What did I do.................

[Raider Bill]

Well first let me say that I have been poking around this site for a bit. I read a post yesterday concerning lurkers so I pulled my boots straps up, adjusted my suspenders, put the kick stand down and registered.
I am the recent owner of 69 acres of former Bo Water land near Tellico Plains TN.
I plan on building a house there starting in the spring.
Where do I start? Well, I've considered just about every kind of construction there is, I started thinking that a metal building built out inside as a residense was the ticket. After being advised about the problems this entials I have decided on a timber frame hybrid. I'm not sure, actually I know I will not be able to build the frame myself so I'll be looking for some help there. Anyone in this area looking for work>?
My plan is to have a 10" ceiling basement to use as a shop with a 3-2 on top.
This is raw land, where to start...................
I'm surrounded by trees, some planted in 94 some natural growth, some I just don't know.
I'm told they are mostly larch pine.
I'm considering a small sawmill but don't know if it is worth it to me to invest in one for my own use. I do know I will need a tractor, bush hog, and some other attachments.
The location of the house has not been determined yet, Hopefully I can find a nice "bump" to dig the basement out of and have a view. In that there isn't enough cleared room for a dog house I will have to cut trees to clear and hate to waste them.
Well, power, septic, driveway, plans, drawings, where to start?

[Tom]

You can always hire a local sawmill to saw the trees from your house site and that gives you time to shop for a mill later.  'Course you might find that a little mill will come in handy building a timber frame.  In that case, the sponsors on the left will have one that is just the ticket.   If it's just for your own use and you only plan to saw a log or two a day, the little push mills are all you need.  If you think you might end up sawing for other folks, then think about hydraulics and horsepower.  There's a big difference when it comes to production.

Welcome to the forum.  There's a bunch of folks in the Timber Framing topic that can help. 

I don't understand basements, so I'm going to take a back seat.  ;D

[sawguy21]

Welcome to the forum.  8) You certainly have your work cut out for you but do a lot of thinking and planning before you pick up a saw or a shovel. What size home does your family need? Are you under a short time line to get it built? What are your future plans for your new home? Will you be adding outbuildings for a farming or sawmilling operation or a second house for family members? You will need to do a soil percolation test to determine drainage for a septic field. Relax and have fun with it.

[RSteiner]

Good to hear from you and I am sure you have found out already there are many people here who have a wealth of knowledge they are willing to share.

Check with your local extension service to see what they have to offer for managing your woodland.  Tractors are nice to have and very handy especially if you get one that has a backhoe attachment.  The type of terrian you have to deal with determine the tractor you will get the most use out of.  Typically the compact utility tractors or CUT's are okay on fairly level ground but get a little tippy in the woods where thre are ups and downs, rocks, and stuff.

A good rule of thumb get the biggest tractor you can afford, look for a utility tractor rather than a compact.  They are generally a little wider and heavier which will make them a little more stable in the woods.  

Becareful out there.

Randy

[Sprucegum]

I'd start with a well witcher , I can't live very long without water.  ;D

When ya got that located look around for that bump to put yer house on an' hope its close to the well. Then you will know how much clearing ya gotta do to get to the house.

Welcome  8) to a cool place

[Raider Bill]

Here In Florida I have a 2000 sqft attached shop filled with just about everything I need and bunches I don't need. Guy Stuff.
I was going to have a detached shop but thought if I'm already starting from scratch why not incorperate a shop under the house to save some $$?
In time I will probaley need another building to hold more stuff but then I could get a metal building erected.

Anytime I get involved in soething like this I get tunnel vision and fixate on the project.
I have a place to stay while up there, Will probaley get a used camper once construction starts, I'm thinking of a 2000SqFT house, split plan. I really like the timber frame idea and looks. I figure I can 2x6 stud inbetween with  inside frame revel for astetics.
The basement aside from giving me a shop to play in, allows me to run plumbing, elec and HVAC without too much trouble with a mechanical room in the basement.

[sawguy21]

Guy stuff, you can never have too much.  :D :D

[Qweaver]

Wecome Bill,
I'm in the process of doing just what you are contemplating.  Check out my thread "building a cabin in the mountains".
Good luck
Quinton

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=19307.0

[thurlow]

"Guy stuff''..............that tells me that this is definitely do-able.  We've all known folks who can change out a light bulb or carry the garbage to the road and that's about the extent of their capabilities, at least in their mind.  I'm 'bout as ignert as they come, but I've spent a lifetime building stuff.  Many-a-time, I've had people look at the finished product and say............wistfully..............I wish I could do something like that.  Well, if you're only looking at the end result, any project can be daunting.  As I always tell them, it didn't spring forth full grown;  it's built one-day-at-a-time. ;)

[thecfarm]

All set with the pictures upload,Raider Bill?Copy it off,it's alot eaiser that way.May look like a lot at first,but it does get easier.It's alot of fun to plan out a house.Get the better half involved and look at magizines,TV and get ideas.We drove around alot a looked at differant places.Really look things over before deciding on a spot.We talked to the guy digging the hole when we put stakes in where we wanted the house.He understood the grades alot more that we did.Watch out for power.I would almost suggest in getting them out there for an estimate.We paid about 10 a foot to get up to our house with a 500 foot driveway.Power cost depends on a lot of things in this area.Never know how much.Get this done first.I have a manual mill just for my own use.Doesn't take long to make a small sawmill pay for itself when you start buying retail lumber.Get a 4 wheel drive tractor.Don't know what you want it for and how much you want to spend.I'm glad I have a 40hp.Does alot of work for me.But I also have a small 18hp for the small jobs.Welcome to the forum by the way.Just ask away.Someone will help you out.That's what we are here for.A good trusted contractor is the key to a happy home.Ask around in that area for one.You want a busy one by the way too.If he's not busy there is a reason for it.

[Raider Bill]

I tried to upload but it said they exceeded the size limit.....
My land consists of rolling hills about 100' total altitude differance, nothing drastic except along the County Road where a ridge runs. The rest is pretty gentle. There are 2 old logging trails that are almost over grown that I have prowled around on but it is hard walking for the briars and brambles. [maybe one of thoses DR brush cutters? I don't have one of those yet
]I'm told this is normal for foresty replanted areas and will go away somewhat when the trees get taller, Scratching my head at that.
Some people have the knack to pick the perfect home site, me, well heres hoping, but I have a big property to pick from. Would like to get somewhere in the middle in order to further my get away from it all plan.
I've met the power company, they came out and gave me a price to bring in power.
They will give me 400' from thier closest pole then it is $1.29 per foot after that to the last pole. They supply the connection to the house.
Underground is 300' free the $1.99 a foot but I will have to dig the trench and lay 3" pvc to their specs.
I must supply a level, gravelled road with 15' clearance on either side of the poles for the equiptment.
All the wires to the property are poled and it's pretty winding roads so I figure I'll go with poles here to. Maybe will underground from the transformer to the house.

Well is $10.00 ft plus $9.00 a ft for 6" pipe til they hit rock.
I've got several prices on septics starting at $2500 for a 1000 gallon model.

I was thinking the same thing about a small sawmill, If I can find someone to build and erect the timber frame I can pretty much take it from there. I'll be using a lot of wood and could sure save for more toys by milling my own even if it is just the interior.
I've been looking at SIPS, and also differant sidings for construction. decisions decisions.
Block basement with 10' ceilings under the house, OHD's on the open side.
Yikes!
I grew up on a dairy farm, never thought I would be looking to buy a tractor!
40hp sounds about right to me. I haven't really looked at them but there sure are a lot more manufactors than 40 years ago.
I'll probaley go with a used one, maybe find a deal with attachments but got to have a front loader and bush hog. We never had a 4wd on the farm and it was a lot steeper there but we got by, on the other hand........... more power!

My minds a whirling 8)

[Raider Bill]

Wecome Bill,
I'm in the process of doing just what you are contemplating.  Check out my thread "building a cabin in the mountains".
Good luck
Quinton
Quinton,
I followed your progress, thank you for the great info!

[rebocardo]

> Well, I've considered just about every kind of construction there is

How about ICF (insulated concrete forms)?

Not only will they save on heating and cooling, they are the only construction that will be standing if a tree falls against your house without a big tree cutting a big slice through it. If you go with a slab floor and you head to the basement during a storm it is very unlikely a tree branch will ever make it through to the basement.

Here in the south you will see a tree be stopped by a brick wall, but, the huge oak limbs will go though the roof, floors, and interior walls.

Plus, it makes things such as wood heat stoves much easier to install.

Hold up to storms much better.

You pretty much do not have to worry about bugs or wood rot.

If you use ICF to build the interior walls and use fire stops and metal doors (casing too) and then pour your slabs for floors, you have a very high fire resistance rating for the complete house and can keep a fire from spreading room to room or through the attic to other parts of the house. Especially with metal roofing.

Something to think about in a rural area served by a small volunteer fire department if you are using wood heat.

[Raider Bill]

Do you have any links I can look at? ICF's hmmm discussed over beer with the "He Man Woman Haters Club" at one of the past meetings, a couple guys there were concrete tradesman and brought up poured in place walls.
How do ICF's work?
Assumably they have good insulation and can be put in between timber frame?
Are they similar to SIPS?
It's a cold and blustery day here in Florida, can't imagine what it's like up north. Been here too long... shiver.

[DonE911]

You could use polysteel for your basement and put a timber frame on top.  Poly Steel is like styrofoam (sp) blocks with steel chairs and firring strips already in place.  You stack them like lego's, drop your rebar insde the walls and pour'em full of concrete.  Insulation value of R50 and 190 mile an hour wind guarantee.  It cost about 5% more than poured walls before you insulate the poured walls... works out in the end and a better insulation value to boot.    You can use the polysteel all the way to the eves with trusses on top, but it gets to be more costly than standard stick frame.

No I don't work for the company that makes the stuff, but have been in several homes that are built with it.

[scgargoyle]

Howdy, neighbor! Seminole FL here (someday to upstate SC). What is it about us Florida folk lately that makes us want to move? (Oh yeah, heat, crowds, taxes, homeowners insurance!) Sounds like a nice piece of property- a lot of work, too. We are only buying 7 acres, but have been doing a lot of the same research. I may end up looking for a deal on a combination loader/backhoe/tractor. After all the excavation is done, I'd try to sell it and get something smaller for maintenance work. I would think that w/ that kind of acreage, you could keep a small sawmill busy, and maybe incorporate some of that timber in the new house. I'm thinking along those lines, too. Although only 7 acres, it is almost all white oak, so it might be worth it. I'm going to do a timber survey this winter to see what I really have. I watched them build an ICF here (Thurston Groves), and I was pretty impressed. I''ll probably build conventional stick, since I'll be on a tight budget.

[DonE911]

scgargoyle,

the question is whats taking you so long to get the heck outa there :D :D

I left St Lucie County in 04.

[Radar67]

Bill, I've been going through the same thing on my land. I started out hand clearing along the property lines and that got to be too much, so I went and got a tractor with bush hog, blade, and auger. It made a world of difference. I started clearing some of the underbrush from around the creek and found a nice little spot to build a shed/cabin and have been working on that for a while. Once complete, I'll start clearing more and see where that leads me. I'm cutting the severly crooked, broken, and not so healthy trees out as I go to. Keep your head up, the hole is not that deep.  ;D

Stew

[Raider Bill]

Thurston groves< Right down the pinellas trail from my house. I live next to Taylor Park on the trail. Look for the monster Garage!
In my mind I don't see the need for a back hoe, It's a pricey piece of equiptment to have laying around once you are done with it. For the septic, drainage and water lines and excavation I think it would be wiser to sub that out then with the $$ saved put it into a bigger tractor or implements, MAybe even a toy or 2 ;D

Radar67 aside from fence posts, what are you using the auger for? What kind and size of tractor do you have? Is that a Massey?

[Radar67]

Bill, I'm using the auger for post piers and fence posts. I also hire out to do holes for others. The tractor is a Yanmar 2500, it is a 30 hp tractor with 25 hp PTO. I consider it a compact as it is only about 5 feet wide  by 8 feet long.

Stew

[Raider Bill]

I've been seeing a lot of those yanmars around lately, do you like it? Plenty of power? Do they make a 40hp model?

[Left Coast Chris]

Bill,   my brother built an ICF block house and it went pretty well and is extreemly well insulated.  The pluses are insulation, ease of putting the forms up, durability, noise reduction.  The minuses are a little higher cost, possible engineering needed especially for basement walls, care to make sure they are braced for the pour to get them plumb, future modifications are difficult regarding adding openings, electrical and plumbing often take longer than expected.

In your planning process you might check:

1)  Go to the road department to see if you have any restrictions as to location of driveway (sight distance, future plans to realign road, turn pocket)

2)Power & phone... you covered power.  Need to check with the phone company

3) Site planning:  decide on ultimate use of property (future subdividing & local regulations for better future resale value), view, privacy, usable land and space for other uses (swiming pool, sawmill, barn, hunting cabin, guest house, pond...etc)

4)  Drainage.   Look at drainage paterns and consider where water will concentrate and what velocity and volume it will have.  Look at how the natural drainage will be altered for your house and future uses.

5)  Soil and subsurface issues:  since you will have a septic tank and a basement.... strongly suggest you have a backhoe come out and dig some test pits so you know if your design will work before you start to build.  Look for depth to rock, subsurface water, poor soils (clay, pete, organics)

6)  Water supply.   Already mentioned.  Look at where you want your well to serve house and future needs.  Consider natural subsurface water flow direction if it is not real deep.  Locate well up stream and far away from septic leach field.  Know local permiting constraints.   Check with local officials or a well drilling contractor who gets permits.

7)  Research, design & build house.    Be sure it meets your needs, budget, time frame, and you have contungency plans should you run out of time, money, get injured, or too tired.   Plan to make it a good experience according to your abilities (have fun!)   ...... don't rush yourself, get too tight on dollars or bogged down where you can't proceed on your own.   Get help where you need it.

Sounds like you have a good start and are looking into the issues.   Good luck and have fun!

[Raphael]

  It cost about  5% more than poured walls before you insulate the poured walls...

WOW! Only 5% more.    I wish I lived in your market!!!  I'd have gladly paid 5% more

The quote I got for ICFs was 210% more than (310% of) the quote for a basic poured foundation and the ICF guy didn't include any basement floor in his price.

[Radar67]

I love my little tractor. I've used it for bush hogging, box blading, pulling logs, building materials, and other things. I think it has plenty of power for my uses. Yanmar does make a 3000 which is 40 hp/35 hp PTO. They also make a 3500. Mine uses the same parts as the JD 850, not that I've had any problems out of it. I did my research before getting it to make sure I could repair it if I have to. You have to buy the Yanmars used. They are considered grey market tractors, meaning they were used in Japan, refurbished and shipped to the US for sell. Most of them have low hours on them, in the 800 to 1200 range. Mine has 8 forward speeds (4 low and 4 high) and 2 reverse speeds (low and high). The PTO has 2 speeds, 540 and 1000 rpm. The PTO is live, so mine came with a clutched fitting to make it safe. 3 cylinder diesel and uses very little fuel. I bush hogged for 8 hours one day (clearing brush) and only used about 2 gallons.

Stew

[Qweaver]

In my mind I don't see the need for a back hoe, It's a pricey piece of equiptment to have laying around once you are done with it. For the septic, drainage and water lines and excavation I think it would be wiser to sub that out then with the $$ saved put it into a bigger tractor or implements,

Hummm :  Well, I'd think hard about that one.  While I don't use my backhoe everyday, when I do need it...I really need it.  I think I've paid for my backhoe many times over if I would have rented one everytime I used mine.  I'm lucky that we have cousin Rodney's tractor to attach 3 point implements to as we need them and I don't have to dismount the BH often, but even if I did, I'd still have the hoe.
Quinton