it'll be 2 weeks minimum before people can get back in to even inspect the damage.

 

[EddieWalker]

Praying for you and everyone down there. Seems like they keep increasing how much rain is possible. Now they are up to 4 feet in some areas!!!!

 

[STx]

I have a friend in Inez, just outside Victoria. Their forecast for 41". Port Lavaca is forecast for 53". That's insane. We're on the clean side so will see less, probably about 12".

 

[EddieWalker]

That's just crazy. We are expecting 6 inches, which isn't even a record for one day here. So far, every time the forecasters get all out of control making wild, doom and gloom predictions, they have always been wrong. Hope they are wrong again!!!

 

[STx]

Well, the turn to the North just before landfall spared us any bad weather. We ended up with 1" of rain, which puts my total since May at 2", I wish it would've rained here instead of Houston. Winds only got up to about 40MPH. My daughter still lives in NW Houston but is still high and dry. One friend has been flooded out and had to be rescued, another had his garage flooded and a little bit just into the house. His water is starting to recede though so, hopefully he won't get any more. Everyone else I know is dry.

I finally gave up on more rain and got the rest of my piers formed and poured this afternoon. Should start framing around Wed or Thu.

 

[EddieWalker]

Looks like you have been productive!!!

 

[STx]

A little progress today. Tomorrow morning I'll rough in the septic, get the batt insulation and floor decking and and should be able to get up first floor exterior walls. This is the part that goes fast and I like that. Then we're to finish work and everything slows down again.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

PT on the bottom? Couldnt tell.

 

[EddieWalker]

PT on the bottom? Couldnt tell.

I always use PT wood for my sill plates on a slab, but I have never seen it used on a house with a pier and beam foundation. Of course, all of the homes I work on with pier and beam foundations are 50 to 100 years old with a variety of foundation issues. But never is it the wood that's rotting, it's always the brick or block under it that's failed.

 

[STx]

I didn't use PT lumber because there's no ground contact, we're too dry for termites and I couldn't readily find it in 20' lengths.

The piers are 36" deep and 12" diameter concrete on undisturbed sandy loam or caliche, depending on the hole. I don't think it'll ever settle and this is only "supposed" to be a 5-7 year house before the permanent one is built. Either way, I'm 43 so it'll probably outlive me, even if just barely...

I spray the perimeter every month with Cy-Kick CS for scorpions and every 6 months with fipronil for ants so it'll be a bit of a toxic wasteland for insects.

 

[STx]

Didn't make as much progress as I'd hoped today. The T&G floor decking always takes more time to get together than it should. Framed this first wall at the end of the day just so I could say I'd started it.

 

[EddieWalker]

Are you running any utilities? Sewer lines?

 

[STx]

The bedroom and bathroom are upstairs so I only need a flush wall. You can see the septic connection just sticking up along the building. When I pull the siding off the existing building, I'll have access to the water lines, the current bathroom is in the back corner of the shed. Power will come in from the shed as well.