# House Building help



## smaj100 (Oct 17, 2012)

Well Ladies and Gent's (I use that term loosely), 

After 3 long years away from home working overseas. I'm on my way home at the end of the month and will begin in earnest building our dream home. I am wondering if we have any contractor types on here that I might be able to bounce questions off of from time to time as this will be a semi DIY build.

The plans are drawn up, 3300sq ft including the garage but not counting the unfinished basement. The house will be ICF in it's entirety, with a steel roof, stone and wood exterior siding. Any GC's can feel free to throw stones at me or call me names if I am saying or doing things wrong.

My plan is to first cut in the driveway and have the large stone delivered. 

I am handy enough to dig with the tractor and depending on the soil at footer depth will rent a backhoe either for the tractor or a real one to dig the footers down. Once the footer is framed and rebarred we will pour that and then begin setting the icf in place.

Once the walls are up I'll contract someone to put up the roof trusses and roofing. Then I can get busy inside. My plan is to have a lic electrician and plumber come in and guide me and do final inspections for me. Where we live the only city/county/state inspection I need is for the septic system and will gladly pay a pro for that aspect.

Hope I get some smart folks to toss ideas in the ringer. I'll be posting pics once work commences and when I run into trouble.


----------



## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

Hubby is a builder, the plumber needs to put in the plumbing before the foundation is poured. 

My advice, hire a good contractor. There are thousands of details to be attended that you know nothing about that left unattended, can cause major problems down the road. He will save you more money than you pay him, not to mention time, energy, effort & frustration. You want it done right but that doesn't mean there aren't things you can do yourself to save money. We've seen many DIY projects gone horribly wrong.


----------



## Cabowabo (Nov 6, 2012)

I just want to follow this thread. I have nothing to add. 
Have you given any thoughts on how your going to make it off the grid/if you make it off the grid.


----------



## jeff47041 (Jan 5, 2013)

I haven't used ICF's but have looked into them. Last year I bid a house for someone using them, but they decided we should stick build instead due to cost.

In the long run, I think ICF houses are better, way cheaper to heat/cool (as long as you spray foam the roof insulation), and a much stronger house.

I am totally against batt insulation. I think it is just about useless.

My normal work is remodel, repair, build outbuildings, polebarns. I build a new house only about 1 per year, lately been only one every two years. But anything I can help you with, feel free to ask. I'll honestly tell you if I don't know the answer. A little over 30 years of building so there isn't much I haven't come across.

I hope you're building where gravity can do its thing. Meaning, All of your basement drains, perimeter drains, and downspout drains should just daylight and not need a sump pump to work.

I also am not a big fan of septic systems that need a pump system. Gravity works flawlessly even when there isn't electricity.
Really, the biggest (most often) mistake I see when people build their own, is not putting a perimeter drain INSIDE the foundation. they always put an outside one, which is extremely important, but so is the inside one.


----------



## smaj100 (Oct 17, 2012)

TSR, I do have a general that is well versed in doing the ICF construction who will be helping me out with alot of pointers and hopefully keeping me from making to many mistakes. I just was curious what other qualified/experienced folks we had floating around the forum.

Cabo, with the ICF the house will be super tight and well insulated so heating/cooling needs will be a minimum. We are putting in a HE wood burning fireplace that will be plumbed to the central hvac lines. We will be on a well and I plan on putting in a cistern to make sure we have plenty of water. Also plan on a small windmill, and some solar to remain off grid with either propane or diesel generator to supplement.


----------



## smaj100 (Oct 17, 2012)

Jeff,

Thanks for the info, my DW is afraid of severe storms, and since we live in W TN and have tornados... hence the ICF, plus I agree the strength and insulation is unparalleled. I have been looking at a product call form-a-drain (which) is a leave in place form for the footer and has inside and outside perimeter drainage built in. The plan is to drain everything to daylight, and if I have any say in it the septic will be completely gravity to prevent just what you suggest electrical failure.


----------



## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

You can build your septic so that it is capable of gravity, but to meet code may need a pump in the loop, From what I understand the pumped system has the advantage of using the whole field, as opposed to just the first part, IMO it is very important to really check into all of your drainage and sewerage options. I don't like the septics that can't function without grid power at all.
The IFC concept is a lot more sound than stick built, which is designed obsolescence at it's finest.


----------



## CulexPipiens (Nov 17, 2010)

smaj100 said:


> Jeff,
> 
> Thanks for the info, my DW is afraid of severe storms, and since we live in W TN and have tornados...


Have you thought about something like this?

http://www.flatsafe.com/



















I'm trying to talk Mrs. Culex into one of these....


----------



## MetalPrepper (Nov 25, 2012)

When we built our house, I drew the house plans ....and a friend of ours gave me a list of subs. My husband is HVAC and one of our best friends is a plumber, one of his best friends is an electrition. We had a GC to pull permits, but didn't use him. I was the "foreman". The framer was my right hand man....and helped me a lot. The rest of stuff was often trying but not too bad. We ended up saving tons of money....instant equity. It can be done, but like TSRWIFEY said, there is ALOT that can go wrong. We both have been involved in the new construction business long enough to know "things".....so it was OK for us. Oh, and we had the most restrictions a person could EVER come up with. I'd say the land part was harder than the house part for us....good luck...it could turn out to be fun!


----------



## jeff47041 (Jan 5, 2013)

CulexPipiens said:


> Have you thought about something like this?
> 
> http://www.flatsafe.com/
> 
> ...


Cool, As long as you have people that know you will be in there if debris falls on the escape door.


----------



## smaj100 (Oct 17, 2012)

Culex, I've thought about one of those or the kind that are imbedded in the slab and essentially framed around like a big walk in closet. This will be our forever house, and the only way I plan on leaving it is in a bag!  So have thought about our older years wide doors, hallways for wheelchair access, deck and garage no step ups. If the time comes for wheelchair access the cabinets can be redone if needed. We are just gonna make the whole house a storm shelter.


----------



## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

CulexPipiens said:


> Have you thought about something like this?
> 
> http://www.flatsafe.com/
> 
> ...


I have a problem with that. How do you get out with the garage roof laying on the door?


----------



## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

Funny, hubby & I were just talking about where we would want to have our storm shelter last night. I don't like having to go outside in the pouring rain to get in it & he said in Oklahoma they have them in the garage a lot. We're fixin' to build a house for a client with a storm shelter inside the house. I guess there's pluses & minuses to anywhere you put one.


----------



## smaj100 (Oct 17, 2012)

Funny we are having the pantry done in ICF in the middle of the house off the kitchen fast access from all the bedrooms, and the original builder we got a bid from said it was overkill to put an icf room inside of an icf house. I said I spent 20 yrs as an attack helicopter pilot and that word doesn't exist in my vocabulary. hehehehe


----------



## CulexPipiens (Nov 17, 2010)

jeff47041 said:


> Cool, As long as you have people that know you will be in there if debris falls on the escape door.


Actually, with a come-along on the inside you can open it even with the car or bricks on top. Optionally they offer a service to contact authorities letting them know you might be trapped in there and to keep doing so until they hear from you that you are OK.

The video on here http://www.flatsafe.com/ShelterModels/HotDipGalvanized.aspx shows the door opening with the bricks on it.


----------

