I bought the book, all of the Special Reports, all the Construction Bargain Strategies books and several other MP3 & DVD files. Mark's book and related information IS THE BEST MATERIAL AVAILABLE! If you are just getting started, you can't lose buying these materials. Jack in Martinsburg, WV

Shawn's Forum Posts: 3
Journal Entries: 35
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Average Forum Rating: 4.00



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Exterior Almost Complete

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 8/27/2012 1:04:17 PM

The LP SmartSide siding is installed throughout the house and stone on the front gable and porch area is the only open exterior item.

Gutters are on. Drywall is in. Took one week from rocking thru sanding and finishing. Our drywaller primed and painted (white) our ceilings and the walls and ceilings in the closet areas. This was a huge benefit, because we only had to paint the walls which wasn't too bad because we didn't have to tape anything due to the floors being rough and the windows being covered with plastic from the drywall spraying.

We're working on the following items this week.

- painting some interior doors white

- painting some of the baseboard and casing

- tile floors

- some cabinet installation

- interior door installation

- the electrician is coming back to install the light switches, wall outlets and can trims (as well as other light fixtures this week now that the painting is complete.) We hope to get this done prior to the flooring guys in an effort to keep contractors from being in the same space at once.

- topsoil spread throughout site

Photos

LP SmartSide siding complete, Lannon stone almost done

Foam Insulation Installed

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 7/25/2012

We had foam insulation installed around the joist ends (area where foundation wall meets the base of the first floor) and skirts (area where second floor meets the top of the first floor) only.

Photos

Foam insulation installed.

B-I-B Insulation Installed

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 7/23/2012

Blown in blanket insulation installed. They installed a mesh over the entire wall and then blew in the insulation thru a small hole until the wall cavity was filled. The ceiling will get R-50 once the second floor ceiling is drywalled.

Photos

B-I-B insulation	B-I-B insulation	B-I-B insulation

Garage Doors installed

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 7/18/2012

Garage doors installed. We thought we built too large of a garage by going with a four-car garage, but noticed many of the other homes in the area going with a three-car attached and oftentimes a two- or three-car detached in addition to their three-car attached. We went with the double-sided steel door and the Lifetime openers with chain drives.

We were purposely holding off on installing the overhead doors, but decided to have them installed when our electrician reported another home in the area having all of their electrical wiring cut out by thieves in the middle of the night.  They want the wiring in order to turn the copper into cash.

We've also had trail cameras up around our site since day one. Some of the contractors thought we were watching them, when in fact we were simply trying to monitor the site in case thieves decided to hit our home.

Photos

Garage doors installed.

Blocking installed

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 7/18/2012

Blocking for toilet paper roll holders and towel holders installed.

Photos

TP roll holder blocking

Blocking to fasten lower level pedestal sink to the wall.

Furnace Installed

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 7/17/2012

The furnace with three zones was installed. 

Zone 1 - kids' bedrooms upstairs

Zone 2 - main level

Zone 3 - lower level rec room

Each area will have its own thermostat which should help regulate the temp by area and hopefully lower our heat bills.

Photos

Furnace installed.

Corner Fireplace Installed

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 7/9/2012

Natural gas fireplace installed. We went with a corner unit in order to make the fireplace a focal point in the room. We won't be placing the TV above the fireplace. The TV will be on the wall to the right of the fireplace. We didn't like the idea of looking up at the TV above the fireplace and won't be going with a large TV in the living room. We'll put the larger flat screen in the rec room in the lower level rec room.

Photos

Corner fireplace installed.

Rough Plumbing Installed

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 7/6/2012

We went with the PEX throughout the house with copper at the fixture.

Photos

Rough plumbing installed.

Rough plumbing installed.

Soffit and Fascia Installed

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 6/28/2012 6:28:53 PM

Soffit and Fascia Installed

Photos

Soffit and Fascia Installed

Garage Floor Poured

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 6/23/2012

Garage Floor Poured - pic of stairs going from garage to basement.

Photos

Garage floor poured - stairs from garage to basement

Natural Gas & Electric Hooked Up

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 6/22/2012

Natural gas and electric hooked up by WE Energies from the road to the house. Two separate crews came two days apart. 

Photos

Natural gas and electric hooked up.

Natural gas and electric hooked up.

Basement Floor Poured

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 6/16/2012

Basement Floor Poured

Photos

Basement floor poured.

Basement floor poured.

Stone spread under deck

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 6/14/2012

We laid down the used silt fence and some #1 stone in the area where the deck will be built in order to eliminate weeds from growing thru in between the deck boards.

Photos

Stone spread under deck area.

Septic Tanks Installed

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 6/14/2012

Septic tanks installed.

Photos

Septic tanks installed.	Septic tanks installed.	Septic tanks installed.
Septic tanks installed.

Mound System Being Installed

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 6/13/2012

At-grade mound system being installed. The tanks will arrive on the 14th.

Photos

At-grade mound system being installed.

Rough Electrical Installed

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 6/12/2012

Rough electrical is being installed this week. 

Photos

Rough electrical being installed.

Second-floor lights

Rough HVAC Installed

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 6/11/2012

Rough HVAC installed throughout house.

Photos

HVAC	HVAC	Range Hood Vent

Basement Floor Prep

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 6/10/2012

Basement floor prepared for concrete this weekend. Vapor barrier in place. Decided against radiant floor heat in the basement floor due to the cost of the 2" foam ($2K) and the tubes/installation ($3K) for the entire basement floor. The boiler would then be extra. We couldn't justify the cost because we only plan on using 40%-50% of the basement for living space and much of the basement living space will only be used occasionally. (Game and TV rooms) 

We're looking into installing radiant heat tubing below most of the main level. The tubing can be run under the floor between the floor joists. This style of tubing is cheaper than the tubing that we would've run in the basement concrete and it brings the heat directly below the hardwood floor areas on the main level and not in unused basement space with the hope that much of the heat rising to the main and second floor. Also, our plumber has agreed to help us with the install under one of the main floor rooms and thinks we can rough the remainder of the tubing under the main floor on our own, which will also reduce cost. We may use a boiler or separate tankless water heater for the heat source for the radiant floor heat. We may hold off on the radiant floor heat until a year or two and simply rough in some of the tubing in the areas where the basement ceiling will be finished and drywalled.

Photos

Vapor barrier installed in basement floor. Concrete to be poured next weekend.

Rough Plumbing Installed

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 6/7/2012

Rough plumbing in basement and throughout the house is installed. We also put in a 4" pipe from the drain tile thru the roof for possible Radon gas.

Photos

Radon gas vent from drain tile thru roof.	Lower level half bath.	Drain for furnace.
Kitchen sink

Windows in, shingles being installed.

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 6/4/2012

Windows installed, shingles in the process of being installed. One month to close the house in. HVAC, electrical and plumbing are next!

Photos

Windows installed, shingles in the process of being installed.

Roof Being Installed

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 5/27/2012

The roof is being installed. The front entry gable (trusses) needs to be installed and the trusses over the screened back porch need to be completed.

We're hoping to have the windows installed by June 1st and the roof being shingled shortly after that date.

Electrical boxes have been installed in the lower level; waiting on inspection.

Photos

Roof being installed.

Trusses Going Up

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 5/17/2012

Trusses going up.

Photos

Trusses going up. Gable over dining room up - two more to go.

Second Floor Kids' Rooms Installed

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 5/16/2012 1:31:58 PM

Roof truss installation begins today.

Main level = 9-foot ceilings - 1,900 square feet

Second floor kids' rooms = 8-foot ceilings - 600 square feet

Photos

Kids' rooms installed - second floor.

First Floor Framing

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 5/10/2012

First floor framing is complete.

Photos

First Floor Framing

First Floor Cap Installed

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 5/3/2012

The first floor cap was completed today.

Photos

First Floor Being Installed

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 5/2/2012

The first floor cap is being installed this week. Our framers have been working hard despite having to deal with a wet job site after nightly rains this week.

Photos

First floor joists installed.

Backfilling has begun

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 4/26/2012

Our excavator began backfilling around the foundation walls after we received the go-ahead from the inspector. We hope to finish backfilling tomorrow in preparation for the framers to be on site on Monday morning.

Photos

Exposed side backfilled.

Exposed side backfilled - looking toward the road.

Walls insulated, drain tile covered

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 4/25/2012

The foundation walls have been insulated on the exterior with R-5, 1.0" Styrofoam insulation. The 4x8 sheets are all around the foundation walls. Our poured wall company also placed 14" of stone all around the house on top of the exterior drain tile. (Form-a-Drain).

Photos

R-5 installed and drain tile covered with stone.

Foundation Walls Poured

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 4/19/2012

The foundation walls were poured today!

Backfilling and additional grading to be done in one week.

Framing to begin shortly after.

Photos

Pouring walls.

View from partially exposed side.

Posted by Frank in Elkridge, MD on 4/21/2012 Frank's Forum Posts: 11 Journal Entries: 5 Interview Answers: 59 Average Forum Rating: 4.00 Frank's Selected Image 4/21/2012	Did you use Form-A-Drain for your footers? From one of your pictures it looks like you did. We are almost ready to break ground and we spec'ed the Form-A-Drain for our footers.
Posted by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 4/21/2012 Shawn's Forum Posts: 3 Journal Entries: 35 Interview Answers: 64 Average Forum Rating: 4.00 Shawn's Selected Image 4/21/2012	Hi Frank, Yes, we used Form-A-Drain. PM me and I'll send you some better pics showing the Form-A-Drain. Shawn

Poured Wall Setup

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 4/15/2012

Footings have been finalized and poured wall forms are being set up. The foundation walls should be poured this week.

Photos

Foundation wall forms

Ready to Pour Footings/Walls

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 4/5/2012

We lowered our house an additional two feet by digging down two additional feet in the basement and cutting down the grade. We did this to cut down on the hill our lot sits on.

Our foundation wall company will be on site tomorrow to begin setting up to pour the footings and then the foundation walls next week.

We hope to be framing within two weeks if the weather continues to cooperate.

Photos

Garage footings to be poured.

Lower Level Digging

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 3/29/2012 2:17:02 PM

Our lower level is being dug today. Our poured wall concrete company will be on site tomorrow.

Photos

Lower level area from partial exposed side.

Excavator

Staked House/Garage

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 3/25/2012

Our excavator came out today to complete the leveling off of the area where the house/garage will be placed, and our survey guy arrived shortly after to stake out the floorplan. Both were nice enough to come out and work on a Sunday in order to keep our project moving forward. We hope to begin digging for the basement this week if the weather cooperates. The foundation guy is ready to begin his work as soon as we're done digging the basement and installing the rough driveway.

Need to figure out where to deposit some sizable tree stumps as well.

Attached is a pic of the staked house/garage.

Photos

Staked House and Garage

Obtained Building Permit

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 3/22/2012

We obtained our building permit today and our excavator was on site a few hours later doing some initial grading where the house will be placed. We had sizable gravel and rock hills in this area that needed to be knocked down.

We'll be installing some silt fence on Saturday. Our excavator will be digging the 6" trench needed to bury the silt fence and we'll be trying our luck and the installation. Sizable money saver if it all works out. We received quotes of 90 cents to $1.25 per foot for silt fence and installation by others. We picked up DOT silt fence from the local home improvement store for $25 per roll.

Survey guy will need to come back out to stake the house prior to digging the hole for the foundation.

Photos

Initial grading

Cleared the remaining trees/brush.

Posted to Holy-Hill-House by Shawn in Richfield, WI on 3/19/2012

We finally cleared the remaining trees and brush from our lot. We were able to begin clearing the trees on and off throughout the winter due to warmer than normal temps and very little snow. This is enabling us to begin the construction process in late March. Thanks to the help we received from my brother Matthew and family friend Roger. This took us much longer than we thought it would.

Photos

Lot after trees and brush cleared.