AU_tiger_2000 0 Posted February 1, 2008 Share Posted February 1, 2008 Thank God that construction ended before my marriage did . Her are the links to some pics. Early pics Pics in September End pics. If anyone wants to know the names of good contractors or supply houses in the Huntsville area send me a PM or post a reply. My dad built the cabinets. If anyone in south Alabama is looking for a cabinet man contact me. Some random facts, figures, and tips. 1. House is 3400 sq. ft. My wife and I acted as our own general contractor, painter, hardwood flooring installer, tile installer, trim carpenter, staircase installer with a lot of help from our neighbors and family. 2. 1500 sq. ft. of teak hardwood flooring took approximately 9,200 15 gauge flooring staples. 3. Kitchen brick tile floor took 11 25lb bags of grout. People always ask questions about the brick. It is antique Chicago brick that is salvaged by a man in Waynesboro, MS and cut into tiles. It intalls much like regular tile and was actually cheaper than many of the porcelain or ceramic tiles. 4. Tools stolen by contractors: 1 framing hammer, 1 Dewalt cordless drill, 1 broom (?), 1 Rigid sawzall (got that one back), 1 framing square (also returned) 5. Number of people who served time working on my house: at least 2. One was working on the HVAC, one on the gutters, they knew each other from prison. 6. Number of plugs drywalled over by the the sheetrock installer: 3. 7. Number of hammers thrown by me: 1 8. Number of things thrown by my wife: 2 Tips for building your own house. 1. Hire a painter. It takes an inordinate amount of time to paint your own house if you are doing 3000+ square feet. You can come out cheaper by hiring a paint crew because they can do the entire house in less than 2 weeks. It took us 6-7 weeks of priming, caulking, and painting. A painter will charge $9,000 for 3000 square feet including the paint, we paid $3000 in paint and supplies and another month's worth of interest and apartment rent. 2. Don't hire a tile installer. For my master shower the estimates were for $3000 labor just for the shower. It was a pain but well worth it. 3. Don't be afraid to take a stand with a contractor. You have the money, if something isn't working out the way you like make him change it. 4. Write down your expectations and go over them with your contractors. Make sure you know who is doing what job. We installed a gas tankless hot water heater, this means the plumber, gas installer, and electrician all have a part. There is a thermostat that goes inside the house (the hot water heater is accesible on the outside) and we had to referee a fight between the plumber and the electrician over whose responsibility it was. 5. Be sure to take a day off every now and then. Building a house and having a regular job is the equivalent of two full time jobs, you need to take a day to yourself every now and then. 6. Be nice to the subs, these guys usually get treated like crap by GC's. They'll appreciate it and look out for you. 7. Buy local, you may be able to find something cheaper on the internet, but when you screw something up you will have to wait for a replacement to be shipped or run all over town looking for something that will match. It also helps the local economy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BZ770 2 Posted February 1, 2008 Share Posted February 1, 2008 I like the teakwood you used. You will enjoy having hardwood floors. I did the opposite and bought a house built in 1940. I have been doing projects for 4 years and still have more to do. I like the old houses character, but they are definitely not friendly with heating and cooling bills. Nice house hope you have fun watching football games this fall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdub5793 0 Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 Thank God that construction ended before my marriage did . Her are the links to some pics. Early pics Pics in September End pics. If anyone wants to know the names of good contractors or supply houses in the Huntsville area send me a PM or post a reply. My dad built the cabinets. If anyone in south Alabama is looking for a cabinet man contact me. Some random facts, figures, and tips. 1. House is 3400 sq. ft. My wife and I acted as our own general contractor, painter, hardwood flooring installer, tile installer, trim carpenter, staircase installer with a lot of help from our neighbors and family. 2. 1500 sq. ft. of teak hardwood flooring took approximately 9,200 15 gauge flooring staples. 3. Kitchen brick tile floor took 11 25lb bags of grout. People always ask questions about the brick. It is antique Chicago brick that is salvaged by a man in Waynesboro, MS and cut into tiles. It intalls much like regular tile and was actually cheaper than many of the porcelain or ceramic tiles. 4. Tools stolen by contractors: 1 framing hammer, 1 Dewalt cordless drill, 1 broom (?), 1 Rigid sawzall (got that one back), 1 framing square (also returned) 5. Number of people who served time working on my house: at least 2. One was working on the HVAC, one on the gutters, they knew each other from prison. 6. Number of plugs drywalled over by the the sheetrock installer: 3. 7. Number of hammers thrown by me: 1 8. Number of things thrown by my wife: 2 Tips for building your own house. 1. Hire a painter. It takes an inordinate amount of time to paint your own house if you are doing 3000+ square feet. You can come out cheaper by hiring a paint crew because they can do the entire house in less than 2 weeks. It took us 6-7 weeks of priming, caulking, and painting. A painter will charge $9,000 for 3000 square feet including the paint, we paid $3000 in paint and supplies and another month's worth of interest and apartment rent. 2. Don't hire a tile installer. For my master shower the estimates were for $3000 labor just for the shower. It was a pain but well worth it. 3. Don't be afraid to take a stand with a contractor. You have the money, if something isn't working out the way you like make him change it. 4. Write down your expectations and go over them with your contractors. Make sure you know who is doing what job. We installed a gas tankless hot water heater, this means the plumber, gas installer, and electrician all have a part. There is a thermostat that goes inside the house (the hot water heater is accesible on the outside) and we had to referee a fight between the plumber and the electrician over whose responsibility it was. 5. Be sure to take a day off every now and then. Building a house and having a regular job is the equivalent of two full time jobs, you need to take a day to yourself every now and then. 6. Be nice to the subs, these guys usually get treated like crap by GC's. They'll appreciate it and look out for you. 7. Buy local, you may be able to find something cheaper on the internet, but when you screw something up you will have to wait for a replacement to be shipped or run all over town looking for something that will match. It also helps the local economy. I'm sorry, I have to... Water heater, water heater, water heater. Hot water does not need to be heated. Rant over. Congrats on finishing. Load off your shoulders, no doubt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunInRed 16,409 Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Thanks for posting. Enjoyed looking through your pics. Good looking house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
otterinbham 0 Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Wow. I'm very impressed. Of course, I consider it a major accomplishment that I was able to change the washer out in the bathroom faucet. By the way, that's a terrific lot you have. I know the last thing you want to do is think about doing more work, but with some thought into surrounding grounds, you could really have a landmark on your hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AU_tiger_2000 0 Posted February 13, 2008 Author Share Posted February 13, 2008 Wow. I'm very impressed. Of course, I consider it a major accomplishment that I was able to change the washer out in the bathroom faucet. By the way, that's a terrific lot you have. I know the last thing you want to do is think about doing more work, but with some thought into surrounding grounds, you could really have a landmark on your hands. Ha! We ran out of money and time before we got to the landscaping. We are definitely going to put out some trees and upgrade the flower beds around the house. We even already have a Toomer's Oak, but it is doing pretty poorly. Just the little bit of difference in weather from Auburn to Huntsville is enough to wreak havoc on a live oak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chinook 0 Posted February 15, 2008 Share Posted February 15, 2008 Wow. I'm very impressed. Of course, I consider it a major accomplishment that I was able to change the washer out in the bathroom faucet. By the way, that's a terrific lot you have. I know the last thing you want to do is think about doing more work, but with some thought into surrounding grounds, you could really have a landmark on your hands. Ha! We ran out of money and time before we got to the landscaping. We are definitely going to put out some trees and upgrade the flower beds around the house. We even already have a Toomer's Oak, but it is doing pretty poorly. Just the little bit of difference in weather from Auburn to Huntsville is enough to wreak havoc on a live oak. pot up your oak in a nice, large container. plan on bringing it in a sun room or garage for the winter. it will not survive that far north. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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