Kawasaki Concours Forum

Mish mash => Open Forum => Topic started by: B.D.F. on June 24, 2017, 01:22:51 PM

Title: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on June 24, 2017, 01:22:51 PM
I have not posted too much about it but I am in the middle of a fairly major house project. Let me try the 'short- sheet' version of the story....

It all started in a 5,000 watt radio station in..... no, wait, wrong story.

It all started with an old house and an unusually heavy snowfall season back in 2014 / 2015.

The 'house' that I live in was built as a barn in 1905, typical post and beam construction that any Amish person would recognize instantly. In 1948, the barn was converted into a house of no particular type or style but is 24' X 30', two floors. But the second floor ceiling is sloped at the edges and the eve walls are only 46" tall (inside), this is along the 30' lengths. We have owned the house for a long time and have been working on it since day one, with the first floor about totally rebuilt. There was no inside entrance to the cellar (or basement), which is where the washer / dryer was, so doing laundry meant walking on the west wall, walking north and turning the corner, and entering the bulkhead on the north end of the house. I added an addition to the north end of the house, one floor only, that was 10' deep (off the 30' length of the house) and 14' wide to encompass the bulkhead opening; this provided access to the cellar from inside the house, and outside exit on the north end of the house (to the backyard) and at the same time, we moved the washer / dryer into that addition, making it effectively the laundry room.

There was never any access to the attic; it was platerboarded and plastered in when we bought the house.

Now there are some unusal aspects to this house; for example, the living room is the full width of the house, 24', and the first floor ceiling joists (which are the second floor floor, the 'bearers' of everything up there) run parallel with the peak. Huh? Now there is a hallway going into the kitchen connected to the living room, and the total distance to the first bearing wall is.... 19' but the ceiling joists are only 8" thick. Huh? Not sure what holds up the second floor- magic maybe. Now the first floor joists (the first floor floor) go the other way and cross the 24' width, which is the normal way.

Fast forward to 2015: we had record levels of snow that winter. In the spring, I was outside walking around, generally looking to see how the property fared after the winter and the snow having melted WHEN SUDDENLY, I notice that the surface of the roof looks like the ocean during a storm but not quite as smooth. Looking more closely, I can see that while the roof is significantly buckled in two directions, the really disconcerting part is along the slope of the roof; the rafters dip what looks to be about 6" in the middle..... not good.

Insert long, ugly story here involving insurance company, lawyers, structural engineers and me in the middle trying to reach a conclusion. Eventually, we reach an acceptable point.... they will cover part of the damage but not the whole thing. We are in an situation with no clear or obvious path forward but all the choices involve both pain and benefits. Because the house (barn modified by cutting out a bunch of the cross- posts) was basically 'miss- built' in the first place, putting a new roof on the existing walls was not possible. Putting up new walls and a roof would entail gutting the second floor and rebuilding. And it was not possible to save the second floor floor (the joists, the weight bearing part of the floor) because they were not adequately supported in the first place. So after a LOT of research, thinking and considering, we come to this conclusion: we are going to remove and rebuild the second floor of the house. This is extremely rare because it is not cost- effective, and this will hold true for us as well- we will never get the money put into the house back (speaking of 'real' money here, not theoretical value including imaginary or hoped- for profits). But the alternatives were worse and so ahead we forged.

But not so fast grasshopper, there are some problems here that are not so easy or obviously solved. We have to remove the roof, then the rest of the second floor, then install a new floor (the entire floor, both structural as well as the actual sub- floor), build walls and then install a roof. Two major problems: 1) We live in New England and there is absolutely no way this amount of work can be squeezed in- between rain or snowstorms, and it is not really practical to tent around an entire house two floor tall and 2) remember the post and beam construction? Well, it is not easy or obvious as to how to tie into that with modern building techniques and materials. Remember, this is all on the 'up and up', permits drawn and it must pass both inspections as well as have P.E. (Professional Engineer) structural stamps on the design. I can do the design work but I am not a structural engineer (wrong kind) and I could not stamp my own work anyway. Oh and by the way, the inside of the second floor is gutted at this point but the roof is still in place to make it weather tight and the proverbial clock is ticking regarding the next winter's snow and how heavy it will be..... enough to cave in the already- weakened roof? Maybe, maybe not. Maybe I can do something to stiffen (Easy Boys! there was none of that kind of stiffening going on during this.... process) the existing structure to last one more winter? Now at this point, summer of 2015, the second floor has been gutted (3 30 yard dumpsters full of 'house' off to the landfill) and we have discovered the bats living in the attic, have removed them (driven off but not harmed, bats are protected believe it or not, and cannot be disturbed before a date set by the state, which I believe was 1 July of that year, to allow the young to be old enough to fly), found all the guano (yeah, look it up) and had that removed also. All out- of- pocket, none of this covered by insurance of course. And the roof line is slowly dropping while the outside (eve) walls are spreading..... We are still living in the house but have moved from the second floor to the first floor. But Brian you ask, was there enough room on the first floor for the first floor and the second floor? Of course not. Is there sleeping space on the first floor? Of course not. So the furniture on the second floor went into storage ($75/ month and automatic billing) and we are sleeping in the dining room of course.

August 2015, end of part 1 while I consider 839,578 ideas, paths, ways and means and reject all of them, and more. And for your viewing pleasure....

Brian

Edit: photos are too large to attach. Just imagine 'visions of sugar-plums dancing in your head' and remember, it does not look anything like that.
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: maxtog on June 24, 2017, 08:24:08 PM
> Edit: photos are too large to attach.

Just resize them! Linux:

$ cd /home/whatever/photos/whatever
$ mkdir smallstuff
$ cp -a * smallstuff
$ cd smallstuff
$ mogrify -scale 1200x1200 -quality 92 *

done!

Or do it the harder way with gimp, shotwell, gqview, geeqie, ksnapshot, shotwell, or darktable
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on June 24, 2017, 08:37:33 PM
More of a Cerious software guy myself but it does not really matter; let your imagination run wild and it is 20% worse than that. 200% worse if you are not very imaginative in the first place.  ;D and  :'(

Brian

> Edit: photos are too large to attach.

Just resize them! Linux:

$ cd /home/whatever/photos/whatever
$ mkdir smallstuff
$ cp -a * smallstuff
$ cd smallstuff
$ mogrify -scale 1200x1200 -quality 92 *

done!

Or do it the harder way with gimp, shotwell, gqview, geeqie, ksnapshot, shotwell, or darktable
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: just gone on June 25, 2017, 05:41:09 PM
Just imagine 'visions of sugar-plums dancing in your head' and remember, it does not look anything like that.
   ;D ;D ;D  :rotflmao:

WHEN SUDDENLY (https://www.google.com/search?q=Sugar+plums&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjtiMfIldrUAhWm3YMKHQmPBPAQ_AUICigB&biw=1920&bih=940)
 
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on June 25, 2017, 07:32:17 PM
I have been living "When Suddenly!" for two years now and there is not only no end in sight, I have no idea how far away the exit is.... assuming there is an exit at all. Well, other than the eternal, gigantic exit.... that one always awaits but I am speaking more about the house.

 ;) ;D

I will put together something regarding photos and post a link. Probably a couple of photos a day. The majority of the population is just not ready to see this all at once, in one take. It  needs to be spread out a little bit, and morphine in- between views would probably help.

I once heard the expression: There are two things you may really like but ABSOLUTELY do NOT want to watch being made.....1) Sausages and 2) Laws. I feel ready to add a third to this truly impressive level of intensity..... watching Brian's house project stumble along. This is hard to believe but I think even Kirby had to look away 'cause I found him facing the 'other' way and I know I did not leave him in that position. Shiver me timbers.

Brian

   ;D ;D ;D  :rotflmao:

WHEN SUDDENLY (https://www.google.com/search?q=Sugar+plums&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjtiMfIldrUAhWm3YMKHQmPBPAQ_AUICigB&biw=1920&bih=940)
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: maxtog on June 25, 2017, 08:57:37 PM
I have been living "When Suddenly!" for two years now and there is not only no end in sight, I have no idea how far away the exit is....

My ceiling in the great room had water damage and previous damage.  I had the two huge skylights replaced with 4 smaller ones when I had the roof done three years ago, leaving even more damage.  At this point, the entire ceiling (drywall/popcorn) must be torn out, rafters scissored, insulated, new lighting, drywall, paint and lots of other things I didn't mention.  I have done a lot to this house in the last 25 years, but I just don't have the energy to see this through.  The nightmare mess, what to do with the cats, how long it would take, how I would live during it, etc.

So here I sit.  As long as I don't look up, everything seems fine...
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: Rhino on June 26, 2017, 06:51:18 AM
I notice that the surface of the roof looks like the ocean during a storm but not quite as smooth.

Sounds like something Douglas Adams would write.  :rotflmao:
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on June 26, 2017, 08:06:47 AM
Never read anything the gentleman wrote. And I had to look up who he was before saying that.....

Brian

Sounds like something Douglas Adams would write.  :rotflmao:
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on June 27, 2017, 09:19:19 PM
OK, new electrical service going in tomorrow. This is the main service to the house, nothing to do with the second floor other than providing the source of 100 amps on a feeder to the second floor. Still, moving forward and at least the neighbors can see a little something happening. All work since the winter has been inside so from outside, it looks like the project has stalled. Also, with the new service, the panel on the second floor can be powered, which will eliminate the two heavy extension cords feeding the second floor (lights, fans, power tools and cordless recharging stations).

Another step sideways: I am installing mini- splits in the house, three on each floor, with two compressors outside. Thought it was an R134 based system but no, it is R410a based and runs at much higher temps. as well as far higher pressures. Hmmmmm. The original plan was to install them myself up to the point where they needed purging and a small amount of refrigerant added but that is not looking good; looks like I will have to get into the A/C business also to finish off this job.

Brian
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on June 28, 2017, 03:12:19 PM
28 June: electrical service upgraded from 100 to 200 amps. 100 amps of new service tapped and now the new sub- panel on the second floor has power. I can tap into the panel as I please now and power anything needed upstairs. Up until now, all power on second floor was supplied from extension cords. Now in addition to a much cleaner source of power upstairs, 230 volts (both legs of residential power) are now available upstairs to supply A/C when that is installed, which will start this weekend hopefully.

Brian
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: Rhino on June 28, 2017, 04:25:15 PM
Think of all the electrical goings on that could be happening upstairs now! Band saws! TIG welders! Bench grinders! And of course big screen TV's!
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on June 28, 2017, 06:18:00 PM
Wow, your upstairs is exciting! My upstairs, by comparison at least, is boring. Nothing going on up there other than there are Voltons (one of my favorite words, others being 'electronical' and 'ironical'; favored expressions are "We I'll be go to Hell" and so forth) present at the main breakers but no further. Bare, open box with nothing but bare wiring all over the place and nothing to hook up.

Brian

Think of all the electrical goings on that could be happening upstairs now! Band saws! TIG welders! Bench grinders! And of course big screen TV's!
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on July 01, 2017, 02:47:17 PM
Quick update while I bask downstairs in front of the A/C....

30 June:

New service installed and temp. wired hot. Was 100 amp, now 200 amp and the 100 amp tap going to second floor is now hot.

Local inspector approved outside / inside service install. Called in approval to power co. (National Grid is ours) and the National Grid engineer has been here, also approved new service and we have a service request number (SER) and are scheduled for them to install new taps next week. The original power lines to the house are actually too small to carry 200 amps and were probably installed in the 1950's and so much be changed back to the transformer but that is an SEP (someone else's problem), namely the power co. and it will be done without direct charge (small pun intended) to me.

1 July:

Installed two temporary, 20 amp taps in breaker panel on 2nd floor (just NM 12 to junction boxes and outlets, draped on framing) to provide power to second floor without extension cords from first floor, through 'hatch'. Installed combination AFI- GFI breakers on both circuits just to see if they would work with tools (electrical tools not THAT tool), fans, and especially, brush- type electric motors. All successful, I cannot find any tool or machine that will trip either breaker. So much for the horror stories about AFI's.....

Once I stop sweating, off to put in the runs for the mini- split (A/C) compressors and run the linesets for same.

Brian
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: just gone on July 01, 2017, 03:32:20 PM
.......it will be done without direct charge (small pun intended) to me.

You just can't control yourself, can you. (more of a statement than a question so I left off the question mark.)  ;D

Am I the only one that can't see the pictures??...or aren't there any?
You know posting photos would be a wonderful excuse to stay in the A/C awhile longer.  8)  <----emoticon pun intended.
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on July 01, 2017, 05:43:24 PM
Actually, you ARE getting the controlled version. What goes on in my head is sort of like a manic cross between Robin Williams and Archie Bunker both commenting on the same sights at the same time, maybe with a little Eddie Murphy (from RAW) in there. Trust me, the unfiltered version is just not fit for common consumption. But I will say that one time, after I told a particular gentleman (noting to do with this forum or motorcycles but in a professional environment) exactly why and in what way I did not like something, and he responded that he was insulted, I explained that that was not my intention..... because if I had wanted to insult him, I would have merely told him the truth.... the whole truth, about the subject. And besides, you know things are more interesting with me around than they usually are without me, right? Right?   ;D <Marty has met me in the flesh so to speak>

No, no photos. And just like a train wreck, this..... event, cannot be appreciated without photos. Truly.

I tried to put together a small group of photos that would kinda' get the point across without getting out of hand but found it tedious (I have LOTS of pictures and you do NOT want to see all of them, trust me) and it looks like Photobucket went over to pay- per- view. So I am looking for a mechanism to bring these illustrations of horror to a wider audience.

Brian

You just can't control yourself, can you. (more of a statement than a question so I left off the question mark.)  ;D

Am I the only one that can't see the pictures??...or aren't there any?
You know posting photos would be a wonderful excuse to stay in the A/C awhile longer.  8)  <----emoticon pun intended.
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on July 04, 2017, 11:51:30 AM
4 July: installed 2nd floor A/C wiring (power to the compressors) from 2nd floor panel to outside at ground level and that went far better than expected. Now moving onto the 'linesets' (two copper tubes, one armored electrical cable and one condensate drain) from each mini- split (three total) to the same area outside, basically to ground level. That will not all happen today though, lots of cuts / flares to make on the tubing.

Brian
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on July 04, 2017, 07:41:15 PM
All three mini- splits started. power cables and condensate line lying on the bottom of the trusses where they will be corralled and anchored. Warm day, tempers flared, Andrea is going off on a business trip / vacation tagged onto the end. There was no vacation more needed by one party of a couple  ::)   Maybe she comes back, maybe she does not...... Kidding. :-) She is off to Las Vegas on business and will meet up with her brother (who lives one state over) and our sons, one in Las Vegas (just moved there from NC) and one from VA. Not sure but this is the first time the kids have been together with any  other family member (other than parents) in many years. It will prove interesting and hopefully fun for all.

I have to get some quotes on wall insulation and <perhaps> commissioning the mini- splits. Not sure about that one though, a couple of vendors have either refused or given me the 'I do not want to do that price'. So I may be in the market for some new tools I never expected to purchase; looks like one thousand dollars will do it and that is still a buy compared with having it done so no foul there. Plus I have the equipment and storage vessels to fully dischage the system shouit evey need attention, to be moved, etc.

Brian
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on July 09, 2017, 12:35:48 PM
My wife is on a business trip / vacation..... she is 'vacating' I guess. This triggered the idea that I, too, could take a vacation..... from my house! Got the idea from Bob Wiley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDKiMYgdxSs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDKiMYgdxSs)

8 July: vacating.

9 July: sitting in stunned amazement. I have been waiting for the local elect. co. (National Grid) to stop by and run new taps from the street to my house. I have power but am using the old, 'too small' lines, and they still go to the electrical TeePee in the front yard. New service is in, town inspection is done, power co. engineer approved Service Request (and tried to torture me a bit) and so now waiting for the lineman and boom truck to appear, hopefully this next week. Knock on door this AM, yep, a Sunday, and there is Mr. Lineman in the flesh! Talk to the guy a bit and he is a great guy, strings the new taps and then, during the review of the previous convoluted journey to get to this point, he gives me his cell phone number and suggests to call him directly and maybe he can help me out when it is time to side the house and <maybe> adjust the service! Absolutely amazing. I had no idea that the power co. would do a routine service call such as this one on a weekend. Funny thing is that just after Brian (the lineman Brian, not the forum annoy-er Brian) cut the taps to my house, he got a call from down the road for a 'power out' service call. I said I was surprised that he did not stop working here and go to that call because it was more important, until he pointed out to me that I was now a 'power out' service call too so I had as much prioity as that other customer..... oh yeah, I did not think of it that way (house was w/out power for a couple of hours between removing the old taps and putting in the new one).

Still vacating but now doing so with lots' o' electrons at the ready, lots more there were available yesterday. It all kinda' makes me want to want to break off 20, or 30, or 150 amps and make sparks or something.

Brian
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on July 15, 2017, 09:07:55 PM
Stringing A/C lines (six sets second floor, six sets first floor), A/C power and control cables today, along with condensate discharge lines. I will try and snap a couple of photos once the lines are corralled a bit and close to 'in place'. It is going far better than my fondest hopes and much better than I actually expected. Lots of flares but they are coming out so nice I now have some conficende the systems will actually pressure- test positively. Going to pressure test wit compressed air after passing it through a desiccation line to dry the air. Nitrogen is recommended but I would have to buy a tank and gauges for that and I believe dry, compressed air will serve just as well. Especially since a LOT of A/C installers apparently skip the pressure test, go right to a vacuum test (which is less than 15 PSI) and find leaks the old- fashioned way.... but tracing leaking refrigerant :-(  The project is coming our far neater and cleaner regarding install than I had expected also.

Brian
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on July 23, 2017, 11:36:48 AM
23 July 2017: 1:30 PM Just finished running A/C lines from second floor to outside. What a gigantic pain in my butt. I had to use some of my very best obscene and creative combinations (singular words have long since failed, now it is a matter of seeking just the right person and describing what they may be doing to / with a close relative, or perhaps a barnyard animal) while doing this little gem. The lines are in place but not yet in place and capped for a pressure test; that is going to have to wait a few days to get some small pieces of drywall up to have a place for the A/C lines to terminate.... but the actual plumbing is done..... OK, it still needs the occasional anchor and final insulation around all joints but hey, that has to wait for the pressure test.

Got a price on insulation: $1,350 for the walls, same for the ceiling (attic), both are blown- in cellulose. The walls get a 'netting' material put over them and the insulation is blown in the pockets, not unlike filling, oh, say, pantyhose with cellulose under modest pressure. The attic just gets the stuff blown in and it rests on the ceiling drywall but there is more of it (12" ceiling, just under 6" in the walls) than in the walls. Still waiting for other quotes and I would kinda' like to try out that spray in (on?) cellulose that sticks to the bays and then they abrade off the surface down to the studs.

And so it goes.....

Brian
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on July 26, 2017, 07:02:10 AM
OK, enough with you people throwing rocks at me for a lack of photos!  ;D  Going to try on an Imgur site and see if this works....

So installed mini- split plumbing, electrical, condensate drain (that sounds like it need an Easy Boys! but it really does not) for all wall units and plumbed them outside. The usual way is to mount the wall unit on an exterior wall, drill a 2" or so hole through the house and push all the connections outside. The all connecting lines are connected to the compressors via duct work that looks like gutter downspoints. It works well but is unsightly plus because I am not done with the outside of the house, I did not want this plumbing / ducts all over the place 'cause some of them would absolutely be in the way. So I plumbed mine inside the house, which is a gigantic pain in the butt. Each mini- split gets two insulated copper tubes, one armored cable (plastic covered BX) and one condensate drain, and they all have to punch up into the attic (or the trusses above for the first floor mini- splits), then across the attic, then down through a wall that leads to the second floor / first floor ceiling, then across the first floor ceiling and finally outside. I choose to make a joint in the copper tubes at each turn because it was about impossible to feed 70' of copper tubing around corners and through access valleys in the house structure. So each direction change gets four flares, and a flare fitting. BTW- these are fairly critical as they use a new, high- pressure refrigerant and are not tolerant of leaks (R410a, reaching pressures of 400 PSI).

At the wall bay, between two bedrooms. There will be a wall unit on each wall, so the plumbing here is for two units:


(http://i.imgur.com/DmawS0E.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/nV3GYdn.jpg)

The the run across the attic to the interior wall where there is enough space to route all of this down to the floor below, this is at the other end of the house, at the point where all connections turn and drop down through the interior wall:

(http://i.imgur.com/QslY9DT.jpg)


(http://i.imgur.com/rOuJmz4.jpg)

There are six copper tubes, three 1/4" (liquid, feed) and three 3/8" (vapor or return), three wiring cables, and two runs of Romex to power the compressors outside in the attic that feed down through that wall, along with the main plumbing vent pipe for both floors.

The the exit from the wall and into the second floor floor and first floor ceiling:

(http://i.imgur.com/LRZ9LBB.jpg)

Then another 90 degree turn in the first floor ceiling to the left in the photos:

(http://i.imgur.com/YedAwQ7.jpg)

Across the first floor ceiling, through the second floor floor trusses:

(http://i.imgur.com/vOpXCdw.jpg)

And outside, where these three units of connections join three other from the first floor:

(http://i.imgur.com/Yv9lBVz.jpg)


And before someone asks, no, I have no idea which pipe / cable is attached to which interior unit, all have to be blown out with compressed air to remove any debris anyway so I will find and mark them then. Will also pin- out the cables at the same time.

Sorry, either I cannot figure out how to post thumbnails or Imgur does not offer them. ??

Brian


Title: Photo Sidebar
Post by: mikeyw64 on July 26, 2017, 01:27:01 PM
just add .jpg to the existing link plus an i. before imugr

eg

http://imgur.com/P2bLUrH (http://imgur.com/P2bLUrH)  was your link

http://i.imgur.com/P2bLUrH.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/P2bLUrH.jpg) is the direct image link to wrap in the IMG tags

(http://i.imgur.com/P2bLUrH.jpg)

Title: Re: Photo Sidebar
Post by: B.D.F. on July 26, 2017, 02:30:53 PM
Excellent- thanks Mike!

And it is all automatic if only one chooses the correct link in the first place; I was using a different one from the list of choices, the one you show is listed as BBCode and pastes directly without modification or the need to add the  separately.

Brian

just add .jpg to the existing link plus an i. before imugr

eg

http://imgur.com/P2bLUrH (http://imgur.com/P2bLUrH)  was your link

http://i.imgur.com/P2bLUrH.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/P2bLUrH.jpg) is the direct image link to wrap in the IMG tags

(http://i.imgur.com/P2bLUrH.jpg)
Title: Re: Photo Sidebar
Post by: B.D.F. on July 27, 2017, 03:03:59 AM
Any idea why when the photos are clicked they appear huge vertically but narrow horizontally?

It works as it is but it would be great if clicking on the photo just brought them in full-size (and maintained aspect ratio).

Right clicking on the photo and choosing 'view image' does bring one to the imgur site, and clicking on the photo there will bring it up full size, it would just be a bit nicer if the image could be clicked on and the image toggled between large thumbnail and full-size.

Thanks!

Brian

just add .jpg to the existing link plus an i. before imugr

eg

http://imgur.com/P2bLUrH (http://imgur.com/P2bLUrH)  was your link

http://i.imgur.com/P2bLUrH.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/P2bLUrH.jpg) is the direct image link to wrap in the IMG tags

(http://i.imgur.com/P2bLUrH.jpg)
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: Rhino on July 27, 2017, 06:33:47 AM
I had a Rigid sawzall too. Mine was cordless and the Ni-MH batteries completely died. So now I need a new one. When the time comes that I need one, I'll probably go with a 20v Lithium Ion Dewalt and be able to share the batteries with my drills and angle grinder. Looks like quite a project you got going on there Brian!
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on July 27, 2017, 07:24:02 AM
So far, I have not had the urge for cordless tools other than drills and impact drivers. Everything else is line- powered and so far, I have not found it to be a hindrance or inconvenience. Not opposed to them in any way, and absolutely would buy and use other cordless tools, just fine line- powered tools work well, have lots o' power and the cord is not a problem. Then again, I am not a contractor and so my 'job site' is always w/in walking and line- power distance.

One thing I am wary about regarding cordless tools is the batteries and chargers: once you jump 'in bed' with a mfg., you are kinda' stuck going forward with both the brand as well as the battery line. Otherwise it ends up with lots of different batteries, chargers and nothing is shared, and those batteries get pricey fast.

Yep, cutting off the second floor, and building a new one is pretty involved. Especially when the original structure needs a lot of adaptation to make the transition to modern construction methods: the original house is post and beam but the second floor is entirely modern in construction. I put a pair of 20" LVL's between all the posts and hung trusses on them, then used sub- flooring to make a diaphragm (Easy Boys! this kind o' diaphragm requires nails and screws). Everything above is modern construction, all exceeding code.

Working on insulation now, in fact, just had a contractor stop by to give me a quote. Lots of choices there too. This whole thing has been a nightmare of choices.

Brian

I had a Rigid sawzall too. Mine was cordless and the Ni-MH batteries completely died. So now I need a new one. When the time comes that I need one, I'll probably go with a 20v Lithium Ion Dewalt and be able to share the batteries with my drills and angle grinder. Looks like quite a project you got going on there Brian!
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on July 27, 2017, 01:56:20 PM
27 July: took time off today to do 2- man work. My wife and I blew out the A/C lines (Easy Boys- this is my wife here!), identified them (which one outside goes where inside) and tracked down the mini- split cables. Took 6 hours (!!!).

Also working on heating system. The houses uses forced hot water fired with #2 fuel oil, so that is what will be used on the second floor. Not really wild about baseboard heating, it is in the way, cheap and shoddy looking but it absolutely works and works well. But I have been eye-ballin' some hydronic units that would mount in a wall stud- bay, use forced hot water to heat but push it through a fan forced heat exchanger to actually transfer heat to the room. I installed one as a toe- kick heater in the kitchen a few years back and everyone loves it but it is a bit loud for bedrooms. so I spec'd a much larger one and ordered it with the understanding I could return it after doing a sound test. Got here yesterday, temp. wired it today and 1) the unit is defective and the fan is hitting something internal- sounds like a bucket of bolts in the bucket of a front- end loader but LOUD. But if turned upside- down, it goes away and we listended to the actual fan running and 2) it is far too loud for bedroom use, even on low fan setting. Still looking for a heating solution other than baseboard but baseboard lurks in the corner, with the promise that it does work, has no moving parts, and everybody in this area uses the stuff (northeast US). Sigh. Considering building a bay in the wall that contains baseboard elements, a fan on the opposite side (in the closet) and a small grate at the bottom of the stud bay.... sort of a built- in hydronic heating system.

Brian
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: tweeter55 on July 27, 2017, 08:16:27 PM
http://www.radiantsystemsinc.com/ (http://www.radiantsystemsinc.com/)
Take a look at radiant cove heat. Not inexpensive, but awesome heat IMO.
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on July 28, 2017, 01:21:45 AM
It does look slick. Unfortunately I cannot use electric heat here, it is cost prohibitive. I have to use forced hot water.

http://www.radiantsystemsinc.com/ (http://www.radiantsystemsinc.com/)
Take a look at radiant cove heat. Not inexpensive, but awesome heat IMO.
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: Pilgrim on August 09, 2017, 03:25:21 PM

Nice pics in the 7/26 posts.   It helps us see what you're describing.

What have you been up to lately?
   
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on August 10, 2017, 12:13:38 AM
Mostly looking for contractors: plastering, probably drywall too depending on price; I may hang the drywall (blueboard) myself but will farm the plaster. Insulation but that has pretty much been decided on: blown in cellulose, inside netting in the walls, and just loose in the attic (ceiling, not the new system of insulating the actual roof). Removing & replacing the porch and siding the house. Some issues there, mostly due to what mat'ls to use and how to fasten them.... seems most people do it incorrectly and then cover it with gutters or just like with the displacement (read: wrinkles). Not on my watch though, we're gonna' prevent that; I already have fascia less than one year old wrinkling all over the house. But also deciding on a roof-line as well as height for the porch; the end of the house faces the street, and the porch is a BIG part of how the house looks so I do not want to 'step in it' regarding the porch. The new porch is going to have one roof segment long enough to cover two walkways on the side of the house so I may try offsetting the ridge line; a very modern touch on a very old house but now that all of the old house is gone or re-worked enough to be new, I may get away with that. Kind of a 1970's western look. It will be slick if it works but if not, I will be sitting on a lot of expensive 'ugly' that will almost certainy need to be re-worked yet again.

Installed all three A/C wall units (mini- splits) on the second floor- will take photos and post them. That was an amazingly large PITA because they were plumbed inside the house and because they were installed before the walls were sheathed. So a large work- around going on there.

Installing the hot water circulating and delivery system (for human use, the hot water side or DHW) and installing some boiler leads. This gets a bit tricky because it depends on what heating system I go with: I am leaning toward a radiant system because they are small, slick and almost invisible (look like mop board at the base of the wall) but they are also meant to be used as a radiant heat- loss device with a recirculator. I will not be using them that way and instead just use them as a 'bang- bang' control, boiler temp. level heating devices as one would use baseboard. That is problematic though and I am trying to work out the kinks in that hybrid system now.

Also taking a few days off because it is hot here and usually brutally hot upstairs (on the second floor floor, above the floor in the attic it is worse yet) and I do not do well with 'warm' or hotter. And I have not had any chuckles in weeks or months now and if I stroke- out or face- plant due to that gigantic M.I. after not having any R&R, I am going to be seriously angry.

Today got cable wired to the house and off the temporary power teepee so that thing can come down..... finally! We have not hit 'getting better looking' yet but are maybe closing in on 'getting less ugly' here and there. A temp. power tap teepee in the front yard just screams 'class' to all who see it. :-)  This weekend, I have a meeting set up with that thing and a chainsaw.....

Brian

Nice pics in the 7/26 posts.   It helps us see what you're describing.

What have you been up to lately?
 
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: just gone on August 10, 2017, 10:01:50 AM
  This weekend, I have a meeting set up with that thing and a chainsaw.....

Oh darn, I was hoping that you were going to post a picture this weekend of that exiting new farkle on your web site (http://www.incontrolne.com/incontrol_9_mar_2014_006.htm)...no huh?
..well maybe Andrea can take a video (and post it here for us) of your meeting...that should be almost as good.  (http://e-cigareta-forum.eur.hr/images/smilies/smiley34.gif)
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on August 10, 2017, 04:33:40 PM
Ha! I ran into that farkle not long ago while putting together the other farkles; I have maybe 15 of them, ready to go. I have installation photos too, just have to write the instructions, alter the web page to show them for sale and set up a payment channel. I could have had that done already but too many tellings of 'The Cat Joke' and here we are.

Nothing on the house today, took the day off and took a bunch of farkles to the range for a respite. That did not work out either and I had to use just about every bad word I know and was on the brink of starting to use them in combinations. Now I have three dirty firearms, one 10mm pistol with about a pound of lead in the bore (yeah, yeah, I know- jacketed bullets but these were cheap, semi- wadcutters and they shot FANTASTIC until I started loading them to major..... well, OK, better than major) and a rather nice Krieger barrel with a projectile stuck in the throat due to a squib load (damn guy who reloads my ammunition! I could kick him right in the..... well, bad enough he has to get that squib out I guess).

Off to drown my sorrows in Scotch and Hoppes #9, and it probably does not matter which of those goes where.... <sigh>.

Brian

Oh darn, I was hoping that you were going to post a picture this weekend of that exiting new farkle on your web site (http://www.incontrolne.com/incontrol_9_mar_2014_006.htm)...no huh?
..well maybe Andrea can take a video (and post it here for us) of your meeting...that should be almost as good.  (http://e-cigareta-forum.eur.hr/images/smilies/smiley34.gif)
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on August 11, 2017, 04:37:26 PM
Finally got back to it today and finished the last of the wiring and condensate pumps on the mini- splits. My wife also took some time and built two holz hausens out of the two cord of firewood I bought last week.

The mini- condensate pumps that mount inside the mini- splits barely fit and need a little force (Easy Boys! what you are thinking is not politically correct!) so I bought an external, thinking it would be easier if uglier. Two surprised: the external one is not ugly but it is an even bigger PITA to install than the internals. Go figure. The amusing part is that I purchased an additional three internal pumps, then got an RMA and shipping slip to return them but now plan on keeping them.... this one is going to require a phone call and some 'splainin'.

Tomorrow the bathroom cans for the vanity and shower lighting and the place will be ready for the electrical (rough) inspection. Then insulation in the walls. So it looks like I am about 90% done, with only about 90% left to go!

The new holz hausens are on the left:

(http://i.imgur.com/WJjMJxV.jpg)

Note the orange line running to the left- that is oxygen barrier PEX for the potable water system upstairs as well as hydronic heat: the stuff is flexible but really 'remembers' being wound up in a coil and as it says in the Bible: 'Woe be unto him who tries to install PEX from the roll into thy straight spaces, such as wall bays'. Laying it out and putting some weight on the ends, then leaving it in the sun for a day really works wonders to stop the stuff from trying to curl up into a ball when working with it. That is the other half of a 100' roll; the first half is in the house and it is stretched from a second floor window down to the firewood.  ;D  You folks have to admit, I have some really lucky neighbors, especially the ones to the east who mow their lawn with scissors 'cause no mower is precise enough (close to true- they are the world's neatest people living next to.... next to..... well, THIS).

Mini- split with internal condensate pump, it all fits in there but it takes some force (Boys!) and a bad word or two although it makes a nice installation:

(http://i.imgur.com/gQY6xaN.jpg)

Mini split w/ external pump. Looks like it would be easy but the internal plumbing and wiring is almost impossible to actually install:

(http://i.imgur.com/nFhG0mW.jpg)
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: just gone on August 13, 2017, 11:18:15 AM
So it looks like I am about 90% done, with only about 90% left to go!

I've never tackled anything close to this large (!) of a project (I did replace a load bearing wall with a steel beam once) but, that one quoted line sure sums up almost everyone of my projects that I've ever done.
There may have been a couple that I stopped after the first 90% and had to completely start over in a new direction for only another 180% for a total of  only 270% but I don't like to talk about those much.
Thanks for sharing all of this Brian. I would give you kudos for both the sharing, and the execution of your project...but I still don't know what a kudo is.
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on August 13, 2017, 12:22:12 PM
Me too, me neither on a project this big and honestly, it is much, much worse than just building a new house. The old house really gets in the way, both literally and well as figuratively. I cannot run electrical, plumbing, heating or even some pretty silly little things such as thermostat wires from the cellar, through the first floor (old house) and into the second floor. Plus, instead of starting out with a foundation sill and building from it, I have to start with the middle of a wall that is not straight, flat, square, parallel or level and sometimes I think does not exist entirely in this universe. That said, the worst is behind us certainly, almost all of the work ahead is either entirely inside the second floor and so all- new in all ways, or will be 'farmed out' such as the siding, rebuilding the porch and most probably the drywall and plaster. Certainly the siding and plaster.

And I am doing things far differently than any contractor would, or at least any contractor working under budgetary constraints. As I said, plumbing these mini- splits, and there are three on each floor, inside the house was and still is time- suicide. Either 1) no contractor would so it or 2) the cost would be astronomical. Not to say I am building anything great here but it is far better than a spec. build house and overbuilt in almost all ways; the second floor was designed to bear 100 lbs. / sq. ft., and not deflect more than 3/8" in the center. Code requires load bearing of 30 lb. / sq. ft. and allows 0.80" of deflection at that loading. So the next people will at least have a house they can put a hot tub in, right in-between the two bank safes.  ;D

Just got done cleaning pistols from a comp. this morning, and in a little while Andrea and I will go upstairs to install the last six of the overhead light cans as well as start labeling the wiring and buttoning up the junction boxes for that rough inspection.

Funny thing but after all this time struggling as to how to 'name' or label all the electrical boxes through the house, it occurred to me yesterday that I can just number the trusses and use those numbers for all the junction boxes! And if / when there is more than one on a truss, label it east, west, or center (I do not think there are any with four boxes attached). Duh! And it is not likely that anyone can mistake truss #12, for example, with truss #10 but if they do, then that person should NOT be looking to do anything to or with the wiring anyway.  :rotflmao:

A few photos and a quick update:

We are off the temp. power TeePee and running on a real, house- mounted, 200 amp service! Of course that $1,800 TeePee now gets broken down and tossed.... including the new panel, the meter trough, the wire, the ground rod and the lumber. But hey, I had to do it to keep power coming into the house while the second floor was removed. Note those beautiful lines 'flying' past the TeePee! (top one is power, bottom one is COX cable):

(http://i.imgur.com/0egY4Vk.jpg)

The COX service tech. who put the new cable to the house was a great guy but just would not touch the FIOS cable that is now lying across my front yard. Sigh. It is the wide dangling off the telephone pole to the left in this photo :

(http://i.imgur.com/o72UoGL.jpg)

No problem, it is long enough (Easy Boys, I always though it was long enough!) and still has the slide- lock on it so I will just hand it myself. It is fiber optic so it cannot be cut and I think I may need it again quite soon but that is fodder for another thread.

New 200 amp service, the old porch, and the old first floor from the driveway side:

(http://i.imgur.com/Z3TJZXY.jpg)

New weatherhead for the electrical service, I think that anchor will give the telephone pole a fair strain in a big enough storm:

(http://i.imgur.com/op3rhna.jpg)

The back / west corner of the house. The second floor expansion can be seen here, it is 10' longer than the original house and supported on the west side by the foundation and posts in the photo. That orange line going through the window is me straightening out PEX tubing, letting the sun beat on it after uncoiling it..... I just pull more in through the window as I need more   :rotflmao:  Sort of a 'straighten and dispense' system:

(http://i.imgur.com/NpNxhCq.jpg)

This was a very unexpected 'no- cost extra': the 8 month old fascia is badly wrinkled and the same age soffit is being pushed down by warping nailers. The contractor who installed this 1) did not end the nailers at a truss and just left the ends hanging, and because they were the worst grade of garbage he could find, they are warping and bending, taking the soffit with it. So the soffit has to be removed, the nailers replaced and the soffit reinstalled. and 2) nailed the aluminum fascia directly to the house. Now wood expands (Boys!) and contracts with temp. and humidity, and aluminum changes dimension with temperature but at vastly different rates. This is why siding has slots in it and the nails are never driven in hard but left a tad loose so the siding and house can move against each other. The aluminum fascia has buckled as the house contracted behind it. So that has to be removed, some joiners installed and new fascia installed to the joiners so they an expand and contract independently. A big surprise on this project is how much was done (and much, much more was tried but stopped) that is somewhere in- between a bad idea and just will not work. This is what that bad install looks like, note the 'wrinkles' in the fascia amplified by the sun- line:

(http://i.imgur.com/lN4HQdi.jpg)

Oh well, it should go a lot faster the second time. I can only imagine how fast it will go the fourth or fifth time.  ??? ::)

Brian

I've never tackled anything close to this large (!) of a project (I did replace a load bearing wall with a steel beam once) but, that one quoted line sure sums up almost everyone of my projects that I've ever done.
There may have been a couple that I stopped after the first 90% and had to completely start over in a new direction for only another 180% for a total of  only 270% but I don't like to talk about those much.
Thanks for sharing all of this Brian. I would give you kudos for both the sharing, and the execution of your project...but I still don't know what a kudo is.
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on September 04, 2017, 10:38:03 PM
5 Sep 2017: Just about finished with the electrical- that took 2 and 1/2 forevers but I think it is ready. Will call for rough inspection tomorrow.

Went off on a different path today and started the install of the toilet. Hope against hope but I <hope> this is not that moment when I thought I might be making a mistake but kept on the same path. Instead of going with a conventional toilet, we are going to try a wall- mount. A residential unit, not what they have at WalMart :-)  Started to install the tank unit today and got a little familiar with it; it is a strange setup. The 'wall' unit mounts in an oversize stud bay and is completely covered with drywall and plaster except for a couple of holes and a small rectangle that 1) mounts the flushing buttons (large and small for.... well, you know) but also provides access to the entire workins' which is frankly a little scary. Looks like this:

(https://i.imgur.com/tWpsF9c.jpg)

This is the inner cover and operator for the flush buttons, as it mounts to the plastic tank:

(https://i.imgur.com/fHdIdop.jpg)

This is the plate off the tank:

(https://i.imgur.com/CZ3OxG5.jpg)

Inside the tank are the pair of flush valves and it looks like it would require a gynecologist to work on them / replace them:

(https://i.imgur.com/7qRAGiW.jpg)

And the fill valve is inside the tank too but way off to one side:

(https://i.imgur.com/WHD1fpW.jpg)

Overall the frame is more than sturdy enough but I am a bit concerned about all the working parts being 1) unique to that brand and very model (Home Depot will NOT have any parts for that thing) and 2) having to work on them through that relatively small hole. The entire wall unit could be swapped pretty quickly and they are not outrageously expensive but replacing one will require the removal of a sheet of drywall and the ensuing wall repair.

I guess I got the KiPass version of a toilet- if it works, it will be full of coolocity. If it does not, it may make me use all the worst words I know.

As soon as the rough electrical is inspected, the outer walls will be insulated. Then some final build-out items and furring strips and it will be ready for drywall and veneer plaster. Both the insulation and drywall / plastering will be farmed out because frankly I cannot save enough money doing the insulation, if I can save any at all, and the plastering because while I can squeak by doing a small area, it would take me weeks and weeks to do 1,000 sq. ft. of ceiling and walls, plus they will drywall the place for very little more than I can buy the blueboard for in the first place. And those guys have and use the cool, handy tools for that such as drywall jacks and stilts.

Brian
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: just gone on September 05, 2017, 12:12:17 AM
 I'm guessing that the "exit" of this toilet is going to be in the roughed out hole under the red tank frame (?) and the PVC sticking up in the floor in front of the frame is getting moved back to that opening ...or..what exactly? ...and the PVC stub to the left (3" dia.?) is a....sink drain?...vent? ...bidet? <---those can be wall mounted too I think.

I'm so confused.  :-\  ... ..and yet I continue to type my nonsense...↓↓↓

It would be so cool if it came with some kind of electric jack and flex plumbing so it would go up and down on the wall. With the difference in height of you and the Mrs., it would come in handy.
It could have memory settings just like in automobiles. What?..it could happen someday. :thumbs:
 Yeah, I know, I'm..  :loco:
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on September 05, 2017, 06:00:46 AM
Well first of all, those two 3" stubs are for the toilet and vent but the wall got moved after they were installed. Most people design with a pencil and build with lumber, we like to do it the other way so there is a lot of plumbing sticking up where walls should be but ended up someplace else.

Yes, the discharge of the toilet is directly in the center of the wall unit and a 90 fitting (supplied with the wall unit) attaches to the toilet; it is located just under the 1 1/2" white plastic pipe that is fitted from the plastic tank down to and through (with 90 degree turn) the front of the frame. The discharge is not mounted in those photos. But the hole directly under the center of the unit can be seen in the floor.

In the wall bay to the left of the toilet is the actual 3" main vent pipe running vertically. The stub about 18" in front of it, sticking up from the floor, will be removed and the new stack used.

So the big reason it is confusing is because it was roughed in for something else and changed during the build.

This like is to the same device with much better photos: http://www.totousa.com/aquia-wall-hung-dual-flush-toilet-16-gpf-and-09-gpf-elongated-bowl (http://www.totousa.com/aquia-wall-hung-dual-flush-toilet-16-gpf-and-09-gpf-elongated-bowl)

And BTW, the box the wall unit came in had a big "Made in Poland" stamp on it. ?? Not sure where Toto is headquartered but I did not expect to get any made in Poland parts. Not a complaint of course, just did not see that coming.

Brian

I'm guessing that the "exit" of this toilet is going to be in the roughed out hole under the red tank frame (?) and the PVC sticking up in the floor in front of the frame is getting moved back to that opening ...or..what exactly? ...and the PVC stub to the left (3" dia.?) is a....sink drain?...vent? ...bidet? <---those can be wall mounted too I think.

I'm so confused.  :-\  ... ..and yet I continue to type my nonsense...↓↓↓

It would be so cool if it came with some kind of electric jack and flex plumbing so it would go up and down on the wall. With the difference in height of you and the Mrs., it would come in handy.
It could have memory settings just like in automobiles. What?..it could happen someday. :thumbs:
 Yeah, I know, I'm..  :loco:
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: Pilgrim on September 06, 2017, 04:13:14 PM
...
Went off on a different path today and started the install of the toilet. ...

Does it have a heated seat?   :)
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on September 07, 2017, 12:57:32 PM
Not yet.....   No. And no plans for one either but there is a 1,500 watt electric heater in the ceiling for those chilly 'sits' (Read it again!).

Brian

Does it have a heated seat?   :)
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on September 07, 2017, 01:04:01 PM
Passed rough electrical inspection. No warnings, no faults and no changes required.

Inspector complimented us on a nice, neat job and an outstanding job of documentation; we numbered all power wires throughout, and then noted where they go to so basically there is a list of every wire and what it connects to as well as where it terminates (both ends). This is not required nor normally done for residential wiring but is standard for industrial wiring, which is what I am more familiar with so I just went that way. So we have a three page spreadsheet of every circuit upstairs; it might come in handy when adding something as it will make it easy to find an appropriate junction box and circuit to tap into.

Anyway, that is out of the way and a big relief 'cause I was kinda' expecting at least some re-work required. The inspectors in this area have been outstanding though and besides not being nit- picky, they actually go the other way and are very tolerant of reasonable variations as long as they are not sub-standard or 'scary'.

Now to finish up...... <sigh>

Brian
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: Rhino on September 19, 2017, 10:53:22 AM

(http://i.imgur.com/0egY4Vk.jpg)


That teepee looks like it could be turned into a pumpkin chunkin trebuchet  ;)
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on September 20, 2017, 12:20:56 PM
Yeah, that does look like a trebuchet. And it is pretty rugged and tall so.... no, no, I could not do that too, to the neighbors, they have been through more than enough watching this project oozing along. :-(

Besides, that teepee is gone now. Found a contractor who gave me a reasonable price on R&R'ing the porch along with building the wall over the sidewalk and building a new entrance-way covering. We got all the vegation cut down last weekend and he started on Monday (note the power teepee lying on the ground in front of the camera):

(https://i.imgur.com/ZeCMYZ8.jpg)

The great thing about hiring a crew is that they move so fast. In a matter of hours he had the roof stripped, was cutting the roof off and finally knocking down the 'walls' (really the uprights holding the roof up, this is an open porch). With a touch of grace and a firmly swung sledgehammer:

(https://i.imgur.com/D9ioZDU.jpg)

By the end of the day, the porch was gone and the entire area cleaned up:

(https://i.imgur.com/gYhi1HN.jpg)

And then covered in plastic and tarped for the baby hurricane passing up the coast on Tues. and today:

(https://i.imgur.com/pLk7vU7.jpg)

Materials ordered and construction begins tomorrow. This is the architect's rendering of what we are shooting for, bearing in mind that the picture is idealistic and probably too close to a silk purse..... add in a little bit of 'sow's ear' and we might get to that point..... someday:

(https://i.imgur.com/YEmR0Pz.jpg)

Brian

That teepee looks like it could be turned into a pumpkin chunkin trebuchet  ;)
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: just gone on September 22, 2017, 12:51:01 PM
Looking at that second photo in the larger format  (https://i.imgur.com/D9ioZDU.jpg)makes me wonder if that man tearing down your porch did it with only one arm (unintended optical illusion?), and is he bleeding from his right ankle?

I like the Arch's rendering, but the porch roof line seems a little off?...the gable over the side door- the peak ridge starts above over the center line of the door-correct? It appears to start at the corner of the house in that drawing..at least to me it does.
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on September 22, 2017, 02:18:05 PM
Yeah, the way the bottom of his shirt is hanging in that photo does make him look like Richard Kimble is looking for him..... But nope, he has both arms and was using virtually all of them to knock down that 'wall'. The part I found funny was the Welcome Friends sign hanging on that 'wall' while the place was being demolished. :-)

Yes, the entrance-way over the side- door is centered, more or less, around the door, and it is about in the middle of the original building (which was 30' long, note that the second floor is now 40' feet long but the first floor is still 30' for the first 10' shown on the side with the side- door (the west, or driveway side of the house). But that particular angle is generating optical delusions (of course I mean optical conclusions) because it has no depth; what you are seeing is the outside of the entrance-way wall, to its right is the door itself, and to the left is the window about 6' further down the building's wall from that entrance-way. Look at the actual photograph above and you should be able to see both windows and the door, and the entrance- way starts right at the door casing's end.

This is the new one starting to go up as of yesterday; today the crew is enjoying tropical storm Jose from the comforts of their homes (I assume) 'cause it is windy and raining here. This is taken from about the same angle the rendered image shows but you can see through the entrance-way frame and the building / door behind it. And that paper taped to the window on the side door is a line drawing of what they are REALLY going to build; it is very similar to what the architect drew but has a bit more pitch in the sidewalk and porch roof, and a bit less pitch in the entrance-way roof, and the entrance-way roof overhangs the entrance-way by about a foot.

Brian

(https://i.imgur.com/OGBJP5A.jpg)

Brian

Looking at that second photo in the larger format  (https://i.imgur.com/D9ioZDU.jpg)makes me wonder if that man tearing down your porch did it with only one arm (unintended optical illusion?), and is he bleeding from his right ankle?

I like the Arch's rendering, but the porch roof line seems a little off?...the gable over the side door- the peak ridge starts above over the center line of the door-correct? It appears to start at the corner of the house in that drawing..at least to me it does.
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on September 23, 2017, 03:57:39 PM
23 Sep 2017, Saturday and the end of this week's work. Excellent progress this week, much of it <not> in actual building but a lot of problems solved and starting to build. The sole or mud plates are down and anchored, the foundation has been capped with concrete and anchors (into the sole plates) and the uprights and bearers, side and front, are in place. We worked through all of the 'it ain't square', 'it ain't level', 'it ain't..... anything' problems and found an acceptable solution on all areas that are questionable. The house is not square so it is not possible to build a square around it and maintain the same width; so I split the difference and picked datum points.

Overall, and this goes all the way around the side- door:

(https://i.imgur.com/cYQRFYH.jpg)

Foundation repair and prep, new face plates on porch floor end and sole plates down, along with the four uprights (4 X 4's) which will be the front / top wall of the porch (screened in):

(https://i.imgur.com/hX2fkid.jpg)

One of the new bearer plates in position. Note the string, this will mark the bottom of the fascia when complete (still needs plywood and the other bearer installed):

(https://i.imgur.com/HrqMSgP.jpg)

It ain't as much as we had hope for but more than we feared might happen so overall, all is well. I worked with the boyz today to do the layout of the structure's end points; both the fascia as well as the roof peaks and the points where it attaches to the building; I have a rotary laser and receiver which makes life easy to 'shoot' lines anywhere / everywhere. The Egyptians did it with water but I prefer electronics. Here is to hoping I am as successful as they were (the great pyramids are straight, square and aligned to particular stars w/in 1/4": not bad for people who had not yet discovered iron).  ;D

Brian
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: just gone on September 24, 2017, 09:45:33 AM
That's great Brian, just think what your life is going to be like when this is all finished.  :)
You'll have to take up a hobby or sumthin to fill in all that free time. You can only polish your
razor collection, and your brass just so often. Hmmm..maybe motorcycles?...ya think? (http://rs717.pbsrc.com/albums/ww173/prestonjjrtr/Smileys/zx_smilie_slv.gif?w=70&h=52&fit=crop)

...And if anybody notices the fudging (aka "split the difference") on alignment, tell them you aligned it with certain stars. They won't check it.  8)
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on September 24, 2017, 11:51:44 AM
It has gotten to the point where I really cannot remember NOT having this albatross of a project hanging over me like a cloud.

As far as the time goes, every now and then a C-14 will show up at a great price and I really have to force myself to turn away. I start to think I could sneak in a little riding here and there but really it just is not going to happen and I would just have another one in the garage, taking up space I do not have.

As to the fudging, the carpenter was really good about the whole thing. We went over the problems, picked a method to deal with it and he moved on quite nicely. Sometimes people get a little cranky working on things that do not lend themselves to fast and easy solutions but he adapted well. It is not all that bad, the sidewalk side is about 1" out- of- parallel, and that has been pretty well disguised with a Trax decking that hangs over the concrete..... a little more on one end than the other but it is not visible. And I already warned him that when he starts connecting the rafters to the main structure, he is almost certainly going to have to trim at least a few, and likely all of them, individually rather than making them all from a template. And so far, he has been quite reasonable about these little annoyances; a few things have added cost but I think his charges have been quite reasonable and I am very happy with the quality and method of his repairs / compensations so overall, I still think this project is progressing very well. Anyway, he will be back here 6:30 AM tomorrow (really) and has three days of clear weather by the looks to get a frame up and sheath at least the porch.

Oh and BTW, we talked to the woman who lives next door yesterday and she seems THRILLED by the porch being built. Poor people, living next to this.... this.... eyesore, and they are the neatest people on the planet. Seriously, their property is maintained perfectly and never needs anything- they take care of it before it starts to look shabby in the least and they are living next to this project. Shiver their timbers. But they are taking it fantastically well, at least it appears so when we talk with them, and it would be great if we could get the house sided this year to take some of the horror out of their lives.

Brian

That's great Brian, just think what your life is going to be like when this is all finished.  :)
You'll have to take up a hobby or sumthin to fill in all that free time. You can only polish your
razor collection, and your brass just so often. Hmmm..maybe motorcycles?...ya think? (http://rs717.pbsrc.com/albums/ww173/prestonjjrtr/Smileys/zx_smilie_slv.gif?w=70&h=52&fit=crop)

...And if anybody notices the fudging (aka "split the difference") on alignment, tell them you aligned it with certain stars. They won't check it.  8)
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: Rhino on September 25, 2017, 11:23:32 AM
Hurry Bian... Winter is Coming...
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on September 25, 2017, 11:32:01 AM
We are dried- in and close enough to insulated on the first floor to winter over..... again if we have to.

The only thing that may be season dependent now will be plastering. They have a minimum temp. but even that I believe I can maintain as long as the second floor is dry-walled, which it would have to be to be plastered in the first place. I <think> I can maintain, say, 50F + upstairs even if the ceiling is not yet insulated, though the walls will be insulated because they have to be done before drywall goes there anyway.

Brian

Hurry Bian... Winter is Coming...
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on September 25, 2017, 04:06:38 PM
Well, it is starting to look like a porch again. First though, some <perhaps> interesting photos of the old vs. new structure.

The building was originally built as a barn in 1905, and converted to a house in 1948. The original structure was post and beam, and actually very well constructed. But when whomever it was who came along and 'housed' up the barn got here, he / she / they had no regard or it seems understanding of building practices or even much common sense.

This is the front of the house with the original barn posts, the cross- braces, and the new floor trusses 'flying' over the original structure and anchored only to each side of the building (span is 24'):

(https://i.imgur.com/E4bs8MY.jpg)

The old, dark wood is the original structure, cut- off and the light colored trusses and cripples are new construction, built upon the first- floor cross beams. A closer look reveals some really cool things such as cutting a main bearing post entirely out of the building to put in a front door on what used to be a barn wall:

(https://i.imgur.com/czyQpcG.jpg)

I believe this is generally called 'Running where angels fear to tread.' and it was a really, really bad idea. The entire second floor was cut up, as was the attic, again to make room for things such as walls and ceilings, without regard to structural integrity. Frankly, it is kind of amazing that the building stood as well as it did for all the years since '48 'cause it was certainly structurally compromised..... all over the place.  :o ::)

Anyway, the ceiling joists are in for the porch:

(https://i.imgur.com/29qBXca.jpg)

I had a little communication trouble with the carpenter and he cut the cross bearing beam off even with the front of the porch. That would be fine but the porch roof is going to extend out to the house width, and additional 24". Sigh. We talked about this and he wanted to build a 'ladder' to extend the roof-line but will use lookouts instead, that is the better, stronger solution IMO and IME, and is actually easier for him  if he stops where he is now and adds them. The front bearer can be sistered and extended the 24" to make the front rafter and joist bearer.

The sidewalk is framed in for the joists and rafters also:

(https://i.imgur.com/fSIJoT2.jpg)

The bottom of the front and side of the building will have hip walls, and the top nothing but 4X4's covered with vinyl sleeves and screen panels installed between them. The vinyl post covers are in place and once the walls are built, will be raised up and tacked in place. The objective here is to make the entire structure maintenance- free as much as humanly possible; all fascia, soffits, trim adn finish, wherever possible, will be vinyl, either siding or that really expensive 3/4" thick vinyl 'plank' and should not require any attention in my lifetime.

This shows the sleeves installed around the posts:

(https://i.imgur.com/E4bs8MY.jpg)

I do not have a decent photograph but the area just behind the outer wall of the building has also been insulated with fiberglass batts before the joist plate was installed. The gap was 24" and wide open to the world other than a 7/16" piece of Zip OSB so insulation will prove to be a really good idea I think.

Brian
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on September 28, 2017, 04:45:07 PM
The crew is making good progress. As of end of business today, the front roof is up, complete and sheathed. Both sides are started and should be finished tomorrow.

We had a slight oppsie with the wiring coming down from the soffit: somehow, the three cables ended up in three different frame bays, one of which is NOT touching any wall:

(https://i.imgur.com/6gP2L5J.jpg)

They pulled that rafter out, slid the FIOS fiber optic over to the same side with the COX cable and all is well.

We cheated just a little bit and left the east side, the short hip side, fly 'free'. But it is only 24", and then it was reinforced with a pair of 2 X 6" lookouts:

(https://i.imgur.com/vcVUMGt.jpg)

From inside:

(https://i.imgur.com/MwY6det.jpg)

Note that those tails will be cut off and only the portion supporting the 2 X 10" ridge rafter means anything.

The front is sheathed, as is the west corner hip:

(https://i.imgur.com/nWkdV3B.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/4nmOEGx.jpg)

The east ridge (hip) rafter is in and a couple of side- rafters are in also:

(https://i.imgur.com/A9j4ymy.jpg)

These folks did a fantastic job of framing. This is what the inside of the porch structure looks like with hurricane tie downs in place, all joists and rafters in place, all hanging on the front bearer beam:

(https://i.imgur.com/sIVkwQf.jpg)

The front of the porch is now free of any scabs or any temporary supports and is fully supported by the permenent uprights. They are 4 X 4's with vinyl covering the upper (exposed) portion, which is in place in this photo:

(https://i.imgur.com/nWkdV3B.jpg)

Same but from the east side:

(https://i.imgur.com/A9j4ymy.jpg)

Tomorrow they should finish the framing and maybe the sheathing. Then it will be time for short walls on the front and east side, fascia and roof shingles. Time to trim and finish the ceilings inside also but not quite sure how we are going to do that- leaning toward vinyl sheeting and a simple flat ceiling wrapped around the building.

Brian
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on March 06, 2018, 12:24:42 PM
6 Mar 2018: Long time, no updates  and little progress.

Fired the last contractor due to my inability to get what I wanted, and I was not willing to pay for what he wanted.  ::)  The entranceway roofline looks like church steeple, and he gaffed the roofline around the electrical feed.

Looked like this:

(https://i.imgur.com/IIJdhCE.jpg)

Long while finding another contractor but finally did and first thing, he tore down that ridiculous looking thing and replaced it with a new one. I designed this new layout knowing it would be asymmetrical and was hoping it did not look too ridiculous. It actually turned out far better than I had hoped!

(https://i.imgur.com/2p496pj.jpg)

Then ice and water shield, drip edge, and shingles and it is looking much, much better:

The new asyymetrical roof is also projected out one- foot from the building side, which provides a nice line- break I think. The inside of the triangle will be finished in the gray siding of the house and the rest will be white trim:

(https://i.imgur.com/ZqBGLuY.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/8Q3PFQA.jpg)

So the porch is dried- in and in fact, is being finished right now (6 March). But in the meantime, the gents moved inside the house and rebuilt the stairwell and stairway:

The old stairwell:

(https://i.imgur.com/OaeSH6n.jpg)

Gutted:

(https://i.imgur.com/vocc2iO.jpg)

This turned into a pretty big problem because there is a closet under the 1/2 of the staircase, and there is a header in the way of the stair stringers. After a LOT of re- design, we ended up going with a plate- mount set of treads rather than stringers. This is the rough stairway (the 'real' treads will mount on top of these):

(https://i.imgur.com/eAZXGaX.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/17Lk85I.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/GyJ356t.jpg)

Ignore the furring strips standing vertical, they are dunnage just sitting there and not part of anything:

(https://i.imgur.com/2qnMjNA.jpg)

And the ceiling needed to be cut back to allow more headroom over the stairs to meet code. This required cutting out a header, supporting the old ceiling (which used to be the second floor floor) from the new second floor, which floats above it:

(https://i.imgur.com/TtVehnI.jpg)

Not finished in this photo; the ends of the header on the right are now cut off flush with the stairwell:

(https://i.imgur.com/87syHT7.jpg)

And so we move slowly ahead. Porch is being finished now though snow / rain happening tomorrow so probably another break in the work. Typical for New England in the winter so nothing to get too excited over. Will post photos of the porch finished.

Brian
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: mikeyw64 on March 07, 2018, 12:57:07 AM
take it you've come to an amicable agreement now with the electricity company?
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on March 07, 2018, 07:00:05 AM
Nope. They left the threat dangling, and I went ahead with the project. I do not believe I will ever hear anything about this again honestly. I think it was just a 'small minded bureaucrat with a rule' in action.

Small potatoes in the scheme of things and we have to move forward.

Contractors not working today, storm passing through. Going to be a lot of precipitation and the big question is how much of it will be rain. The snow prediction stands at 5" to 8", which will slop all work until at least next week. But hey, New England in the winter is always risky and spotty working outside, some years projects are shut down for months due to accumulated snow. So far, we have actually had a very mild winter overall, with an especially cold, harsh December but I did not have a contractor at that time anyway so no construction time lost.

Brian

take it you've come to an amicable agreement now with the electricity company?
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: Pilgrim on April 14, 2018, 08:27:56 AM

What's new?
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on April 14, 2018, 04:09:56 PM
Well, a little progress, a little regress.

Got the porch done- finished, inside and out other than the siding (and any last strips of roofing, etc. that will go in with the siding, J-channel, etc.). The guys did a great job and they will be back mid- May to begin siding the entire house. They had some other work to do first but again, I am happy with them and their work so more than willing to wait the six weeks they needed.

New design on the entranceway; got rid of that ridiculous looking pointy- spire roof and went with an assymetrical design to knock the angle way down, as well as extending the other side (left side looking at it) further out as was originally intended. I was wary of it because it IS assymetrical but now that it is done, we are thrilled with the way it came out, how it looks and what the carpenters did. On their own, they included a thinner, partial return on the bottom of the triangle and I think that really adds to the overall look too:

(https://i.imgur.com/BNu86d0.jpg)

Now, the entire interior, soffits and facias are done so other than siding, and painting the T-111 inside the porch sub- walls, and adding the doors on the west side,which I will do at a later time, it is finished. The header over the inside of the west side of the porch is where the doors will go.

From the west side:
(https://i.imgur.com/JeiUSAx.jpg)

From the southwest, showing some of the inside ceiling / soffits and fascia:
(https://i.imgur.com/maJooY8.jpg)

From the south, or the street view:
(https://i.imgur.com/6wNn7tj.jpg)

Now remember that little bit of regression I mentioned..... well, it seems I was walking down the new stairs when a 'sudden gust of gravity' came along. OK, I was walking backwards down the stairs, video recording the new hatches at the top of the stairs and gravity remained pretty constant if I am honest. But let me tell you folks, when you reach back with your next foot to put down on the landing but you are still one step up the stairs, it sometimes does not end well...... Fortunately, I did not break the video device (whew!) and the stone floor, steel door, and wooden end- table were there to break my fall. With a stiff constitution and clean living, I was able to shrug it all off..... almost.... except the left wrist. The pain was a little bit much and it was not very mobile the next day so I went off to a "Doc in a box" and had them take a look. Lucky for me, it was not broken, it was broken in four places! Also lucky for me, instead of wearing a silly cast for months, all I needed was a little screwing, which I thought was OK but it turned out to be nothing like I was envisioning (Easy Boys!). So last Tues., off to the hospital for a genuine titanium alloy screw put in my schaphoid bone to bind the three pieces together. Also required a small bone graft. I am supposed to be getting a "bone simulator", which I thought might be like Woody Allen's orgasmatron but alas, it is something I strap onto my wrist and it stimulates the bones to knit..... <sigh>

But the staff was great and we actually had a pretty good time although the anethsthetist was resistant to my humor (took four jokes to get him to chuckle; he rather liked the 'old man' jokes involving bodily fluid) and so I am back home, knitting. Not stimulating yet but knitting. Though this is one of the very slowest knitting bones in the whole body so maybe not knitting very fast.

I complimented the surgeron on an outstanding job of centering the screw, aligning the bones, and burying the entire screw head sub- flush. We cut a deal where he will give me the identical screw (Boys!) but in my palm rather than installed- I want a souvineer of this little debacle:

(https://i.imgur.com/NmUxG0P.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/pbxNkOX.jpg)

My son and D-I-L were kind enough to send me a little something for this event. For normal people, it would be a 'Get well soon' card or some such nonsense but I raised my kids right and they found the humor in this situation and so send along the perfect gift I think.....

(https://i.imgur.com/LiDjag1.jpg)

So, in summation: porch done, ready for siding. Me not done, I need several more visits and perhaps a very disappointing version of a 'bone simulator'. The good news is that this whole medical episode, along with a couple of other diagnostic tests and evaluations, will kick me well over the max. limit for 'out of pocket expense' for the calendar year. Yea me! $18,000 for health insurance, a $2,250 deductible and the rest is free, all FREE I tells ya'! Please understand, I am not complaining, I had simply outstanding care through all of this and I am grateful such services are available, I am merely whining a tad, most likely due to the disappointment in the reality vs. the image of the 'bone simulator'......    :rotflmao:

Brian (glad to be living in a first- world country where truly superb medical care is available even to us peons.....)

What's new?
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: Rubber_Snake on April 14, 2018, 08:18:08 PM
Holy cow, Brian!  I’m glad all is well now. 

You DID miss quite a few “easy boys”.  You mentioned: bone simulator, strap on* and stimulates in one sentence!  Yikes.
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on April 14, 2018, 09:13:34 PM
Well, not sure about 'all is well now'; left arm / hand is about useless and wrapped in some nasty, bulky packaging too boot. Months away from a full heal / no splint needed or so they tell me.

And as far as the 'Easy Boys', well, I certainly do not want to over- do that situation.  :rotflmao:

Not sure if I am going to make it three weeks with this splint / covering on the arm either- it is already getting dirty and it has not been a week yet. Showering with a plastic bag wrapped around it works pretty well but I may get sick of the whole thing and cut the bindings off, keep the splint and re- wrap it after cleaning it (both the incision as well as the forearm). It really is the rigid splint on the bottom that immobilizes the arm and hand (and hence the wrist joints), so re- applying it with new wrapping should be as good as new. On the other hand, letting even a minor surgical infection go for three weeks is absolutely a mistake, and a big mistake IMO, so taking a look at the incision is probably a good idea....

Brian

Holy cow, Brian!  I’m glad all is well now. 

You DID miss quite a few “easy boys”.  You mentioned: bone simulator, strap on* and stimulates in one sentence!  Yikes.
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: Eupher on April 15, 2018, 05:52:02 AM
Well, the injuries notwithstanding, I'm just glad you fired the non-compliant contractor.

Shades of Mike Rowe, albeit a few hundred miles south of Toronto.....
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: VirginiaJim on April 27, 2018, 04:39:07 AM
Wow, glad you're ok, Brian. 
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: Conniesaki on April 27, 2018, 10:38:16 AM
What's the purpose of the wrap around the 4x4's? And does it only get applied to the upper half?
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: just gone on April 27, 2018, 11:13:17 AM
What's the purpose of the wrap around the 4x4's? And does it only get applied to the upper half?

It appears like vinyl cladding to me, and yes probably just the top of the front posts, because the bottom is enclosed? (see enlarged cropped photo attached)

https://i.imgur.com/JeiUSAx.jpg (https://i.imgur.com/JeiUSAx.jpg)
Title: Re: A little work around the house..... basically building a new house.
Post by: B.D.F. on June 01, 2018, 03:45:45 PM
Just saw this question a month late.... sorry.

The vinyl tubes finish the pressure treated 4X4's and make them maintenance free. Raw 4X4's are really pretty rough, often twisted and flawed and do not hold paint well. So the tubes are the 'siding' for the posts. They are nice but not cheap at $180 each.

The posts on the front and side of the porch only have 1/2 their length covered in tubes because the bottom will be a wall where the 4X4's will be covered. This allowed the tubes to be cut in half and one tube to be used for two posts, strictly a money saving maneuver.

The side of the porch / house has three full length 4X4's, with covers, that will not be covered. So they are covered from <almost> top to bottom with vinyl; a finishing trim ring, also vinyl, will provide the disguise at the top of each post so the gap cannot be seen.

The contractors have been off on other jobs for the last two months but are scheduled to return this Monday, 4 June 2018 to start siding the entire house as well as trimming- out doors windows and everything else needed to complete the siding. So with a little luck and some weeks, we may, just maybe, have something that looks like a house again, at least the outside. The inside is still a 'stick forest' of 2X's.

Brian

What's the purpose of the wrap around the 4x4's? And does it only get applied to the upper half?