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I’m a super for a small custom home builder operating in North Georgia and would be interested in hearing from anyone with experience in this type of construction just so we don’t have to re-invent the wheel everytime we do something new.
Some topics:Steep lots, extreme exposure, wells, septic systems, rock, doors and windows, structural, energy, bitchin’ about local labor, and anything else you care to contribute.
Especially would like to hear from anyone out West where the real mountains are, upstate PA or NY, or similar areas.
Most of our homes are second or retirement homes on large lots with long views and run in the $100-150/sf range for finished space. All have at least one view wall, lots of foundation, and big decks.
Got anything to contribute or need help?
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bg_71... (is dat bowling green class of '71 ?)
wish i cud help ya .. but da real mountain here in ri was Diamond Hill... now the highest peak is MT. Trashmor at the central landfill, hah, hah,
anyways .. my biggest problem with those sites was always acessability..
and the biggest help was convincing the client to spend the money on access before we built instead of making us suffer thru the process and then they admit that they can't get the groceries into the house..
they never seem to want to pave or improve because they want to keep it ((natural))
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ya no wat i mean... ((don't cut down that tree... and then you come back a year later and everything is clear cut for a hundred yards))) oh well
*b TVMDCWhen you say mountains, what elevation? Mammoth Lakes, CA, building dept has different codes for each additional 1000 feet of elevation to allow for snow load, wind and seismic activity. (They have about 10 quakes per day)Mike is right about accesability. Building downhill of the carport or garage is a whole lot easier than building uphill.As for your other questions, talk to the local people : builders, vendors and owners for solutions they like.
*Mike:No, it's not Bowling Green, although you got the class of '71 right. Accessibility is a major problem on a lot of our sites and it's hard to convince a customer to spend $2.00/sf for asphalt only to have it trashed by delivery trucks. We make do with a good crusher run drive which we put in after we backfill the foundation. On steep drives, I've had some luck mixing in a couple dozen bags of Portland with the stone and packing it well with the Bobcat. You need to wet it down or try to do it right before a rain, though. Still have to maintain an account with the local wrecker service. I still insist on cutting everything within 15' of the house and we lose a lot of trees to the septic system.I still occasionally miss the subdivisions and the slab-on grade houses I used to build, but that usually only lasts until the next bear crosses the road in front of me or I walk out on a deck on a clear day and take a good look at the Atlanta skyline 60 miles away. Wouldn't go back for nothin'.Bill:I'm talking mountains by Southeast US standards, not CA or Colorado. The area we try to stay in runs 2500-3500 ft and here in North GA snow load isn't a primary concern. Main weather problems here are wind and thunderstorms.We've been up here for a couple of years, so have pretty good network in place with local contacts, but most of the growth in area is recent and I am hoping to hook up with others to share ideas. Get a lot of "cause we always done it that way" up here.Thanx for comments, guys. Anybody else?
*BG 71,I live in central NY, rocks seem to grow here.We don't dig a post hole without a machine. Having a good excavator makes a big difference,I use the same guy all the time.I try to have him around when the cement trucks come,a bulldozer can help get them up and down steep sites if needed.His experince is also a big help for water drainage.Vince