Recent Projects to get to the Finish Line on our New Home Build

[TLS Guy]

Since we moved in to our new home on October 14, 2019, we have been living hear under a temporary certificate of occupancy. The building inspector was fussing about my outside cookery having uncovered beams above it.

I really did not want to cover up those beams. So I designed a heat shield. The plans were eventually approved by the building inspector and the fire chief. I had the shield constructed of food grade stainless steel by C4 Welding of Sauk Rapids MN.

I designed and built a heat alarm. I could not find a commercially available unit. A smoke alarm is not much use over a barbecue!

I'm glad to report that we received our permanent certificate of occupancy after inspection. So we can now live here legally!

Due to the disruption of the pandemic, we never got round to building out the patio last year. This year I built a paver patio with my son in law, and his two sons.

This was finished yesterday and spent the day doing the clean up.

The only one us of smart enough to figure out how to arrange the pavers, was my 17 year old grandson, Sam. He vowed it was because he is an enthusiastic competitive gamer!

There is always something left to do though.

We have to build the small flower bed my wife wants round the curve of the patio. That will be next week's job.

 

[ryanosaur]

Lookin’ good, Mark!

 

[panteragstk]

I see you still haven't slowed down. Not that I expected you too. Excellent work.

 

[Eppie]

Great idea with the heat shield and it doesn't distract from the look. Gives it a little commercial feel but not in a bad way.

 

[TLS Guy]

Great idea with the heat shield and it doesn't distract from the look. Gives it a little commercial feel but not in a bad way.

Well that was the plan. The inspector was one of those guys you could tell really enjoyed making trouble. He wanted me to cover those nice cedar beams with Durock cement board. When I demonstrated the heat alarm, that shook him to his boots.

 

[TLS Guy]

I see you still haven't slowed down. Not that I expected you too. Excellent work.

Thank you for saying that. I have to admit that I can't forge ahead as fast as I used to. This house build was a real challenge. The HVAC/plumbing sub could not get an HVAC ventilation design the building inspector would accept. So I ended up designing and specifying a lot of it and sourcing the equipment. The Ethernet infrastructure was beyond that subs level of expertise. However I have ended up with ethernet architecture here that is was beyond anything I have seen or heard of in other homes.
Two of the neighbors have high powered IT jobs, and working from home was a struggle because of inadequate ethernet infrastructure in the homes.

Fortunately our electrician sub was superb and worked very well under my direction. If he had been incompetent that would have been a real problem. As it was the design of the room, pulling of cables and the totally new design of that novel in wall system was a big hill for me to climb. However it all turned out well for the most part.

There were a number of irritations. One major one was the cedar support posts. I was preoccupied with getting the mounts for the barbecue and generator I had made correctly installed. I told the builder not to install the posts that way, but they did any way and put them down into the concrete where they would rot.

They did not attach them to the roof securely and when the building inspector saw it he had an absolute fit.

Then I ended up having to take care of it. My audio hobby came in handy.

I had to buy screw jacks. I could only get ones too short at reasonable cost. However I bolted them to a couple of loudspeaker stands I had around.

The bottoms of those columns were very hard to pull out. Fortunately I had kept my engine lift and not sold it in our auction. So we pulled them out with the engine lift.

This is now the bottom fixation, with the brackets secured by L - Anchors set in concrete.

This is the top fixation.

I'm glad to say that job made the inspector happy. I honestly think the builder did not know how to correct it, and kept putting the job off. I damn well charged him for it though!

 

[panteragstk]

Posts in concrete would make me pretty angy. I had a friend build something like yours and had similar issues with it not being attached.

I had similar issues with low voltage wiring in my house. Electrician was excellent, low voltage guy wasn't. I had to make him re-do multiple things and still ended up with some mystery plugs/wire runs.

People doing this work are in too much of a hurry sometimes, or they just don't really know how to do their job properly. Electricians and plumbers seem to be more meticulous than some other trades.

 

[Eppie]

The use of the speaker stands was ingenious. I'm surprised you managed to get the post out of the concrete given the snow in the previous photos. Posts in Ontario have to be 3 or 4 feet below ground level to get below the frost line but I guess that's not an issue in your area.

I've been through one bad build when we put the addition on. Contractor was a client of the mortgage firm I work at so we wanted to give him some business. He was good on small jobs but the addition was way over his head. The concrete forms didn't stay locked in place for the basement walls so one wall was considerably thicker at one end than the other. Had to correct that with internal framing. It was poured just before winter and we had to get bails of hay from my father-in-law to keep the footings from freezing in winter until construction could resume.

When they framed the main floor walls, several studs were not nailed in properly through the sheathing and you could move them side to side for lack of nails. The roof trusses were a little too long so one of the workers thought he could simply trim them down with a skill saw along the entire length. Had to reinforce them afterwards. When the roofers failed to properly install an underlay and ice shield around the roof perimeter I had enough and fired him. At least the addition was house-wrapped, shingled and basement floor poured by then. I ended up finishing everything else myself except for the exterior siding. That was done by a local farmer and his son working for a siding company off season. Nice guys and did a great job.

Very stressful reno as we completely reconfigured the house including the bathroom and kitchen and had to live at my parents until the plumbing was completed and the house was livable. Drove the inspector crazy that it took so long but the only deficiency notices I received for my own work were two incorrect drain connections and some extra nails on a ganged electrical box. I learned more about construction in those few months than any of those jokers will learn in a lifetime. At least the end result was good since the gaffs with the internal structure were fixable and not visible once the finish was up. Oh the joys of home renovating!

 

[Alex2507]

I had to buy screw jacks. I could only get ones too short at reasonable cost. However I bolted them to a couple of loudspeaker stands I had around.

A little structural EUA?

brackets secured by L - Anchors

Nice touch on mortising the bracket. That must have been a pain to drop onto the bracket with the roof in the way.

What's the small slab for?

If it's any consolation, you probably drove them as crazy with spec's and details as they drove you with either not understanding or not caring what you wanted. I've watched that kind of misery unfold a time or two. I suppose that timber hardware and assembly detail wasn't on any prints? I mean if it was, there's no way anybody in their right mind would just ignore it. It's pretty telling that there's 5 guys effing up that small patch of concrete like that. I've seen dance floors less crowded.

Note to self: avoid residential.

 

[cpp]

Looking really nice

 

[TLS Guy]

A little structural EUA?



Nice touch on mortising the bracket. That must have been a pain to drop onto the bracket with the roof in the way.

What's the small slab for?

If it's any consolation, you probably drove them as crazy with spec's and details as they drove you with either not understanding or not caring what you wanted. I've watched that kind of misery unfold a time or two. I suppose that timber hardware and assembly detail wasn't on any prints? I mean if it was, there's no way anybody in their right mind would just ignore it. It's pretty telling that there's 5 guys effing up that small patch of concrete like that. I've seen dance floors less crowded.

Note to self: avoid residential.

No it was not difficult to place the supports back. The screw jacks were able to lift the roof enough to easily place the supports and lower the roof back down on the supports. We had to mortise for the brackets, as that was the only way they would fit.

The structural engineers drew the correct way to install those cedar supports. That was one of the things that really annoyed me when they went ahead and did what they did.

The small slab is for the auto start generator.

That mounting was my design. The company supply a plastic mounting base. I was having none of that. The crew that came with unit to install it, told me the plastic mounts are hopeless and do not do the job, as I suspected. You really have to bolt down generators, and that one is fastened down hard, and will not go 'walk about.'!

 

[Eppie]

Did you go with a Generac? Seems to be the only game in town around here. Hydro service is good enough in our area that we can get by with a portable backup generator for emergencies but if I was in the country I would definitely want a good permanent auto start generator.

 

[GO-NAD!]

The use of the speaker stands was ingenious. I'm surprised you managed to get the post out of the concrete given the snow in the previous photos. Posts in Ontario have to be 3 or 4 feet below ground level to get below the frost line but I guess that's not an issue in your area.

I've been through one bad build when we put the addition on. Contractor was a client of the mortgage firm I work at so we wanted to give him some business. He was good on small jobs but the addition was way over his head. The concrete forms didn't stay locked in place for the basement walls so one wall was considerably thicker at one end than the other. Had to correct that with internal framing. It was poured just before winter and we had to get bails of hay from my father-in-law to keep the footings from freezing in winter until construction could resume.

When they framed the main floor walls, several studs were not nailed in properly through the sheathing and you could move them side to side for lack of nails. The roof trusses were a little too long so one of the workers thought he could simply trim them down with a skill saw along the entire length. Had to reinforce them afterwards. When the roofers failed to properly install an underlay and ice shield around the roof perimeter I had enough and fired him. At least the addition was house-wrapped, shingled and basement floor poured by then. I ended up finishing everything else myself except for the exterior siding. That was done by a local farmer and his son working for a siding company off season. Nice guys and did a great job.

Very stressful reno as we completely reconfigured the house including the bathroom and kitchen and had to live at my parents until the plumbing was completed and the house was livable. Drove the inspector crazy that it took so long but the only deficiency notices I received for my own work were two incorrect drain connections and some extra nails on a ganged electrical box. I learned more about construction in those few months than any of those jokers will learn in a lifetime. At least the end result was good since the gaffs with the internal structure were fixable and not visible once the finish was up. Oh the joys of home renovating!

The posts have to be below the frost line? Can't you put in 4-ft concrete footings in sonotubes?

I prefer to do my own work, if at all possible. We've hired contractors twice in the 23 years we've lived in our house - one to replace our shingles and another to replace our windows. I'm quite capable of doing both jobs, but I was leery of having friends help with the roof because of liability concerns, even though they were quite willing to help out. And, while I can install windows, it would have taken me forever to do get them all done and we (I mean "she" ) wanted it done quickly. Happily, both jobs were completed very well.

 

[panteragstk]

The posts have to be below the frost line? Can't you put in 4-ft concrete footings in sonotubes?

I prefer to do my own work, if at all possible. We've hired contractors twice in the 23 years we've lived in our house - one to replace our shingles and another to replace our windows. I'm quite capable of doing both jobs, but I was leery of having friends help with the roof because of liability concerns, even though they were quite willing to help out. And, while I can install windows, it would have taken me forever to do get them all done and we (I mean "she" ) wanted it done quickly. Happily, both jobs were completed very well.

That's my issue. I CAN do a lot of things, but when and how long will it take? That's what sucks about this stuff. I need a vent hood installed. I can't find a contractor to do it. I haven't worked on siding before so I don't want to screw it up. Looks like I'll be doing it myself anyway.

 

[Alex2507]

I haven't worked on siding before

Either have I but a sturdy pair of speaker stands might help.

 

[Eppie]

The posts have to be below the frost line? Can't you put in 4-ft concrete footings in sonotubes?

I prefer to do my own work, if at all possible. We've hired contractors twice in the 23 years we've lived in our house - one to replace our shingles and another to replace our windows. I'm quite capable of doing both jobs, but I was leery of having friends help with the roof because of liability concerns, even though they were quite willing to help out. And, while I can install windows, it would have taken me forever to do get them all done and we (I mean "she" ) wanted it done quickly. Happily, both jobs were completed very well.

You can use either depending upon the situation. For fence posts, you need them below ground for lateral support, so a 4 ft hole, little bit of gravel at the bottom for drainage, drop in the post and concrete all around. If the concrete is above soil level and sloped away rotting should not be an issue. They make concrete mix for fence posts that you can pour in dry and then add water afterwards which makes it very easy but I still prefer to mix my own for proper consistency.

Sonotubes are optional for fence posts but do help with frost heaving as the soil will slide over the tube. For support posts like pictured above, footings and metal bracing is better because you can replace the post without having to redo the footing, as long as the proper lateral support is in place but I think I'm stating the obvious there. What that contractor did with the post only a few inches in the ground was a definite no-no.

 

[TLS Guy]

The posts have to be below the frost line? Can't you put in 4-ft concrete footings in sonotubes?

I prefer to do my own work, if at all possible. We've hired contractors twice in the 23 years we've lived in our house - one to replace our shingles and another to replace our windows. I'm quite capable of doing both jobs, but I was leery of having friends help with the roof because of liability concerns, even though they were quite willing to help out. And, while I can install windows, it would have taken me forever to do get them all done and we (I mean "she" ) wanted it done quickly. Happily, both jobs were completed very well.

Code here in Eagan is a minimum depth of 42" for Sonotubes and all concrete footings.

 

[TLS Guy]

Did you go with a Generac? Seems to be the only game in town around here. Hydro service is good enough in our area that we can get by with a portable backup generator for emergencies but if I was in the country I would definitely want a good permanent auto start generator.

No, it is a Cummins 20 KVA 30 HP. Generac do not have a good reputation here, so I avoided those. I looked closely at Kohler. The dealer was very nice and I was tempted. However, when I looked at one, the service access was awful. I do my own service, but access on that unit had big bills written all over it. Also I know from my experiences at the lake, Kohler engines are known for burning out the exhaust valves.

The Cummins cost a little more, but I negotiated a good deal. They have the best reputation and service access was excellent. In addition since this is a residential area I wanted the least noisy one. They are the quietest be far. Spec. is 63 db at 23 ft.

At the lake I had a vintage Kohler unit of the same power. It was an old RMY unit with the Wisconsin V4. That was a workhorse agricultural engine with quite a vintage bark.

 

[Eppie]

No, it is a Cummins 20 KVA 30 HP. Generac do not have a good reputation here, so I avoided those. I looked closely at Kohler. The dealer was very nice and I was tempted. However, when I looked at one, the service access was awful. I do my own service, but access on that unit had big bills written all over it. Also I know from my experiences at the lake, Kohler engines are known for burning out the exhaust valves.

The Cummins cost a little more, but I negotiated a good deal. They have the best reputation and service access was excellent. In addition since this is a residential area I wanted the least noisy one. They are the quietest be far. Spec. is 63 db at 23 ft.

At the lake I had a vintage Kohler unit of the same power. It was an old RMY unit with the Wisconsin V4. That was a workhorse agricultural engine with quite a vintage bark.

I'm familiar with Cummins' diesel engines but didn't know they made generators. Thanks for sharing.

 

[TLS Guy]

I'm familiar with Cummins' diesel engines but didn't know they made generators. Thanks for sharing.

Cummins Generators are probably the world's largest standby generator company. It is run as a totally independent division from the engine company.

Caterpillar Generators are probably their largest competitor.