Gump, you're looking great!
I have wondered as well why you didn't pour concrete instead of using blocks. I have done some tuckpointing on my 128 year old home. I can tell you, I end up in lots of pain anytime I do that. If I didn't have pain, I could have spent one summer tuckpointing and been done. Nope. After two weeks, the pain kept me awake at night so I realized I could do a batch on Saturday, and then wait until the next Saturday to do some more. It is not my preferred way to do it, gradually, but like you Gumpy, we have to do what our bodies allow us to do.I've poured a lot of concrete in my day also. Decided that I wasn't up to it. Laying blocks is a lot cheaper and less labor intensive. This boulder I'm building this house on top of is to irregular to form easily.
I taught my wife to tuckpoint. She said it looked easy! Haha in 15 minutes she was ready to sling her trowel in the woods. It's not as easy as it looks!I have wondered as well why you didn't pour concrete instead of using blocks. I have done some tuckpointing on my 128 year old home. I can tell you, I end up in lots of pain anytime I do that. If I didn't have pain, I could have spent one summer tuckpointing and been done. Nope. After two weeks, the pain kept me awake at night so I realized I could do a batch on Saturday, and then wait until the next Saturday to do some more. It is not my preferred way to do it, gradually, but like you Gumpy, we have to do what our bodies allow us to do.
Dry wall mud? Yes, I have hurt myself doing that as well! For me, anything that requires reaching over my head and in front of me, messes me up.I taught my wife to tuckpoint. She said it looked easy! Haha in 15 minutes she was ready to sling her trowel in the woods. It's not as easy as it looks!
It reminds me of a time when I was finishing some sheetrock in a house I was subcontracting on. The owner came by and watched me for a while and asked me how come he was paying me so much for what I was doing. I asked him if he would like to try it? He said sure. After about 30 minutes of slinging sheetrock mud everywhere he handed my tools back and said he'd clean up the mess he made and pay me what I was charging gladly!!
Viking, it was lath and plaster. I have ripped some of that out and re-did the walls with dry wall. Ceilings? Been there, and hurt for a long time while working on that. When I was doing a lot of painting a few years ago, I hired someone to repair some dry-wall. It was well worth every penny I paid for it.You were lucky it wasn't lath and plaster. I really don't like dealing with sheetrock, especially ceilings and tape and mudding joints, it's certainly not my idea of a fun job, I think I'd rather pour concrete.
I put reinforcement wire between 2 runs. Seeing as how the whole house is on top of a boulder I don't think it would go anywhere. I just like to be sure.Gumpy, are you going to put rebar and concrete to fill and connect the blocks?
Y'all have quite an experience awaiting you. Do you know someone with experience that you can get tips from?
Our house is directly on bedrock. They used a low-boy septic tank and it still stuck out of the ground 4"! The field line starts 200' from the tank. Septic systems like that are expensive! So yeah, use what ya got!Fortunately our new neighbor across the street was in the construction trade in the military, and he's very helpful with information.
We were hoping to be able to fix up the home that's on the property already - both for $ reasons and for its historical value. But it's looking more and more like we'll need to take it down and start from scratch. Too many years with too little care, and it sits directly on the ground (no foundation). At this point I'm thinking that whatever materials we can salvage from it will be helpful in making outbuildings. And the septic can still be used with a new structure (and in our area that's a big deal, as we're pretty much right on top of bedrock).
I love this thread we just bought the last property we will live on. (Hopefully) so I'm excited to see what you guys do.
It was my parents home. They moved . It's only an acre but it's surrounded by cattle pasture and the lady who owns that has already offered to sell us some adjacent property. We are on a corner. The home is just a double wide. Our big plan is to hopefully buy 3-4 acrea more and build a bit further back of the road. This will be paid off in 10 years. We would love to build with the intent of aging in place, with everything easily accessible and wheel chair friendly, no stairs wide doors , good willing we will never need that but it's best to plan For the worst right?What kind of land is it? Is it builder friendly?
Plan for the worst and look for the best. We are building wheel chair friendly also. Don't know how much longer I can go. Lord just let me finish this house!It was my parents home. They moved . It's only an acre but it's surrounded by cattle pasture and the lady who owns that has already offered to sell us some adjacent property. We are on a corner. The home is just a double wide. Our big plan is to hopefully buy 3-4 acrea more and build a bit further back of the road. This will be paid off in 10 years. We would love to build with the intent of aging in place, with everything easily accessible and wheel chair friendly, no stairs wide doors , good willing we will never need that but it's best to plan For the worst right?
Weeelllllll! 3 walls complete. 1 more left to go. Dr. Appt tomorrow so no work. Have the granddaughters this weekend so no work. Monday is work as usual!
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I'm afraid not. They are filled with concrete for some reason!@gumpy looking good. Great to have that metal and oak to repurpose too. Are the blocks from the shed reusable?
Looking good!
How big is the footprint for the house?
The front porch is 28'x10'. The back porch is 28'x4'. I think we could both fit on the front porch!I want a big front porch....
Ifin I visit , I need a rockin cheer on the porch.
Jim
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