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I know this is "DIY" forum but, having a new house built. Progress...

24K views 111 replies 14 participants last post by  Gary in WA 
#1 ·
DIY...yeah yeah. It would take me 30 years to build a house.:laughing: Will still be PLENTY of DIY projects to tackle on the new house, but it will be things I want to do, when I want to do them. Not a constant state of repair and remodel. Maybe I will actually get to spend time with my kids instead of constantly working on the house. We will be moving up southeast of York, PA.

We were supposed to move in back in August, but there were some permit issues with the development, now we are looking at mid-end of December. I have someone interested in renting my place, so hopefully that will pan out.

They just broke ground a couple of weeks ago, very very exciting. Figured I'd share these pics with you. Comment, critique, ask questions, whatever. :thumbsup:


Most add-ons and upgrades we opted for were all structural, as that can't be upgraded cheaply later on. First floor add-ons we opted for were the wall of windows, the Sunroom, and the side-loaded 3-car garage. That bump-out for the Sunroom is reflected in the basement as well, so we get that extra space down there. Upgraded basement walls to 9' height.
 
#3 · (Edited)
It's crazy how fast walls get put up.


My house, as viewed from the next-door neighbor's. The houses you see in the background are a bit closer together on smaller properties. We are on an acre. I don't like the jammed-in feeling either, but we're in a different part of the development.




Walking up the driveway, garage is on the right side of the house.




Garage. Master Bedroom above.




To the right of the garage is the small laundry room and a little toilet room. To the right of that is the 'sun room' hanging off the backside of the kitchen.




Back.




Front.




Love the view out the back sun room window over the property. Property goes a bit shy of that lake where a little stream runs through.




Kids playing in the "yard." I'm excited for them too. Get into a quiet neighborhood without traffic. This road is a small loop with only one in/out.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Are there any headers above the doorways & windows? Appears to me that there is going to be a lot of flex in those walls, when the wind starts blowing. BTW, Footers & Footings are those square things, foundation sits on a footer itself, that is around the outside perimeter. But overall to make it easy for some, you can just state "Foundation, and most will not consider what the wall is sitting on as something separate, so overall they think of the whole wall structure as a Foundation of the structure.

Also, why the weeping tile, with the crawlspace? It does not appear that you have a high water table in that area, from how dry the soil is, and that it appears to be also a mix of clay & stone.
 
#5 · (Edited)
I can't access the pics of the framing I took from work, let me pull them up at home to get a better answer for you. I do know it's 2x6 framing.

BTW, Footers & Footings are those square things, foundation is what the walls sit on, that is around the outside perimeter.
Gotcha, thank you. I thought the foundation was the concrete walls.

Weeping tile...That is not a crawlspace, it's a basement; unless I am misunderstanding the question...


EDIT: Here's a better shot of the other side. Egress window on the left.
 
#6 ·
Dave, you are correct in stating the pics in post #2 are footings. Your foundation walls are poured on top of them.

The pic of the sunroom windows in post #3 show no window headers.

Best of luck with the new house. When I built mine, I was close enough to check on the progress everyday. I took pics of everything. They came in handy when I did a remodel and needed to know where pipes and wires were.
 
#11 ·
When I built mine, I was close enough to check on the progress everyday. I took pics of everything. They came in handy when I did a remodel and needed to know where pipes and wires were.
I wish we were close enough. We live about 1 hour 10 minutes away right now, so we try to go up on a Sat/Sun to see how things are going. We met the next door neighbor and she's been sending us a couple pics during the week, so at least that's something.

Keep an eye on the little ones while out there. Too much stuff that they can get hurt on and find on a construction site. We found needles and roaches and I am not talking the bug kind and this was in an upscale area.
Absolutely! I don't like them being there at this stage but it's difficult.

Do you have an elevation rendering? Would be interested in seeing it if you do.
I do. Hell if I can read it, but I will get it posted up after supper.

Make sure they seal that tyvek down really well. On ours they didn't and the wind would blow through the walls in one area up there. Ended up having to tear off the siding and re do one area it was so bad.
Yeah, what "forcedreno2012" says about the "Tyvek" -
Tyvek tape - plastic-cap nails.
I did notice it blowing around a bit and it made me a bit uneasy. I sure hope it's all down good!


Good idea to add that "sunroom" - it'll probably end up being one of the most used, rooms in the house!
The great thing about it is that it adds that much space to the basement too!
 
#7 ·
Looks good. Some days when building it goes screaming fast and then some days it just seems to crawl along.

Keep an eye on the little ones while out there. Too much stuff that they can get hurt on and find on a construction site. We found needles and roaches and I am not talking the bug kind and this was in an upscale area.

Do you have an elevation rendering? Would be interested in seeing it if you do.

Make sure they seal that tyvek down really well. On ours they didn't and the wind would blow through the walls in one area up there. Ended up having to tear off the siding and re do one area it was so bad.

Robyn
 
#12 ·
Yep, no headers on any of those openings. See a couple of King Studs in Picture 1, post #10, but yep you are going to have issues within the first year, if not by the fifth.

Homes these days are built for a money grab, and expected to not last much more than fifteen years tops. They are nowhere built how they were built way back when, unless you are lucky and have a builder that is going to take the time to build it right.

Now it is get the building up as fast as they can, so they can take the money and run in six months. Even worse is trying to get most of these shoddy builders to fix things afterwards.

Now is the time to have them go back and put in correct headers, along with Jack studs at the windows, before they put any roofing trusses on, unless they have done that today. I do not even see any diagonal bracing on the walls, to stop them from swaying in high winds.

Where the sections meet, I noticed that they did not overlap the top plate over to the next wall section. There is nothing to keep those two sections from moving independently. I am surprised that the structure has passed. Then of course it is as minimum code as you can get.
 
#13 ·
Now is there a way as a "buyer" to go and "make" the builder do/change things? Roof is already on, and it should be finished tomorrow (roof). Something I could show him that says "No, this is code, and this is the way it is supposed to be done." ?

When is the determination made between a header and cripple studs in an opening?

Are there code violations you see, or just not following "best practices"?

I just don't understand. They're using a crap-ton of lumber, does it really take THAT much more time to build it better?

RE: Diagonal bracing, I think I see some in post #3, pics 1 / 2 / 3 / 5 / 6, unless you are talking about something else?

I don't believe it has "passed" yet, as it is still in the framing stages.
 
#14 · (Edited)
I am unable to attach the pdf of some pages from the 1975 edition of "Basic Carpentry" by John Capotosto (The copy I have is pretty beat up, since it came from my dad, who got it from my mom's father, who ran one of the largest construction businesses in Illinois & Iowa). It would show how older traditional framing of walls, window & door openings were done, compared to today.

I did "snip" the pictures from the document for you to see:
 

Attachments

#15 · (Edited)
Do non-load bearing walls get full headers over windows and doors?

Thread here:
http://www.diychatroom.com/f19/door-headers-non-loadbearing-walls-81958/


Intersting viewpoints here:
http://forums.jlconline.com/forums/...en-to-use-a-header-and-not-interior-partition.
We would never put a structural header in a non-structural wall - just seems stupid and wasteful - I'd actually think less of a job if I saw that, wonder if the crew understood the difference. We still put cripples in, mostly just for consistency's sake - so we know later exactly where to find framing. But I'm sure that could be omitted as well on standard width openings.



 
#16 ·
I would not design a home with headers like this, but wood structural panel box headers are allowed by the 2009 International Residential Code. See Table R602.7.2 for limitations.

http://publicecodes.cyberregs.com/icod/irc/2009/icod_irc_2009_6_sec002.htm

contact your building department for determination of YOUR code requirements. Check to ensure an inspection will be performed on the frame.
 
#20 ·
Have your contractor block each side of the window openings for curtains and drapes. I am an old time builder so I am not familiar with that type of header, but it don't look very sturdy.
 
#32 ·

I finally had time to check out the drawings. if you look next the window openings you'll notice "2-2x8". in my opinion this would be a 2 ply 2x8 header as I cannot think of another reason of having a 2 ply 2x8 at a window, certainly not sill, jack or king studs.

is the builder also the one that designed the home? if not, contact the designer and inquire from them .....

hope this helps. :thumbsup:
 
#27 · (Edited)
Post #9 -
We would have headers 2 X 10's/2 X12's over all openings on that sunroom.
The partition between the kitchen and the sunroom -
Double 2 x 12's.

How is the exterior end of your ridge beam going to be supported?
The middle of the window, with 2 X 4's and plywood? -
Unless it's a hip-roof.

Also, what kind of roof on the sunroom? cathedral/vaulted? -
I hope they used 2 X 10's - adequate insulation!
(We'd use 12's)
 
#28 ·
How is the exterior end of your ridge beam going to be supported?
The middle of the window, with 2 X 4's and plywood? -
Unless it's a hip-roof.
Does this answer the roof question? I'm not sure. I will get some more pictures when I go up next time. Sun room is the one that sticks out the back of the house in the middle (I'm sure you got that. :laughing: )





 
#30 ·
Just browsing through your prints I can see shear wall panels with specified nailing pattern, also holdowns are called out- this by far replaces old school let in cross bracing.

I think I also saw reference to 2009 code- sounds pretty current.
I too don't like the header design- hard to get used to new ideas, but it must meet code......
I'm thinking this is done for energy efficiency- rather than being solid wood you can now fill that area with insulation. Same with some of you exterior corners and partition intersections.
 
#38 ·
I don't believe the builder designed the plans/house. The main company is Charter Homes: http://www.charterhomes.com/ The builder is just doing this neighborhood. I see some of the available houses in this neighborhood also in their other neighborhoods.

With this sun room not having anything over it but a roof, does that change things in what some of you were asking? I'll get a look at the trusses this weekend.


Just browsing through your prints I can see shear wall panels with specified nailing pattern, also holdowns are called out- this by far replaces old school let in cross bracing.
Holddowns? What does this mean? I assume this changes some original thoughts too?
 
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