Building a house/cottage - Need books

Hashishh

Well-Known Member
I am telling you - 100% for you own good - if you try to build this on your own by reading books and watching youtube videos - the first time some wind picks up, you get some heavy precip, or the temp drops outside to below freezing

your little camping trip will turn into a fucking nightmare.... good luck with that....
I didn't wanna dignify this with a response but... What?
I grew up in that house. I'm no stranger to the outdoors. I spend my time off out at the lake or in the bush.
Not to mention the part where we're dragging our trailer out in the mean time to live out of.

I suggest you get out camping a bit more - I don't think it's what you're expecting.

DoubleJJ, for one, I would like to thank you for your service. Secondly, that is impressive! We're planning on something a little smaller and more simple. We'll be buying our own lumber and hauling it out via trailer - not quite as labour intensive as yours.

Bought some framing and carpentry books. Been flipping through them but I'm in school for a few more weeks so most of my times been taken up at the moment between the garden and school.

We're still not too sure how far in we'll get by next October. Planning on heading out in March and starting to tear down the old. That will take a while on its own. Then whether we're able to get a structure erected and dried in by snowfall is another story. In the case we can't it will give us time to prepare for the following year.

I've got some rough prints made up that I've got to mess around with on AutoCAD.
 

New Age United

Well-Known Member
I didn't wanna dignify this with a response but... What?
I grew up in that house. I'm no stranger to the outdoors. I spend my time off out at the lake or in the bush.
Not to mention the part where we're dragging our trailer out in the mean time to live out of.

I suggest you get out camping a bit more - I don't think it's what you're expecting.



DoubleJJ, for one, I would like to thank you for your service. Secondly, that is impressive! We're planning on something a little smaller and more simple. We'll be buying our own lumber and hauling it out via trailer - not quite as labour intensive as yours.

Bought some framing and carpentry books. Been flipping through them but I'm in school for a few more weeks so most of my times been taken up at the moment between the garden and school.

We're still not too sure how far in we'll get by next October. Planning on heading out in March and starting to tear down the old. That will take a while on its own. Then whether we're able to get a structure erected and dried in by snowfall is another story. In the case we can't it will give us time to prepare for the following year.

I've got some rough prints made up that I've got to mess around with on AutoCAD.
Don't waste a bunch of money on materials and try to do this yourself. You must know a carpenter who will work 20 cash. You'll frame the place in a couple days spend the extra $400 and do it right. Don't try to do the plumbing or electrical yourself either. Then if you're not worried about time or looks you can do all the finish work yourself.
 

Hashishh

Well-Known Member
Don't waste a bunch of money on materials and try to do this yourself. You must know a carpenter who will work 20 cash. You'll frame the place in a couple days spend the extra $400 and do it right. Don't try to do the plumbing or electrical yourself either. Then if you're not worried about time or looks you can do all the finish work yourself.
No carpenters in town my dude. Electrical is gonna be roughed in and a family members gonna come in and wire it up. Plumbing is easy. Especially the plumbing in that place.

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Now I now I'm gonna piss a lot of people off here but..
What's with all the discouragement on this one? I know probably 20 or 30 people who have all built their own homes.
Are people on here so stuck up that they believe the only person who can do such a task is a contractor?
I just don't see the issue. I've been in construction trades for just under 7 years now. A lot of what you people are bringing up is sort of common sense.
Why would I create a hazard for myself and future family? That's not the point of this. For a lot of you to imply such isn't quite insulting to me, but really does remove all credibility you had in such a matter.
Find solutions, not problems.

Honestly, if you've never worked a trade in your life and you're gonna come here and tell me that I should just hire a company to build me a place and imply I'm going to get myself and/or others hurt because of this or that, you can get screwed.

Spend a few years in construction my friends then get back to me.
In the mean time I'm done answering the bad. Once everything goes down I'm gonna have to start posting some pics as a big F U. If anyone has anything constructive to add to the thread feel free. But come on, use your heads.

Peace and pot my friends. Sorry about my rant. Just getting frustrated with trying to find resources but being told what I'm doing is impossible when I've seen it done before.
 

New Age United

Well-Known Member
It's not that it can't be done, it's just that $400 will save a lot of time and headaches. I built a $3000 shed and paid my buddy $25 an hour cash. Start to finish 2 days. It woulda to me a week and wouldn't have been as good. I've worked in trades for 15 years built a few garages studied a few books, but I would still call my buddy if I wanted to build a cottage or house.
 

Hashishh

Well-Known Member
It's not that it can't be done, it's just that $400 will save a lot of time and headaches. I built a $3000 shed and paid my buddy $25 an hour cash. Start to finish 2 days. It woulda to me a week and wouldn't have been as good. I've worked in trades for 15 years built a few garages studied a few books, but I would still call my buddy if I wanted to build a cottage or house.
That wasn't directed to you man. Mostly the guys trying to tell me this ain't gonna be a picnic. Lol.

While I'd like to hire a framer to give me a hand the best I can do is call up some family on the weekends. I'm not the type to wanna sit around all week though. I've done a bit of framing but not enough to know what I'm doing. Mostly stuff I've done step by step lol.

This community is pretty remote. Population 1200 and this place is approx half an hour away. Most of the work has dissapated the last 10 years so people are moving out. I'd have to get a contractor from 2+hrs away and even then they're not cheap as opposed to more densely populated areas.

Been doing a lot of thinking on the whole mobile home thing for the mean time. If I could find a 2+ bed for dirt cheap shipped I'd go that route and save for future plans.
 

srh88

Well-Known Member
I didn't wanna dignify this with a response but... What?
I grew up in that house. I'm no stranger to the outdoors. I spend my time off out at the lake or in the bush.
Not to mention the part where we're dragging our trailer out in the mean time to live out of.

I suggest you get out camping a bit more - I don't think it's what you're expecting.



DoubleJJ, for one, I would like to thank you for your service. Secondly, that is impressive! We're planning on something a little smaller and more simple. We'll be buying our own lumber and hauling it out via trailer - not quite as labour intensive as yours.

Bought some framing and carpentry books. Been flipping through them but I'm in school for a few more weeks so most of my times been taken up at the moment between the garden and school.

We're still not too sure how far in we'll get by next October. Planning on heading out in March and starting to tear down the old. That will take a while on its own. Then whether we're able to get a structure erected and dried in by snowfall is another story. In the case we can't it will give us time to prepare for the following year.

I've got some rough prints made up that I've got to mess around with on AutoCAD.
Im helping build a house now.. Instead of demo'ing the old they asked the fire Department if they wanted to burn it. They torched it to nothing. Dug in the ashes and started building right over it. Might be an option for you
 

Hashishh

Well-Known Member
Im helping build a house now.. Instead of demo'ing the old they asked the fire Department if they wanted to burn it. They torched it to nothing. Dug in the ashes and started building right over it. Might be an option for you
That's actually a solid idea. I'll make some phone calls when I get down there. Problem is one side of the house is about 30 feet from the tree line.
There's a burn pit across the road I was planning on borrowing some equipment and leveling it off and dragging it to the burn pit myself, but that's an even better idea.
 

Hashishh

Well-Known Member
If you have to ask this, then you should not build your own custom home. I've been building houses for nearly 15 years and can tell you there are so many things that can go wrong that will cost you money that at the end of the day, you would have been better off paying a professional builder.

If you are dead set on building your own home, then maybe you could talk with one of those "be your own builder" companies and hopefully they give you enough guidance to make it worth while.

Good luck either way you decide.
Sigh.
 

srh88

Well-Known Member
If you have to ask this, then you should not build your own custom home. I've been building houses for nearly 15 years and can tell you there are so many things that can go wrong that will cost you money that at the end of the day, you would have been better off paying a professional builder.

If you are dead set on building your own home, then maybe you could talk with one of those "be your own builder" companies and hopefully they give you enough guidance to make it worth while.

Good luck either way you decide.
If he wants to learn its worth the time and investment. Ive been in construction since i was a kid. If you got the motivation and you can easily pick things up.. You can build a house. Its not rocket science
 

Hashishh

Well-Known Member
If he wants to learn its worth the time and investment. Ive been in construction since i was a kid. If you got the motivation and you can easily pick things up.. You can build a house. Its not rocket science
I wonder if my great grand parents had their carpenter tickets.. Or any of my uncles when they built their cottages.

Luckily I've been doing tons of reading on it, I'm feeling pretty confident. Plus I'll have some weekend help by some family that have built their own houses and cottages.

I'd bet I'll get a few more posts like that lol.
 
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