The Log house Project begins........

[RoyJackson]

Yes I've been fighting them at my back porch. I have killed around 25 bees with a tennis racket. The chemicals in PT wood in my floor joists don't hinder the carpenter bees at all. I sure wish we could still buy lumber treated with the old PT chemicals. The arsenic in that stuff would probably take care of the carpenter bees.

Obed

I have read using an insecticide dust (blown into the holes) works better then a liquid or spray type. Do a bit of research (Ehow has some good threads).

 

[Obed]

Today my wife, daughter and I had a nice visit with Rick at his house. The house is even more impressive in person than on the pictures. The hardwood floors are unbelievable. Rick did an awesome job on them.



We wanted to see the wire cable railing Rick used on the porch because we would like to do something similar at our house and are at the point we need to make a final decision. The wire on the porch is almost invisible. When my wife first looked at the porch from inside the house, she thought Rick had not installed any railing yet. There probably is nothing better for ensuring a good view through the railing. My wife and I are going to consider our options now that we have seen Rick's railing first-hand. Like everything, there are plusses and minuses with any type of railing we choose. We considering how well the wire railing would work at our place with a two-hear-old running around. We are installing horizontal wooden hand rails on our porch, something Rick didn't do. Thus we have to consider whether or not our girl might be able to use the wire railing to climb up to and over the hand-rails and fall off the porch. I'm sure she couldn't climb over Rick's railing without a hand-rail to grab.

Obed

 

[tnmike]

Yes I've been fighting them at my back porch. I have killed around 25 bees with a tennis racket.

Obed

A wrist rocket (high powered slingshot) and sand works great. Its almost as good as a dove shoot.

 

[RoyJackson]

A wrist rocket (high powered slingshot) and sand works great. Its almost as good as a dove shoot.

I've used a tennis racket as well...but they're much more of a problem when they've bored into a wall.
I have read (but no experience yet) using an insecticide duster is more effective...the bees walk through it and carry the insecticide to the larva deep inside the chambers.
I've got to lay a laminated floor this week. Once that project is done, I'm going to tackle those bees and my neglected front porch.

 

[MotorSeven]

Roy, try BeeGone. A local log home builder supply recommended it. I bought a pint but have not used it yet. They said it actually works.......:
Insect Solutions for Log Homes | Twin Creeks Log Home Supply

 

[RoyJackson]

Roy, try BeeGone. A local log home builder supply recommended it. I bought a pint but have not used it yet. They said it actually works.......:
Insect Solutions for Log Homes | Twin Creeks Log Home Supply

Thanks for the recommendation!
I have read that almost any flying insect spray will kill the bees. The problem is the eggs and eventual larva (when they hatch). Using a duster is supposed to do a better job as the adults track the dust into the egg chambers.
I'll say one thing...log homes definitely have character, but I'll never own another one...

 

[pacerron]

Thanks for the recommendation!
I have read that almost any flying insect spray will kill the bees. The problem is the eggs and eventual larva (when they hatch). Using a duster is supposed to do a better job as the adults track the dust into the egg chambers.
I'll say one thing...log homes definitely have character, but I'll never own another one...

Roy,
We have had success with Sevin dust in an open side barn against the carpenter bees. They love boring into the roof trusses. Of course, smacking them down and tramping on them is a sure way to go also. Nothing like carpenter bees buzzing, barn swallows crapping, horse flies stinging and getting poison ivy from petting your outdoor dog to remind you that nature still prevails.

 

[MotorSeven]

Well, we passed the rough-in electrical, so now I can start insulating & buttoning up the walls. I guess I should run some Cat-5, speaker wire & phone wire before I do that eh?

The tile is done and grouted in the "man cave":

The last thing is the flat round river rock for the shower pan. We collected rocks ourselves for this as the one's from the store were too round.

 

[pacerron]

Well, we passed the rough-in electrical, so now I can start insulating & buttoning up the walls. I guess I should run some Cat-5, speaker wire & phone wire before I do that eh?
.

M-7
I know you have talked about using a large whole house generator before, but it would be easy, and you might find it very handy while the walls are open, to run a separate circuit that has at least one 110v outlet in each room and begins at a small generator plug under your deck where the driveway comes in. It is very handy to have an isolated small generator circuit that you can hook up a 5000-6000 watt generator, for short power outages that will run a few lights, TV, refrigerator, and microwave. If you have a well you might want to run a separate 220 line to it from the generator location also and rig a male plug wire from the pump that will plug into a high line plug or the generator plug next too it.
It is sure a lot easier than rigging extension cords in the dark, or hooking up a generator on a farm tractor PTO, for a short outage. Some folks just run a separate generator circuit to a highline duplex outlet in each room and break the tab between the duplex plug. That saves an extra box and plug in each room, but you should check the code in your area before having 2 feeds to 1 box, even though one would be a generator in this case and still isolated.
Ron

 

[woodlandfarms]

Cat 5, Phone and Cable. and run 2 cat 5's minimum if not 3. Things appear to be going HDMI as a base carrier, and with cable you can get a variety of signals...

 

[arrow]

Carpentar bees come to visit yet?

Had/have the same problem with my log home. They seem to detest painted surfaces and love bare wood way more. An acquaintance painted the eves and overhangs and trim and has never had a problem with them and he is only 5 miles from me. I think the little buggers used my house as the local nightclub gathering spot. Seems like a lot of bee debauchery going on from the sounds of them at night.

 

[arrow]

I have read using an insecticide dust (blown into the holes) works better then a liquid or spray type. Do a bit of research (Ehow has some good threads).

I used a pyrethrin paste that works excellently. Just a littlle dab in the hole and out they come. They get the sticky stuff on their bodies and feet, carry it deep into the den and all the aunts and uncles come staggering out.

 

[MotorSeven]

Pacer, I picked up a generator transfer switch at a trading post. It has 8 0r 10 breakers, a meter and a twist lock receptacle for the inbound genset cable. It's a '98 vintage but looks brand new, so I need to go search online for the installation instructions, or just get TNMike over here to tell me how to wire it in. I'll post a pic later today.

Wood, ok, I'll pick up some extra Cat5. But the big question is how long until that is obsolete? With my luck Cat6 will come out two weeks after I seal off all the walls:laughing:.

 

[MotorSeven]

So. Obed, what did you decide on the railing? After watching your little girl I'm thinking something along the lines of a batting cage Ain't no moss growing on her!

 

[srossman]

Pacer, I picked up a generator transfer switch at a trading post. It has 8 0r 10 breakers, a meter and a twist lock receptacle for the inbound genset cable. It's a '98 vintage but looks brand new, so I need to go search online for the installation instructions, or just get TNMike over here to tell me how to wire it in. I'll post a pic later today.

Wood, ok, I'll pick up some extra Cat5. But the big question is how long until that is obsolete? With my luck Cat6 will come out two weeks after I seal off all the walls:laughing:.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Cat 6 cable is already out.

 

[woodlandfarms]

I was about to say....... Cat 6 cranks, it is more expensive, and I am not sure if you will notice the difference, ever, in your lifetime. I would install if I had decided to not use wireless as a security precaution.. otherwise cat 5 is fine as within the next 5 years everything is going to be wireless.

I will say to you this. Take a moment and think about your low voltage needs (low voltage meaning tv, phone, security, internet). the last thing you want to do is build a beautiful house and then run a cable from one wall to the other across your new floor because you didn't think where you wanted to put the TV. Or you realize that your internet does not work int he basement (or your cell phone) and you need to put in a cell phone booster.... or a repeater for your internet... Or you want surround sound speakers and you never wired for them.......

Or you decide you want security cameras outside... Or you want to put a security alarm system in that has window sensors.... Or you want a smart home, where you can control your thermostat from afar, or a sensor on your water heater in case it fails and you want to make sure it does not leak..

The list is endless.. sorry...

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Cat 6 cable is already out.

 

[MotorSeven]

Wood, I am even stepping backwards....NO TV, only a tv for dvd's and maybe an Xbox. I'm just over the whole tv and I am kinda glad "reality tv" came around...it pushed me right off the cliff. Music is a different matter, so there will be a lot of speaker wire. I have to transmit internet wifi from my shop up to the house...about a hundred yards, so that will be interesting.

Anyway, the creek rock is layed in the shower pan & what remains is grouting:

 

[MotorSeven]

Then Big Bertha got some new threads:

 

[ENG18LT]

M7, that tile/stone work in your shower looks great. The colors go together well and the size of the shower is good too.

 

[dstig1]

Nice work on the tile. I like the stones in the floor a lot.

If you want to do the best thing possible to "future proof" your house, empty conduit is the way to go. Put that in to each room in a couple key places, and you can pull whatever wire you may need down the road. Otherwise, good quality quad shielded coax and Cat5 are the best bets as they have lots of general uses. 2 of each to every spot you can manage is great future-proofing, but can be a bit of a pain to manage at the "head end" where they all come together.