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Nice job on the pex, Brettski! We installed our own pex supply lines in the shop and in our house and have been very pleased. Sweating copper fittings that would be enclosed in walls/floors was out of my comfort zone, but pex home runs were simple and relatively safe for a do-it-yourselfer.


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Looking great, Brettski! After a few weeks of absence from the forum, I was really hoping to see an update from you and you came through in a big way! Congrats on the progress - that's a lot of meticulous work you've gotten out of the way!


Todd La Neve

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Sometimes I really hate doing the right thing...
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Because the living space is on the second floor over a garage, building code (and practical reasoning) does not allow egress thru a garage. The basic premise is that the most likely place for a fire to start would be the garage area, so having to travel thru the garage to escape is senseless. Yes, we do have an emergency ladder to escape thru the windows at the second floor, but I would much rather use a stairway to make an emergency exit. Many structures like ours use an exterior stairway at the rear of the building, but that looks like hell so I nix'd it right from the beginning. Since we are located in Podunk, the pressure from the local building inspector regarding the egress was non-existant. Quite frankly, I was perfectly happy with our plan to run the stairway thru the garage and be done with it. Then we hit that point in our development where I had to make the final decision...and...I caved in.
Although safety is supposed to be first and foremost in all decisions, those that have read about some of my acrobatics during this construction project would know that I have sometimes blurred the fine line between safety and dopiness. I was gonna just plow forward with the garage egress, but the real game-changer was considering what might happen if/when we went to sell it. Any buyer's hired inspector would likely throw a red flag on the garage egress...so....now is the time to make it right....not later when it is a real headache. All right, all right!!!
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I absolutely refuse to put in an exterior stairway, so there is really only one option. We have to firestop the existing stairway. We put the revised plan into gear.
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The old, existing stairway with all the crazy plumbing drains. The maze of pipes underneath the stairway is right where the main soil pipe exits the structure. We are planning a utility sink and a washing machine hookup tucked up under the stairway, so the roughed-in drain lines look like some kinda Blue Man Group PVC musical instrument.


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We pulled the entire stairway and cut out a section of the awkward, exposed PVC vent line. I want to insulate and drywall the entire corner before installing the stairway. This process of removal and re-installation was part of the original plan (just not the part about completely isolating the stairway from the garage). I hate piecing in drywall around a stairway. It is much neater to finish the corner, then install the stairway.
Oh...did I forget to mention that I also hate taping drywall?


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We had to trim back many of the stairway parts by 1/2" to compensate for the addition of the drywall to the wall framing, but it worked out fine. We hit all the original lag bolt holes that secures it to the wall framing and the stairway re-installed perfectly. We laid in the framing to separate the stairway from the garage, creating a vestibule. A little more framing under the staircase, a little bit of electrical, a little bit of re-arranging the plumbing vents and drains (to hide them within the new vestibule wall), a fire rated door, and bring down the hot and cold water lines that are staged up in the ceiling and we are done with this little side show.



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I see red Xs. So you are going to box in the stairs ?
















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Nice work, Brettski. It looks great and, even though it was certainly a major PITA to tackle, I suspect you'll be much happier with that decision in the long run. Plus you didn't have to compromise the exterior look you've worked so hard to accomplish by slapping a set of stairs on it!


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Looking good, B'ski. I have really enjoyed following this project - you do great work!


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I like how you did the egress. Gave me an idea or two.
Thanks!

We can now build a garage with an above apartment. Most of the township officials got booted out the last election. We can also do mono slabs.

I won't have anything as fancy as your place, just 4 walls and a roof.

Thanks Brettski, you are an inspiration!



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I wish I could make time go faster.

I want to see this all done.


Reality is constantly ruining my life.
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Originally Posted By: greatwhiteape
I wish I could make time go faster.

I want to see this all done.

I couldn't have said it any better

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Acre-itis

As we have right from the beginning of this garage apartment construction saga, we control the debt by paying cash as we go, or use other short term credit options that are religiously repaid as quickly as possible. Funds ebb and flow, but fortunately they become available at a somewhat similar rate as our ability to perform construction. Both move fairly slowly and the symbiotic relationship has worked so far....until now. We hit a self-imposed bump in the road.
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As all pondmeisters will attest, one of most fundamental, but rewarding aspects of pond ownership is the view. For us, this was likely the most important. We took the risk of developing this naked chunk of 44 acres of timber and got a pretty decent ROI. Whenever I find myself tiring of the weekend-after-weekend of work/work/work, I go up to the bank of picture windows and rejuvenate.



This is likely my best pic of the view, but it helps to illustrate and justify my recent bout of acre-itis.

The far end of this shot is our dam. It is built between two hills, and is very close to our property line. This next pic, without the leaves on the trees, tightens in on the dam and the hill behind it as the valley winds off to the left.



...and a tighter shot with an approximation of the property line just behind the dam.


Although the owners of the property directly behind us are good folks, we have always maintained concerns for their right to do anything with that property that they please. Even setting a picnic bench or making a campsite would be an eyesore for our cherished view. This is definitely a weak link in our chain.....until now.

We approached our neighbor and pitched an offer to purchase a couple of acres off that end of their property. This all came about as a result of a number of planets lining up to provide good timing. To our delight, they were receptive to our offer. To our dismay, the price to close this deal will easily be the most expensive per acre for our entire package. It wasn't horrible, but definitely higher than the regional average for this type of property.

The entire deal has taken 6 months...jeesh. Why?...it got completely jammed up in banking paperwork at the seller's end. We rode the emotional roller coaster of whether it would close or collapse. Every twist and turn was a nail-biter for us, but in the end we swiped whatever cash reserves we set aside for the water well, drywall, furnace and A/C unit and who-knows-what-else and gave it up to control the 2 acres that are oh so critical to our view. Ironically, now that we have it, our plans are to do absolutely nothing with it. The upside is that it is a very nice filet of the surrounding terrain, perhaps the highest real estate in the immediate area, and there are some nice walnuts and hickories and cherries, along with other varied hardwoods.
So....we's broke, but we's happy.

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Can you give us an idea of what you bought - line on the pic (protected your investment). Do you think the neighbors would sell more ? Is it surveyed ?
















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We contracted the survey last February; done. Yes, there is more property, but it would come with a home. No interest for this, let alone my MT-pockets.

We purchased 2 acres. It adds 300 more feet of distance past the yellow line, away from the dam.

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All the wooded view?
















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This is taken from about the top/center of that hill that used to be owned by the neighbors. Gar/apt is at the other end of pond.


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Great idea on the additional land purchase. We did the same on 10 adjacent acres. It cost about 4+ times per acre what the first 120 acres cost. Best decision yet. We did pick up another pond, house, garage & pole barn. So,we have a nice guest for Sunil if he ever drives to Big Cedar.


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Bski,

That place is awesome man. That view is awesome that pond is awesome everything about that place is sweet!! That was a great idea and I wish I would have done the same thing My neighbors to the right of me are just are really strange??? I would have loved to have gotten another 3 or 4 acres on that side. Your right you may be broke but you did the right thing!! Everything else will come. That view could have been taking away at any moment!! Well done sir!


The only difference between a rut and a Grave is the depth. So get up get out of that rut and get moving!! Time to work!!
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Congrats Bski



The road goes on forever and the party nevers end...............................................
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Great work B'ski. Don't worry about the cash (lack of), being happy is way more important.....


Just do it...
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Back to work....
I had to sneak the Pex lines to an area beneath the soon-to-be-enclosed stairway. We need hookups for a washing machine and a laundry tub. Since we have elected to enclose the entire stairway along with an entrance vestibule, the best and quickest route for the pex water lines was just beneath the row of steps. I protected the water lines with 3/4" EMT conduit, the ends carefully filed smooth to eliminate chafing.


Then, the final hookups of the pex and the re-configuration of the maze of drain and vent pipes. The laundry tub water and drain lines will be exposed and run along a 4' long section of the wall They will be installed after the drywall is completed.


One of the biggest pains was installing the line set for the central A/C. At first, I just assumed that we would hang it from the ceiling at the interior, but my HVAC pal told me to go ahead and bury it in the ceiling if I have the room...so, we did. It runs down the center of the I-joist cutouts that house most of the pex water lines.


There were 2 real tight turns as it transitioned into and out of the 2 x 6 exterior wall, so he lent me his tubing bender. I was doing so well when I got the first 90 degree bend done perfectly (3/4" copper tubing with a 6" radius bend...tough to do without collapsing the tubing), but I blew the 2nd bend and had to cut it off and braze on another length.


I tried to clean up the exit of the copper tubing and low voltage wires for the exterior A/C unit feed, so I ran them thru a 2" PVC nipple with a cap that was drilled out to allow passage of the tubing and the wires. It will be painted later. The 220V disconnect was also installed and wired back to the breaker panel.


We have been tracking the price of propane and it is pretty low right now. It's time to hook up the tank by installing the feed lines and regulators.



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Brettski:

Great job! You'll be loving it come this winter when it's chilly out. Mom & Dad just had their tanks filled. $0.89/gallon.


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I trust you write all the plans/actual work done down so someone can recall what is where.

What are the plans forward ?
















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Originally Posted By: ewest
I trust you write all the plans/actual work done down so someone can recall what is where.



that's what this thread is for...don't lose it!

next step = finish insulating the ceiling of the garage. That one's gonna be a bear with all the crap that's up there. After that, it's time to get serious about a whole lotta drywall.

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Originally Posted By: Brettski


that's what this thread is for...don't lose it!

next step = finish insulating the ceiling of the garage. That one's gonna be a bear with all the crap that's up there. After that, it's time to get serious about a whole lotta drywall.


That is what spray form insulation is for, just makes the pocket book a lot lighter


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a little more traction...
Like always, a little bit of this and a little bit o' that.
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Knocked out about 2/3 of the lousy job of stuffing the garage ceiling insulation.


These bays remain. Although it doesn't appear to be all that much, it will likely take 2 days to nip and tuck around all the junk that is up there and stuff the 28' long bays.


The LPG gas man insisted that since the tank was empty that they had to perform a pressure check that goes all the way back to the furnace. HUH? So, I had to schmooze my HVAC pal and get a furnace lined up for purchase (thanks for all the help and support, Bill !!).



We hooked up all the lines, got the LPG delivered and passed their pressure check; good news. Then, as the LPG truck tail lights disappeared down the driveway, I removed the furnace and finished insulating, drywalling, and taping the mechanical room.

outside of the mech room




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inside mech room






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And laid in the remaining wall insulation for the garage area.


I need to get one more fire door to plug up the vestibule so I can introduce and retain heat in the garage area. I'm startin' to think drywall installation to cork up the garage interior.

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Estimated date of completion? smile


I believe in catch and release. I catch then release to the grease..

BG. CSBG. LMB. HSB. RES.

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