New Home Construction

[bmac]

Thanks, Eddie. But if the thing with the box is for the shower drain, what is the vertical pipe to the right of the box? I thought I had everything accounted for. Both of these area in the area where the shower will go.

As for the price, this house is being built on a cost + basis. Other than me kicking and screaming, he doesn't have much incentive to watch what he spends.

 

[jamieac]

Hello, the pipe to the right of the shower box is the vent for the shower.

 

[EddieWalker]

I agree, it's the vent. That's where your wall is gonna be, so the vent will be hidden going up through the wall.


Again, it looks like they're doing a good job!

Eddie

 

[bmac]

Jamieac and Eddie,

Thanks again for the replies. Yeah, it hit me this morning as I was driving to work that the pipe was indeed a vent. At the opposite end of the plumbing run there is a large (4") vent pipe that I erroneously assumed was the vent for the entire basement plumbing. This morning, I guess my brain kicked in and I realized that the vent on the distant end would do very little good for the shower, toilet and sink on this end.

As this is the first home building project I've done, I'm sure I will be perplexed by a number of things along the way. It sure is comforting to have such a large group of experts on TBN to consult with.

Today, the waterproofing material was applied to the exterior of the basement walls. I'm not sure what they used but it is a spray-on product, silver in color, that, according to my builder will set to form a flexible rubber-like material that will not crack even if the underlying concrete forms a crack.

Prior to applying this material, they removed all of the exposed wires that held the forms in place and covered each of these wire holes with a caulk-like material. Again, don't know the exact product they used.

My wife is on a short trip with my daughter and has the camera with her. Hopefully, she'll be back before they backfill the trenches so I can get a photo.

 

[jamieac]

Sounds like your contractor knows what he is doing and is gona give to a dry basement, that product is one of the best waterproofing methods to ensure a good seal. keep the pics coming

 

[Mosby]

bmac, a typical basement slab might have 4 inches of stone and 4 inches of concrete. There are many variables of that, but that is pretty common. If there are bearing walls being used instead of support columns, the slab can be thickened in those areas etc... The question regarding the HVAC is one that finds many folks irritated when it is all done. There will probably need to be a trunk line and return that can be boxed in a bulkhead. The supplies for the registers can be placed between the joists and won't interfere with the ceiling heights. It can be a trouble spot depending on if the plumber and electrician go first and so on... Hopefully your GC has a master plan for laying them out. I have seen many of the subs treat the basement area like a crawl space and take the path of least resistance, where essentially nothing is tucked.
I have also worked with trades that treated the basement area like a showcase for their work that everyone would be looking at like an art exhibit and you didn't have to worry about them!

 

[bmac]

Mosby,

<font color="blue"> a typical basement slab might have 4 inches of stone and 4 inches of concrete. </font>

I spoke to my builder yesterday about this. You are exactly right about the gravel / concrete thickness. His plans are to excavate some dirt out of the basement before the gravel is placed. This will help some on achieving a 9' ceiling. We will also gain 3" with a double plate on top of the poured walls before the floor joists are placed.

<font color="blue"> Hopefully your GC has a master plan for laying them out. </font>

His plan is to run the HVAC ductwork around the perimeter and enclose it in a soffit. Therefore, while the ceiling may be less than 9" around the perimeter, it will probably be more than 9' everywhere else. I can live with that. Does it sound like a reasonable plan to you?

 

[Mosby]

That is what I was referring to as a bulkhead. I have seen them built various ways and locations, but that is there is to cover up without lowering the entire ceiling. By running the lines down the outside walls, it will eliminate the need to run the register feeds through the joist pockets which gives a lot more room to the other trades. If you are not having your builder finish the basement area, have him at least frame the perimeter walls before running your HVAC. It is a lot harder to tie the wall framing to the ceiling joist if the duct is in the way. You will never regret the added height in the basement. We have done that every time. It takes away the basement "feel" entirely. Especially with your back wall out of the ground and windows.

 

[bmac]

Today, the tractor man backfilled the trenches around the basement walls. Fortunately, he was still working when I arrived so I was able to get some photos of the waterproofing efforts done two days ago.

The first pic shows the silver spray-on material over which they placed a black fabric of some sort. The fabric is to keep the gravel and dirt from damaging the waterproofing material. Below the gravel is a fabric covered corrugated drain pipe. This photo also shows the brick ledge on the concrete wall nicely.

 

[bmac]

Here is the opposite end of the house after backfilling. This is near the rear of the house. You can see the drain pipe in the lower part of the picture. In this area, the brick will extend down to the footing that can be seen adjacent to the drain line.