Hi,
I wrote previously that I’m retired, want to build a house on my farm, and am looking for a builder to put up a shell that I can finish myself. Please tell me if you think this price is reasonable:
Location: central Pennsylvania
Work to be done:
cement slab with footings – 18’x 60′
frame walls with 2×6 and cover exterior with 7/16 OSB
frame roof and cover with 7/16 OSB. Roof to be a hip roof with rafter type construction (no trusses).
Install plumbing drains prior to pouring cement slab
That’s it. No shingles on roof or exterior walls, no windows, no doors, no floors, no interior walls, no plumbing or fixtures, no electrical.
The builder has quoted me $31,000 for the above work. How does that sound to you?
Regards,
Paul
Edited 7/24/2009 4:49 pm ET by workalone
Replies
Off the top of my head, that sounds reasonable to me. Builder has a track record of success, comes recommended, and is licensed bonded and insured (worker's comp and liability), working off approved plans provided by you. I don't know everything I"d need to know to bid this job, and I'm not familiar with your area. Wish you the best on this, it'd be nice if you could post photos as the job progresses.
Did you get more than one bid?
No I haven't gotten other bids yet. The specs kind of evolved as we went along. For example, I originally asked for OSB exterior wall sheating. I'm thinking of switching to T111 plywood so that I don't have to add shingles. When it settles down, I'll get more bids.
You're in central PA, I am in central MD.I put on an addition two years ago. A dried in shell (cheap vinyl, cheaper windows, a few 6 lite doors, 30 yr shingles)including foundation, electrical and plumbing for a two car garage and laundry room was $40K. Overall dimensions were 24 x 36.I decided to GC the job did all but the foundation, insulation, and drywall myself. The foundation bids were all in the 12-15K range. I don't think that price sounds unreasonable considering the price of 'crete has risen the past two years.
Edited 7/24/2009 5:10 pm ET by frontiercc2
Don't have any idea if that is a good price or not....just wondering why you decided against a basement. Basements are pretty standard for central PA. Unless you are doing a frost protected slab won't your footings have to go down 4 feet?
Dan
Frank Lloyd Wright never designed homes with basements. He said that basements are the most expensive, wasted square footage of the house. His houses often had heated concrete slab floors.
Frank Lloyd Wright did a lot of things well, but designing cost-effective buildings was not one of them. If you store a lot of junk, collect vintage wine, grow dope or just like building model train sets, the basement might be the most efficient room in your house.There also isn't anything keeping you from having a basement AND heated concrete floors, if that is something you desire.
"...grow dope..."...that would make it the most cost efficient sq. footage...
Everyone's talking about basements and no one said welcome back.Long time no ....see?
Basements are living spaces. Cellers are for services and that funny coil of copper dripping constantly.
"Cellers are for services and that funny coil of copper dripping constantly."That coil performs a 'service' too!
Wonder how many readers will pick up on what you said.
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So are you going to go with a frost protected slab or do you plan to dig your footings down below the frost line. I was always under the impression that basement square footage was the least expensive .... in a cold climate.
Dan
"I was always under the impression that basement square footage was the least expensive .... in a cold climate."Generally true and there is no place I'd rather be come hot summer days, than in my basement
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"I was always under the impression that basement square footage was the least expensive .... in a cold climate."
I'm with you - our basement is the easiest to heat and cool - that's one reason why our bedrooms are there.
I like the fact that for our milder PNW climate, we could run the furnace fan and cycle some of that cooler basement air through the house on our occasional hot days. Today would be a great day for that...
Generally true and there is no place I'd rather be come hot summer days, than in my basement
Funny, there's no place I'd rather be on a hot day myself than your basement. Who knew?
(Don't worry 'bout that noise - just one of them BT loons)
From:
pghdan <!----><!---->
Jul-24 9:19 pm
To:
workalone <!----><!---->
(9 of 31)
122706.9 in reply to 122706.6
So are you going to go with a frost protected slab or do you plan to dig your footings down below the frost line. I was always under the impression that basement square footage was the least expensive .... in a cold climate.
Dan
I get the feeling that contractors don't know how to do frost-protected slabs and they don't want to quote a price on them. Really, it's not rocket science. I guess that as these foundations become more common, the resistance will disappear. But, as many here have said, slab foundations are not very common in cold climates...
Back in 1985 I built a 20x24 shop. slab foundation. I put 2 inch blue styrofoam from 3" above the floor plate down to the thick slab edge about 8 inches. had a friend bend some aluminum flashing to cover it and then a 2 foot wing of 2 inch sytrofoam.This slab was warm all cold SK winters. I had a NG unit heater in there and it was just fine.Where I built that shop was on high clay soil noted for heaving. when I sold the house and shop 13 years later there was not 1 crack in it. I fugure the wings reduce the moisture migration from under the slab as a bonus.I learned about this back in the 70's from a funcky old archy. before it had a name.Cheap, fast, effective yet few people do it up here.
Back in 1985 I built a 20x24 shop. slab foundation. I put 2 inch blue styrofoam from 3" above the floor plate down to the thick slab edge about 8 inches. had a friend bend some aluminum flashing to cover it and then a 2 foot wing of 2 inch sytrofoam.
This slab was warm all cold SK winters. I had a NG unit heater in there and it was just fine.
Where I built that shop was on high clay soil noted for heaving. when I sold the house and shop 13 years later there was not 1 crack in it. I fugure the wings reduce the moisture migration from under the slab as a bonus.
I learned about this back in the 70's from a funcky old archy. before it had a name.
Cheap, fast, effective yet few people do it up here.
Hi Shoemaker1,
Could you email me a diagram of what you described above. It sounds very useful, but I got lost in the description...
Paul
[email protected]
http://images.google.com/images?gbv=2&hl=ensafe=off&sa=1q=FPSF&btnG=Search+images&aq=foq=
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Paul,
I'm assuming 16" O.C. for the roof rafters, I wouldn't use 7/16 anything or OSB on any roof 5/8" plywood minimum, if you're going 24" O.C. minimum 3/4" ply sheathing and maybe even clips.
Is this a clear span build, assuming 1 story, or are there bearing walls involved? if clear span, trusses ( w/ overhangs included ) might be the better choice. If bearing walls, are there footers to be included under such.
You say "no plumbing or fixtures" so will the "drains" be located and roughed out past the foundation before slab is poured?
"no floors" you mean no finish floors, or is this a 2 story building?
you might want to go full basement for utilities and ease of running lines vs. slab with buried lines (inaccessible if leaking occurs)
just some thoughts,
Geoff
The rafters will be 2x6 on 16" centers. The 7/16 OSB for the roof is what the builder proposed. I'll certainly take it up with him. I plan to cover the roof with sheet steel roofing; maybe that adds strength?
As I mentioned to another member, basements are awfully expensive for what you get out of them, so I'm not a fan of them simply from a cost angle.
Man, this housebuilding business gets complicated. I wish I had built mine five years ago, when Pennsylvania had no building code.
7/16 is fine thats stanard in our parts. is he supplying materials for that price?
From:
mikeroop <!----><!---->
Jul-24 9:33 pm
To:
workalone <!----><!---->unread
(11 of 30)
122706.11 in reply to 122706.10
7/16 is fine thats stanard in our parts. is he supplying materials for that price?Yes he is
"As I mentioned to another member, basements are awfully expensive for what you get out of them"I couldn't disagree more with that statement. Build your house to suit yourself, but a basement is money well spent, and some of the cheapest space in a house.In 35 years in this business, I've never heard a single person say "I wish I didn't have a basement" Can't tell you how many people I've met who couldn't wait to sell their slab house to get a basement. Around here, a slab house has far less resale value than a house with a basement. A very large percentage of homebuyers won't even look at a house built on a slab.John Svenson, builder, remodeler, NE Ohio
I'd never waste the money to build a house without a basement.
Resale value?? HAH!! I'm 68 years old. I'll live in that basement-free house till I kick the bucket, so like I give a damn about resale value. When I die they can burn it down, for all I care.
No basement means no dampness, no spiders, no rats, no f*cking dead bodies climbing up the cellar stairs at midnight, no mumified body-parts stored in cob-webbed freezers.
I'm putting into practice a philosophy that I have harboured for decades: the cost of a house can be reduced by 60% via one simple act: get rid of your woman. Suddenly, the marble counter top becomes Formica; same functionality, 1/10th the cost... Friends ask me "...but don't you want to share your life with another...? Yes, I do: a cat, a dog, some chickens...
Paul
Resale value?? HAH!! I'm 68 years old
why build a new house?
Resale value?? HAH!! I'm 68 years old
why build a new house?
- because my sister owns the farmhouse after we divided the farm. I'm going to look into the idea of trucking in pre-fab shell.
"why build a new house?"
why the heck not ? My inlaws are 84 & 85 and just moved into a brand new home they had built from plans they chose. They are thrilled and enjoying the new space.
to each his own i guess.
Dr. House I presume?View Image bakersfieldremodel.com
There is a member here with the screen name brownbag.He might be your long lost brother. But there is nothing wrong with the slab ob grade idea for your individual situation. Might do the same myself in your shoes.Good FPSF ( Frost Protected Shallow Foundation) aND STUDY UP. iT IS KNOWLEDGE YOU WILL NEED
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Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
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Edited 7/25/2009 6:08 am ET by Piffin
I wanted a frost-protected shallow foundation, but my contractor just scratched his head. Also, the need to keep the house at around 60 degrees can be a problem if I decide to travel during winter.
Has anybody here done such a foundation, and how much did they save?
Thanks
Paul
Will the local folks even LET you do a frost protected foundation?Here in MD, the locals wanted me to put in full footers for a storage shed. If you have to go for full footers, you might as well go the basement route. You've already spent the money to dig the footers and pour 4' of foundation. Another couple hundred and the excavator can have you a basement.
I wouldn't have a basement unless I lived at the top of a hill. Everyone I knew in Md who wasn't, had a damp basement and some had indoor wading pools when it rained.
My basement is bone dry. The devil as they say is in the details .. . .Plenty of dry basements around here.
Agree.
I have two basements. The 200 year old one in the front of the house always has water in it. The new one, under the new addition in back, never has any water in it, even recently, when it has rained every day for what seems like forever.
Proper foundation drains will give a dry basement most places.
"I wouldn't have a basement unless I lived at the top of a hill. Everyone I knew in Md who wasn't, had a damp basement and some had indoor wading pools when it rained."I fix and replace a lot of leaky roofs, doesn't mean I would build a house without one.....................John Svenson, builder, remodeler, NE Ohio
Hi gfretwell,
I wouldn't have a basement unless I lived at the top of a hill. Everyone I knew in Md who wasn't, had a damp basement and some had indoor wading pools when it rained.
Poor construction methods. I could bring my basement design to MD or FL and have it equally dry as compared to any other floor level and be a bargain per sq ft in addition.
You've got your footing, you got your roof, multiple peirs can now be replaced with fewer interior bearing walls and that $ can go to normally handle the cost of proper drainage & water shielding. Now for the cost of the next level wood floor framing and the extra height of exterior framing and outside finish you've doubled your sq ft unfinished. Great workshop, game room, storage, endless possibilities.
Now a cellar might be a different story but a basement is typically an extreme value when done properly.
Pedro the Mule - Been there, done that, learned from that, corrected that
If basements were so dry there wouldn't be so many sump pump threads.
Hi gfretwell,
If basements were so dry there wouldn't be so many sump pump threads.
What does that have to do with building a basement correctly? All I stated was done right a basement is awesome.
Please explain as I don't understand the purpose of your comment.
Pedro the Mule - Dry as dust typing from a basement not on top of a hill
I just know too many people with wet basements.
Hi gfretwell,
I just know too many people with wet basements.
Sorry I still don't understand what that has to do with doing the job right. This is a "Fine Homebuilding" site. I know too many people with beat up vehicles too but that doesn't mean I shouldn't drive a car myself. It simply means I need to drive correctly to avoid known problems. Everyone that's been in my basement can't believe the whole package and I've had three good friends do the same thing when they built their last house and they don't regret one moment of the decision. I'm not trying to convince you to go out and build a house with a basement but don't knock the idea of solid proven effective cost efficient potential just because you've seen too many half tailed jobs. Cut corners below ground your basement will leak, cut corners on the roof and it'll leak too.
Pedro the Mule - Still dry after two hurricanes
That is why I said I would have one if I was at the top of a hill (and did) but you can't fight the water table.
I turned a basement that had been wet for 65 years into a dry basement. Funny, I don't go down there nearly as often any more.
Jeff
No more need to check the dipstick?;)
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Moved the laundry upstairs ... basement doesn't have the ceiling height for a real usable space (built on Jurassic diabase bedrock 4' -5' below grade.Jeff
seen a lot of those head bumper cellars
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Well it's 6'-8" to u.s. of joists -
Jeff
I got a well that will pump all day out of 1 1/2 pipe. Its twelve ft deep. Seems like the waterproofing would be costly.
Hi catfish,
I got a well that will pump all day out of 1 1/2 pipe. Its twelve ft deep. Seems like the waterproofing would be costly.
Well I guess it would be if yer gonna build a 16' deep basement????????
If yer gonna build a cellar, then you'll need to build it such that you could float it like an ark only with even better water proofing. I got to be part of a cellar build out that had 2 springs in the bottom of it about 15 years ago....it's still dry. That kind of construction is very expensive.
Pedro the Mule - Personally I wouldn't want a cellar but whatever floats your boat
No basements down here. cost prohibitive
"...build it such that you could float it like an ark..."yes, well - - I have an acquaintance whose 5 year old house tried to float during a particularly wet spring - it collapsed the slab upwards and moved parts of the foundation - so, if you want a house that will float, there are engineering issues to address - "there's enough for everyone"
We had a house floating on the inter-coastal waterway for a year after Hurricane Opal.
frankly, it's a little worrisome to consider the pressures involved with a house with a dry basement setting in saturated soils - your example must have been well detailed...I wonder if there is a category for it in racing...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete_canoe"there's enough for everyone"
Hi DavidxDoud,
I have an acquaintance whose 5 year old house tried to float during a particularly wet spring - it collapsed the slab upwards and moved parts of the foundation -
so, if you want a house that will float, there are engineering issues to address
Agreed that's why any basement must be built right and I personally wouldn't build a cellar.
Contractor friend swears if my house is ever hit by a tornado or an inconceivable modern day flood, that it'll pick it up in one piece and simply move it over to another spot ready to continue living in. Certainly a bit of an extreme view but most houses are not built right these days. There often seems to be more concern with saving a buck now rather than peacefully sleeping through storms later.
Pedro the Mule - There's never time to do a job right the first time but there's always time the second time
Say....didn't you used to work for Hardee's?
Rafael
Hi Rafael,
Say....didn't you used to work for Hardee's?
Nah just gettin' some mileage from my favorite drive thru burger over in the Tavern with the mods.....same star <grin>
Pedro the Mule - Can't let a good thing go when it's comes to my friends there
Just wondering why the star didn't show up here in the bizness folder, that's all.
Rafael
Hi Rafael,
Just wondering why the star didn't show up here in the bizness folder, that's all.
Yea, I'm jest tryin' ta show'em the respect they deserve in public, but get'em behind the bar and I let the bottles fly.....use Hollywood candy glass for fun though....no one actually gets hurt......
Pedro the Mule - fun is as fun doesPedro the MuleView Image
"Agreed that's why any basement must be built right and I personally wouldn't build a cellar."
Where I grew up the basement was the cellar. What's the difference in your area?
Hi aimless,
Where I grew up the basement was the cellar. What's the difference in your area?
Not sure how wikipedia defines it but around here a basement to us old mules has at minimum a "daylight/ground level" walk out door such that at least a section or corner of the underground area has 4' or more where you can take one step down as you exit that floor level.
A cellar would require step/steps/ramp "up" to get to the outdoors. This to me is an accident waiting to happen. Certainly with the right engineering you can for a price probably eliminate every potential but doing the extra work will normally bring you close to the same costs as simply building an additional level above ground. I was part of a project at a church that wanted to use former cellar space for classrooms. The project was perfect until a hurricane came through and knocked out power to the sump pump for four days. You can imagine the results.
At least with a basement, a gravity drainage system can be employed. The way my own basement is setup, I can gravity drain thousands of gallons per hour but after almost 8 years of the basement portion being constructed; I've never even seen the first sign of water exit the screened drain lines. These drains are completely secondary to other measures of waterproofing and grading along with separate roof drainage dispersed well away from the house.
Hope that helps, questions?
Pedro the Mule - dry house means dry fur
I think the terms are technically interchangeable, but we often do differentiate up here, with a basement having full 8' walls and dry so it can be finished off, while a cellar is more of a variable height with a floor that is a combination of ledge, dirt, and crete and walls that are more likely rubble stone than block or concrete, and occasional wet.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Leaky basement?That depends who builds it, and being at the top of a hill really has nothing to do with it.When I moved here 20 years ago, I heard a contractor make the statement, "Hey, this is Maine, if you have a basement it is going to leak some water in." and then used that as an excuse to skip and sidestep some basic principles for keeping it dry, having convinced himself that any such measures were a waste of time.That was on the first structure - a guest house - built on that estate.
He then put me in charge as lead carp on the main house. I made sure it was done right, and this was in a wet plane of the water flow for that property.
Three years later was a wet year and the guest house ended up with two feet of water in the basement. The one I built was bone dry, even though in a lower, wetter location.Every cellar I have done here in 20 years is still dry.and I have seen some of the wettest soils at the TOP of hills. Not a soils engineer, so I can't explain that one
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Clay tends to be smaller finer particles, less likely to let water pass.
That is why its useful in pottery, bricks and as a pond liner.
Ocassionaly clay will have a noticeable sand content and will drain better.
Was that in comment on my last sentence? That lots of saturated soils can be found on top hills?That is similar to what I'm thinking is what I have seen on a couple here.The lower places sometimes have ledge penetrating so water can drain down into sub strata,The higher you go, the deeper the soils are.Common soil structure is a few inches of topsoil, then mixed clay, humus and silt down to 3-4 feet, where you get nearly impenetrable clay.So this clay layer forms a pan that holds water in pockets no matter how high up the hill you are. Dig a hole more than 4' deep and water will slide horizontally to the hole from 3-400 feet away
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Yes our clay hills are like that some won't even drain well with addition of field tile.
Below our clay we have sand and gravel glacial deposits then bed rock at about 60 feet.
why would there be a need to keep the house at 60°? So far you have said two things that lead me to thinking that your contractor is not the one you want for this job. You are designing an a-typical structure, but he wants typical and cheapest methods and seeems unwilling to learn or accept new.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
In 1980 I put a roof on a retired couple's home. They went with a John's Manville 25 year shingle (which was an upgrade in those days,15 year shingles were still available). He wanted it to be the last roof they ever did. He was half right.Three years ago, I reroofed that house for his wife (90 yrs old). Guess what. She upgraded to 30 yr dimensional so the house would have better value for her kids when it was sold in her estate-some people never stop planning for the future.In your case, a manufactured trucked in home would be perfect for you. You'll get maximum sq ft, for the cost, and have a practically instant house.John Svenson, builder, remodeler, NE Ohio
"In 35 years in this business, I've never heard a single person say "I wish I didn't have a basement"I've heard my wife say it. Then again she keeps filling it up with stuff so maybe she doesn't mean it.
workalone,Screwing metal roofing to osb does not work very well. For some reason the screws tend to back out. You could strap with 1x4 if you go with osb.KK
7/16" OSB is a very poor choice to use under metal roofing. The screws strip out the hole too easily and don't hold tight. 5/8 ply or Advantec not only holds screws better but gives more support in snow country.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
why 18 x60 ?
36 x 30 gives the same floor area with a smaller perimeter (156 lf vs. 132 lf )Mike Hussein Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
He should get an old used trailer,save alot of time and money. Vince Carbone
Riverside Builders
Franklin,NY
It's 18x60 because I'm very influenced by the designs of Frank Lloyd Wright's "Usonian" houses. Lots of glass along one long wall and lots of separation between functions: my bedroom is at the opposite end from the living room, giving a lot of privacy. Music can be blaring through the house, and it would not affect me.
Regards
Workalone,
I'm putting into practice a philosophy that I have harboured for decades: the cost of a house can be reduced by 60% via one simple act: get rid of your woman. Suddenly, the marble counter top becomes Formica; same functionality, 1/10th the cost... Friends ask me "...but don't you want to share your life with another...? Yes, I do: a cat, a dog, some chickens...
It's 18x60 because I'm very influenced by the designs of Frank Lloyd Wright's "Usonian" houses. Lots of glass along one long wall and lots of separation between functions: my bedroom is at the opposite end from the living room, giving a lot of privacy. Music can be blaring through the house, and it would not affect me.
So who will be blasting you with the loud music? - the dog, the cat, or the chickens?
Jim x 3
It's 18x60 because I'm very influenced by the designs of Frank Lloyd Wright's "Usonian" houses. Lots of glass along one long wall and lots of separation between functions: my bedroom is at the opposite end from the living room, giving a lot of privacy. Music can be blaring through the house, and it would not affect me.
So who will be blasting you with the loud music? - the dog, the cat, or the chickens?
Jim x 3
The folks living in the storage shed...
Workalone, The more info you're coming up with the easier it is to come up with some ideas. Actually it now seems that you are a perfect candidate for a Morton steel building. If for instance you went with a basement and had them put their building on it, they could lay a floor, stand the wall, apply the roof, install a ceiling with cell insulation and apply 4" to 6" solid foam on the walls and cover the inside with drywall or steel, whatever you wanted. Lets say you went with 40' x 26'. With a basement that would give you a lot more footage than your 18' x 60' would have. You could go even 36' x 24'. Both the basement and the main floor would be clear spans with no posts. Now you can set up some permanent [or temporary] walls wherever you want. With lots of windows on the south side and in the basement two or three deep window wells making your shop nice and bright. Zero maintenance for your time. No need for insurance for 20 years. Wind anyway. A friend of mine lost every building on his farm to wind and by the time he got out of the hospital he had a new building. A retired neighbor has a garage size building for his hobby shop where he rebuilds old printing presses for fun and profit year around. It is insulated and sheathed with steel inside instead of DW. Really comfortable. It would be easy enough for you to call your nearest Morton man and get an estimate of a couple of different configurations, including no basement and this could make it easier to make a decision on the way you want to go. You might be surpised.Frank Lloyd Wright? I've sanded floors in at least a half dozen of his home. I never seen one that I recall that didn't have a glaring architectural defect. One for instance had a low landing headroom that you had to duck to go upstairs. I lost all respect for his work. I think he found his niche in being weird and fed the media with baloney and they ate it up. I compare him to Picasso. I probably would not hang his pictures up either if I didn't notice the name. But I don't pretend to be an artist nor knowledgeable architect.
Actually it now seems that you are a perfect candidate for a Morton steel building.
For years, I've wanted to put down a slab, put a steel carport on it, and convert it into a house. As I'm writing this, there's a brochure on my desk from American Steel Carports, so the possibility is a very real one. It will depend on the cost picture as well as the amount of work needed to get the carport to look decent on the inside. Obviously, the outside will look very industrial, but that's ok.
Paul
My brother covered his outside with rock. Looks like a house.
From:
catfish <!----><!---->
10:23 am
To:
workalone <!----><!---->unread
(67 of 67)
122706.67 in reply to 122706.66
My brother covered his outside with rock. Looks like a house.
He actually lives in a metal industrial building? Wow! I am not alone! Any chance of seeing some photos?
You can email me at [email protected]
Paul
No photos. 50X50 was something like $55,000 the interior sprayfoamed. Thats in Creek County, OK. Course, hes a football coach, so he got the good ol boy deal.
Evidently they do that a lot in that area.
Edited 7/27/2009 10:59 am ET by catfish
Paul, I read thru this thread during lunch today, and just want to say that you should do what will make you happy - if Usonian is your thing, build a Usonian style house - conversely, be aware of the shortcomings that adherence to a style entails - and don't forget closets - good luck - "there's enough for everyone"
He's renting out the shed to illegals, only 10 will live there as its not going to be that big.
That has been my thought. 18x60 seems a odd size
7/16" OSB is a very poor choice to use under metal roofing. The screws strip out the hole too easily and don't hold tight. 5/8 ply or Advantec not only holds screws better but gives more support in snow country.
Thanks, Piffin,
Im going to take this up with my builder.
Paul
From what I've seen, plywood and OSB prices have really dropped. I would definitely go with plywood. It's a small price increase for the value.
Well, for about $30.00 a square foot your not getting the deal of the century. You should get more bids. Also get bids on a complete "dry in" and save your self some strenuous labor and grief; i.e. if you can't get to it right away by yourself. Have the exterior doors and windows put in, some house wrap on the wall sheathing and underlayment on the roof. It shouldn't raise the cost that much as your house does'nt sound too complex and you'll be ready to jump in on the interior nice and snug and dry.