I am constructing a house by myself. The house is approx. 4500sf. I have completed work through drywall tape & texture. I now have a blank palate and lots (more) work ahead of me. I anticipate taking 6-8 months to finish however the schedule in not the issue or problem. My question is how do I organize/tackle/plan/supply my project so that I don’t get overwhelmed or run into schedule & supply problems. I will be installing mostly higher end finishes including wood & tile. Stained & finished trim. I am looking for specifics and a relatively detailed sequence to follow. Also interject info that I might not have though about. I am not a builder and have little experience with the process although have all (most of) the skills/tools to complete the work.
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Craig,
You have at least a couple of options, which one you use will be determined by your skills and degree of patience. First you can try to do as much of the same thing as possible before moving to the next stage, ie. hang all the doors at once before moving to the casing for example. The other method would be to tackle a room or two at a time and work them from start to finish. As to the general order of things which is not written in stone (we don't live in a perfect world,delays happen, things get back ordered etc.) painting should be first, followed by floor coverings which will affect the placement of cabinets,doorjambs, base/shoe mldings. etc. Then you can set cabinetry or start trimming. If you elect to trim first then you will not be able to finish the trim in rooms with cabinetry until you have the cabinets installed. By the way when I mentioned floorcovering I was referring to hard surface materials not carpet as that should be done last. As to the order of trim I like to start by hanging doors and then do the window stools/aprons. After that I do all the casing and then the base. Any crown or chair rail etc. is done after that. If you have a staircase to do then you should probably do that before you get too interested in the baseboard as you will need to have your finished stringers etc. installed before you can finish the base up against them. As soon as you are done painting I would bring in the electrician and install the outlets and lighting with the exception of any chandilers which could be damaged while working around them. I feel it is a lot more efficient to have plenty of outlets and light while trimming though it is a luxury we pros don't always get. However you have control over that so have it done before you get too far. I would imagine that a fair amount of your time will be spent working after hours/dark so the lighting is critical. I would also try to get at least one bathroom working for convienience sake. Also try not to let too many odds and ends pile up so that you drive yourself crazy near the end of the project with a million little things to do. Better to write an occasional list and catch it up before moving to the next task. Remember that during this time you need to get the hvac finish done, plumbing done, and we already discussed electrical. Remember that things like cabinetry and countertops have a lead time so plan accordingly. Ditto any remaing subcontractors, don't expect to call them on tuesday and have them show up the next day. In all probablility you will have to adjust things as they go along as things seldom go according to plan at least not 100%. BEst of luck to you.
Mark
I like to have floors installed first. I don`t finish the hardwood until towards the end, but be sure to protect them well until then. Painting is also one of the last things I do. Unless you wanna prime and first coat everything now, but no matter how hard you try, you`re going to end up putting at least a final coat on em in the end. Once the floors are down, I`d move on to doors. Hang them and trim them immediately as this will help to ensure jambs remain square. From here you can move on to window casings and baseboard mouldings. (crown, etc. as well) In rooms with cabinetry, this should be installed prior to mouldings unless one will not interfere with the other at all. Once you`re trimmed out begin staining of mouldings. Soft woods may reqire a primer as they take stains unevenly in many cases. After staining apply two to three coats of poly, or other protective finish. In between second and third coats fill nail holes using colored putty. Light fixtures swithches and outlets should be installed at this point, but leave trim peices off until after final coat of paint...which you should be ready for about now. Try and at least get to where all you may have to do is touch up paint before installing bath fixtures....ever try and paint around a toilet bowl. After painting is complete, finish floors, install carpeting,mount electrical trim kits, door and cabinet hardware and all the little extras I`ve neglected.
Now get ready to begin again, because without a doubt something in the house will need attentioning by this point. Best of luck! Post some pics as you go!
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
"DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE"
i usually follow the same menu as Jaybird... exactly the same menu in the same order...
what about heat ?Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Many of us do these things for a living. If your over your head...... Sorry, but I like to see professonals get hired at respectful rates.
If he's taken it as far as he has, he's not over his head. I'm fully engaged as a builder, but I built a complicated house for myself (kinda like what Frenchy's doing), drove every nail myself, sawed every stick of lumber and timber, logged and peeled every log and blah, blah blah.
It took me nearly ten years of weekends, between jobs and after hours during other jobs before I could move in.
So for those rare birds out there willing to take on the construction of their own home, I tip my hat!
There are plenty of those with money and no spare time or interest, or those who couldn't build a birdhouse, who are perfectly happy to hire the pros. I live in one of the highest unemployment areas in the country, but all the builders here, even the hacks, are busy as h ell.
After all, this nation has a pretty solid heritage of self-reliance, and it's becoming all too rare.
Jules Quaver for President 2004
Edited 12/16/2002 12:20:51 AM ET by Notchman
Only one thing to add -- crap follows gravity. Remember secondary effects, think ahead.
Example of secondary effects - or "dirt not seen":
Have car decking for 2nd floor, underlayment & carpet or parquet oak over that. To protect the final floor, waited with that till all else was done for floor. Very thouroghly vacuumed car decking - still enough sawdust was between the t&g that got a few sawdust flakes fall for 2 years, even got some more shake thru last year (after 30 years) during 6.8 earthquake.
Added note if you are in earthquake area for floor attachment. Put subfloor down with ring shank nails, nary a squeak for 30 years, now have about 10 places with squeaks after the earthquake - should have used screws.
Art, those squeaks are a warning, "Get out before the big one!!"
Thanks to you who have offered constructive advise. I have completed everything myself (except foundation, shingles and drywall), including plumbing and electrical. I've had a journeyman electrician looking over my shoulder and tying into the subpanel. The few subs I have had don't seem to measure up the the quality I aspire to hold. Many of the unknowns have been answered right here in this forum. Oh ya, and I buy everything at the local home depot. Now, during finish, my joints will be tighter, my doors swing truer, my tile will be more creative and my investment of about $250k in materials will be worth about 1mil. I will post pics and have added a few below. (I finished a 600SF apt over the garage to live in during the work-my wife said 'I will not live in dust for three years')
Craig,
What the heck do you need us for dude? I think you can handle it.
Mark
The thing that allows me to undertake this, aside from my desire, is the amount of resources available to me. Whether it be this forum, the journal of light construction, fine home building, or the friends I have who are willing to lend a hand, the info and help is there. Now I am off to fiji for six weeks before I return in feb to start the long stretch to the finish line. After I am done, I am thinking about using my new skills to start a small home improvement biz. I love this work and zen through 8-12 hours a day of pounding nails. My wife tells people I'm doing it as an excuse to buy tools. Guess I've taken the d.i.y. weekend warrior thing a bit far. stay tuned.
craig