Ok Siding of one side is complete.

Awaiting Gas Inspection of the interior
Still waiting on Mechanical inspection
Electrical Inspection failed but two items corrected and awaiting a new inspection so I can get my power meter hooked up.

As for Project 2 Bulldozer Special Re-submitting plans with a lower pitched roof

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If you do finish the basement... please do me a favour and stud and spray foam the walls. And do not use drywall use cement board or something similar. You can still be responsible after selling it if it becomes a mould trap. And whatever you do, do not start finishing trades before its sealed in.

Not sure I have much to offer but...Pay attention to detail around windows, soffits and foundation/sill plate. Oh... and do not put light fixture in the middle of the ****ing dining room... think of where the table goes and centre on that

As For spray foaming the basement it is a huge cost. Though I did invest in a Plypon Waterproof membrane system that has a 25 year warranty on moisture getting in. I am considering spray foaming the void by the rim joists

Funny thing about the nook/dining room. I put in 4-3 " pot lights in a interior square. My electrician is why not a hanging fixture. I told him everyone has a different size table and than the fixture has to be swagged or doesnt work

I am considering putting these doors in for the Den French Doors, Master Bedroom Door, Ensuite Pocket Door, and Ensuite Closet door

Gas Inspection passed today. Now I can get a meter and hook up my temporary furnace and thaw out my basement. Hopefully have meter by Friday.

If you spray foam the rim joist, you can install the fibreglass batts and VB yourself with minimal effort but taping the vapour barrier around the joists is an ass pain. Must be cheaper in sothern ontario since its somewhat become more popular here.

It is becoming a bit more popular here. Though some of the higher end builders are still not sold on it. The money you pay to spray foam a house you do not recover. If it was my own home though I do believe it is worth the investment

haven't read all the thread had a skim of some stuff.

We have done a couple of similar (renovations rather than start agains) in Aus. so will read it all the way through before commenting but love the bits Ive read so far.

cheers

Not to do with my build my a professional build up In Fort McMurray were all the oil is

Basically a 300 unit condo complex was condemmed Owners or tenants given 15 minutes to get there stuff out

http://edmonton.ctv.ca/servlet/an/lo...b=EdmontonHome

Hi,

Im from the UK. How come your houses all seem to be wood framed? Over here we would struggle to find a mortgage for those kind of builds.

How much is that bungalow costing you to put up if you dont mind, it must be a lot cheaper as you buy the frame pre made i guess and just put it together like a shed?

Holy ****, all from not installing blocking.... that's nuts. I'm a small builder in the U.S. and it always amazes me the lack of emphasis that other builders put on framing. They'll hire the cheapest framer, regardless of skill, because they're thinking "If the homebuyer doesn't see it, it doesn't matter." I have physically done every aspect of construction, and IMO, framing takes the most knowledge and skill. Its also the only trade in my area that doesn't require any schooling, certification, or license.

Update. Noticed my framer hadnt picked up his trailer. He was 3 days between jobs so negotiated a smoking deal to build me a deck. All siding is completed.

Next week Mechanical inspection Monday which allows me to begin insulation. Decided to spray foam the rim joists in the basement at a added cost of a $1000 but the right thing to do. Should have gas and power by end of next week..




Duplex have resubmitted the plans for development approval. Changed the pitch of the roof and elevation to meet city height restrictions for a mature neighborhood

+1, another UKer.

I'm quite surprised at the wood > bricks & mortar. Is bricks & mortar simply outdated thinking?

Have you actually sold these homes yet ? Taking a look at current housing inventory in relation to what I'm assuming you think will be a growing demand given the lower unemployment rates would give you a much better picture of if and what you can sell these for. I'm not completely familiar with the Canadian housing market, but I know that where I live (Florida) this plan wouldn't fly. This is because the inventory of houses for sale is so large that the cost/sqft of building is much higher than the cost/sqft of sale. New home builders just can't compete given their material and labor costs. Also, it's important to note that current inventories may continue to increase drastically i as banks aren't releasing all of their foreclosures onto the market at the same time.

Wood is the only way we build houses. Prefab concrete starts getting used when you build apartments over 4 stories. I do believe it is a cost issue.
Expected Completion Cost $425,000 CDN.

Keep in mind this is Canada and we did not go through the Mortgage Meltdown that you did. Our banks are strictly regulated and were the strongest through the collapse. Also I am in Alberta which is a resource driven economy and we sit on the largest oil reserves in the world some say more than the middle east. With oil prices moving up again our economy starts moving also.

We do not have any sold. I am hoping they do sell and can carry if they do not

Virtually every home build in North America (ex Mexico) post WWII has been wood frame, and the exceptions tend to be specialty products (lately, poured concrete, various "eco" homes, etc.). They're framed on site. It's much cheaper to do things this way, wood was readily available due to the abundance of forest suitable for commercial logging, they traditionally required less specialized labour, and local, non-commercially logged wood was readily available on farms and in small farm communities due to the necessity to clear land for planting (which later contributed to soil erosion and had to be strategically replanted, but I digress). Abandoned old faded barns and outbuildings can be found all over the Canadian Prairies, and the reclaimed wood is increasingly regarded as valuable.

The modern single family, detached home largely arose out of the US post war drive to broaden home ownership, continuing urbanization, and the flight to the suburbs that took place through much of the last half of the 20th century. Canada is similar -- most of the growth in new home construction took place post WWII. Cities largely built out before then (New York boroughs such as Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Montreal, etc.) have the brick or stone row houses and low rise apartments you might be more used to, but even there most new construction is wood frame with brick or stone cladding for anything lower than four stories or so, and the originals are not infrequently lost to redevelopment of one sort or another. Other than a few outliers (people wanting to demonstrate wealth and power by building a stone mansion, adobe construction in the US South West), cities largely built out in the last 50 yrs or so use similar wood frame construction (LA, Calgary, etc.).