Above 1200 Sq/FT Uncle HoHo's Big Mountain Playstation

[Cris B]

Great catching up on this thread. I started again from the beginning. Admire your work and eye for detail and the space and location makes me think of what could have been if we had been able to make the move to the mountains when we had the chance.

Really enjoying seeing how you are continuing to add to and develop the space you have built. Keep the posts coming as and when you have the time

 

[hoho98925]

Another project I had done this fall, was a new garage door on the house garage.
The before:

And After:



I will eventually tint the glass for privacy, but really like the light it lets in. Its insulated glass and the frame is rated at R-21, so it still is keeping the real cold out. I had them install a Chamberlin belt drive 1.25 hp with the secure view camera system. The opener is super quiet and i like the camera set up.

 

[red]

wow! That garage door is sweet . . .

 

[Finallygotit]

That door is really nice but against the house makes it even better. Good job! That is also a surprising R value for a door.

 

[hoho98925]

On a trip to Zihuatanejo several years back, we rented an amazing house and it had a rope swing bed, it was so amazing, I have wanted one since. So I looked around at extra materials I had laying around, some 6x6's, plywood and some cedar and started in on this project.





Its a queen sized bed for the back porch. the first time I got on it I slept all night. I installed some 6x6 backing in the trusses to hang it from. the thing is solid. I had to add some mosquito netting for the misses, buts its been a great addition to the outdoor living space.

 

[Finallygotit]

How unique!

 

[Bob Heine]

An excellent outdoor bed. Not touching the ground means less chance of crawling insects coming on board.

 

[CastleBravo]

I just found this thread. Holy Cow what a project! Its been a couple months since the last post. Any updates?

 

[hoho98925]

How has it been possible that it is nearly 3 years since i have posted on my thread here? Life.....that's how. Busy busy, busy. My last 2 years, I will post progress pics if you would like, the group seems to enjoy these.

End of June 2024 Existing bowling alley and misc buildings to demo.

Current Stage March 2026

Not bad for less than 2 years. 369 luxury apartments, 3 retail spaces. Lots of amenity spaces. Building covers 3 acres + 2 levels of underground parking. Kirkland, WA.

 

[jblnut]

How has it been possible that it is nearly 3 years since i have posted on my thread here? Life.....that's how. Busy busy, busy. My last 2 years, I will post progress pics if you would like, the group seems to enjoy these.

Yes please !! We all like pictures books more than those wordy ones.

End of June 2024 Existing bowling alley and misc buildings to demo.

Current Stage March 2026

Not bad for less than 2 years. 369 luxury apartments, 3 retail spaces. Lots of amenity spaces. Building covers 3 acres + 2 levels of underground parking. Kirkland, WA.

A project you led ? This is quite a feat !!

 

[SilverJimmy]

Must be really good pizza to survive the transformation!

 

[hoho98925]

Yes please !! We all like pictures books more than those wordy ones.


A project you led ? This is quite a feat !!

Yes, I ran this one.

 

[red]

Welcome back!
you were missed

 

[hoho98925]

Must be really good pizza to survive the transformation!

We owned the property and building for their store. Plus 50-150 workers a day, they sold a lot of pizza to the workers.

 

[NUTTSGT]

We owned the property and building for their store. Plus 50-150 workers a day, they sold a lot of pizza to the workers.

That's awesome and I bet they continue to sell pizza the 369 units. I would surely hope they sell by the slice as well and can't imagine how nice it would be to have a good pizza place right around the corner....needs to be a *covered walk way between the apartments and pizza shop.

* yes, as close as code would permit

 

[Old Man Roger]

That's awesome and I bet they continue to sell pizza the 369 units. I would surely hope they sell by the slice as well and can't imagine how nice it would be to have a good pizza place right around the corner....needs to be a *covered walk way between the apartments and pizza shop.

* yes, as close as code would permit

In West Palm Beach Florida, there’s a pizza place right next to an apartment complex. No matter how many times the apartment maintenance rebuilds the fence separating the two, it almost immediately gets torn down.lol

 

[PugetDude]

Welcome back!

 

[Finallygotit]

And I was just thinking about you the other day. And I really can't believe it's been three years.

 

[hoho98925]

July 2024 Asbestos remediation and Demo complete.


August 2024 Shoring underway and excavation progressing. Shoring was a mic of solider pile/lagging walls and shotcrete and tiebacks. Continuing contaminated soils remediation.


September 2024 Walls and columns, subgrade and slab on grade. Forming for PT deck. Tower crane base installed.

October 2024 PT decks placing and forming Crane erected. Tower crane 130' tall and jib length 280' This job had 18 separate Pt deck pours, not including closure pours.

 

[hoho98925]

November 2024 PT decks underway, Framing Started.


December 2024 Framing and PT decks


January 2025
Framing and PT decks Continue.

 

[hoho98925]

February 2025 Framing away.
March 2025 Still Framing.

Oh yeah, March 2025 Married my Long time better half, Kids, grandkids and a group of the best friends on the Big Island.

 

[red]

"Oh yeah, March 2025 Married my Long time better half, Kids, grandkids and a group of the best friends on the Big Island."

Congratulations!

 

[hoho98925]

"Oh yeah, March 2025 Married my Long time better half, Kids, grandkids and a group of the best friends on the Big Island."

Congratulations!

Thanks Red!

 

[Finallygotit]

Congratulations!

Did you hire out for those drone shots or do you do that? Lots of timber there!

 

[hoho98925]

Congratulations!

Did you hire out for those drone shots or do you do that? Lots of timber there!

Finallygotit, We hire it out. We contract with a drone company that takes photos in scale. We have survey points around the project that the drone uses to "scale" the photos. We can then take the drone shots and overlay blueprint drawings over them. Here is an example of one of its uses. On PT deck pours we can check that embeds, plumbing sleeves anchors etc are all in the right locations before we place the concrete.

 

[Jayman17]

I like those drone shots as well and that is pretty useful to overlay the drawings on top to verify locations etc. Congrats on the nuptials too, nice location for it. Good to see some updates on this thread.

 

[Finallygotit]

Finallygotit, We hire it out. We contract with a drone company that takes photos in scale. We have survey points around the project that the drone uses to "scale" the photos. We can then take the drone shots and overlay blueprint drawings over them. Here is an example of one of its uses. On PT deck pours we can check that embeds, plumbing sleeves anchors etc are all in the right locations before we place the concrete.

Well that's cool and interesting. Thanks!

 

[hoho98925]

April 2025 First half framed to the roof. Once I get 3 floors of framing underway we start plumbing rough in both supply and waste. Scaffold being erected for window and siding install.

May 2025 Roof framing nearly complete. roofing under way.

June 2025 roof framing, roofing, plumbing, electrical all underway

 

[Old Man Roger]

I’m in hurricane country, so anything this big is usually made of concrete down here. I used to build stick frame houses in Massachusetts, but nothing close to this scale.

Im sure it’s built to last, but it feels like a house of cards compared to what I’m used to now. Concrete deals with fire, water, termites, wind, snow load so well, it seems strange to use wood.

Again, I know you know what you’re doing, I‘m just saying it’s strange to me now that I lived in the south for so long.

 

[hoho98925]

I’m in hurricane country, so anything this big is usually made of concrete down here. I used to build stick frame houses in Massachusetts, but nothing close to this scale.

Im sure it’s built to last, but it feels like a house of cards compared to what I’m used to now. Concrete deals with fire, water, termites, wind, snow load so well, it seems strange to use wood.

Again, I know you know what you’re doing, I‘m just saying it’s strange to me now that I lived in the south for so long.

Yeah I completely get that! We placed over 13,000 cubic yards of concrete on this one. Wood framing has a hold down system (earthbound) that attaches from the concrete to the roof. Its a large threaded rod with wood framed stud packs that started out about 8' wide on each side of the rod. All framing gets sprayed with an mildewcide/insecticide, and the building is full sprinklered. One thing that is strange to me in our area, its common to not have any exterior sheer walls, only on the interior of the building.

 

[red]

"One thing that is strange to me in our area, its common to not have any exterior sheer walls, only on the interior of the building"
Seems strange to me as well, and actually seems backwards, but engineers . . . always are figuring out better ways to do things.

Had an electrician friend who I was helping reshingle his roof (20yr+ my senior) and he ordered asphalt shingles instead of fiberglass. Ask why, since asphalt was 15 yr and Class C fire rating while fiberglass was 20yr+ and Class A. He said "aluminum wire" and then I understood.
Years later my brother was looking at buying a house, nice area, good price. Checked the panel and it was aluminum wire. He ask me what he should do and I said "run!" unless you want to rewire the whole place.

 

[Old Man Roger]

He said "aluminum wire" and then I understood.

I assume that meant he was selling as soon as possible? lol

 

[red]

I assume that meant he was selling as soon as possible? lol

If you're referring to the electrician, it was his way of saying not to try the latest and greatest new thing until it was proven with time.
As to my brother, he didn't buy the house with the aluminum wire. We ended up renovating a cape cod style house in a even nicer area.

 

[bugnut]

Wow congrats on the wedding!

That is one whale of a project!

 

[larry4406]

WOW!

I stumbled on this thread this morning and 1.5 hours later made it to the end!

What an insane and brilliantly executed project!

 

[hoho98925]

Wow congrats on the wedding!

That is one whale of a project!

Thanks!

 

[hoho98925]

WOW!

I stumbled on this thread this morning and 1.5 hours later made it to the end!

What an insane and brilliantly executed project!

I’m glad you enjoyed it!

 

[hoho98925]

July 2025 Roofing continuing, Scaffold erection, windows, doors, Siding install plumbing, electrical continuing


August 2025 Roofing-All MEP's moving along.

 

[hoho98925]

I had a custom print done for some decoration in my vault. Also scored some new fancy seating off FB Marketplace. They ordered it wrong, wouldn't fit in their wine room, They where perfect for me.

 

[hoho98925]

September 2025 Roofing continuing, this is a multi layer roof. It takes forever.
October 2025 Exterior Scaffold coming down in areas. Windows and siding installing in others as well as Brick.