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SE SD | Late night here, can't sleep so I thought I would throw out a fewThings I have learned building a new house.
First and foremost, that blueprint and floor plan you and your wife have worked on for the last couple years to build your dream home will be used for nothing more thana general guide. Do not plan on your newhome to resemble it.
The only place it's needed is for planning and zoning to issue a building permit.
It will not be used by the utz who lays out the floor joists and rafters or he would have seen the fire place and class A chimney coming up from the lowerlevel. He might have positioned them accordingly to allow thier exit to the chimney chase on the roof.
But alas, not his worry, he only needs to align them to use as few as possible. Why look at a plan.
*But, maybe I really didn't want that fire place or wood stove in the lower level.
I would have to cut wood, I would ruin the environment, who's wants to sit in front of a boring fire any way.*Hey, he saved me money woohoo.
Oh, I need the extra money for the extra 600 square foot of roofing material and plywoodAnd sheet Rock. He decided to change the roof pitch. The plan plainly says 5/12 on the main roof and 2 1/2 - 12 on the porches (I got to keep the porches)He decided to make the roof 6-12. And 3-12.
The framer doesn't read prints either, he put them up.
Oh, and my wife lost her plant shelf in the jumbled up mess. He started the vaulted ceiling in the wrong spot. But hey,at least she won't have to dust up there.
Now let me give you a little insight on windows. when you sit down with your friendly lumber yard estimater, you know, the guy who knows everything about anything.
Pre learn the secret code the window manufacturers have for their windows. When The lumber yard guru says a 24410 window is 24" wide and a 400 series. You,a learned consumer will KNOW that the window is actually 30" wide.
Guru thinks 24 means 24". But you will know (lucky you) that 24 actually means 30".
Hence, you will not end up with 2 thirty inch wide widows dwarfing the picture window in the middle.
But, I still win. I have less glass area for birds to fly into. Once again, environmentally friendly.
BTW way, these $1,800 x 2 Windows are NON returnable, special order ya know.
Now let's move on to the footing and poured wall "Expert".After having the walls engineered ($1,200) as per code. Oh by the way, this expert footingMan also had a set of prints to bid from.
He never mentioned needing an engineered stampTill after the fact. I guess this ones on me, I'll buy that.
Now his ten foot tall "engineered" wall has a couple, no I mean, 4 to be exact, cracks in it. Two of them you can see where water has left a trail (so much for the water proofing company)down the inside of the wall.
But, no worries, he assured me that some cracking is "normal".But when I point out the wall is an inch out of plum in the middle (the top of the wall is bowed in)he is dumbfounded.
But in his defense, I'm sure he'll find a scapegoat.
Every one else has.The wall has only moved an inch, and the whole house is "only"pushed out of plum. 3/8 of an inch. But I will say, the shingles look good :)
So, to sum it up
You will NOT get what you planned.
The next person who tells me to buy local, will get thier azz kicked.
You need to babysit the job each and every day.
Breathing down thier neck and micro managing Is a necessity.
NEVER trust any thing anyone tells you.
Be prepared for total disappointment, because it's coming.
Thanks, the venting has relived the stress a little.
Oh, who am I kidding, I'm more on edge than before.PS.
This is just a few issues, there are more. But I need to take a break from my fuming:(
Edit to add, It's Friday morning,
two days before Christmas.
Even though this house ordeal some times gets the best of me, I have to
Realize how blessed we really are to even be able to build a new home.
When I think of all the other stuff going on in the world, the people who are
homeless, and those who can't put food on the table.
I have to take stock in just how petty these issues really are.
My postings are generally written with a smile on my face. I try to find
humor in every nook and cranny.
Keeps me somewhat sane, kinda, sorta:)
Wish all of you a Blessed Christmas, and thanks for the replies.
Oh, and be thankful your not working on my house :) LOL
Edited by povertypoint 12/23/2016 10:06
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If your building a new house (warning long post)
