Creating a Workshop & Home

[EddieWalker]

This is ten yards with another truck pulling up.

The fun part about watching them work, is they don't say anything to each other, they just automatically know what to do. Nobody stoped moving.

 

[EddieWalker]

This is the last truck.

The trucks came right after each other, and were waiting for the one before to finihs pouring. The total time to pour was about an hour. They spent another three hours working it smooth.

 

[EddieWalker]

One of the trucks was a little full, cause everyone who measured the pad came up with 29 and a half yards. I paid for thirty yards, so where did this extra 3 to 4 yards come from? We're not sure, but I used it for a place to park when it's built. No rebar, no forms and it's on an angle. It will crack in a day or two, but that's to be expected.

 

[EddieWalker]

Here's the finished pad. They really weren't too happy with me after dealing with all the vent and drain pipes.

Next step will be to order my lumber. When it gets here, the pad will be plenty dry enough to start framing.

Eddie

 

[HuckBB62]

Don't they require footings under the exterior bearing walls in Tejas?

 

[PSDStu]

Nice job Eddie! Thats really going to look great!

 

[LarryD]

<font color="blue"> They really weren't too happy with me after dealing with all the vent and drain pipes. </font>

I was thinking that very thing as I was looking at all the imbeds..did you learn any new Tex-Mex words? /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[EddieWalker]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Don't they require footings under the exterior bearing walls in Tejas? )</font>

Huck,

It depends on what area of Texas your in. If your outside the city limits, then there is no code, no permits, and no rules. Some homes can be really scary.

I'm outside city limits, so to answer your question, no, I don't have to put in footings.

Each city has it's own code, or version of it. Just about every footing is a shovel wide and a shove deep. You use two rows of half inch rebar, tie it together with the rest of the foundation on 2 foot squares, and thats about it.

Not sure why you asked the question, unless you didn't notice my footings in the picture with my girlfriend. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Just kidding.

Here's a closer view of that same photo that shows the footing more clearly.

 

[MF1455v]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( It depends on what area of Texas your in. )</font>

Eddie, glade to see Smith county has not gotten greedy like Collin county has. We have almost the same permit requirements as inside the city limits.

Slab looks good. Looking foward to seeing the project progress.

 

[EddieWalker]

Thanks James,

One of the things that scares me is that soon enough, they will change that and start getting involved in every little detail.

To put in the sewer lift station just requires an ok by the water utility. In order to donate it to them, all they require is it to be engeneered. My cost for the lift station and sewer mains with manholes is just under $100 grand, but a guy I know with a little RV Park (24 sites) paid the same amount for his aroebic septic system.

It was a nightmare with the permitting, inspections and red tape. Because it's a commercial septic system, he has to deal with the government. I've worked real hard to ensure I can avoid them at just about every level.

I'm building to code with a little extra that comes from learning in CA. One day I'll sell it all, and I don't want anybody comeing back and saying I did something intentionally unsafe. It's cheaper to do it right today, then to have to undo a disaster years from now.

 

[Highbeam]

Once that concrete dries it stops getting stronger. Keep it wet.

 

[HuckBB62]

Yeah, in that other picture you can't see the edges like that. I'm sitting here looking at the plans and what's required here. I sure wish I could do what you're doing, it'd save a mint in concrete! I'll be putting the fiber in my cement too, don't want any cracking or settling. We're in a seismic 4 area and our walls are heavily tied to the concrete. My footers have to be 1'x1'!!!!

Are the only immigrants allowed in Texas from south of the border? I'm getting tired of this stuff out here.

 

[EddieWalker]

It will be awhile until I get power to the property, so I've loaded up the trailer I found and modified for just this occasion.

 

[EddieWalker]

This afternoon, the deliveries showed up.

First was my lumber from McCoys. With my contractor discount and their prices already way under Home Depot, I got it all for a little over $4,100.

Next came Central Turcking with my meter base for the power. This is a commercial base rated for 1,600 amps. I'll only be pulling 400 for now, but plan on 1,200 for a total of three buildings.

 

[EddieWalker]

After some measuring and prep work, I got a few walls started. Getting it all squared up and straight is my biggest concern.

 

[hitekcountry]

EddieWalker

<font color="blue"> Getting it all squared up and straight is my biggest concern </font>

Do you know the 3,4,5 method to square up two perpendicular walls?

 

[woodlot]

I think they call that a "monolithic slab" and they are used a lot for garages and small homes even up here in the far north, of couse they always must be on sand to prevent heave in the winter. We insulate them with foamboard too. Eddie, in your first post you said this is a TWO story house. I've always been taught that a two story on a monolithic is a major no-no. Maybe things are different in the south with no 4 foot frost depth? The weight of a two story sitting on that small "footing" would have me very worried. Your posts always amaze me and I don't mean to be a pill, thats just what I've learned.

 

[EddieWalker]

Woodlot,

Coming from California, I'll admit, allot of things that they do here amaze me too. The concrete sub was amazed I used half inch rebar. They only use 3/8's. He was amazed I wanted to use bolts. They just nail the sill plates to the slab. I really amazed him by using flashing under my sill plates.

Not haveing any sort of code to deal with nor any inspections gives me some freedoms. It's also a recipe for disaster. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Thanks for the advice, hopefully I have it tied together right, and the footings are sufficient. In the end, only time will tell.

 

[EddieWalker]

One of the things I'm doing is experiemting with some ideas I have. I want to create an exposed beam type ceiling using the oak trees that I'm taking out.

This is my pile of oaks and cedars.

The cedars will be used for exterior porch posts.

 

[EddieWalker]

The family room is 18 feet long by 15 feet wide. It's not a huge space, so I need to scale down the size of the beams to fit the room. I decided on 3 inches by 5 1/2 inches.

This notch is one of two that will support the beams on the exterior walls.