Finallygotit
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Andy, I would really appreciate if you posted about the house construction. It will not be a waste of your time, IMHO.
Above 1200 Sq/FT Cleaning Up My Shop
- Thread starter oldironfarmer
- Start date
Wokspaces above 1200 squarefeet.
PugetDude
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Andy, pictures would be a great addition. Really like reading your posts about the build.; pics of the actual construction would really help bring them to life in 3D.
Please do.
Please do.
Bob Heine
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Andy, not only would I enjoy reading about and seeing pictures of the house building process, if you do it right I'd binge watch it like Ted Lasso.
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
You guys are crazy!
But then, so am I.
But then, so am I.
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
We bought a lot on a steep hillside in January 2021.
You can see there is a view.
I set up the transit at the entrance and shot a level line clearing brush as I went. You can see flags on the left. The goal was to get the front of the house parallel with the ground.
A little chainsaw work and we started getting a feel for the land. Once we figured out where the footprint of the house might be we started cutting trees.
Some of the corners are set based off a cardboard model. She couldn't grasp drawings very well so we went with a cereal box model.
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
Here's the assembled model. The basement is separate.
This is up hill
Down hill
And the basement.
This is up hill
Down hill
And the basement.
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
Kept cutting brush and trees.
Burn every few days.
Miss Vicky wanted to know why I was never home.
Surveyors finally came. the SE corner of the lot is a quarter section corner. This original stone was placed around 1890. Look closely and you can see the 1/4 chiseled in the side. There is a + on top marking the actual corner.
Burn every few days.
Miss Vicky wanted to know why I was never home.
Surveyors finally came. the SE corner of the lot is a quarter section corner. This original stone was placed around 1890. Look closely and you can see the 1/4 chiseled in the side. There is a + on top marking the actual corner.
Grizz1963
Well-known member
Happy New Year to you and your extended family Andy.
No doubt you will make it a great one for all those who’s lives you touch daily, behind the scenes.
Remember to get some real Andy time in as well.
No doubt you will make it a great one for all those who’s lives you touch daily, behind the scenes.
Remember to get some real Andy time in as well.
Grizz1963
Well-known member
TwoBytes
Well-known member
Tedious! No way, this is going to be fantastic! Very much looking forward to it, Andy.
TMcCay
Well-known member
Happy New Year, Andy! Love seeing the updates that have been keeping you busy.
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
2024 Grizz!
It's looking good!
Ha ha! Nice B&W! But she's a '31. That stone had already been there 40 years or so. My how time flies!
Thanks for the encouragement. And the help keeping this thread alive.
2024, let it roar!!
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
Finally determined the house location, staked the corners, and started removing trees which would eventually be inside the house footprint.
Made a little firewood
Burned more brush
And waited. Ready for foundation excavation by late March, 2021. Two guys I've know for 30 years and worked with couldn't help me. The first came out and looked, we sat down, worked up a price and I released him to go. He has ten foot stemwall forms. Perfect. He quit answering my calls. His dad had died of COVID, he disappeared. Second guy came out, has the forms, never got back to me. Wouldn't answer calls. Months later said his phone had failed to receive calls, cost him a lot of business. Next guy I didn't know. Really nice, we agreed to start. He didn't show. Didn't answer. Finally his wife answered, he was in the hospital with COVID. Dang!
In desperation I called an oilfield contractor who would only do excavation, but he has a big track hoe. This took until August to patiently wait on my friends and the new guy.
So I laid out the lines to be cut.
Here's a little video of the excavation markings
We got rock!
Made a little firewood
Burned more brush
And waited. Ready for foundation excavation by late March, 2021. Two guys I've know for 30 years and worked with couldn't help me. The first came out and looked, we sat down, worked up a price and I released him to go. He has ten foot stemwall forms. Perfect. He quit answering my calls. His dad had died of COVID, he disappeared. Second guy came out, has the forms, never got back to me. Wouldn't answer calls. Months later said his phone had failed to receive calls, cost him a lot of business. Next guy I didn't know. Really nice, we agreed to start. He didn't show. Didn't answer. Finally his wife answered, he was in the hospital with COVID. Dang!
In desperation I called an oilfield contractor who would only do excavation, but he has a big track hoe. This took until August to patiently wait on my friends and the new guy.
So I laid out the lines to be cut.
Here's a little video of the excavation markings
We got rock!
Last edited:
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
Split a little firewood while waiting on the track hoe.
He showed up two weeks after we talked. Just like he said he would.
Is this what they mean by ground breaking. It was a long day, but not his first job.
Parked for the night.
I got a good surprise, at the bottom of the basement he hit blue shale. Excellent for the foundation!
This was August 25, 2021.
He showed up two weeks after we talked. Just like he said he would.
Is this what they mean by ground breaking. It was a long day, but not his first job.
Parked for the night.
I got a good surprise, at the bottom of the basement he hit blue shale. Excellent for the foundation!
This was August 25, 2021.
Bob Heine
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Andy, the phrase "Rock and a Hard Place" comes to mind.
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
He finally made a hole for himself.
I enjoyed the view crossing the creek on the way to the new house.
I sat down at lunch to rest and listen to some music. I like trees.
Wayne is the son of an old friend. They are bricklayers. Good ones. My friend is passed away now, and I've gotten acquainted with his son. He agreed to come look and eventually do the block foundation walls. He is a mountain man, known as Skunk, and a blacksmith, bow maker, and makes traditional cigar box guitars.
Trimmed up the excavation floor and tried it out.
I enjoyed the view crossing the creek on the way to the new house.
I sat down at lunch to rest and listen to some music. I like trees.
Wayne is the son of an old friend. They are bricklayers. Good ones. My friend is passed away now, and I've gotten acquainted with his son. He agreed to come look and eventually do the block foundation walls. He is a mountain man, known as Skunk, and a blacksmith, bow maker, and makes traditional cigar box guitars.
Trimmed up the excavation floor and tried it out.
red
Well-known member
Happy new Year Andy!
thanks for sharing, always learn a lot.
thanks for sharing, always learn a lot.
sawduststeve
Well-known member
Ooh, Andy’s come out to play.
Loving your work.
Happy new year fella.
Best wishes
Steve
Loving your work.
Happy new year fella.
Best wishes
Steve
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
The rock was actually pretty tough.
He pulled out some big ones he couldn't break or lift. I estimate the middle one should weigh over 12 tons.
Down the hill nearby is the Frog Rock, a good sized surface rock.
They came out of this area.
Did another layout and shot elevations to determine the excavation was adequate.
Next step was to put in drain pipe and cover it with washed rock.
It is hard to keep a basement dry in Oklahoma. Lots of rock and clay which makes for water passages. My solution was to encase the foundation in washed rock with a drain underneath. Water coming out of the walls, across the surface, or from under the slab can escape without having to find the inside of the house.
He pulled out some big ones he couldn't break or lift. I estimate the middle one should weigh over 12 tons.
Down the hill nearby is the Frog Rock, a good sized surface rock.
They came out of this area.
Did another layout and shot elevations to determine the excavation was adequate.
Next step was to put in drain pipe and cover it with washed rock.
It is hard to keep a basement dry in Oklahoma. Lots of rock and clay which makes for water passages. My solution was to encase the foundation in washed rock with a drain underneath. Water coming out of the walls, across the surface, or from under the slab can escape without having to find the inside of the house.
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
It's those how not to do things that's important!
Happy New Year!
Ooh, Andy’s come out to play.
Loving your work.
Happy new year fella.
Best wishes
Steve
Thanks, mate!
Happy New Year!!
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Here’s to another great year above dirt and nice to see you posting again and I’m all for learning the good and great and of course those learning posts you have time to give us.
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
Happy New Year, Drives!
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
Covered up the drain pipe. Used all washed rock so fines won't plug the tiny holes in the drains. Also, washed rock is pretty much self compacting. It rolls in nicely and doesn't settle over time.
In the back right corner the rock wasn't excavated deeply enough to clear the foundation. The hoe operator and I actually did pretty good, over excavated a few places, but here needed a little hand jackhammer work.
The Bobcat is indispensable for this work.
We also got the excavation a little deeper than necessary. After it was all leveled I had to add about 8" more gravel to wind up with the finished slab level high enough to get the first floor above grade for a step at the front porch with a ten foot floor to floor rise.
Then the first lumber purchase on September 12 for footing formwork. Almost three weeks excavating, hand excavating, measuring, remeasuring, and placing drains and gravel.
In the back right corner the rock wasn't excavated deeply enough to clear the foundation. The hoe operator and I actually did pretty good, over excavated a few places, but here needed a little hand jackhammer work.
The Bobcat is indispensable for this work.
We also got the excavation a little deeper than necessary. After it was all leveled I had to add about 8" more gravel to wind up with the finished slab level high enough to get the first floor above grade for a step at the front porch with a ten foot floor to floor rise.
Then the first lumber purchase on September 12 for footing formwork. Almost three weeks excavating, hand excavating, measuring, remeasuring, and placing drains and gravel.
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
Graded and rolled.
Fourteen 14 ft 2x12's for the footing formwork. I packed the first one down and she said I can do that.
So nice to have someone who doesn't just watch!
Another layout.
Then form up the footings to the correct elevation. Stemwall will go on the footing and slab will be poured up against the stemwall.
Carried the lumber down on the 12th and this is 10:30 on the 13th. We made great progress. The lady and I.
Fourteen 14 ft 2x12's for the footing formwork. I packed the first one down and she said I can do that.
So nice to have someone who doesn't just watch!
Another layout.
Then form up the footings to the correct elevation. Stemwall will go on the footing and slab will be poured up against the stemwall.
Carried the lumber down on the 12th and this is 10:30 on the 13th. We made great progress. The lady and I.
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
On the downhill side it was time to excavate rock for a sleeve for the sewer drain. Because, you, know, it runs down hill.
That's the perforated drain in the background. It just drains to grade, the sewer will go to an aerobic septic.
Backfilled over the sewer sleeve and brought the gravel up to finished gravel elevation.
Finished the formwork and built a bridge for the Bobcat to get in.
Almost ready for rebar on September 15.
That's the perforated drain in the background. It just drains to grade, the sewer will go to an aerobic septic.
Backfilled over the sewer sleeve and brought the gravel up to finished gravel elevation.
Finished the formwork and built a bridge for the Bobcat to get in.
Almost ready for rebar on September 15.
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
I used my trailer ramps for a bridge. They held up pretty good.
Protected the perforated drain with gravel.
And backfilled it.
Migratory birds were circling as I drove to work.
Put down visqueen and put rebar in. Welded the rebar to itself to hold it in place. the rebar will stick up out of the footing to be bent over into the slab and tie to the slab rebar grid. That helps tie everything together.
Welding was convenient. Visqueen was put down because the footing goes on washed rock and I was afraid we'd lose a lot of liquids. Rebar was done on the 20th and we scheduled concrete on the 22nd.
Protected the perforated drain with gravel.
And backfilled it.
Migratory birds were circling as I drove to work.
Put down visqueen and put rebar in. Welded the rebar to itself to hold it in place. the rebar will stick up out of the footing to be bent over into the slab and tie to the slab rebar grid. That helps tie everything together.
Welding was convenient. Visqueen was put down because the footing goes on washed rock and I was afraid we'd lose a lot of liquids. Rebar was done on the 20th and we scheduled concrete on the 22nd.
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
Pouring concrete makes my stomach hurt.
I rounded up six volunteers, one brought his loader tractor in case the Bobcat failed.
We used a sheet metal chute to get concrete from the truck to the close part of the footing.
That's the bricklayer running the chute, a carpenter in the red shirt, and the engineer on a rake. You seldom see engineers with a tool.
Had to push the mud a little to get it to the footing.
That's the carpenter straightening out the engineer. The white tubes are to give water a drain path around the footing where the footing is poured up against the existing soil/rock.
I'm going back for another load. It all went very smoothly. I like being the dumbest guy on a crew.
By 3:00 cleanup was done.
Please let me know if I'm posting too much detail.
I rounded up six volunteers, one brought his loader tractor in case the Bobcat failed.
We used a sheet metal chute to get concrete from the truck to the close part of the footing.
That's the bricklayer running the chute, a carpenter in the red shirt, and the engineer on a rake. You seldom see engineers with a tool.
Had to push the mud a little to get it to the footing.
That's the carpenter straightening out the engineer. The white tubes are to give water a drain path around the footing where the footing is poured up against the existing soil/rock.
I'm going back for another load. It all went very smoothly. I like being the dumbest guy on a crew.
By 3:00 cleanup was done.
Please let me know if I'm posting too much detail.
Ford52PU
Well-known member
Good to see you posting again! Enjoying the build.
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
Thanks, Dennis. I was getting bored.
We bought a lot on a steep hillside in January 2021.
You can see there is a view.
I set up the transit at the entrance and shot a level line clearing brush as I went. You can see flags on the left. The goal was to get the front of the house parallel with the ground.
A little chainsaw work and we started getting a feel for the land. Once we figured out where the footprint of the house might be we started cutting trees.
Some of the corners are set based off a cardboard model. She couldn't grasp drawings very well so we went with a cereal box model.
Grizz1963
Well-known member
I am again amazed and feel tired just watching all the work you had put into this castle build Andy.
How soon we forget the aches and pains of a project.
Following with amazement again.
How soon we forget the aches and pains of a project.
Following with amazement again.
ajohno
Well-known member
Happy new year Andy.
Looking forward to the build.
Looking forward to the build.
jbmatth
Well-known member
Oh no you aren't posting too much detail, keep it up, I am enjoying the show. I do feel a little privileged to have gotten to see some of this in person.
JB
JB
XJSuperman
Well-known member
Another waiting for more house posts. Loving the details Andy.
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
I painted my model, and it was to scale.
Thanks for the compliment
Nice to get kind words from a friend
Thanks, Aaron
Thanks for stopping by JB. Many times...
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
Covered the footing so I could drive in and not damage the concrete and finished filling the cavity inside the footing the day after it was poured.
Six days later the blocks arrived.
I had pulled the forms but had to get them out of the way.
The delivery guy was kind enough to truck the blocks down to the basement area.
Six days later the blocks arrived.
I had pulled the forms but had to get them out of the way.
The delivery guy was kind enough to truck the blocks down to the basement area.
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
Wayne was at a rendezvous and promised to start laying block on October 5. In the meantime the Bobcat blew a cylinder hose on the right side. Getting the hose off is a chore.
Fortunately I was able to get it in the shop because we had some rain.
Rain, yeah. That means mud on the new footings.
Here's the corner that needed additional rock chipped away.
Shoveled, scraped, then washed and scrubbed. Got it clean.
Fortunately I was able to get it in the shop because we had some rain.
Rain, yeah. That means mud on the new footings.
Here's the corner that needed additional rock chipped away.
Shoveled, scraped, then washed and scrubbed. Got it clean.
OP
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
Ready for block! I'm excited.
Block staged and mortar mixer running!
Big moment. we held a little ceremony.
Not really, I was in his way as he was lining up blocks. The first five courses are 12" block to help with the 9' of backfill which will be outside the block. Corners require extra thought.
Slinging mud
Pretty good showing for the first day.
Block staged and mortar mixer running!
Big moment. we held a little ceremony.
Not really, I was in his way as he was lining up blocks. The first five courses are 12" block to help with the 9' of backfill which will be outside the block. Corners require extra thought.
Slinging mud
Pretty good showing for the first day.
red
Well-known member
Next video, Andy shows us "youngsters" how to laid block . . .