| ozzmodan |
I'm planning doing my first build in approx. 3-5 years, so I'm hoping to find someone who's building in that timeframe to go through the process & hopefully learn from their mistakes, before I make my own. I'm especially interested in energy efficient & alternative energy source set-ups. If possible I'd also like it to be a rural/acreage build. If anybody knows anybody that would want the free help let me know.
Kyle |
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| SilverNeonRacer |
Well.... for the energy efficiant stuff, up here there's a guy who goys by the name of Mr V's he runs a u-pick kinda place, sells everything from berries, to wood, to straw, to I dunno what.
Anyhow, he puts out a book every couple of years bout building houses, which is the best way to face them, how to get the max efficiancy... etc, etc. He's just South of Boyle just off highway 63. I could look and get a phone #.
Now for the actual building part, are you planning to actually build your own home, or just be the general and do the odd thing yourself?
I wanto build my own home, like actually build it. Get some equipment in for digging the fountation, then I'd form it then get help for the concrete pours, maybe get a concrete finisher in for the slabs(aka basement floor and garage floors)
The Frame it myself with some help to lift walls, pull the electrical myself, probably do the plumbing myself, for the sake of Insurance, I'll probably get a pipe fitter in for the gas. I've done natrual gas myself but I check everything every 3 joints for the sake of paranoia and it takes sooo much longer. Then I'd insulate, bapor barior myself, prolly get some body in for the mudding, I can do it, but I hate sanding drywall. Then finishing i would do. Hardwood or laminate floor I would do myself, but carpet might get some help with, it can be a pita. Then Prolly go wood or vinal siding, do it myself, do the shingling myself.
The only thing is doing it yourself, takes a really really really long time. |
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| ozzmodan |
I plan to do everything by myself/with friends & family with trade experience, so I want to get the hands-on experience in so I can make better decisions on product & do a more professional job.
I want to do my house with a strong emphasis on details that are completely absent on most houses, because the average home-buyer doesn't care what thickness the subfloor is, or if it was screwed or nailed, or at what spacing, doesn't care about the concrete composition used in the foundation pour. These are all things that add cost to a house that therefore decreases the builders profitability, because the average person will buy the same looking house for $10G less if they can.
I've done extensive research into the building trades & architecture. but I've pretty well gone as far as I can go without actually doing it. Many people I know that have built their house are on their second one know because they considered the first to be a learning experience. I don't want to feel as if I could have done better, I want to get it right the first time.
Kyle
BTW I'm resigning myself to the fact it'll probably be a two-three year build. |
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| SilverNeonRacer |
Ahhh.... Yeah, I wouldn't buy a new house right now either, not a big comany produced one.
I've helped do finishing in some and youch.. walls are crooked, windows don't fit right, etc, etc.
My father is a Journyman carpenter and so was my grandfather. I have lots of experiance. I've done pretty much everything involved with building a house.
I was gonna say get a job as a labourer, but you'd have to spend alot of time research the companies to make sure they meet your standards.
Rona/HD have those how to sessions.. but I dunno if they're good or crap. Probably wouldn't be a bad place to start with the hands on/watching part, then your not completely green when you go out to help somebody. And if you goof, no biggie.
I too like to over engineer, making your house stronger, more efficiant is never a bad thing, as long as you follow the general principles of things like, studs every 16", 8' 9' 10' ceilings, not 8ft 3 and 1/2" etc.
Sub floor the "standard" is every 8" screwed. Underlay is every 4" square, most places staple U-lay not screw it, screws are obviously better, but take alot longer. |
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| TrevorK |
quote:
Originally posted by SilverNeonRacer
Rona/HD have those how to sessions.. but I dunno if they're good or crap. Probably wouldn't be a bad place to start with the hands on/watching part, then your not completely green when you go out to help somebody. And if you goof, no biggie.
I don't think those sessions are really going to help him - it seems as if he wants experience on doing the major things:
- Pouring foundation
- Initial framing
- Creating roof trusses
- etc....
Those are by far the most difficult ones that can have the most impact on his house. How to set tile isn't really hard in comparision to knowing how to pour the foundation and deciding on what sort of membrane to cover the outside walls with. |
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| ozzmodan |
quote:
Originally posted by TrevorK
I don't think those sessions are really going to help him - it seems as if he wants experience on doing the major things:
- Pouring foundation
- Initial framing
- Creating roof trusses
- etc....
Those are by far the most difficult ones that can have the most impact on his house. How to set tile isn't really hard in comparision to knowing how to pour the foundation and deciding on what sort of membrane to cover the outside walls with.
Exactly, I'd also like to get some experience setting up weeping tile. |
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| ehos |
I have to agree with you guys. New houses are built to the minimum spec possible by inexperienced 'builders' (sorry but they look like kids to me).
Just drive through a new housing development and you can see the 'quality' construction going on.
ozzmodan: If you haven't picked out a lot yet, there's a wicked one in Glenora for sale :) |
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| bigmack000 |
| pouring foundations is super easy i did it for years . hated smelling liek diesel thoa nd lifing fuckign forums all the time tho. |
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| ozzmodan |
quote:
Originally posted by ehos
ozzmodan: If you haven't picked out a lot yet, there's a wicked one in Glenora for sale :)
I'm planning on doing a rural(ish) build, approx. 3 acres within 20 minutes driving time of the outskirts of the city. I've been looking around the Scona & Devon region a lot. Certainly some nice houses between Cooking Lake & Sherwood Park.
Kyle |
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| colossus |
| Do you save any $ if you build it yourself? What are the pros -vs cons? |
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| SilverNeonRacer |
| Well... before lumber prices jumpped, I did a quick pricing on a house I designed. Doing almost everything I could, and only sub out what I couldn't do it woulda cost me $60,000 to build it(without permits) But to have it built woulda been over $100,000 |
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| n0c7 |
quote:
Originally posted by colossus
Do you save any $ if you build it yourself? What are the pros -vs cons?
The biggest pro that I can think of is that you'll know exactly how everything was built and don't have to worry about someone elses halfassed job. |
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| ehos |
Things always cost double and take twice as long as what you plan.
Right now I think it's about $150/sq ft to build your own house. |
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| dc2696 |
| My friend is a framer and I've worked with him a couple times just to help out, and the shit I've seen other guys do is retared. The thing I find is that most of the young guys actually do a better job than the older ppl b/c the older ppl usually cut corners and know the inspectors and half the time they don't even look at the house! I wouldn't buy a new house either, I'd just get my buddy to build it, I think he charges $5 sq ft which is insanely cheap, but then again they're busy as all hell, and I'd have to agree with ehos, everything always costs 2x more and takes even more time. |
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| ozzmodan |
quote:
Originally posted by dc2696
I think he charges $5 sq ft which is insanely cheap, but then again they're busy as all hell,
$5 per sq. foot, that's nuts!! that's only $10,000 on a 2000 sq ft. floorplan. From that I've seen, a ballpark average for most builders is approx $20-30 per heated square foot.
Kyle |
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| SilviaDrifter |
quote:
Originally posted by ehos
I have to agree with you guys. New houses are built to the minimum spec possible by inexperienced 'builders' (sorry but they look like kids to me).
lol i was doing backslpashes and laying tile when i was 15 in new houses and apartments........ |
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| sunfiregt |
quote:
Originally posted by ozzmodan
$5 per sq. foot, that's nuts!! that's only $10,000 on a 2000 sq ft. floorplan. From that I've seen, a ballpark average for most builders is approx $20-30 per heated square foot.
Kyle
He must mean his labour cost because that wouldn't even cover your framing and truss package. I have been framing with a good friend of mine who owns a framing company, I admit it is hard to find good workers that do a good job but there is lots of guys out there ( my friend included ) that make sure all their work is double checked. Framing itself isn't rocket science but you need to know codes so you can save yourself time and money from going back and fixing screwups. I would advise contracting everything out yourself because you can save alot of money but you need to be at the site almost everyday so you can make sure your workers have what they need for a couple days ahead.
Housing cost right now is about $115/sq ft for a Bungalow, and $110 for a two story.
If anyone needs a framer or a builder just pm me.
:blue: |
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| dc2696 |
quote:
Originally posted by sunfiregt
He must mean his labour cost because that wouldn't even cover your framing and truss package. I have been framing with a good friend of mine who owns a framing company, I admit it is hard to find good workers that do a good job but there is lots of guys out there ( my friend included ) that make sure all their work is double checked. Framing itself isn't rocket science but you need to know codes so you can save yourself time and money from going back and fixing screwups. I would advise contracting everything out yourself because you can save alot of money but you need to be at the site almost everyday so you can make sure your workers have what they need for a couple days ahead.
Housing cost right now is about $115/sq ft for a Bungalow, and $110 for a two story.
If anyone needs a framer or a builder just pm me.
:blue:
the $5sq ft is just labor not costs, he works for AltaRose construction (my other friends Dad's company) they're pretty good guys:) |
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