Building the Retirement Place

[ultrarunner]

Please send some West to California!

 

[hcallaway]

I feel for you. Our delays etc really strike home. It will at some point get going. There was nothing for so long and then it really takes off.

 

[ultrarunner]

Sounds like you have my luck... it may not rain for months here... but, sure enough, if I plan something special months in advance... chances are weather will be an issue.

 

[bobm6996]

Finally the rain has let up the past week or so. Got the hay cut and in the barn and lumber deliveries started coming Friday. Work starts tomorrow morning, it just started pouring as I am typing. It is not supposed to be much do not expect it to impact work starting. My plan is to post almost everyday that progress has been made and upload lots of pics. FINALLY getting excited! Hay in barn, first cut up last month and second cut put in Friday. A few pictures of the property before the work starts, it is approx. 15 acres. House in the picture is part of the property, we rent it to our son. There is an equipment barn and a woodworking in that view as well. View of the back of the property and the view from the back of the house once built.

 

[bobm6996]

End of day 2, pole barn is almost ready for metal, should get close to done tomorrow. House is getting started but most of the shell will probably go up next week. Here are a few pics Barn





House start

 

[ultrarunner]

Looks great and just in time to enjoy...

 

[prevent]

We have considered the Menards/Lowes house packages but none of the plans are quite what we want and not comfortable with the pricing, I bet it goes up significantly.

For the house plans menards just basically buys rights to them (from the company that drew them) and just does take offs, the pole barns are all designed in house by midwest manufacturing (sister company)

I'm probably late to the party but having worked for Menards going on 7 years, their pole barns are some of the best offered around. I've been to the truss plant and steel plant and everything is top notch (yes truly made in america) . People will knock their steel because it's not a "heavy" gauge but it has such a high tensile strength and the paint on the steel is by far the best i've seen. Up in at General Office just about every building there is a pole-barn (even if they don't look like it) and some have been standing since the 60's with little to no rust my stores pole barn is around 30 years old and is beat to piss from the forklifts but there's no rust on the **** thing. My parents have a pole barn from a 'Huber' (about 15 years old) and some panels have rust through the surface (doesn't make any sense).

Menards does some things wrong in my book (no name brand tools, chinese made stuff) but also gets the stuff they make right ( trusses, steel, block, concrete, etc)

 

[ultrarunner]

My nearest Menards is about 1000 miles away... well over 900 if I go to Casper Wyoming.

We did have an 84 Lumber before they closed up...

Even Tractor Supply is several hours each way...

I do envy you guys when I read up the local talent and places you have to buy farm and ranch materials.

Never heard of Menards or TSC before Tractorbynet...

 

[prevent]

My nearest Menards is about 1000 miles away... well over 900 if I go to Casper Wyoming.

We did have an 84 Lumber before they closed up...

Even Tractor Supply is several hours each way...

I do envy you guys when I read up the local talent and places you have to buy farm and ranch materials.

Never heard of Menards or TSC before Tractorbynet...

Menards is huge in the midwest but crazy small compared to lowes/hd. Last i checked there were 290 stores. Generally they open 15 new stores a year (focusing a lot on the west now) but I think in the next couple years they're aiming for 30+ new stores a year. I *think* rapid city, south dakota is a new distribution center but id have to double check the map at work.

 

[bobm6996]

The barn is done, need to get fill dirt and start on stalls and fencing soon. House is now starting to move, installed dormers yesterday. Have to start prepping crawl space, frame up the gable roof patio cover (16 x 24) off the back of house. The same Amish crew will be back to build the raised floor and pour the garage floor. Then we can start moving pretty quick on interior framing, closing up the walls and getting windows and ext doors installed. Looking like we could end up having an early fall, need to close it up soon. Starting to realize at 64 I am not able to do what I could in my 40s and 50s, but it will be worth all the pain when it is done. Here are some pics of the progress

 

[dave1949]

That's a nice, roomy barn. Glad to hear the weather is going better for you.

 

[Knight9]

Great looking barn!

 

[Deere Dude]

Menards is huge in the midwest but crazy small compared to lowes/hd. Last i checked there were 290 stores. Generally they open 15 new stores a year (focusing a lot on the west now) but I think in the next couple years they're aiming for 30+ new stores a year. I *think* rapid city, south dakota is a new distribution center but id have to double check the map at work.

In midwest TN I my wife heard an advertisement for Menards. Being from Wisconsin and growing up with Menards I checked it out. They did not have a Menards there and the nearest one was 4 hours away. I called the customer service department and asked what gives; advertisements but no store. He said they won't build any more stores toward Nashville until this current administration changes. I didn't question him farther because I understood what he was saying.

This week I drove up to Wisconsin and hammered Menards pretty hard.

 

[Mathis bound]

Are you doing anything special to the slab of the house ?

 

[bobm6996]

Mathis bound - We will be installing a raised floor with crawl space that is approximately 30 to 36 inches high. I am getting ready to use crushed stone and treated 2 by material to create a wall to keep out the critters. It will be about 12 inches below grade except where the garage concrete floor will be (right end in picture). I plan to dig out between posts and place crushed stone to allow for good drainage, although the area the house is built on is higher than the rest of the property so not too worried about water. We are going to use 2x8 studding between the posts 16 inch on center and they will go down to the treated material. This will allow me to insulate the crawl space wall to keep the area pretty warm.
The crawl space will be covered with pea gravel and once the floor is complete I will go back and cover the ground with heavy plastic that will come up on the side walls of the crawl and also up on the cement block piers holding the floor beams. Also, planning to install lighting, possibly a device to control the humidity level and this will be a closed crawl, no vents.
Will be using crushed stone to raise the floor height under the concrete garage floor to reduce the amount of steps or ramp required to get into the house. Looks like garage floor will be about 30 inches down from the house floor level. Garage is big, 32x48 with a high ceiling. The house ceilings will be 8' 6".

 

[scoutcub]

Looks great Bob, good progress!

 

[bobm6996]

We had a good week and a lot was accomplished. The crawl space, raised floor, garage floor was poured and we started studding in the exterior walls. Here a few pics to view.


































Hope to continue working to get the ext walls up and get started buttoning the house up. Need to get the gable roof on the back of house so we can get shingles on. Back to work this week and the Amish crew is done other than coming back to saw cut the floor to help prevent stress cracks. So, now I have to step it up.

 

[EddieWalker]

Your house is very unique and I'm enjoying seeing your pictures. Doe you have 8 feet from floor to ceiling in the living area?

I noticed that you do not have any flashing around your dormers yet. Flashing is where most of the leaks happen in houses, or I should say a lack of flashing or improperly installed flashing. Be sure they use metal flashing and that it goes up the walls of your dormers 4 to six inches.

 

[bobm6996]

Eddie - ceiling height is 8' 6". I wanted 9 ft but the crawl was going to be too short on one end. I am very clostrophobic so wanted plenty of room to move. It is unique and is getting a lot of attention. The inspector is following it pretty close because he feels this going to be a very strong built home. He loves the flexibility that it offers. It is probably bigger than we need but we have talked about all the things we would want if ever built again and this will have most of it. This is also a very good way to get a lot of house (5200 sq ft) for the cost of less than half that size.

The dormers will be flashed when we shingle. I am building a gabled patio off the back of house and adding a couple skylights, as soon as that is done we will roof it.

I respect your knowledge and advice so please keep following and provide your input it will be greatly appreciated.

 

[tractorshopper]

I have also never seen a house constructed like this. I see you have traditional piers in the center area, but what will go around the exterior? Will there be a block foundation built up under between the poles, then like a brick or stone veneer?