My Community Service Project

[Radar67]

At least that's what my step-dad calls it.  :D

Around the first of the year a good friend of mine was having a real hard time with a recent break up and was having to sell her house. She was positive she wanted to build a new house of her own, but knew nothing of the process, or how to go about getting started. I told her the first step was to find a piece of property. It took her only three weeks.

I went with her to check a couple different places and give her my opinion on which would be better. She decided on the triangular shaped five acre tract I recommended. On to the next step, get the bank loan.

She finally got everything finalized by the end of March (she really drug her feet on a lot of things) and was ready to start the building process. She had to get water and electric to the site before anyone would come out to get started. Again, she drug her feet and it took to the end of May to actually break ground.

I sort of volunteered, or did I get volunteered  ??? ...anyhow, I took over as the project manager to make sure everything stayed on track and make sure the builders and contractors didn't take advantage of her.

The project has been going well, here is a picture thus far



The siding is Cypress board and batten, it is almost finished. Hopefully the windows will be in by the end of the week. It's getting close, but seems like there is still a lot to get done....not to mention she is getting anxious to move in.

Stew

[inspectorwoody]

Pretty neat!  Sounds like you are enjoying being the main main!  :D

I think we all have drug our feet getting something started, but when we do, we sure are ready to see the out come!  ;) Than we wanted it done two days ago!  ;D

Make sure to post more pics as the project progresses.

[sawguy21]

Good on you. 8) When I saw the title I was wondering if you had been a bad boy. ;D

[Dan_Shade]

did you saw out the lumber, Stew?  that's looking good!

[Radar67]

I have not sawed any of the lumber for this project. There is a little Woodmizer sawmill pretty close to here that specializes in Cypress. I met one of Frank's (mill owner) employees down in Perkinston, MS at the WM get together. The only labor I have put in this is running the water line from the road to the edge of the lot. I'll be installing the fake wood floors and maybe the sheetrock and insulation. I couldn't talk her into spending the money on real hardwood floors, she wanted other luxuries (the wrap around deck, the steam shower, all new high end appliances, a back up generator, etc.) Keeping material ordered and contractors working, plus being full time active duty has limited my physical input due to time constraints.

Woody, not this time..................... :D :D :D

I'll be adding more pictures for sure.

Stew

[Quartlow]

Thats a sweet looking little house, How many square feet? does it have a dormer on both sides?
And is the from open from the floor to the ceiling?  I've got the wife convinced we don't need a big house just a big shed

[Radar67]

The house has a total of 1008 square feet of living area. The dormer goes the complete width of the house. It is 21 feet wide by 34 feet long. The floor plan is open in the living room. Lower level has a bedroom, full bath, kitchen, laundry area, and the living room. The upper level has the master bedroom, full bath, and a walk in closet.

There is plenty of room for her and her 9 year old daughter. I'm trying to convince my wife that we don't need the 5000 square feet she wants in the house we plan to build....she's not having it.  :D

Stew

[WDH]

I am proud of your altruistic contribution, Stew.  Nice design.  So, you are warming up on this house in prelude to the main event .

[Radar67]

Not really Danny. I'm in the finer points of design and planning for our house. I don't plan on contracting out much at all on ours.

The design is nice, it's more of a modified A frame than anything. It would make a very nice summer lake house, or winter mountain house.

Stew

[Radar67]

I'll be taking some more pictures tomorrow of this project.

The windows and doors came in and were installed. The siding should be complete. The electrician is working as I type this. The sheetrock, insulation, and interior doors have been delivered. The HVAC units have been purchased and ready for installation early this week. And the plumbing is  getting roughed in Monday.

It's all coming together at once it seems. It is definitely keeping me on my toes.

Stew

[WDH]

Get the HVAC in ASAP :D.

[SwampDonkey]

Looks like a nice place Stew. Your friend is lucky to have a buddy to lean on.  8)

It's almost time to start burning wood up this way, another month to go or less. Was only about 65 F here today.  :

I got the basement and shop stuffed with wood for winter.  ;D

[Radar67]

Here I the pictures I took this evening. The outside is complete. Still got a little electrical to do before we can start hanging the rock.











Stew

[WDH]

Looks great.  Should be real cozy for two people.  Now the fun begins on the inside :D.

[sawguy21]

Interesting design and looks very well built.

[Handy Andy]

  I like the house, especially that solid wood siding.  Swamp Donkey, just one state down we had 90 for the high today, and that was cool after the last few days of over 100.  Hard to imagine one state lower on the map makes that much difference.  Jim

[Radar67]

About 6 this evening, my thermometer read 100 degrees in the shade. 

Danny, if I can get the rock hung, the inside should be pretty easy, a little time consuming, but easy. I like doing trim work.

Stew

[thecfarm]

Looks good.Went up pretty quick.Looking forward to more pictures.

[stonebroke]

Saranac Lake was 33 this morning, We were a toasty 42 in Richmondville NY

Stonebroke

[Quartlow]

I'm trying to convince my wife that we don't need the 5000 square feet she wants in the house we plan to build....she's not having it.  :D

Stew

To quote good old George Carlin
A house is just  place to put our stuff while we run out and get more stuff. Of course while your out getting more stuff some one could break in and steal all your stuff, then you have to by more stuff. Of course once you get a house full of stuff you buy a bigger house and go and buy more stuff.  Then you die and they have a sale and people come and buy your stuff making it their stuff. In the end was it really your stuff?

We have a whole 980 square feet not counting the shop. We don't have a lot of stuff  :D

[SwampDonkey]

Been down in the 40's at night and in the 70's during the day this week. No rain all week, but showers possible tonight and in the next couple days.

[Don K]

Man, ya'll are killing us down here, but I guess what goes around comes around. We tease ya'll with pics of green leaves and spring flowers when ya'll are shoveling snow and we have to hear about frost, quilts, and fires while we are melting into puddles of salty water. :

Don

[WDH]

Never were two sentences said more true .

[Radar67]

We are going to get a little cool snap down here toward the end of the week....it's gonna get down to 90.  :D

Stew

[Radar67]

It's been a while, so I figure y'all are due an update.

This is the bedroom upstairs looking out toward the great room.


The next 3 are of the overpriced cabinets she had built. $8000 plus finishing 






This is the cypress staircase I built. Before y'all ask, the spindles are not to code because this is a no code area...and that's what she wanted.


This is the upper view of the window and beams I trimmed.

A lower view of the same windows.


We are just about done with this house, got another pocket door to trim, install the handrail cap on the stairs, and a few pieces of base left.