Replies

1. 
   stevent1 | Sep 16, 2006 04:12am | #1

   "we are still not dried in "

   Welcome to Breaktime.

   By dried in do you mean roof and windows? Or felt? A good framing crew should be able to "dry in". meaning felt and house wrap or felt, a 3000 SF house in 8 to 12 working days depending on how many roof planes. 2 or 3 more days to set windows and doors depending on the number of openings. Did they show up every day? I know you'all had a lot of rain, but there are probaly some homes started in June that the owner is living in.

   Post Pics. You will be amazed at the help you will get from Breaktime.

   live, work, build, ...better with wood

   
   

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   Edited 9/15/2006 9:23 pm ET by stevent1

1. 
   buildingmold | Sep 16, 2006 04:21am | #4

   By "not dried in yet" I meen not even the roof framing  completed yet.  The house as I said is a pier and beam on an uneven foundation further complicated with four level changes on the first floor.  Hot weather, rain, and prior commitments of the framer have caused the delay.  My question is not about how to handle the past but what to do in the futrure.

1. 
   Heck | Sep 16, 2006 04:26am | #5

   I was just in Kerrville for a week, looks like it has rained a lot there recently, it rained almost every day I was there.

   That is a long time for a frame, but you should be OK after it does get covered, as it should have time to dry out before it's done, at the rate your builder is going.

    _______________________________________________________________

   this post is a no speedo zone

2. 
   Framer | Sep 16, 2006 04:33am | #6

   "My question is not about how to handle the past but what to do in the futrure."Well, first off, get rid of your framer and have a real one come in with a real crew that will START and NEVER LEAVE until they're FINISHED!What's the problem? No one can help you unless you explain the problem.You said the rafters aren't on yet. Four months on a 3000 s/f house is unheard of and the rafters aren't on yet.How was his price compared to others?Is the framer still working for you?How many men does he have?Do they show up every day every..... Other day....every other week....?We need to know all this so that maybe if this framer doesn't show up for a week or two and you haven't replaced him yet then maybe you can tarp the house until you get a real framer in there.There's no excuse like other commitments that he has to start your job and leave here and there and then come back when ever.What happened?
   Joe Carola

1. 
   Matt | Sep 16, 2006 08:21pm | #14

   Well, the guy said he just wanted to move forward, which is the right attitude, but I'll bet there is a lot more to this story than we know.  Obviously the framer doesn't want to work on it.  The bad foundation and 4 different levels (or whatever it was) on the first floor sounds like a good start.  I'll guess there is some non standard stuff going on too.  Maybe he wanted his framing screwed :-)  I'll bet the framer has collected more $ than the work he has into it too...  Sounds like just a poorly planed and managed project.  For a 3100 sq ft house I'd probably set up a draw schedule of all walls done = 40%, tarpaper on roof and windows and doors set = 50%, and framing inspection = 10%.  Depending on the complexity of the roof and now well I know the framers, I might even go 30/60/10. 

   When I'm having framing done, unless there are prior arrangements, if I don't have carpenters on site by noon I'm on the phone being very polite but demanding.

   Re the wet building, we had a discussion here a few months ago where a guy wanted to dry a crawls pace that got very wet during construction as the house was nearly complete.  Some guy who had done disaster remediation talked about some kind of high performance dehumidifier - not actually a dehumidifier - some other 3 letter acronym if memory serves. 

1. 
   KirkpatrickFramer | Sep 16, 2006 11:31pm | #15

   I'm in Houston, and do customs that are pretty cut up. My crew averages about a week per 1000 square feet, and that's with 5 guys. A little rain isn't the end of the world, but in this weather it will wreak havok with your lumber. You'll have lots of studs and rafters that will be twisting and turning due to the wet/dry cycles and the heat from the sun. Tell those guys to get off their asses and finish the job or hire some one else to. You need to get it dried in asap then straighten your studs before the other trades start. Post some pics for us here, and maybe you'll get some better advice. A framer should spend 4 days a week on a job IMO. John

2. 
   Stilletto | Sep 17, 2006 12:30am | #16

   Only 4 days a week?  

   You lookin to hire anyone?       

   What the problem is? 

3. 
   Framer | Sep 17, 2006 12:40am | #17

   John,I remember a thread awhile back about working 5- 8hr days compared to 4- 10 hr days. Some guys were working 4- 10hr days. Do you do that?Joe Carola

4. 
   KirkpatrickFramer | Sep 17, 2006 01:40am | #18

   I work five 8 hour days and sometimes 6 on Saturdays. What I meant was sometimes I have to go and do some punch out work, but I always try to put in 4 good days on my "current" job. I've been known to work 28 days a month sometimes, when my plate gets too full. In my area, there are crews that work sun up to sun down six days a week. I know these guys aren't legals, and what kills me is they pay 100 bucks a day. At the end of the week they'll give their guys $300 bucks cash and say "hundred bucks a day, you worked 12 hours, so that's half a day"John

5. 
   gb93433 | Sep 17, 2006 05:31am | #19

   The INS could take care of that problem if they knew about it.

6. 
   darrel | Sep 17, 2006 06:08am | #20

   Seems that it's not the illegals that are the problem in that instance. ;o)

7. 
   gb93433 | Sep 17, 2006 06:54am | #21

   "Seems that it's not the illegals that are the problem in that instance. ;o)"I agree. The man is a crook who is using people. One of these days he might find himself in some serious trouble for actually hiring them and violating the law. They might also find some way to get revenge later.

   Edited 9/16/2006 11:54 pm by gb93433

8. 
   KirkpatrickFramer | Sep 17, 2006 05:26pm | #22

   The crews that are doing this are employed by the big tract builders, all of them. These big builders are advertising on craigslist for framing crews, paying a buck a square foot for the framing of a 1800 square foot house.I have a friend who just does roof sheathing, and some of these production builders he's solicited are offering a hundred and fifty bucks to plywood the roofs.I hope that all this comes back to haunt these people in the future, it's forced slavery and just wrong.

9. 
   gb93433 | Sep 17, 2006 07:53pm | #23

   For slavery to persist it only takes for everyone to say nothing.

3. 
   stevent1 | Sep 16, 2006 04:34am | #7

   Mr T has a good suggestion with drying the house. Your home has a lot of custom features that will add time (days) to the framing. The GC has to answer for the lack of management/manpower issues. The relationship between the GC and the subs is critical to the outcome of any job. Did the GC ever give you a production schedule? I have seen houses that "sit still" for long periods, usually felted in, but I don't know if they have after effects or mold issues.live, work, build, ...better with wood

1. 
   Framer | Sep 16, 2006 04:50am | #8

   Steven,It sounds like he's the GC.Joe Carola

1. 
   stevent1 | Sep 16, 2006 05:15am | #9

   Joe,I think you are right about HO being GC.My Mom is from Pittsburg, PA (Badaracco) and has Carola cousins in NJ. They all lived on Bertha Street in Mt. Washington near the deQuesne incline overlooking the old Three Rivers Stadium.Chuck S.live, work, build, ...better with wood

2. 
   Framer | Sep 16, 2006 05:43am | #10

   No relation. They spell it the same way as I do? Most of the time peoiple spell it with two l's or two r's or like the Toyota Corrolla.That's what they used to call me when I was a kid, and Crayola Crayon........Joe Carola

2. 
   MisterT | Sep 16, 2006 04:19am | #2

   once you are dried in rent a commercial dehumidifier and run it till you are satisfied

   I would shoot for 7-10% MC in the frame

   don't over do it or you'll get problems as the wood reabsorbs moisure after you occupy.

    

   "The truth, when told does nothing but bolster a mans character." 

    

1. 
   MisterT | Sep 16, 2006 04:20am | #3

   or you could use Napalm...

   :)

   what was I thinking???"The truth, when told does nothing but bolster a mans character." 

    

3. 
   CapnMac | Sep 16, 2006 06:37am | #11

   wondering what we can do to avoid any problems with mold

   Depends on who gets to define "mold problem."

   "We" could probably stand a few more definitions. 

   Like, is this being built to a set of site & project specific plans?  Is there a design professional of record involved?  Is there a General Contractor?  IS the Framer the GC?  Who is holding the note for this (or is auditing expenses out for work in)?

   Is it 16 weeks since ground breaking, or 16 weeks since the foundation was ready?

   I don't pose these questions pedantically or flippantly--I finished a house out east of Borne in 16 weeks (ok, it was only 1490 sf heated, and 1090sf under porch roofing, but, still . . . )  That was in a summer about as dry as this one (over to the Hill Country, at least--here, a couple hours' east, we've only had one day of rain per month since May, what's a rain day?)

   Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
4. 
   junkhound | Sep 16, 2006 01:28pm | #12

   Four months on a 3000 s/f house is unheard of and the rafters aren't on yet.

   If it was contracted, you got screwed.

   Now, if you had DIY, then you can rationalize that YOU were lazy. 

   Built my own house 100%.  5300 sq ft. In Seattle.

   Planned so first floor went down in April, a couple months rain on it.  Roof was on before September.  This was all DIY with 5 and 7 YO at home (helping) and working full time at day job.

   Your framer screwed you, so, you should have DIY'ed everything if you were going to 'build your own house'  

   Lotta threads here about self GC HO getting screwed, would never try it myself, always DIY everything if anything.

   As to the future, previous advice presented here was good.  Own house had some 24 in dia logs, they dried over the next 4 years, as evidences by that popping sound when a crack appears due to drying.

   Also, if you happen to be going to have a cathedral ceiling and do not a a full ridge vent and poly under the cieling before the insulation, expect the ceiling to drip for a couple of years! (learned this the hard way)

1. 
   Piffin | Sep 16, 2006 07:00pm | #13

   when I built mine - one man working alone about 2600 sf - I poured footings june 15 and finished roof in october, threw the doors and took a break from the 14 hr dyas for awhile 

    

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