Building a stick frame house in the woods in 90 days

[pacerron]

Real wood baseboard and casing, even paint grade, normally has a number of reliefs milled in the back to prevent warping.
Are you sure the stuff the contractor delivered for your place is not just cheap, primed MDF? MDF is made from sawdust.
Look at the end grain and also on the back if it is not painted to see if there really is any wood grain or growth rings.
Stick your thumbnail down into the back somewhere and see how soft it is.
You had an upcharge of $4,250 for solid, stain grade interior doors with lever handles and another $2,950 for stain grade 5" baseboard and 4" casement.
Ron

 

[FairfaxStu]

Ron, I agree with you. Wouldn't stain grade imply that it is not primed in white as it is? To me it implies that it would be raw trim that you could stain. Seems like it would be hard to stain over white primer.

Peter, I am just noticing this. Did you get a new wide angle lens for your Rebel or are you using a different camera. I see the fish eye effect in lots of your pictures.
-Stu

 

[s219]

I was a bit confused with the trim on our house -- it was stain grade white cedar, but came primed on 4 sides. It will be painted, but the builder went with that grade because they did some bevel cuts on the edge (craftsman style) and he wanted it to mill cleanly, something that is iffy with lower grades that spline smaller pieces together. So that was an example of primed stain grade that will be painted.

 

[FairfaxStu]

So that was an example of primed stain grade that will be painted.

So why would you pay for the upcost for stain grade material if you were going to paint it anyway? All of the trim in my house is painted gloss white and is presumably the "standard" stuff you could buy from Lowes, Home Depot, or your local lumber dealer.

If stain grade is what Peter has, then what nomenclature would be used for raw trim that you could actually stain? I am no lumber or building expert, far from it.
-Stu

 

[s219]

Stu, as I mentioned, it was the lack of splines and knots the builder was after, since he did additional milling on the wood (beveled edges, etc). I think stain grade is the only way to ensure that.

 

[FairfaxStu]

Thanks, s219. That makes sense for your case. My question is this: What would you call trim that you can stain? Would that be unprimed stain grade? I am just trying to learn.
-Stu

 

[pacerron]

Thanks, s219. That makes sense for your case. My question is this: What would you call trim that you can stain? Would that be unprimed stain grade? I am just trying to learn.
-Stu

There are two basic types of trim and baseboard, paint grade and stainable. Within the paint-grade category, there are many choices. Composite materials are man-made and the most common is MDF (medium-density fiber board). Vinyl cover base is not that common in residential homes, but can be used. Most all paint-grade products are inexpensive compared to the stainable hardwoods. Wood base and trim vary in cost and quality. The hardwoods are more expensive than the soft woods like pine. Budget hardwoods like poplar are also available.

Read more: Should You Stain or Paint Baseboard Trim? | eHow.com Should You Stain or Paint Baseboard Trim? | eHow.com

 

[kevin37b]

I have watched thi build all winter .Things started out good . Then the steps in the garage were a hindsight and I would not send my mom down them . Never did like the grade where the patio meets the deck . Do not like a block wall at the front door . Iwill never build a new house , you are a hero . 2 issues , a contractor building your house , not 12 others .I am impressed with your enthusiasm and progress . How much over are we ?

 

[pclausen]

This is cute. What did they do; forget to seal the end caps?

Actually there are no downspouts on the rear gutter yet since the gutter crew was not qualified to cut through the composite decking. So they left the end caps off so the water could escape instead of filling up the gutter completely.

How did the front gutter handle all the rain at the valley?

Pretty well from what I can tell actually, but I wasn't there when it was really coming down.

This would be a good day for you to inspect the basement, especially the window they shortened and put the window well around.
Did they just fill that with dirt against the tar paper that has flake board behind it?

I have not had a chance to look at that up close yet.

 

[pclausen]

Yes, we switched to MDF since we decided to paint it all beige anyway to match the window and door color. That upcharge will be removed before final settlement.

Still just using the 18-55mm zoom lens that came with the camera Stu.

Well, going back over there to help the tree cutting crew. The tree cutting crew is actually one of the carpenters that brought his son along, at the request of the builder. Another guy is there doing the trim work. Doesn't look too bad, but I have not had a chance to really inspect it closely yet.