Construction Status

If you haven't detected it, my posts are about one week behind when we did the actual activity mentioned in the post. Through the magic of Blogger I am able schedule my posts in advance. So when you read this on July 6th, I will actually be up at my Cottage, and will have been for the week.

If all goes well and we are able to keep to the schedule we should be finishing the roof - hopefully completing it by installing the sheathing and the tar paper. Shingles will happen the following weekend.

Furthermore, we hope to accomplish this past week the following:

• Finish the framing of the exterior walls including the sheathing
  
• Frame the interior walls
  
• Build the superstructure for the deck
• Deck the floor of the deck
  
• Install a temporary railing for the deck (for safety)
• Install the basement external doors and windows

and dreaming in Technicolor, some or all of the roofing shingles may be on.

I will next post likely on July 8th, so tune in to see if I kept to schedule!

5 To Do's for the first Construction Weekend

The foundation is in, the first load of building materials arrive tomorrow, now it is time to plan for the construction team.

Here are my five To-Do's in preparation for the weekend:

1. Inform the Construction Team
If you have been following, I am fortunately to have three adult and strapping sons who are all know which end of a hammer to hold. The trick is herding them together and at the same time. The first weekend of construction is critical so I need all of them to pitch in.

From the start I have created a project plan and kept my sons fully in the loop as to timing -- they all have booked this weekend for the first big push. In fact they have all checked in to ensure the plan is still on track.


2. Keep it Safe, and Sane
Just because this is a family affair doesn't mean that all the needs of a safe construction site should not be observed. So be sure to ensure that all members of the construction team have all the necessary safety gear and appropriate gear, such as:

• Hard hats
• Work boots with steel toes and shanks
• Sun protection - sun screen, long pants and shirts, and hats
• Gloves
  

On site there are a few more rules that need to be effectively communicated and understood, including:

• Proper use of power tools
• Proper carrying techniques

Understand that with the summer heat, tight time frames, and potential set-backs, that you and your the members of your family construction team will be frustrated and that tempers will flare. A cool head from the leader will help to minimize the impact of frustration.

3. Grub and Hydration
Construction is hard work, and the hot sun and humidity play a significant part in the wellbeing of your construction team. So plan for great meals, and plenty of fluids. The issue of fluids can not be stressed enough. Keep these points in mind:

• Have them always easily available
• Have plenty
• Keep them relatively cool
• Pick fluids with good electrolyte balance (e.g. like Gatorade)
• Ban alcohol during the working part of the day

The beer should be kept for the end of the day celebration of accomplishment, over dinner and the camp fire. Just keep it in moderation because remember construction starts bright and early at 7 am sharp the next day...

On meals, I shouldn't need to tell you to keep them nutritious and simple.

4. Accommodations
If you are building in the great outdoors like we are then there won't be a hotel nearby so it is important to plan for as comfortable sleeping arrangements as possible. After a hard day of swinging a hammer the body needs its rest so it can start all over again the next day. My recipe for sleeping arrangements includes:

• Tents for every two members of the team
• Portable bed mattresses (single)
• Summer sleeping bags
  

On the subject of making is as comfortable, you need also to consider:

• Outdoor Kitchen: BBQs, coffee machine,
  
• Outdoor dining: Picnic table
• Covered area: in case it rains - it won't of course...
• Restroom: a portable toilet with a tarp over and around it goes a long way to making the female members of your team comfortable
• Washing arrangements: This will likely mean a bar of environmentally-safe soap and shampoo, a towel and the lake.
• a clothes line...
  

5. Teamwork
Remember that the family-based construction team are generally not professional framers and such, so building of the family cottage tends to be part learning experience. Take the time to communicate what needs to be done and how it needs to be done. Good communication leads to a good understanding of what needs to be accomplished and in what order:

• Describe each task clearly
• Assign tasks appropriately taking in consideration the skill and experience level of your team members. Pair up one experienced members with an inexperienced member.
  

...and there is one more key thing to remember...

6. Keep it fun
Everyone on the construction team is there because they want to. They are not being paid. They are doing it as a labour of love, and to share in the benefits of a family cottage. Don't make it a job -- try to keep everything upbeat! Even when disasters happen. Get their input, ask their advice, keep everyone involved.

So what is the plan for this weekend?

When we arrive tomorrow the foundation will be in and backfilled. The sonotubes for the surround deck will be in place. I intend to arrive early in the morning to set-up and receive the first shipment of materials. I also need to stop by the city offices to pickup the official building permit, and also to drop by Dale's Home hardware to pick up some of the small, loose material I need for the weekend.

The construction targets for this weekend are:

1. Frame the lakeside wall of the basement
2. Install the engineered floor: joists, rim boards and floor sheathing.
   
3. Install the plumbing in the basement floor in preparation for pouring the floor next week.

This is a tall order but if we don't encounter uncooperative weather it is doable... Keep you fingers crossed!

The Move is Complete! I'm Back!

Well the move took more time than I expected... and at the same time I was traveling for work and dealing with finalizing things for the cottage.

In the next few posts I will cover:

• How well the PODS process went
• The result of the septic engineer report
• Getting the building permit
• The foundation progress so far
• The materials quote 'contest'

Moving and Storage

I mentioned in a previous post that the furniture in my home is destined for the cottage (See "The Snow is finally Gone! April 28).

The issue at hand is the furniture needs to come out of my home on or before May 15th, the closing date of the sale of my home but the cottage will not be ready to accept the furniture until likely this fall. Where do I put the furniture as our new home is already furnished - the benefit of marrying a woman with a furnished high-rise condo!

I had initially planned on using a new local storage facility run by Dymon Self Storage, and in fact I have a small storage space there right now. I love the model that Dymon has created:

• Storage is inside, heated, very secure
• Access is 24-7
• Loading docks are all inside - this is great during the winter
• It is clean, safe and just simply a great place

Then, I happened to discover PODS at a local cottage show about a month ago which provides an even better solution for our situation. I provide the following description from the PODS website on how the solution works:


The PODS solution really fits for our situation in that:

• I only load and unload the furniture once.
• No rush to fill the container.
• No trucks to book, pay for and drive.
  
• PODS will deliver the storage container to the Cottage when I need it

I love the Dymon storage model, and will continue with the storage space I have because I can easily access it anytime, and it very close to where I live less than a kilometer. That is the beauty of the Dymon solution - it just fits in to the community an my way of life.

Bottomline:

• A PODS container will arrive the morning of May 10th
• I will go golfing in the afternoon
• On May 11th my sons and I will leisurely pack the POD
• On May 12th PODS will come and retrieve it and store it until I need it delivered

I'll let you know how it goes in a future post...

Material Quotes: an Update

Well if you been following the saga, I have given a request for quote to four suppliers:

• Home Depot (two weeks ago)
• Rona (two weeks ago)
• BMR (one week ago)
• Home Hardware Building Centre (one week ago)

Here is an update:

Home Depot called yesterday to first apologize for being tardy but also to ask a few questions abut the material list.

BMR I know has called because their telephone number is registered on my home phone - twice in fact, and I suspect once on my cell phone. However, they never left a message. I will call them on Monday.

No word from RONA.

No word from Home Hardware but we had a good meeting over the material list last weekend so I wasn't really expecting a call.

So the score so far is:

Home Depot: 3
BMR: 0.5
RONA : 0
Home Hardware: 1

Coming up this week:

• Call the septic system engineer to get him in to do the survey
• Call two contractors for a quote on the foundation
• Touch base (call) the building inspector
• Find a electrician

It's beautiful... Even with all the snow!

My wife and I drove up to the cottage lot today. It was a beautiful day, and a beautiful drive. The temperature is about 12 degrees (C) and sunny. The drive takes about an hour and fifteen minute but it took a little longer, as we enjoyed the drive, catching up on all the changes that happened over the summer.

We thought that the snow fall had been less but when we got onto the lot it was three feet in places... I appreciated that I brought my heavy winter boots!

We walked on to the lot from the access road as the snow bank by the road was five feet high making it impossible to drive on - even my SUV can't negotiate that! It was a beautiful sight. Quiet, sparkling, and the air smells clean. We did have to clear snow off the shed as it was feeling the pressure under the three feet of snow on it.

We paused for a lunch break sitting on the tailgate of my Jimmy, waving at our neighbours as they passed by.

On our way back we stopped at the local Home Building Center, and discussed the quote I needed. Brad Dale, Bobby's son, who now works at the store was very helpful.. In reviewing the plans and the material list he asked all the right questions. Furthermore, he was very forthcoming on suggesting a number of trades people in the area that I could use for the various aspects of the project: electrical, excavation, gas, and drywall.

Overall I was very happy with the service. I should get a quote near the end of next week.

Coming up: In the next week I will be revealing the comparative quotes, and progress towards the foundation contractor.

Seeing is knowing... the power of 3D CAD

I am using a great CAD package called Punch! Professional Home Design Suite. Although it is inexpensive, it is pretty darn powerful for $69.95... (CAD == Computer-aided Design)

This CAD software lets you design all of the critical components for your home or in my case cottage. It includes foundations, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, custom windows, roofs, decks, and more. I can position the cottage on the hill, and plant trees all around so it can be very realistic.

The neatest function is the powerful 3D graphics engine that lets you create real-time walk or fly-throughs - for a Hollywood-style voyage through your new creation! I am able to see what the inside, and outside of the cottage will look like and actually walk around and inside. This feature has turned out to be invaluable in designing the layout for the basement and making modifications to the layout of the main floor. I have already avoided a few design mistakes by using it!

For such a small price it is really a must for any would be cottage builder!

Punch has a few different CAD software packages, some less, some more expensive but I have found this one to be just right for my needs. You can find them all at www.punchsoftware.com.

A new way to do concrete piers... no concrete!

The deck surrounding the Cottage requires 16 concrete piers for the supporting colums. Which means digging 16 holes, most over 5 feet deep to get below the frost line. Furthermore, six of the posts require a 36" footing. I am not looking forward to digging those holes - especially on the side of a hill. They will likely all need to be dug virtually by hand.

Not that I am allergic to hard work - just if there is a better way I am all for it!

Well at the Home Show in Ottawa this past weekend, I happened to find an interesting alternative. It is a post pier that is quite literally screwed into the ground. So you can see the obvious advantages -- no digging - absolutely no digging.

This screw-in post is called "techno METAL POST". To find all about this technology go to www.tmpo.ca.

I am still investigating, and if it compares favourably with the standard sonotube and concrete approach both in price and bearing strength, I think it may be a winner for me. Stay tuned I'll let you know what I discover.

The Perfect Design

The cottage will be truly 'on the edge'.

The lot is flat at the top but slopes a bit and then very sharply down to the lake. In fact the steps, already built, down to the lake number 104. So the cottage design we were looking had to fit that shape of the lot.

We settled on a small one story cottage with a basement. The basement will, of course, because of the slope, be a walkout basement. In our mind's eye it fits perfectly!

I purchased the plans online from Drummond Designs Inc. They can be found at www.drumonddesigns.com. The process went smoothly, and my plans arrived in no time via the post in a big shipping tube - I received 5 sets of plans. The only thing I might have done differently is opting for the electronic version. That way I could have popped the drawings directly into the CAD package I have... But then that is a subject for another time.

The "Plan" - creating the Schedule...

I have been spending the better part of every evening for the past two weeks creating the plan. For me the plan includes a couple of components:

1) The Schedule
2) The Material List
3) Supplier List
4) Contractor List

The first that I have tackled is the Schedule.

I started out using a spreadsheet but quickly discovered this was not going to be an adequate way to create dependencies among the various tasks. As you add new tasks - and you always forget something - the new tasks will cause a ripple effect through the schedule.

So I needed a formal project management software!

My three key criteria for selecting for a project management software were:

• Free
• Complete enough
• Simple to use

The "free' criteria being the most important!

After a not so thorough Internet search I have settled on software called jxProject (www.jxproject.com). This project software is exactly what I need - it has just enough functionality:

• Enter, link, and constraint tasks
• Enter and constrain various resources
• Print

I had downloaded and installed the software, in just a few minutes, and had my first version of the schedule in just a few hours!

I now had the schedule printed and taped to my home office wall. And it is is becoming very useful as I discuss the project with my work team - my three sons...