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Posted to AlaskaICFREMOTEHouse by K in Wasilla, AK
on 8/17/2008 10:57:01 AM
Alot has been done since 8-1. The majority of the interior framing was done including the two fireplaces. I made a few changes to some interior walls that I didn't like when I saw them going up. It's a good time to change something when you see a wall being erected rather than after the trusses are set.
Next, the trusses arrived and were set. There was one problem with a gable end truss that didn't allow the roof sheathing to lay flat, so the framer had to remedy that. The trusses were secured, blocked, etc., and then the sheathing was put on. We had to pull out one of our windows on the east house wall because it was too close to the roof line of the garage. It was moved to the other side of the house with no problem.
The drip edge was picked up from the siding guys and brought over for the roofer. Roofing was completed in two days with the exception of the portico which will be done when the concrete stairs are completed.
The framer installed all of the windows. We had two very large windows that posed a bit of a challenge to install, but they were finally done. The largest one is 10' x 7'. If I had to do it over again, I would have a large bank of windows, but framed separately to make the installation easier. The front door and the basement patio doors were installed, but the kitchen patio door has not arrived yet, so that is interfering with the installation of the exterior foam.
We are putting our insulation on the outside of the house instead of the inside. I mentioned this technique in one of our early posts. In order to place the 6" RTech foam on the outside, the window bucks were built and secured to the house using angle brackets. The first 3" layer of RTech 1 foam was started at the end of the week.
The interior rough plumbing started last week.
Our framer has to move on to several other homes, so we only have Monday to make good progress on the RTech foam. We rented an articulating lift to get the guys and the foam up high on the house rather than using extension ladders. There will still be a small amount of framing work that will have to be done later including the portico, and the remaining doors and foam.
The HRV contractor has been notified that we will need him to start in about a week. The Fairbanks crew have also been notified that we will need them to install the solar panels by the end of the month.
Even though I met with the cabinetry contractor, I have yet to finish the order. I wished I had finished this earlier, but we got behind. I had to give the plumber the layout for the cabinets for the DWV work. Now, I am locked into the cabinet sizes. It is probably not going to be a problem, but I should have completed this sooner. Every time I went in for cabinets, I got sticker shock and just figured there had to be a better solution. I've come to the realization that cabinets are going to be expensive. I also had to provide the information for the toilets and bidet even though I have not ordered those. The plumber and I talked this over, and agreed that it wasn't necessary to have the toilets because the drain cutouts are virtually all the same. However, that is not true for the bidets. I got some technical data and rough plumbing information on the Kohler website for the toilets and bidets. I was not satisfied with any of the cabinetry manufacturer's solutions for the refrigerators. I had the framing contractor frame in a niche for the refrigerator in the kitchen. When it is time for finishing work, I will probably decide on some kind of custom shelving over the refrigerator.
The garage doors arrived, and will need to be painted before they are installed. It looks like my husband and I will start to have a little breathing room starting Tuesday so we will probably paint the garage doors this week and then they can be installed.
Two drywall contractors came to look at our job, and one has provided a bid. I want smooth walls which come at a premium cost. The first bid came in at $20,000 for about 4000 square feet. We are having 5/8" drywall on all the ceilings and the walls in the main house, and then 1/2" on the garage walls.
Photos
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| Framing |
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| Tyvek Drain Wrap |
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| Setting Trusses |
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| Blocking the Trusses |
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| Sheathing the Roof |
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| Installing the Windows |
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| Installing the Window Bucks |
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| RTech 1 Foam Insulation Installation |
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| Front Door Installation |
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Posted to AlaskaICFREMOTEHouse by K in Wasilla, AK
on 8/1/2008 8:31:33 AM
The house continues to be framed. Alot of progress has been made. All the exterior walls are framed including the garage, first floor and second floor. The first floor interior walls are framed, and several of the arches have been installed over openings to soften the effect of all the square rooms and house. Last night I noticed one exterior window on the second floor is wrong. The second floor walls are framed, and will be stood today. I noticed the "hide" door is also the wrong size.
A lot of construction is being done in our development, so we are all checking on each other. I mentioned to a neighbor that my house is turning out to be much bigger than I thought when I finalized it on paper. She said her experience is just the opposite.
Framing will finalize and then the wrinkle wrap will be put on. The trusses are on site and will be put up Wednesday. My husband and I are stripping sheets of plywood into 3" x 8' strips. Then we will pre-drill the holes for the screws. These furring strips will hold the exterior foam to the house, and will also be the anchor for the steel siding.
We picked up our professional paint sprayer at Sherwin Williams. We will be doing all of the painting ourselves. We signed our roofing contract, and we ordered the shingles just in time prior to a major price increase of 15%. Roofing should begin the end of next week. I contacted the plumbers again, and gave them an update. The rough plumbing will start next week.
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Posted to AlaskaICFREMOTEHouse by K in Wasilla, AK
on 7/21/2008 9:05:11 AM
Progress was slow going last week due to rain. However, the backfill and final grading was done and it looks great. The garage floor pour didn't get done until today, so that is delaying the framer a little more. One of the excavator's workers had not compacted the garage floor to the proper level, and we couldn't get him back in time to fix it before the plumber had to come and lay the pex on the foam. The mistake cost us another three yards of concrete to be poured. The excavator offered to pick up the tab due to the mistake.
The work slow down offered us an opportunity to do a little more bargain shopping. We found and purchased three Andersen 3000 full view storm doors on clearance at Home Depot. The three were less than the original price for one. We really like Kohler products as well, and we would like to have all Kohler fixtures in our new house. At another Home Depot we found some Kohler special order returns on clearance. Although many of the fixtures and valves would not work out for us, we did pick up one tub drain in brushed nickel marked down at 50% off, and I negotiated with the manager to get another 20% off.
We finally got our current home in good shape and finished the website for the house sale. I finished the design for all the ads, and circulated those.
The basement framing was finished, and this week there will be a large crew coming to start the first floor framing. My husband is home from Japan, so he will take over at the property while I focus on other things. Progress should be good this week.
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Posted to AlaskaICFREMOTEHouse by K in Wasilla, AK
on 7/12/2008 12:46:12 PM
The basement underground plumbing, vapor barrier, insulation, in-floor heat and concrete pour were completed this period. We didn't realize we had a problem with the plumbing until the framer noticed that there was no drain pipe for the basement bathtub. After a few phone calls, and review of some photographs, we realized that the pipe was indeed installed. However, it had been covered over with the vapor barrier, insulation, in-floor heat and concrete. It was a comedy of errors and nearly everyone participated, including the inspector. We discussed our options with our masonry and plumbing contractors. The suggestion is to wait until we heat up the floor,and at that time, the in-floor tubing will be obvious. Then, the masonry contractor will come back and cut through the floor. The photographs were extremely helpful in locating the pipe, and the in-floor tubing.
Not much has been completed in the last few weeks because the framing contractor assumed 14" floor joists were readily available, and they were not. He informed us that there were no floor joists available by any supplier. He proposed a number of solutions that would only cause more problems and fixes later, so we accepted the delay. The floor joists were ordered and barged up from Oregon arriving 10 days later. In the meantime, the excavator went off to other jobs because we had no decking on so that our final backfill could be finalized. Once the floor joists arrived, the framer was in such a hurry to get them on that he cut them too short. He proposed an acceptable solution of installing double rim joists at his expense which would make up for the short cuts, but still providing structural integrity. We informed him to get the second floor, floor joists ordered so that we don't have another delay. In addition, he didn't have the cantilevered trusses ordered either, so we told him to get it done. The excavator informed us that he would not be able to come back for several weeks which would in effect, delay the garage floor pour. We informed the framer that he would have to continue to work without backfill because we would not accept further delays. The framer called the excavator, who is also a friend, and convinced him to get our backfill done right away.
Other Work Completed
The electrical utility company contacted our electrician to coordinate work for the temporary panel. The well pump was hung and we have temporary water. The remaining time has been focused on preparing our current house for sale, developing our website, and looking at cabinetry and flooring. The crew from Fairbanks has contacted us to schedule the hot water solar panels. The roofing contractor has been put on notice. The delay afforded us an opportunity for a quick few days away in Cordova, AK. The flight over the glaciers and Prince William Sound was beautiful. It will be good to get back to steady work next week.
Next Week
We will have our final backfill completed. The underground plumbing and in-floor heat will completed in the garage, and the garage floor slab will be poured. We also need to contact the drywall subs for bids.
Photos
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| Concrete poured in basement |
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| First Floor Decking - WRONG PICTURE |
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| First Floor Decking - WRONG PICTURE |
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| Basement framing |
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| First Floor Decking - CORRECT PICTURE! |
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Posted to AlaskaICFREMOTEHouse by K in Wasilla, AK
on 6/23/2008 12:05:23 PM
Work completed last week was in preparation for the underground plumbing in our basement. There were some frustrating moments when the excavator wanted to backfill around the entire house, and inside the garage floor. The inspection report called for a 4' backfill around the perimeter, and no backfill against the interior house and garage ICF common wall. Due to a number of circumstances early on, it was agreed that the masonry contractor would pour the basement and the garage floors separately. Then, the decking would be placed after the basement floor was poured. The excavator's position was to backfill everything without bracing. His response was, "I've done it this way a million times". I asked him if he was willing to insure any breakage or blow out of the ICF wall, and the response was "no." So, I told him he had his answer: backfill 4' and return to backfill when the decking is in place.
Lesson Learned: Even though we are early in our project, there have been several times when the subs have tried to negotiate on how the work is performed. I've handled those situations by determining whether I believe the sub is advocating for us, and looking out for our interests, or for themselves. It is important to stand firm against the subs if they are trying to take shortcuts, and they will!
The underground plumbing and inspection was completed. We laid the 6 mil poly and 4" RTech foam in preparation for the plumbers setting the Pex tubing.
This week: The Pex tubing and manifolds will be completed, wire set in place, sonotubes and basement floor poured, decking set and windows delivered.
Photos
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| Underground Plumbing |
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| 6 Mil Poly |
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| RTech and Thickened Slabs |
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Posted to AlaskaICFREMOTEHouse by K in Wasilla, AK
on 6/16/2008 9:03:00 PM
Waterproofing Details
Last week we set the drain pipe around the perimeter of the footer and laid washed gravel under and over the pipe. We will also have two drains in the garage floor that will also lead out to a separate drywell. A service penetration was created for this 3" pipe in the garage ICF wall.
We laid 200' of 4" drain pipe around the footer and laid it as close to the step footers as possible. We purchased the drain pipe that already has the protective "sock" over it, which is to keep out the dirt. We used corner connectors to keep the pipe close to the footer, and finally the ends were connected with a "T" pipe. The idea is to keep the water away from the footer and move it to a drywell 20' away from the lowest point of the footer. The drywells were made from plastic drum barrels, drilled with holes, filled with washed rock, and set into a bed of rock.
Lesson Learned: The hard part of this effort was placing and keeping the 1" washed rock over the 4" drain pipe. Considering that we will have gutters, I think the 4" pipe was overkill. A smaller pipe would have been easier to work with and would probably achieve the same goal.
Radon Pipe
Obviously, we can't test for radon in advance, but there is evidence of radon in our area. We placed 3" rigid pipe (with holes on bottom) around the inside basement footer, and ran a pipe up the inside of the ICF wall. We covered the pipe with 1" washed rock. Once the house is closed up, we will test for radon, and if present, it will be vented outside. It is much easier and cheaper to plan for radon during construction than after the fact.
Bituthene
We were told that it was a good idea to place cardboard around the foundation wall prior to backfill to protect the foam from compressing and the bituthene from tearing. It's probably not a bad idea if you have the time, but it is alot of work.
Electric and Telephone Line
Since our house and hangar is a significant distance from the road, we decided to save some money and trench part of the line ourselves. We rented a mini excavator and trenched across and along the driveway and laid about 300' of electric and telephone line. Our excavator will bury the line when he backfills. We are also taking advantage of a 5 year contract with the electric company that locks us into a price of $41/mo. for 5 years.
Framing
The framing bid came in and much needs to be clarified in the description of work. Otherwise, the framing contractor is ready to order the lumber package.
This week: Underground plumbing, lay 4" R Tech foam and poly and possibly in-floor heat tubing. Also, several meetings are scheduled for cabinetry.
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Posted to AlaskaICFREMOTEHouse by K in Wasilla, AK
on 6/10/2008 7:16:33 PM
These last few days were the hardest, laying the rock around the foundation for the drainage pipe, and the radon pipe.
Photos
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| Footers Poured |
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| ICF |
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| Bituthane |
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| Sonotubes for Portico |
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| Drain tile |
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| Washed gravel placed over drain tile |
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| ICF shown with frost footer |
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| Basement door and window bucks |
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| Radon pipe |
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Posted to AlaskaICFREMOTEHouse by K in Wasilla, AK
on 6/6/2008 11:21:39 AM
The ICF block for the house and garage was finished on 6.3.08 and they poured the walls. There was one small blowout on the bottom in the garage, but they got it under control right away. There was a bit of a scare when the house ICF started bulging and the integrated scaffolding started pulling out of the ground. They stopped pouring for a bit while they braced the outside of the walls. We had some small spruce tree logs that they used - I wish I had taken a picture of that. As a result of this scrambling, the J-bolts were going in late, so they won't be as straight as the framer would like. The foundation walls look great.
On 6.4.08 the Bituthane was put on the foundation walls, and the rebar was set for the Portico. The contractor will come back before backfill and get the sonotubes poured.
We met with the electrician and discussed our requirements, and told him we had a lot of leftover 12/2 from our previous house, and he said he would credit us for it.
We met with the plumbing/heating contractor and they will finish our bid now that we've got the plan for the solar hot water integration.
Rebates/Credits -- we've discovered that we may be eligible for a $7,500 rebate from the state of Alaska if our home is rated as a five-star plus home. The good news is that one of the energy raters is from the same company that we are using for our ICBO inspections. We are also eligible for a $3,000 tax credit for the solar panels.
Inspections -- we've passed our first three inspections (footer, foundation, and waterproofing).
Next week: The rock for the waterproofing was delivered so now we'll have the back breaking work of placing it around the foundation walls. The interior backfill and compaction should begin late next week, and then underground plumbing can start. We are also getting ready to build our remote electrical panel and run the underground line up to the house. The electric company will dig the trench and run the line to the panel. When they do that, I am going to put my wire in there for the driveway light.
I've been doing a lot of research on cabinets. I am going to take advantage of the big box stores to help with a design, but I probably won't buy them there. I have to get cabinets going ASAP.
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Posted to AlaskaICFREMOTEHouse by K in Wasilla, AK
on 5/30/2008 10:40:07 AM
The weather continues to cooperate. The footers including the step footers were poured. The ICF wall block was delivered and ICF is going up and will finish today. We are using the ARXX ICF wall system. Pretty cool stuff. The scaffolding integrates with the wall system and also acts as a bracing system. You can make fine adjustments with the braces, keeping the wall straight at all times. I also like that ARXX has a 4" height adjusting form, which minimizes cutting forms.
I spent an entire day researching the most efficient appliances. There is a significant difference among energy star appliances. I also checked out the govt's website for credits and rebates. Fine Homebuilding magazine had several helpful articles on buying efficient appliances, and I used that as a resource along with Consumer Reports to select those I purchased. Over the Memorial weekend, Lowes and HD had appliance sales and rebates. They also offered an extra 10% off for military, so that was a bonus. I purchased my refrigerator, cooktop and dishwasher. The dishwasher was 114% more efficient than the federal standard, and the refrigerator was 27%. The federal standard has been raised on refrigerators. So, I got 10% off from the sale + 10% off for military + the rebates + a HD $100 gift card! It was worth the effort.
Next week: foundation walls poured and our waterproofing work will start. :( Not looking forward to that back breaking work. The plumbers will also get the underground work going, and some of the backfill will get done.
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Posted to AlaskaICFREMOTEHouse by K in Wasilla, AK
on 5/24/2008 10:20:01 AM
The tubs arrived so I will be using Improvement Direct again for the faucets. Everyone told me the tubs would take 4-5 weeks, and I received them in a week.
Excavation work completed for the driveway, well and septic, house and garage footers. Only a bit more work for the portico and deck. The well diggers came in Friday and found good water at 80', which is what I expected.
The plumbing and HRV bids came back. The plumbing bid was higher than I thought, so I'll have to discuss that with them. The concrete bid was also high, but I'll be keeping track of the number of loads and amount of rebar. Rebar prices have gone crazy. In fact, the septic tank went up an extra $200 in a month. The price of gas is moving prices up quickly, and I've asked our subs to get materials ordered ASAP.
We finished up the framing specs, and now I am working on the electrical specs while my husband finishes up working on the solar panels and heating integration.
This weekend, I am putting the concrete checklist together to make sure everything is getting done correctly with our concrete work. We'll re-set the rough stakes to ensure that we are maintaining the southern exposure that we require. The other checklist items will include making sure that the ICF blocks are tied correctly, that all the rebar is set according to the mfg. requirements, the J-bolts are ready for the sill, the blocks are level, and so forth. Unfortunately, and too many times, the framer has to make up for concrete work. I plan to develop and use a checklist for every sub so that nothing falls through the cracks. Small things can tend to get overlooked, and I am hoping this process will help on the site. I also have a lot of detail photos and documents that will always be on hand if questions arise during the construction.
I still have to buy the fire door and one exterior door, so that will be done ASAP. I have appointments set up for cabinetry. I will take advantage of free consulting, then take the plans around for bid. I have to start buying fixtures for all of the sinks, etc. So, I am trying to keep way ahead of the subs so that we can get the project done ASAP.
Next week, concrete footers, inspection, pour, ICF blocks formed up, concrete pour. The following week, waterproofing/radon work, rough plumbing, fill and compaction for house and garage floors, lay in-floor heat and pour slabs. Weather has been good, and we've seen no delays so far. We'll see what happens.
Photos
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Posted to AlaskaICFREMOTEHouse by K in Wasilla, AK
on 5/13/2008 9:57:20 AM
This last two weeks has been nuts. My husband has been gone on a trip, so I've only had about four hours of sleep per night for two weeks. Can't wait until he gets home.
I got the three bathtubs ordered. After doing a lot of comparison shopping on the web, I found Kohler tubs from an online plumbing company at a better rate than I got quoted from the plumber or the big box store. Was told they are going out on the barge Weds. We'll see. If it works out, then I'll be buying a whole lot of stuff from them. Anyway, I bought a membership and saved an extra 5% plus. And because I spent a good sum, I have no shipping cost to Alaska, which is nearly unheard of.
Signed the contract for the two garage doors from a local company. Activated the builder's risk and PL policy. Met with masonry and excavating subs to get the step footers figured out. Received preliminary information from the structural engineer regarding the step footers, and rebar for the footers. Staked the lot for excavation. Prepared the plastic drums which will be used for drywell for our waterproofing around the house. Got the prelim heat load calculation from the plumber and the numbers are looking great. Made lots and lots of corrections to the plans (argh!). Contacted the insulation sub, and will meet with him Friday. Contacted the well diggers again to let them know we'll probably want them coming in next week. Road restrictions expected to lift end of this week. Contacted the new neighbors to let them know we're starting, and we'll try and keep the subs out of there early in the morning.
Only a few days now before digging starts. Still need to finish a few things before excavator starts. Started a checklist for on-site construction for excavating and masonry. Will include things like, checking setbacks, confirm well to septic distance, etc. I am also going to set another set of stakes about 20' out from the originals so that I know where the corners were when I marked them for the house and garage. That way, when the excavator runs them over, I know where they were.
Next, finish up everything for the framer, and a whole lot more!
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Posted to AlaskaICFREMOTEHouse by K in Wasilla, AK
on 5/2/2008 9:43:37 AM
Everything is moving at a fast pace now, and it is going to get faster. I've been spending about 8-10 hours per day everyday working on the details, and my husband about two hours. He is gone again until mid-May for work, so he is putting the time in that he can.
The structural engineer has our request for the rebar requirements and lintel design for the ICF wall, fastener load for the solar panels, and lateral load for the fasteners that will hold the screws from the furring strips through the 6" external rigid foam, through the plywood and into the 2x4s. We have some strong winds here, so we want to protect those solar panels but have to be concerned about the weight and uplift.
The windows have been ordered, and will be supplied by a company that specializes in windows made specific to our Alaska conditions. We'll have triple pane on the north, east and west, and double pane on the south. Originally, I was going for double hung so we could achieve the colonial type look, but those windows are inefficient. We will have a combination of casement, awning and fixed windows. I'll have to achieve the colonial look with shutters. I was surprised at the final cost coming in at 13K for 25 windows and doors. The south side windows are huge combinations. $1,300 of that was for fuel surcharges and delivery. The original name brand manufacturers windows were much more expensive and much less efficient. Darn, I'll have to sell the ones that I got for a steal on craigslist. Good thing I only got three.
The trim color for the steel siding has been decided, so that is good to have out of the way. The siding and trim is coming in at $28K. This is for a two story house with full walkout and a 30 x 30' garage. We didn't sign the contract yet because there are a few details left to be decided that are not critical. However, we wanted to avoid fuel surcharges, so 1/3 $ down and the order is placed.
We're hoping to integrate our solar hot water into our heating system, so the plumbing contractor is excited and asking a lot of questions.
The excavation specs have been written and the masonry is in process. Can't finalize the masonry specs until the structural engineer does her work. The framer will have the most details by far with the REMOTE wall system, so we're putting a big binder together for all his details including the house plans, call-out information, window sizes (they are different from original plan), installation information, photos and lots of diagrams. We took a little pressure off by ordering the windows and the rigid foam so that the framer doesn't have to get involved since we have specific requirements.
I've been keeping the initial contractors informed of status and they are still on board to start soon. We didn't go through a three bid process for the three initial subs. We spent hours of their time over the last few months at their expense talking about the house and all it's requirements. These contractors don't know that we didn't seek bids. They were selected based upon references, reputation and their willingness to work with us as O-Bs. We talked to material suppliers, other contractors and customers. Let's see how it works out for us.
Met with ICBO inspectors for plan review and signed the contract. I think they will be great to work with. Very helpful as well.
Next few days: Meet with plumber to order the tubs for rough in. Meet with roofing contractors (two only). Get back to the well diggers to give them an update. Update my information for electric and telephone. Get an update on the gas line (only propane is available now, but the natural gas line is planned for summer. Meet with kitchen designers (need to know where the water is coming in for the plumber). Finish the contracts for excavator and concrete. Activate our Builder's Risk and Liability policies.
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Posted to AlaskaICFREMOTEHouse by K in Wasilla, AK
on 4/27/2008 10:17:56 AM
It's been a busy week. We've met with the plumbing, concrete and window contractor. Specs were handed over to plumbing, and now lots of questions coming at us so they can do their bid. We're integrating solar hot water heat into our system so it's not straight forward. We're hiring a structural engineer to give us the lintel and rebar requirements for the concrete, so we'll have to wait for that information before the final bid comes back which should be about a week before concrete work starts. There are still open questions about the windows, so we need to resolve those. Gotta get the R/O sizes for the basement (ICF) sliding door and windows. No room for error on those!
Checked on Builder's Risk and Personal Liability Insurance. Quote came back and we'll get that done once excavator starts. Looks like we'll pay about $600 for the policy. Increased the PL to $1M.
The design process has been slow. We received what we thought to be our final designs, but still finding mistakes. We won't correct some of them, but can't expect to keep track of what is wrong when the designs are handed over to the subs, so we'll have some of it back for re-draw. Very frustrating.
Started writing the contracts for excavation and concrete, and those s/b pretty easy. Need to start working on the framing contract. I keep saying that we have good contractors. I guess we'll all find out down the road whether that remains to be true.
I'll be meeting with the ICBO inspector for a plan review to see if anything looks wrong. Keep refining the work plans. Need to get going on ordering the tubs so they can get moved in during framing. Finalize the RFQ for the excavator and meet with him. Get U and R value information on doors and windows, and talk to insulation contractor so I can get a Heat Loss Calculation d |