I am Finally BUILDING!!!

david_h

So . ..I we went thru the 4-2ay inspection yesterday. Got dinged on a few things--mostly having to do with switching from stick frame to trusses -- but all in all it went okay.

We start drywall and sheathing this week, once I get the inspectors satisfied with the corrections.

It's goin' sooooo fast! but my wife is thrilled and that's the most important thing.

david_h

Well the 4 way re-do is done. These dingbat inspectors had to actually Make up stuff to ding me on because the house is so well built, if I say so myself. These 2 city inspector idiots actually argued -- with each other no less -- about whether or not my attic style bedroom --which is huge BTW -- allowed enough head room. They have to justify their existence and their paycheck I suppose. Seriously, I think I have the only house going up in my pretty small town, so these guys really need something to do. So rather than 1 guy, they send 2. Instead of spending 20 minutes checking off items from the previous list, they spend 2 1/2 hours trying to find new stuff. . . .This is the room they groused about.

bedroom section.jpg

My builder: Excuse me. . you approved the drawings. We built it as per plan and now you're wondering whether we need to rebuild it? Are you kidding me? Bedrooms like this have existed for centuries.

Inspector: I can do it. . .It's my job.

My builder: I don't think so. . .

It went on like that for 20 minutes.

But, the house passed, and we are now insulating, sheathing and start dry wall probably first of the week.

Its great.

notareal

Inspectors I kind of got a similar experience... Our fire regulations do define exit routes quite detailed, what are minimum dimension for windows used as exit, how they should open and so...
Anyhow I had forget some safety lock on (or stopper) that prevents window open too much on a window that is used as fire exit. Naturally they did give me a notification that window did not open properly. When re-examination was done later (now it did open properly as the stopper was removed) inspector was trying to give a notification about missing stopper!

TIG

In the UK there used to be strict rules about 'rooms in the roof' - half the floor area had to have a ceiling of 7'6" [2.3m] or higher whilst the rest was to be at least 5' [1.5m]clear - you could not count anything under 5' as usable floor area: the opening window[s] then had to be 1/20th of the floor ares and their glazed area[s] 1/10th [measured on the floor itself - excluding skirting boards ?]; for all windows a zone of space outside of the window 5'/1.5m wide [irrespective of the glazed width] at the sill [or 4'/1.2m] up, taken up to the glazing head and thereafter extending up at 45 degrees out 12'/3.6m and 12'/3.6m width, the outer rectangle of the zone at least overlapping the centerline of the window by some extent, all this discounting overhanging eaves/canopies/similar projections up to 5'/1.5m out...

Then they scrapped minimum heights etc and it became something of a free for all - only 2m minimum height below a beam/lintel you had to pass under and on stairs etc [1.5m measured perpendicular to pitch] etc... It's much more sensible. But there are new rules about cleaning widows, glass-safety, fire-escape windows - sill-height/clear-width/-height etc etc

david_h

Oh no question. Yeah. . .we had to have 70% of the floor area under 7'6" or greater. However, that isn't the case here, because A) the room is actually about a foot higher than as shown here cuz of the switch to roof trusses, but also, the color tie is at 8'6. the room more than qualifies.

david_h

All the walls insulated. One day. These guys are movin'!

D

david_h

Sheathing started today as well as tape and mud. very exciting. Paint colors are chosen and so are many of the light fixtures.

Kitchen Ceiling

JClements

Dave, I really like the style/design of the house. It reminds me of the style of the house I grew up in in S.E. Portland, Oregon (no, I don't know Tanya Harding )

What neck of the woods is your new home?

david_h

I live just south of Salt Lake City. . Murray UT be exact. Thanks for the interest. I am having a little heartburn this morning tho because the siding is up and they forgot the window trim. .Geez. . .you try to leave town for a few days for Basecamp . . . so I am trying to get my contractor on the phone.

david_h

Well, My contractor said. . "oops!" so they will fix it. Good. I am so tired of losing sleep over this. My wife / my client said to me last night

"I am not just excited to move into this house because you designed it. I am not just excited to spend our first holiday season in the new house. I am just excited to have this done because I am sick of worrying about this and that and every little detail. It's exhausting."

Hear. Hear.

david_h

As of this morning. . .Siding and flooring. They need to go back and put trim around the windows, but it's going to be great!

Ross Macintosh

Look'n sweet!

dermotcoll

Looking really good David. I cant wait to see the kitchen installation.

david_h

Me neither. The cabinets will probably be finished this week. They'll be Installed in a few weeks. They are finishing up the slate floor this weekend.

slate floor