2022 Projects...

[Hamberg]

Figured I'd start one to see what everyone had planned for 2022 projects.

Here are mine (in no particular order)

• Finish garage
  • run electric (75' from service)
  • garage heater
• Build (more likely, have someone install) 12' x 16' shed
  • run electric (75' underground from service)
• Purchase & install whole house generator (22-24k)
• Build out 10' x 14' steam room (basement)
• Build out full bath with dog washing station (basement)
• Gut & replace kids bath

On top of that we close on a 1,750 sqft 4Br, 2 bth, Cape, this Friday, that will need a complete rehab. Hope to have that done by mid-May to hit spring market.

 

[Guzzle]

Fix the rcvr I inherited in 1999 that has RIAA compensation that's been in our house since 1999. I need to cobble together a triangle waveform generator for this.

BTW, my CD player seems to have repaired itself after I cleaned the laser, maybe working the disk drive loosened lubricant that had stiffened.

Have to make a resistor network so 3 or 4 signal sources can feed a single amp, with no switching.

 

[Sparky617]

I've been finishing my 1000 square foot basement. I have the town inspector coming tomorrow for the framing inspection and the HVAC rough-in. Assuming I get though that I'll be insulating it in the next week or two and plan to start drywalling this month. So main goal is get that finished and then I have some outdoor projects to work one. I want to finally get my shop set up which will be an ongoing project, as shops tend to be. Once the basement is done, a big project is to finally get the attic cleaned up and go through all the stuff that has been gathering and make a determination to keep or toss.

 

[Guzzle]

make a determination to keep or toss.

You're supposed to have a "clutter buddy" help you with that. Women are somehow very good at that, but they keep many shoes around, I noticed.

 

[billshack]

put in a much larger garden, I tripled the size last year, to about 320 sq ft .
now i have got to turn it over and plant .

 

[Sparky617]

Mentioned it on the what did you do today thread, but since I mentioned the project above I'll add it here. I passed my framing inspection and HVAC rough-in today on my basement project. On to insulation.

 

[Guzzle]

My inbox is still filling up faster than my outbox.

 

[Hamberg]

I passed my framing inspection and HVAC rough-in today on my basement project. On to insulation.

How are they in NC? Do you guys need an egress to get anything passed?

 

[Flyover]

2022:

1. Finish the waterfall coffee table for my wife
2. Build a little mini workbench for my son (really just a small sturdy table, made from various widths of 2x scrap)

Those two things have to get done before mid February.

3. Help my wife expand the garden and dig the pond bigger (right now it's basketball size, goal is to get it bathtub size)
4. It'd be great to get the body of my guitar done this year but who knows if it'll happen

This past fall I was going to install a roof vent and connect it with an insulated duct to the exhaust fan of one of my bathrooms that needs it because right now it's just venting into the attic, but it's hard to get to and I'm having trouble feeling the pressure.

 

[Sparky617]

How are they in NC? Do you guys need an egress to get anything passed?

In my area of NC you only see walk out basements. The entire back of my basement is framed and above ground. It is also mainly glass. I have two patio doors and a bank of three windows. I installed one of the patio doors to open it up even further. Egress is not a problem in my basement. Most homes in my area are built on crawlspaces with some slabs if the terrain permits. I have neighbors with very high "crawlspaces" but they typically don't have flat floors and interior stairs. One neighbor two doors down from my house has a crawlspace that goes from 14' high to maybe 2' high. On my street of 12 homes there are 2 basements, in my neighborhood of 260 homes there might be 10 basement homes.

As to the inspection I didn't pass the first time, not being in the trade I didn't know a few things I needed to do. First I had to install a bunch of blocking and fire foam. Second, in order to pass my framing inspection I had to pass my rough plumbing inspection. To pass my rough plumbing inspection I had to have my shower pan installed. If it weren't for this requirement I would install the shower pan until I was ready to tile the shower. Just to prevent damage to the membrane pan. Third, he required that I install house wrap on the poured concrete walls. This requirement makes no sense to me, and was a PITA to complete in an already framed basement. I had to take house wrap cut it into 24" strips and staple it to each of the studs. His concern was the insulation might fall down because of the gap. Well, first the insulation is faced and stapled to the studs, second, I planned on using R-19 on the wall he was concerned about because I framed the wall about 2" off the concrete foundation to handle a few obstructions like the refrigerant lines for my first and second floor HVAC units. I had to go an inch off the wall any way. Once I accomplished these tasks, the framing inspection took 5 minutes. He passed my electrical inspection a couple of months ago, and I was trying to accomplish the rough plumbing and framing inspection at the same time. I'll post up a few new pictures. I posted some a while back when I passed the electrical inspection.

 

[Sparky617]

Here are a few new photos of my basement project.

 

[Sparky617]

This picture is of how I had to handle the water main that the builder unhandily put into the corner of the basement making framing it out while maintaining access a huge PITA. It also shows the fire blocking I had to do every 10' feet of wall space. I tried just foaming it as shown in one of the other photos, but found that to be a multi-step process building the foam up in layers to keep it from slumping too much.

 

[Sparky617]

This one is the Trane/Mitsubishi mini-split ducted heat pump we installed for the basement. I'm also installing new Trane gas furnaces and AC units for the rest of the house. I got over 22 years out of the original Carrier units, much longer than many of my neighbors. It is good to use an independent HVAC contractor instead of ARS or one of the big guys that specialize in selling new units.

 

[Sparky617]

Here is my earlier post with additional pictures right after I passed the electrical inspection but before I started doing the work to pass the framing inspection.

https://www.houserepairtalk.com/threads/basement-project.31451/#post-263736
I've got to say the inspector I've been working with is a pretty good guy. He saw by the quality of my work I wasn't some hack and he offered a few practical solutions to get past the requirements I was lacking on.

 

[Hamberg]

Third, he required that I install house wrap on the poured concrete walls. This requirement makes no sense to me, and was a PITA to complete in an already framed basement.

Yea, some jurisdictions here will require a vapor barrier, which I agree, is a royal PITA!

Pic isn't clear but did they allow two king studs and no jacks (trimmers) for that patio door? How is that header supported?

 

[Hamberg]

I've got to say the inspector I've been working with is a pretty good guy. He saw by the quality of my work I wasn't some hack and he offered a few practical solutions to get past the requirements I was lacking on.

For the most part (with a few exceptions) inspectors are there to keep homes safe and not go up in flames. Again, sans a few, most are helpful and even lenient, when there is no practical way to implement "newer" requirements on older structures.

 

[Sparky617]

For the most part (with a few exceptions) inspectors are there to keep homes safe and not go up in flames. Again, sans a few, most are helpful and even lenient, when there is no practical way to implement "newer" requirements on older structures.

I had to put house wrap around my dropped ceiling at the furnace. It isn't accomplishing anything because I can't seal the ceiling joists from the furnace because the existing ducts, wires, and pipes. But, whatever. He signed off on it. There is no way without tearing out the furnace and duct work that I could completely seal the furnace room from the rest of the basement. While my HVAC guy was replacing the furnace I did drywall behind it. They didn't while the house was being built, but I took this opportunity to do it.

Some inspectors can be pretty hard assed. This guy is pretty good to work with. I'm not knowingly going to cut corners on my project to save a couple of bucks. It's my house and I plan on being here for at least another 10 years. We'll probably move at some point to a place that is a little more senior friendly as we move into our 70s in the 2030s. That and our daughter is moving to Austin, TX and if she sets up permanently there and grandkids happen I could see moving closer to her. Not sure where our son will wind up, he's in medical school right now and won't be done with that and his internship for another 7 years or longer.

 

[Sparky617]

Project Update - I passed my insulation inspection today. On to drywall. The HVAC systems are all in and running.

 

[Sparky617]

Yea, some jurisdictions here will require a vapor barrier, which I agree, is a royal PITA!

Pic isn't clear but did they allow two king studs and no jacks (trimmers) for that patio door? How is that header supported?

Missed your question earlier. There are two jacks studs and king studs on the header directly above the door and a second header up at the floor joists. The wall is a double 2x4 wall deep. When the house was framed originally they used a 2x8 sill plate, so to handle that in the finished basement I doubled the wall. The door opening is going nowhere. You can't see all the structure for the header directly above the door because of the extra double 2x10 header at the ceiling joists. Here are a few more pictures, before I set the door I added a second jack stud on each side under the double 2x12 header directly above the door.

 

[Sparky617]

Missed your question earlier. There are two jacks studs and king studs on the header directly above the door and a second header up at the floor joists. The wall is a double 2x4 wall deep. When the house was framed originally they used a 2x8 sill plate, so to handle that in the finished basement I doubled the wall. The door opening is going nowhere. You can't see all the structure for the header directly above the door because of the extra double 2x10 header at the ceiling joists. Here are a few more pictures, before I set the door I added a second jack stud on each side under the double 2x12 header directly above the door.

Actually, I had 3 jack studs on each side. When the plans were approved they were stamped that I might need to have an engineer sign off on my opening. So I made sure when the inspector came he wasn't going to require an engineer to sign off. Lumber wasn't cheap when I framed it up, but it was cheaper than hiring an engineer to sign off on my plans. And the double 2x10 is supported by a number of studs at the ends and double studs at the opening. My breakfast nook is not going to come crashing down on my basement.