Still plugging away… We have to close on the 21st.
I’m probably gonna need a little leniency on that final appraisal and “finished” certification. :-)>
Sorry, some of these are out of focus. I was in a bit of a hurry…
Bigtime!…
Where did the time go?!
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Replies
Kevin, it's all looking GREAT. Congratulations. Hang in there...you'll get done.
Thanks - It's a long list of one-more-things.
I'm loving the equity but given the hours invested I've never worked so cheap in all my life! If I could just let one or two things go now and then... I sure know how the devil came to be associated with the details. :-)>
I know you know where I'm coming from ... How finished was your finished master piece when you first moved in? Long way from that first rough sketch to the cover of Fine homebuilding wasn't it?
I'd say "you have noooooooo idea", but obviously you do. There's a point to make to the pros here. I guess some people diy be/c they think they too can be a big bad GC, and some people diy be/c they (foolishly, ha ha) believe that they'll save a bundle of money. But a lot of people are passionate about the work itself and love working with the tools and materials, and relish the opportunity to invest of themselves in their house. If I was a pro contractor I might be hesitant to deal with the first two types, but the latter type would likely be a fun time.
You forgot the other big benny... with all that money I saved from paying interest instead of paying contractors, I was able to justify the purchase of several new tools to do the job in twice the time!
ROAR! Funny how dimentia works isn't it? You end up with enough tools to build anything, and no gumption left to touch a one of them. :-)>
>You end up with enough tools to build anything, and no gumption left to touch a one of them.Hear dat!orWord!or whatever one is supposed to say.Give it a few years. I've recently seen selling prices around here, and the increase in taxes, and thought, "ya know, I already have the tools..." How quickly we forget.
Ha! I have a safeguard there. I can forget all I want but Jenny's mind is like a steel trap. I think it snapped closed on the idea of another build about twelve months ago.
I've honestly enjoyed the whole project, for the most part, but I'll have to gnaw my leg off if I ever want to try it again.
Of course, that might not be all bad. Once I had it off I'd be halfway to covering all those unforseen costs. :-)>
Looking great, Wrecked. Love that tree and the way the entry lights up at night - "The House That Smiles As You Approach". You sure have the gift.
Cloud said "But a lot of people are passionate about the work itself and love working with the tools and materials, and relish the opportunity to invest of themselves in their house."
Yeah, that why a lot of us chose this profession, too. That's why we get prickly when we've "invested of ourselves" in someone else's project and they don't like the results. Understandable from either perspective, I guess.
Thanks Jim! I want to thank you again for turning me on to Mason's Select Fiber Cement Siding Stain. I hope to have a few exterior shots to post tomorrow. The mahogony/redwood siding on the second floor just blows people's mind when they find out it's a concrete composite.
As to my gift, they probably have special classes at the assylim for people so possessed. Ha!
"Mason's Select Fiber Cement Siding Stain"
Yeah, baby! That's a winner, right there! Virtually everyone who sees our new place raves about that stuff - guys who drive the lumber delivery truck, inspectors, plumber, electrician (who's also a local home builder). Ours looks even better than when we did it because the sheen is decreasing as airborne dirt abrades the finish. That was my one complaint when we first used it, but I could have lived with it.
That's a company worth getting stock in, huh?
No doubt! Of course, after I bought a few five gallon buckets of that stuff I kind of felt like I did buy stock in the company... lots of it. LOL! I think I have about $65 worth left. That ought to handle touch up. :-)>
Ok, I beat sundown by a few minutes. Here are a couple of shots of the outside at dusk.
Nice looking on the outside also
do tell, how did you stain/paint the concrete siding?
You got any closer-ups of the siding?
Sorry Butch, I don't have any clos-ups. I'll try and take a few this afternoon.
Here is the miracle product I used on the siding.
http://www.superdeck.com/masonsselect/6700spec.htm
I did a 50/50 blend of redwood and mahogony to match the brick band.
Thanks for the link, that truly is an awesome finish
looking at it from pictures.
Is it as good in person?
Edited 2/11/2005 7:08 pm ET by butch
"Is it as good in person?"
Better.
That do look awesome!
Is that the same product wrecked used or do you know?
Did you apply or did you buy prefinished?
Thanks for posting
We sprayed it on (two coats) with a rented airless before we installed it. I think it took two of us two days. Flood coats provide puddles in the low areas, which highlight the "grain". Looks WAY better in person than the photos I posted. We've had many long time professionals comment on it.
That's the same product, different color (maybe?). I think the lap is 1/2 redwood 1/2 mahogony...the shingles came unprimed so to get the same finished color we sprayed them with...redwood(?). It's been a couple years now, butch, I'd have to go check my leftover buckets to be accurate.
Same product and color as Jim, applied the same way just like he showed us.
Gone look nice when you are donw.But let me ask you something. Don't you own a level or plumb bob <G>.
Jim,
Do you have a good trick for hiding the face nails on the trim? I'm thinking white PL door and window caulk followed by a touch-up with the "stain."
What does that welcoming entry look like from a distance? Can folks in the distance see the smiling face?
jt8
The reason so many people never get anywhere in life is because when opportunity knocks, they are out in the backyard looking for four-leaf clovers. -- Walter Percy Chrysler
No, the entry is designed as a "surprise" when you come around the bend in the drive. The view I posted of the entry, framed by the two small cedars, is the first look you get of the front of the house. At that point you either drive forward between those two trees into the circle drive or go left to loop into the garage.
Oops - just realized I never posted that photo. It could use a little sunshine but you get the idea.
I love the house, especially the front entry pic. That must have taken some head scratching to get right.
You really have a lot of nice details in your house. It looks great.
LOL- Head scratching doesn't even begin to cover it. That is actually kind of a funny story.
I started with USG satalite imagery of the surounding 500 acres or so. (About 75 images pieced together in Photoshop). I brought that into AutoCad and overlayed my USG Survey data on it. I then positioned the house on the site and pulled data lines across the valley to make sure all the windows framed one of the limestone cliffs I wanted to highlight.
I later built a 3d Model of the house and did sun angle calculations for days to make sure I had it all just right. There is more to the whole set-up but you get the idea... I went way overboard to get it all lined up perfectly.
Then I set up my batter boards and called the concrete guy to get started. He missinterpreted one of my string lines and rotated the entire house about 5 degrees. It was subtle enough that I didn't catch it until the forms were finished. I ran all my calculations again and decided it was livable so we poured.
As it turned out, that 5 degree mistake was exactly what I needed to make it perfect. You would think the highlights of the natural landscaping had each been painted inside the individual window frames. Those two cedars at the approach were never factored into my calculations at all. The one on the left hides the garage just enough and the one on the right frames the other side perfectly. I could not have planted those naturaly growing gifts in a more perfect spot...
But if you ask me on the right day - I planned it that way all along! <G>
Well, that's great! The bank just called and told me I have to finish the cabinets, stairs and porch roof before we can close. They bumped my closing out to the 28th.
The roof will be done this weekend but I'm going to have to take a few days off to get the cabinets finished... and hey, what's wrong with the stairs I already built anyway?!! <G>
Ee canna be don captin! I need mar tieem!
I'm an artist man! I cannot perform with this kind of pressure... LOL!
to finish the cabinets
I'm an artist man! I cannot perform with this kind of pressure... LOL!
Ah, well now. Have you considered a nice arrangment of cabinets for the garage, perhaps a nice, readilly-available knoch-down brand that may or may not be as near as the local big-box? A modest, for-the-CoO, kitchen cabinet layout can suffice until the time for Crafte (Lif being so short <g>) can catch up. If that set of boxes just happens to make a really cool install elsewhere, why, that would be good fortune, excellent planning, superior design.
Why, "expedient," "convenient," such words would never, ever, sully the properly artistically inclined . . . <g>
Och, an nae firin' Mr Scott, until a'ter "she cams apar't t' see-ahms" . . . Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Closed but hardley finished... Moving in next weekend anyway.
Here's a couple of pictures of the stairs taken yesterday morning around 1:30 am. That was about the time I realized I only had half the bolts I needed to finish attaching the treads. The bank decided it was done enough for closing.
Ah well - There's always tomorrow...
sooo- you do realize that you'll never be finished, don't you?
BTW, congrats on the closing. One big hurdle out of the way.
Shhhhhh! Don't let my wife hear that!
Done is just a state of mind...
Kevin
The steps look solid. What you going to do for a railing? I assume there is a railing.
Looks nice.
Doug
I would like to leave the open side open and just put an oak handrail on the wall but my wife has different ideas. I'm working on a couple of concepts but it will most likely end up with horizontal bars coming off the end of each tread and mortising into a post of some sort going from floor to ceiling at the first tread.
I'll probably make an initial attempt with natural cedar limbs into a cedar tree trunk and if that doesn't work I'll refine it from there.
So did you get moved in? We haven't had an update in about a month. Any new pics?
jt8
Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful. -- Ann Landers
Yes we're in but the move has totaly killed production!
I keep forgetting to bring the pictures to work, but a good friend handed me some photos he took on a flyover a couple of weeks ago. I'll try to post an update that includes those, and a few more photos, next week.
If we fail to catch a cosmic fish it may be a trillion years before the opportunity comes again
Once I'm in the house, I tend to develop blind spots. Suddenly I don't notice all that trim that needs to be finished. Or that closet that needs to be painted (well shoot, I'd have to drag everything out of it to paint it NOW). And so on.. :)
Yes we're in but the move has totaly killed production!
After all the work though, it must be nice to finally get moved in.
jt8
Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful. -- Ann Landers
Yes it is - and if not for the massive wind farm suddenly going in next door, and I do mean next door, it would feel pretty good to unpack... but it's starting to look like we may be reloading those boxes all too soon and cutting our losses.
I just don't think I'm ever going to be able to develop that big of a blind spot, or deaf spot for that matter. The 76 turbines that just popped up over 15 miles away are loud enough, especially when they come to a stop, as they frequently do. Sounds like a train wreck less than a mile away and that is no exageration. This valley's accoustics are something else! The 260 + down the ridgeline starting about a mile from our place are going to almost certainly be more than we can live with.
I just can't freakin' believe what people in Texas can get away with doing to their neighbor's property. If only I hadn't thought enough of that view to build my entire @#$))!!xxx house around it!
If we fail to catch a cosmic fish it may be a trillion years before the opportunity comes again
I just don't think I'm ever going to be able to develop that big of a blind spot, or deaf spot for that matter. The 76 turbines that just popped up over 15 miles away are loud enough, especially when they come to a stop, as they frequently do.
Aaahh, that would explain your affection for turbines! Any idea what kind they put in?
The last decent sized one I stood next to didn't make much noise (although it was spinning, I didn't hear it stop). I don't know how many kw/mw it was, but was probably on a 60'-ish tube-tower. WAG, blades were 30'ish long each.
The 260 + down the ridgeline starting about a mile from our place are going to almost certainly be more than we can live with.
Must be pretty breezy thereabouts. Next time there is a township meeting, I suggest you become vociferous on the benefits of SOLAR power ;) Easy for me to say, I didn't just have my million $$ view obstructed. A few of them I could overlook, but 260 of them! Wheew!
Give us the new house pics when you have time.
jt8
Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful. -- Ann Landers
Well, I'm getting more specifics as they are rolling along. These are the 360' tall ones. I've been told that some of the ones going to our West will be the 400' variety. I don't know their specific energy rating but I have to honestly tell you I don't really care if they have the capacity to power the entire dadgum continent. :-)>
C-West out of California is doing the large farm headed West. The ones I'm most disturbed by, to our East, are being sponsored by Florida Power and Light, the same company that did the 76 turbines to our North. We will be well over 400 turbines by the final phase.
Standing on our deck and listening to the 76 turbines 15 miles or so north of us, I would equate it to that jet sound you hear when a high flying airliner goes over making serious time, except that it kind of pulses and it rarely stops. When it does stop you sure enough know about it!
One or two here and there would probably be no big deal. Even a few dozen might be livable, but turbine farms on this scale have no business being anywhere near communities. This area was the most scenic and historically appreciated area for hundreds of miles. Records show that Coronado camped in the valley and our State park covers hundreds of acres just to our East.
Buffalo Gap is the community on the other end of the ridge and they are even more historically grounded than we are. Tourists come from all over the world to both of our communities for the scenic beauty and authentic Texas atmosphere all year round. In my opinion it's just about the dumbest place in the world to locate such a massive wind farm.
It is going there because our representative in Austin is chairman of the alternative energy board. It will devastate us, but hey - they are going to pay lots of taxes when all the abatements run out in ten years... well, except for that depreciation thing. Still, there will be quite a bit more money in our county and a lot fewer people to use it up so statistically it should really help us out a bunch. All but a few of the politicians are just drooling over it. I am floored by the millions of dollars these companies make in federal, state and local subsidies for every turbine that goes up.
Our commissioners just set aside 50,000 acres of this area as a reinvestment zone with the stated intent of making it the largest wind farm in Texas. I could not have taken greater pains to situate my view of that acreage any better.
But, you wanted to know about the house right? <G> I'm sorry man - get me started. I don't remember ever being this angry, sick, brokenhearted and defeated over anything in my life. I've got to get my head straight and do what I can to pick whatever roses are left and move on. I'm sorry to say, the attention to detail in this house from here on out will not quite match the work to this point. I'll post a picture if I manage to slap together something noteworthy in the git-er-done phase.
A finished house is a listed house right? :-)> Now don't you wish you hadn't asked - LOL!!!
If we fail to catch a cosmic fish it may be a trillion years before the opportunity comes again
I'm really sorry that it worked out that way for you.
You have a really nice place there, from what I've seen in the pics you posted.
"Affairs on the border cannot be judged by standards that hold elsewhere."
Thanks I.C. - Tis but a scratch!
This is going to be a design challenge but I will find a way. I've just got to stop thrashing and start thinking. I can do this.
We got our first electric bill. It was $98 - the neighbor with a similar sized house got one for $260. I think we got that part right.
And that is the real answer to the energy challenges that wind turbines will never begin to solve.
If we fail to catch a cosmic fish it may be a trillion years before the opportunity comes again
Love to hear the good news about the electric bill--since we're using SIPs on our timberframe, it's nice to hear real-world evidence of their contribution to energy efficiency (you DID use SIPs for your house, if I remember correctly).
Thanks, too, for the information about the fiber-cement siding finish that makes it look like wood. We want a natural wood look for the exterior, but don't want the natural wood upkeep. That finish looks like a winner for us--I've printed out the information for our contractor.
Your house is beautiful. Sorry about the turbines, but trite as it sounds, perhaps it will work out for the best. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
Leigh
Thanks - we did use SIPs and I'm more convinced than ever that they are the best bang for the buck in residential construction.
If I ever have occasion to build again I will probably use this style of panel instead of the OSB version I used though. http://www.thermasteelpanels.com/ Depending of course on their economics. When I bought my panels the difference between steel and OSB was too wide a margine to ignore. I don't know if it still is or not.
What stage is your timber frame in now? Did I miss a picture thread? I love to see timber frames going together.
If we fail to catch a cosmic fish it may be a trillion years before the opportunity comes again
We're using OSB SIPs because of availability and pricing. Those at the link you posted sure look interesting, though.
The foundation is going in this week (the ground has FINALLY dried out enough), and the timberframe is nearly complete at the timberframers. The raising is scheduled to start May 2nd, with the SIPs going on immediately afterwards. I'll take pictures and post them here.
It's very exciting--we bought a timberframe from the same guy for our shop last year (we're still trying to finish that up) when someone backed out on it. The price was right, and I have to say, even unfinished, I love being in the shop. It just makes me happy to stand in there and look up at the timbers, the joinery, the beauty of the wood.
I'm really looking forward to living in the house. Of course, we have a few milestones to meet until then, including having the baby that's due in June!
Leigh
Hey - congratulations. June babies are great! My son will be 4 on June 23. I highly recommend them!
If we fail to catch a cosmic fish it may be a trillion years before the opportunity comes again
Here's a picture from the shop raising to tide you over until the house is raised. . .
This one was taken before the last bent went up, just after it rained.
Leigh
WOW! That is a NICE shop! Seriously nice. I look forward to seeing the house!
One word of caution - Do not oversize you HVAC on the house! You may already know this but it takes a designer with a little more experience to do the right kind of HVAC for an exceptionally energy efficient house. I used a very talented engineer out of Dallas and I think he nailed it.
Every single HVAC designer and contractor I talked to here in town was quick to point out all the fatal flaws in his design. I even found out after the fact that my HVAC contractor oversized the ductwork by 30% because he was sure my designer was a quack and he would need to redo the system when I finally came to my senses. (Idgit! One of several occasions where I nearly fired him on the spot) HVAC for a SIP house will defy conventional logic if it's done right.
On the other end of the spectrum, I have a friend and neighbor who seriously overdid it with his SIP house a couple of years ago. Floor, walls and roof, all nearly twice the thickness he needed. He wasted a ton of money, and still does every month, because his HVAC system short cycles all day long trying to replace the cooled but un-conditioned air he keeps dumping out the exchanger for the sake of "air quality."
Using conventional wisdom, he put five tons of air in his 2,040 S.F. house, with an air to air exchanger to compensate for the "overly tight" house. His bills have been well over $200 dollars a month on average. His bill last month was $255.
As one more point of reference our friends with a well built log home of comparable size paid a $275 electric bill last month. I've talked to several conventional style home owners that are paying double that number here in town.
There are several deliberate reasons we came in under $100 for the same period. We have a 3 1/2 ton split system for 2,400 S.F. with an outside air damper that will only open if it's triggered by a C.O. sensor. I don't have the sensor installed yet so the damper stays closed but the doors on the house leak enough, and get opened enough, that fresh air is plentiful. I doubt the damper will ever open even with the sensor installed.
I think the other primary contributor to the energy efficiency of our house is the windows. Windows are the number one source of energy loss in a home so I took great pains with ours. It was expensive to get a custom built window set up for our climate but I think it's going to pay off within ten years. That's a long pay back. I wouldn't recommend it for most people.
Since I designed the windows for peak efficiency in the summer, last month's bill should be the biggest one we get until next winter. We'll see if it plays out as planned.
Gosh that was long winded... what I really meant to say was, if you want the name of a really good HVAC engineer let me know. You may already have one but if not, it will be the best $300 - $400 you'll spend, I guarantee it!
If we fail to catch a cosmic fish it may be a trillion years before the opportunity comes again
I'd love the name of the HVAC engineer. Our GC--while very experienced with conventional building systems and who is quite willing to work with the "different" building systems we're using--doesn't have much experience with SIPs.
I'd also be interested in learning more about the damper with the CO sensor--that sounds like a good way to go.
Since we're building on a lake (Greers Ferry in north central Arkansas), we have lots of windows on the lake side of the house--the South/Southeast side. They're under a 10' screened porch overhang, though (the timberframe extends through to the end of the porch), so that will cut back on the direct sunlight in the summer, but let some in in the wintertime. We're using Anderson 400 series windows with low-E glass, which we hope will help, too. I really admire the research you put into your house, by the way. It's inspiring!
We really lucked out on the shop--when we were looking for a timberframer for the house, we found this guy, who'd built the frame for someone who backed out of the deal, so we got it very cheaply. It worked out very well--we were able to see (and live with) an example of the timberframer's work, work ethic, etc., before making the commitment on the house. In the end, the overall price for the shop isn't going to be much more than a standard shop.
The shop is 16'W x 40' long, with a loft on one end. We're setting it up with a full bath, so it could become a guest house later on. In the meantime, I've told my husband with that kind of inspiration around him as a shop, the pressure's really on!
We're trying to get the shop done enough (last of the walls in, bathroom and electricity in) to live in if we sell our current house quickly. It would be nice to be living onsite while the new house is being built, but with the baby coming, I'm not sure how it will all work out, timing-wise. We're playing it by ear--hard for this project manager to do!
Leigh
Here is the engineer: http://www.energywisestructures.com/ His name is Richard Rue. Tell him Kevin Halliburton sent you his way.
I really look forward to seeing your home go together. Best of luck!
If we fail to catch a cosmic fish it may be a trillion years before the opportunity comes again
Hi
My name is Katie. My cousin razman sent me in your direction. I am sorry about your situation with the wind turbines. I work in a Town office, I am the Deputy Clerk, Zoning Board and Planning Board Secretary. I have been helping with gathering info on wind turbines. Right now we have a company that has a met tower up for two years, gathering wind info. We are still looking into the noise factor and the wind over-lay zone, which I'm still not exactly sure what the over-lay zone is. If you have any info that you would'nt mind sharing with me, it would be greatly appreciated.
We are trying to make sure we cover anything we possibly can come up with.
Thank you
Are those the proposed towers in the Adirondacks on the other side of a ski mountain?
Hi
I am in Western NY, below Buffalo. A small community. There is mostly neg. feedback from community members. We do have quite a large zoning doc. That doesn't make many very happy. They need to realize that it's for their protection. Granted on some things it may seem a bit extreme.
I am at the other end of the state Albany area. Zoning issues can always be frustrating ,it's a balance of being told what you can and can't do with your own property and satisfying the needs and future of your community.
It's important that a zoning board be consistant and fair with their interpretations on the current issues before them. Many times politics, individual interests and egos can influence the zoning board decisions.
How true. I believe that's where we are at right now. The Board wants to make sure that this is all covered. It's very frustrating.
katie-
Could you elaborate a bit more about what is happening in your community as to who is planning to build the towers and why.
And what people have said in regards to having a zoning ordinance in place etc.
sobriety is the root cause of dementia.
Welcome Katie,
I'm not sure I understand the overlay zone either. As far as the noise goes, they seem fairly quiet directly underneath them but they do roar a mile or so down the road, especially when you combine a bunch of them. I'm several miles away from the 76 turbines on the ridges to my North and they sound like a C130 cargo plane sitting on the tarmac warming up the engines. It's a constant roar. Ours have been coming to a complete stop often lately. There is no nice way to put it - It sounds like a train wreck when that happens.
Keep in mind that most of the turbines going up today are taller than the Statue of Liberty, some of them are significantly taller. I love the statue of Liberty but I don't want several hundred replicas of her running down the ridge lines for miles in every direction. That's the real key - wind farms require miles and miles of the best scenery in order to make the investment semi viable. They stick way up into the skyline and it is uglier than you can imagine! The visible cost of wind farms is substantial. I can't see any way they can ever make up for what they cost on so many fronts.
Some people don't mind ridge lines decimated by massive towers, numbering in the hundreds, but the majority of the residents in those neighborhoods get pretty angry about it once they see what's happened to their scenery and realize the alteration to their environment is permanent. IMHO wind farms on the scale we are dealing with have no business anywhere near established communities.
The lights blink all night long and none of them blink in unison. It's quite a show but I miss the stars over those ridges.
Tax abatements and federal subsidies are the biggest reason so many turbines are going up. County officials are more interested in the tax revenue they generate than the electricity. They can be money makers for the counties where they are installed but in my opinion they get way too much in the way of pocket lining that greatly diminishes their contribution to the counties in the first place. The turbines are going to be put up where the wind is remotely favorable, local abatements or not. The real money is in the federal production tax credits so they are shooting for prime production oriented locations.
One other caution - watch how they structure the company behind the turbine construction. Here in Texas the turbine companies have found ways to privately fund the construction phase of their projects to circumvent the federal environmental impact study requirements while still taking full advantage of the production phase federal tax credits. They can be pretty darn oily!
That's probably enough for now. Where are you located?
If we fail to catch a cosmic fish it may be a trillion years before the opportunity comes again
Hi
I am located in Western New York. We are a small community but for some reason there are two or three wind engergy companies that have showen interest in our area.
I am not really up to speed on the turbines but hopefully I can learn. I thought that the proposed law that has already been put together covered quite a bit, but I realize now that there is a lot more that needs to be covered if we want to protect our community and it's members.
We have had quite a negative feed back from some of the residents.
I guess what I would like to know if there are any local laws or any state laws that I could compare what we already have. We have nothing on the books yet.
I really appreciate the input, it's helpful.
Katie
We are a small community but for some reason there are two or three wind engergy companies that have showen interest in our area.
It is my personal opinion, based on some pretty strong evidence, that small communities are being targeted by the wind energy companies because they tend to be less organized and politically active, they tend to have very loose zoning laws, their schools tend to need the promised tax revenue pretty badly, their county commissioners tend to be of the more trusting "rural code" mentality so they are easier to sell (railroad :-)> ) the benefits of wind energy to and perhaps most egregiously they tend to be represented at the state and federal level by representatives whose primary constituency is the larger nearby communities that think wind energy is a great idea so long as it's in your back yard, not their's.
As a zoning official, I believe you would do well to view your community more as a target than a chosen beneficiary of energy company benevolence. You haven't seen PO'ed until you are sitting at the head table of a room full of residence who have their life savings tied up in a community that has suddenly been decimated by hundreds of these things and they think you had something to do with it.
The hand full of landowners in our community that are making money off these things are finding it hard to fit in nowdays too. I'm all for property rights but putting up a bunch of wind turbines on one piece of property will absolutely affect the potential use of the adjoining property for miles on end. Sever land owners in our community have lost property sales as a result of their neighbors putting turbines on their property. The land rights of all property owners need to be protected. In my view owning a piece of property does not entitle you to the sky above it that your neighbor's will have to look at. Some zoning restrictions and property rights laws support my view and some don't.
It's the communities like mine, and perhaps yours, where the skyline is not expressly protected by law that it can be sold to the highest bidder. I believe the skyline belongs to all of us and if it is to be significantly altered, as it is when wind farms are erected, it should be at the consent of the majority, not by the handful of landowners that stand to make a bundle off of the decision.
Here is a report from the CATO Institute that balances some of the wind turbine hype with a little honesty: http://www.cato.org/cgi-bin/scripts/printtech.cgi/pubs/pas/pa-280.html
Same article, different source: http://www.mnforsustain.org/windpower_cato_part1_renewable_energy.htm
A group fighting wind energy in the Nantucket area - some good photos of what wind energy looks like here, no the pictures are not exaggerated - It really is that ugly:http://www.windstop.org/pages/1/
Another good article:http://www.tsaugust.org/Renewables%20Articles.htm
Notice that I haven't sent you a link to the positive side of things, though the CATO report is fairly balanced. I don't see the good in them that many others do. I've watched how Florida Power and Light operates in a small community like mine and I've seen first hand what the turbines do to a community. I'll let them sell you on their side of things but in my opinion, I would stop them while you can. They are not worth the cost.
I'm no expert on law but I believe all it would take is a zoning ordinance restricting structures to a reasonable height of a couple hundred feet with variances approved when there is a good reason to do so, such as a cell or TV tower here and there. One or two massive structures does not necessarily destroy a skyline - hundreds of them most certainly do.
If we fail to catch a cosmic fish it may be a trillion years before the opportunity comes again
Just saw this thread and wanted to say I'm really sorry about the loss of your view!
Thanks Aimless - In perspective there are far more precious things to loose.
We'll make it work, it's just another design challenge right? :-)>
If we fail to catch a cosmic fish it may be a trillion years before the opportunity comes again
Thanks for the links. I'll check them out. The Zoning Chairman is very interested in all of the info you all have given me. I know it seems because we are a small community there are a lot of things that have been brought to us that we really don't need or want.
thanks again
Golden, you keep this up and you'll have to change your sign-on name to Don Quixote. ;)
And by the by, did we ever get the updated pics? Shoot, might as well give us a shot of the spinning skyline as well. jt8
Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits. -- Mark Twain
Here is the North view off the deck. These turbines are 10 to 15 miles away. The third shot is what that ridge line looked like the first day I really got a good look at it.
Several people in the community filed a class action lawsuit and I believe they got a temporary injunction that is holding the hounds at bay on the main view side for now.
The last shot is one of the views I'm hoping to preserve through an act of God. I've been bringing the issue to His attention regularly. :-)>
If we fail to catch a cosmic fish it may be a trillion years before the opportunity comes again
The visual I could probably get used to. The train wreck noise would annoy me. But yeah, it sure did alter the view.
View Imagejt8
Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits. -- Mark Twain
Yesterday evening we had a pure white dove flying around in the tree tops outside the kitchen window. I'm sure they are out there but I have never seen a pure white dove anywhere in Texas. It was absolutely breathtaking. The turkey gobbles at night can keep you awake with the windows open and the coyote howls will send a chill down your spine when they break the stillness of the night.
Our bed sits right in front of a window I designed for maximum moon light and morning sun exposure. I went to sleep last night with that light on my face and a peace in my spirit. With the moon high in the sky the most incredible star lit views were right down along the horizon. My son will come in our room sometimes and we'll all just lay there on our stomachs looking out the window at that skyline and wondering out loud at the majesty of God.
If the wind turbines end up covering that ridge they will alter many of those experiences significantly. The migratory interference, the strobing effects, the constant noise, the blinking red lights, never seeing a virgin sky from our house again... I'll never get used to that loss but I'll develop the ability to keep that peace and wonder in spite of them if I have to.
I sure can't figure how the energy companies and my neighbors have the right to take all that away without compensation though. I guess if I lived in a place where zoning laws restricted such things I might have problems with the trade out for that protection too. Our personal loss is of a great enough magnitude that I don't believe I'll ever be able to see the benefits of these contraptions outweighing their cost. I hope Katie's community will see that with fore sight rather than hind sight but you are welcome to sell her on the plus side if you want to. <G>
If we fail to catch a cosmic fish it may be a trillion years before the opportunity comes again
The trees will cover the towers in a few years as they grow . The red blinking lights are better than the clear strobes . There is one of those on a radio tower about six miles from my place and that thing flashes almost as bright as lightning.
Geeze, I think I'll load up the Uhaul and move into your place. Got an extra br? ;)
I don't have any view at all in my current location.
I grew up in the country. Our biggest eyesore was to the SW. Big coal power plant. That thing was miles away, but was a big blip on the view, belching out vast amount of smoke 24-7. At night, not only did it have the annoying white strobes, but the whole exterior was lit up in an amber sodium-light glow.
The ironic thing was that we lived a few miles from a powerplant, but our power was being piped in from across the state. go figure.
But anyway, yes, it would be nice to preserve at least ONE vista! And can they do anything about the noise thing?jt8
Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits. -- Mark Twain
I hear you - the difference is the coal plant/wind farm wasn't in our back yard when we sunk our life savings into this place. If you had been there before the coal plant, wouldn't you have tried to stop it from going up where you lived? I dang sure would have!
Some things are very much worth preserving. IMHO the vistas around our home are precious commodities in this region. There is nothing else like them for hundreds of miles. It's just foolish to sacrifice all of that beauty for energy that could be produced elsewhere without destroying those vistas.
As to the noise, according to Florida Power and Light, "the noise used to be a concern but we've vastly improved the turbines and it's no longer a problem."
If we fail to catch a cosmic fish it may be a trillion years before the opportunity comes again
As to the noise, according to Florida Power and Light, "the noise used to be a concern but we've vastly improved the turbines and it's no longer a problem."
You need to get someone with sound gear to record the "no longer a problem". From your house, then a mile closer. Mile closer, etc. Have people having a normal conversation and then SCREEEEEEECH of the turbine. Gives them a sound level comparison.
Although, if energy prices stay high, maybe PV development will continue and they can just cover a few square miles of desert with PV's and power half the country :)jt8
Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits. -- Mark Twain
Here's a pic of what they've done to our beautiful Tehachapi Pass in Calfornia. BTW, no ques. why they put them here - the wind roars through this pass between the low desert and the high desert. But it is ugly, and in fact, kinda creepy looking.
link
Access forbidden to that site. Just post it here.
jt8
The reason so many people never get anywhere in life is because when opportunity knocks, they are out in the backyard looking for four-leaf clovers.-- Walter Percy Chrysler
View Image
Ugh - those babies are as ugly as their mommas! What is the height on those towers?
I was relieved to find out that the turbines are not going down the ridgeline that is the premium view from our house - That is until I discovered that they are so tall they stick up above that ridgeline even though they are on a ridge line several miles beyond!
Standing in the first floor kitchen, looking out the 8 foot picture windows, I can already count several shafts waiting for their triple feathered war bonnets. Several others are already spinning.
Still no sign of the promised environmental impact study they assured the community would be done before construction started.
I'll have to post a few update pictures one of these days when I find the heart. It looks like there will not be a window left in our house that I can't see several turbines out of.
If we fail to catch a cosmic fish it may be a trillion years before the opportunity comes again
You know John, you caught me at the right moment with a sincere interest in our house and I took the occasion to blow a fuse. I apologize - My perspective and attitude really suck right now and I need to work on it. I didn't mean to take it out on you.
There was a flock of wild turkey outside the back door last night and a covey of quail have taken residence in the brush about 40 feet from the picture windows. We have white tail in the yard fairly often and the wildflowers are starting to explode all around us. It's amazing the difference the new foliage on the oaks makes too. The whole place is just suddenly alive.
There is more to the view than the horizon. I've already carved our names in the tree... that is going to narrow the list of prospective buyers quite a bit. <G> I was working on the shelving in the pantry this weekend and I just couldn't bring myself to slap it together in haste. You would have thought I was working on a fine furniture center piece. It was just foolish, taking that much time on it but there is just too much in it now, I can't let up where it shows. It's not the house's fault our politicians are morons! I've got to give her the care she deserves - even if it is foolish.
I'm starting to remember what's important here. I walked the property with my boy and the dog this weekend. It's not going to be what I envisioned but it's our home.
I'll post a few more photos tomorrow... thanks again for your interest.
If we fail to catch a cosmic fish it may be a trillion years before the opportunity comes again
Nowadays its dang near impossible for a quiet 'place in the country'. With the city folks moving out and all the car and air traffic, you just can't get away from the eye/sound pollution (unless you take it to IMERC extremes).
Then you've got out of state $$ coming in and putting those turbines up. Its one thing if they're producing it for local consumption, but its another thing when its out of state companies who put them up so that they can get green credits (and thereby pollute more at their coal facilities).
jt8
Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful. -- Ann Landers
Edited 4/5/2005 12:57 pm ET by JohnT8
You're trying to get me started again aren't you? <G>
If we fail to catch a cosmic fish it may be a trillion years before the opportunity comes again
Seems like the "boondocks" is getting futher and further out. Where I grew up, we were about 8 miles from a small town and 20 miles from a city. That was boondocks in the 70's & 80's. Had a hard time getting town/city friends to come WAAAAAy out there (as if it were a long journey).
Nowadays, that area is covered with houses and you've got to go another 20 minutes (or more) out to try and get some serenity.
Country ain't country no more.
jt8
Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful. -- Ann Landers
You're telling me. I was raised in Durango, CO. We lived so far out in the sticks it was sure enough "rustic." That place no longer exists in any recognizable form.
If there is a positive to these wind turbines, it is that they will likely dissuade the type of consumers, who might be a detriment to our tightly knit community, from relocating here. Then again, they may encourage the development of neighborhoods with very little regard for the aesthetics that help make this place so charming too. Either would be a real shame.
At any rate, the flowers are blooming, and I have a strong conviction in my spirit that I need to be still enough to listen and strong enough to trust right now. That's what I'm going to endeavor to do.
If we fail to catch a cosmic fish it may be a trillion years before the opportunity comes again
Well, if the turbines keep the city folks away, then they're not all bad ;)
And more tolerable for the residents than a hog farm (unless you like to know which way the wind is blowing).
jt8
Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful. -- Ann Landers
I don't, Wrecked. Never minded the nail heads, myself.
JimYou need to add http:// to the link to your website in your portfolio.
Whoa, thanks, Bill.
Clicked on that thing and it took me to a Taunton page!
thanks again.
Here's a closer look, but there's a little green in this photo - I didn't quite get the color right when I printed it. The siding looks natural.
Any time you're working with good materials, you need a good crew. Here's my left arm.
Freaking nice everything. Good job.Who Dares Wins.
It looks like I'm not the only one that moves into not quite finished homes. The longer it takes to finish ours the more ideas I have. I love to build things it does not matter what they are, but my to do list doesn't get shorter.
Your home looks real nice, you are doing a real good job on the finish details. It's obvious you take pride in your work.
Kevin, very nice......I especially like the cable lights...
The cable lights... another one of those, "man that looks cool but I sure couldn't afford to pay someone else to do it."
Just two more rooms to drill and install that little brainstorm in. Man, I kill me with these flashes of brilliance sometimes! :-)>
Just give me a water level, a story pole, a string line, a roll of ductape, a 16" Level, and the better part of a day and I can install one light fixture. There has to be a joke in there somewhere...
LOL....I thought as much.......But, they are so cool and you will enjoy them, I'm sure......
Sharp, by any definition.
I really like the cable lights. I've seen them various places (like the lighting dealers), but could never really imagine a place where they would "fit." Excellent job. Also, ties in to the part-rustic atmosphere with a nod (and a wink) to old K&T wiring.
I also noticed you are either a hack or not, per the 'base before or after HW floor' thread (I can't keep track anymore which way is what in that thread). What species is that floor?
Anything interesting for the millwork in the kitchen?
Anything interesting for the millwork in the kitchen?
Concrete, oak, steel, pastry slabs, inlays, overlays, cutting boards and clever little gizmos all over the plans... Jenny will be able to stand in one spot and fix dinner without taking a step, just think about what she wants and it will magically appear in her hands.
Of course, for the time being they are Probably going to get built with milk crates and plywood... but Jenny will still be able to stand in one spot and watch me fix dinner...
The cabinet boxes are all 3/4" top, bottom, sides and back to carry the load of the 2" concrete counter tops. (another yet to do)
As far as cabinets go I would definitely have to confess to being a hack. These are the first cabinets this old school framer has ever built, but I'm learning... slowly. I'll get the hang of it one of these days and pick up the pace a little... of course I'll be done by then. :-)>
Dial calipers and scribing compasses instead of a speed square and catspaw sure do lighten up the bags too. I could get used to this... of course I'll be done by then. :-)>
Boy I like the way that sounds... Just keep repeating and it's bound to come true... right?
Just keep repeating and it's bound to come true
Yeah, sure, that's it, click those shoes together . . .
Doing it yourself also means you know where the spots are where you took a short cut to get it finished, or had to just lash it together to keep everything else from falling apart . . .
One day, there you are, minding your own business (like you always do), and then you pull apart that funky joint, or start redoing the shelves that should have been better from get go . . . and you're neck deep again . . .
Such is life in houses . . .
Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Kevin, looking good,
Man that brings back memories or..... maybe ah, I should say
nightmares, when I practicaly spent every available hour for a whole
year helping my brother build his house.
I'm sure the satisfaction you will recieve when the job is done
will be well worth it. I'm looking forward to the pic. of the ext.
So is this 100% your effort or have you had contractors assisting
with what you didn't want to tackle?
Thanks again for sharing and it really is looking good!
Thanks but no way on the Lone Ranger gig. I've had several subs, a couple of "employees" and several friends and family helping out at various times.
The big jobs that got subbed were concrete, plumbing, electrical and HVAC, along with the exterior masonry. A few members of my family and a couple of good friends helped me get the SIP shell built. I framed everything but the garage, the porch and a few upstairs walls. I subbed the roof too.
I've also had two fairly steady "employees" (good friends willing to help out for less than they are worth really) for quite a while now. I worked with Greg at my last firm for a while before he went off to south Texas to run a remodel company. He and his daughter were looking to land a little closer to home for a while and agreed to take on what ever I could throw at them. They've done a great job.
They hung the sheet rock and another sub finished it. I helped with the painting part but they did the siding and soffits. They put down the oak on the floor too. They've done the majority of the work over the last six or seven months really. Several of the men from church showed up last Saturday and made some much appreciated progress too.
Me, I just show up as often as I can and pick the next thing to swing a hammer at. Every ridiculous little detail that takes a patient madman several days to complete has my name all over it. :-)>
I planned to do more of course but the time just hasn't been there. One of the main reasons for my dwindling contingency fund I'm sure.
looking good kevin,
I like the "tree" growing out of the floor.
but I have to ask, or comment anyway ;)
the front of your house, the welcome picture, it looks kind of like a big jack-o-lantern....
He, he... Thanks for noticing. I left all but the "face" lights off for that shot. With the other lights on it is far more subtle.
I enjoyed all the pictures, especially the tree. I'm dying to see what the stairs are going to look like.It's nice when you can move into something you put all your creative energy into.Keep up the great work, it is something to be proud of.
greg in connecticut
I can see Kevin thru out the house.
I can't wait for the kitchen cabinets and the handrails.
And i will not touch the landscape. nothing like it is.
Good job it will be not good enough for your art.
The selection of wood is the best part and the tree is awesome.
Get back to work now. I want everything done when I visit you.
YCF Dino
Kevin, Most excellent! Both design and execution...way to go.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Restoring, Remodeling, Reclaiming The Quality..
That place LOOKS like something only an architect would build.
(-:
Uh, thanks - I think...
Reminds me of IMERC's comment. He said, "looks like it was BUILT by an architect." Hmmmmm... what exactly did he mean by that? :-)>
If we fail to catch a cosmic fish it may be a trillion years before the opportunity comes again