Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Mar 09, 1999 05:51am | #1

   *
   Sheesh. Our house would comfortably fit in one of those garages.

1. 
   Guest_ | Mar 09, 1999 06:27am | #2

   *hey blue "aka: I'm hiding in the barn" where's your pic at there? Or didn't you get credit for your work? (We get the same thing, build them and they forget about us until something goes wrong)

1. 
   Guest_ | Mar 09, 1999 06:46am | #3

   *On that one pic with two guys on the roof, the guy on the right isn't falling through, is he? :)No wonder you seem to have so much fun building!Rich Beckman

1. 
   Guest_ | Mar 09, 1999 07:46am | #4

   *Blue Looks great.How many sq.ft.? How long to frame in? I'm assuming your home is in one of these sub-divisions and you've just been kidding about the barn in your backyard.

1. 
   Guest_ | Mar 09, 1999 07:58am | #5

   *Veerry nice. I believe you said 23 grand to frame one? When i left the big (well, medium sized) city three years ago for Cape Breton Island, the going price to frame a decent sized townhouse (admittedly not exec. type homes like this) was $500.00 canuck bucks. I'm not kidding. the carriage trade is the way to go.

2. 
   Guest_ | Mar 09, 1999 08:54am | #6

   *Only two stories, huh?

3. 
   Guest_ | Mar 09, 1999 03:34pm | #7

   *This builder has fours crews roughing. I think the house pictured is actually the model. But it is the same house, and elevation that I finished a month ago.My only clue is the red truck that I see, and usully I put better kickers on the roof to sheet it.Blue

4. 
   Guest_ | Mar 09, 1999 05:53pm | #8

   *So would mine!Blue

5. 
   Guest_ | Mar 09, 1999 05:55pm | #9

   *Yeah, amazing eh? And it's 7/16" osb with clips on trusses space 24" apart!Some things will never cease to amaze me!Blue

6. 
   Guest_ | Mar 09, 1999 05:58pm | #10

   *No Fred, I've been kidded quite a bit about my barn being bigger than my house! Currently, I'm in a small 2 br ranch with a 1 1/2 car attached garage. My master suite has a 24" vanity! And I have to go down stairs (walkout) to shower!It is kinda funny to see the barn towering over the house!Blue

7. 
   Guest_ | Mar 09, 1999 06:07pm | #11

   *It had 3280 sq ft @ $5.75. 4 bays at $750 each, and I added $1,200 for a split floor condition that required quite a bit of time.We framed that one in January, and fought the big snow all the way. There were four of us averaging about 35 hours for 4 weeks. This was our first time framing this particular model, and I'm sure I can cut the time by 10%. I don't have the exact amount of hours, but my main man does. I quit watching hours years ago. MY blood pressure has dropped considerably since then.Blue

8. 
   Guest_ | Mar 09, 1999 06:17pm | #12

   *I don't envy the carpenters in that neighborhood! We are blessed with a shortage of skilled carpenters. I actually could go elsewhere and get more money, but this sub fits my needs for several reasons.They have enough laborers, and don't ask me to do silly things. The superintendent is on top of most things and the houses tend to run smoothly. There is a dozer in the sub at all times (they can yank the crane out of the mud, etc.). The lumber man stops by every day (almost). They have good sales,and we can stay in the sub building the same models (different elevations). They don't have extremely weird features. The superintendent is reasonable, and will allow variations without crying and making a big deal out of small stuff. The builder is busy enough to tell unreasonable homeowners to take their check and stuff it! I was there when he offered the deposit check back to a homeowner that wanted a couple of windows made biggerand moved a few inches! The homeowner quit being such a pain in the ass in a hurry (as best as he was able, anyways)!I could't make the first days payroll with 5OO$!Blue

9. 
   Guest_ | Mar 09, 1999 06:18pm | #13

   *Yeah, the cheapskates!

10. 
    Guest_ | Mar 09, 1999 06:25pm | #14

    *Plus, I think (ya can't quote me) the carpenters had to provide their own nails. On some subdivisions, from breaking ground to the owners moving in, two weeks.I wasn't building those, but I saw it. A lot of good guys i knew were getting out at this point.

11. 
    Guest_ | Mar 09, 1999 06:27pm | #15

    *I do supply nails and crane. Those two items usually total about 1000 bucks per job!Blue

12. 
    Guest_ | Mar 10, 1999 05:18pm | #16

    *Blue,. looks great all those roofs should keep you happy, and your gruntmaster... I mean construction master 4 busy with all the hip and valleys. Oh yeh does it hurt your arm when you pat yourself on the back like that, I just dont seem to hve the nack I think my arms to short. Sereriously I'm impressed, and if you see me a the breaktime fest dont slap me with the hand thats holding the beer.

13. 
    Guest_ | Mar 10, 1999 07:09pm | #17

    *, Crawford, we don't use a grunt! Each of us carry our own materials. That way, we never have a pile of the wrong stuff in the way.I prefer to carry my own stuff. It breaks up the monotony of monotonous jobs. I usually like to "stage" a couple hours work. I need to stand up and walk around every thirty minutes or so.When we set the roof trusses with the crane, I usually send up the raw stock for the conventional framing. I cut all the conventional stuff up on the roof. We usually have a place ready to accept the bundles of plywood. If there is no safe place to stage the plywood (rare), we stack it "on edge" inside the 2nd floor in three piles. From there we shove it up through the roof. Either way is ok with me. Each guy carries a saw, and nailgun with him and does all the cutting up there "in place". Each sheet is nailed as it is layed.I am not posting this method to satisfy an ego. I am long past that stage of my life. Actually, I post in hopes that someone will give me ideas to improve, and therefore make me more efficient. I have spent the last 25 years trying to improve, and am continually surprised when a new idea is offered to me!Some of the best ideas arise out of the most innocent questions. My rookies have given me a few new insights, and ideas.And don't worry about me and any super human strength. I am actually a very weak guy. I used to be somewhat strong, but have fallen quite a bit soft. The nailgun has diminished my stamina, and I only carry half of what I used to. I am very protective of my back, and force my young workers to protect theirs too. That is one thing that my excellent mentors didn't do for me! I havn't sighned up for the breaktime fest, we're still negotiating about the fees for puttin' me onstage. I don' come cheap, milkbones are my thing, and they are holding out on me!If you want to see the real thing happening, your more than welcome to stand out on the road and watch. And I'm not joking, I've done a ton of that in my career. I also walk through every rough in the subs, gleaning tidbits. You'd be surprised at the techniques that you can pick up, if you are open minded (I Am).Going back to work soon, Blue

14. 
    Guest_ | Mar 10, 1999 09:23pm | #18

    *Sundays in the subs...once I start, I'm roaming till sunset. I enjoy it to(o). Once while in Palm Beach visiting I tried to walk around an waterfront beauty and no more did I click one photo...Police!...next their checking interpol and NY...and getting the "we watch things fairly closely down here" routine...Still got the pics,Jack