I feel like Spencer junior!

Anonymous Poster · Jun 4, 2003

( hope this is of interest...)

Oh, yeah. I happened to catch this as you were posting them, and it was almost like an interactive slide show - I just kept hitting "refresh" and there were more pictures.

Great job. It was a little hard to see where you were going at first, but it's all coming together, now. Your buddy is going to be very happy in his new home. I especially liked your notched posts - folks are going to look at them and say, how'd he do that?

Wish I could still work that fast and hard in a day...

JohnMiller3 · Jun 4, 2003

Hi Bill,

Progress is looking good…

I would add a number of diagonal braces… and not depend on the horizontal bracing you currently have… (otherwise you can have a house-of-cards) /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

First rule of building… A triangle can’t move… a square can… /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Anonymous Poster · Jun 4, 2003

Pajoube,

 Excellent pictures, keep them coming. This sounds like a learning experience as you go, thanks for sharing so we can also learn. 

Thanks...hope you don't tire of the pictures. I think the pressure treated "retaining wall' idea might be of interest to someone out there. Relatively cheap and should last a long time...

I probably would have did a footer and block, but did not have an easy way to get the concrete down there...

Anonymous Poster · Jun 4, 2003

Bill, great pics! What kind of pallet forks do you have? 

Mike,

They slip over the cutting edge and have screws that clamp them in place. I don't know who made them...I bought them when I got the tractor.

They are pretty handy. Have to take the toothbar off to use them, but that is not a big deal and only takes about 2 minutes to do.

All in all I would say I am happy with these pallet forks. Don't use them all the time, but when you need them they are real handy!

Anonymous Poster · Jun 4, 2003

Bill, are you going to put any waterproofing on your prefab panels before you backfill?

Also, whereabouts are you from Pgh? 

I gave serious consideration to putting some tar or other water proofing on the outside but decided it should not be needed. I checked a site related to using pressure treated wood for house foundations and did not see any mention of needing to do this. I might be wrong...but I am satisfied that it is not needed.

I did use silicone rubber calking to seal the seams though. I felt that would be prudent. Also, my design was to make sure that there was stone for drainage from the bottom all the way to above ground. Against the plywood that is.

On the high side, my ditch was close to the wall so I just filled it completely with stone. On the side where I put that piece of roof against the wood, I filled the space between the roof wood and the wall with stone and the outside with dirt. If the old roof rots away, it should not matter. The stone should keep standing water away from the wood. And perhaps a good bit of moisture too. Not sure if I need to worry about moisture anyway. Time will tell...

Whoops...almost forgot...we live off I79, in Mt. Nebo area. One exit north of the Ohio river...ten minutes or maybe 12 from the North side, now that I 279 runs from Camp Horne road into the city...

Anonymous Poster · Jun 4, 2003

Henro,

You couldn't have a better friend. The photographer is doing an exceptional job as well. Compliment the carpenter, the equipment operator, the foundation guy, the manual labor guy and the guy doing the data/digital picture entry as well. Spencer will be proud. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif (He knows all them guys to.)

Anonymous Poster · Jun 4, 2003

Wish I could still work that fast and hard in a day... 

Believe me...it took a day to post these pics...but it took two weeks to get where I am today!!! Might have been faster without the rains and the need to spend quality time with my better half...she is from Japan too...but not orange in color... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Anonymous Poster · Jun 4, 2003

Hi John,

 Progress is looking good…

I would add a number of diagonal braces… and not depend on the horizontal bracing you currently have… (otherwise you can have a house-of-cards) 

There will be ample bracing I expect. Actually, those wall sections being tied to every post top and bottom do a real good bracing job. And having that old springhouse foundation there helps too.

Any white 2x4s that appear as bracing in the photos are temporary...I may put some bracing at the top of the main posts as well, like is recommended for "real" pole buildings...but since there is less than four feet from the top of the walls to bottom of the beams, I am not sure if it is needed or not. My guess is that I will do it because I tend to over-build things as a matter of course.

Thanks for the pointer on the bracing. Usually what I build is pretty strong...no doubt that a triangle is stronger than a rectangle!

pajoube · Jun 4, 2003

Watching your labor in progress makes me tired, had to go and take a nap. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Super great job, still can't believe that you are doing this so fast and by yourself.
PJ

Anonymous Poster · Jun 5, 2003

( we live off I79, in Mt. Nebo area. One exit north of the Ohio river...ten minutes or maybe 12 from the North side, now that I 279 runs from Camp Horne road into the city...)

Ah. That fixes it for me very well. I was raised in Bellevue, graduated from Bellevue HS in 1958. Haven't been back in a long time. I fondly remember Camp Horne road, there used to be a drive-in theater there in the 50's; remember that very fondly /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I also remember Westview Park; heard it was torn down or burned down years ago.

My wife went to physical therapy school at the DT Watson School of Physiatrics in Sewickley. It was first a polio treatment center, then became part of Pitt as their PT school. That was in 1962.

Our 45th class reunion is this August, but I won't be able to make it up from Florida (where I've been for 31 years).

You must be fairly close to the new Beaver Run Motorsports Park.

Sorry for hijacking, but I loved that area. {edit} except for the cold winters /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif