Here are some pics of my summer house that I’ve recently completed, though there are still several details to finish and landscaping yet to be done.
I started demolition in fall of 2004 and we were back in the house summer 05. Spent the last year finishing up. Built it primarily myself with a little hired help over the winter, nights, weekends, etc.
Thanks to all who chimed in with advice and suggestions along the way.
Replies
Very nice upgrade. Nice styling. I like the window layout. With a bit of study, you could become an architect or something!
That's your summer house? The city's your full-time house? Bahamas is weekend getaway?
Great transformation. Now that you're done with it, what will the free time be used for?
I'm looking for my next project, idle hands and the devil and all that.
Thanks Jim. My buddy wants me to do his place down in your neck of the woods (Catawba) BTW, regarding the windows, I was using a double square as a starting place for proportions, 3'x6' DH (vertical) and 6'x 3' gliders (horiz.) These dimensions (3' and 6') repeat themselves in the plan also.
Catawba ain't far! A friend from the gym got a full scholarship to the U there for girl's soccer.
That's knocked out, doode...so many nice little touches...bath room floor, kitchen wall/track supports, siding pattern, my guest room, just to name a few<G>
So, questions: how are the stainless newels anchored?...and you dad gummed architects and those pocket doors, sheesh, but got any close-ups of the handsets?
Looks like you didn't have to meet any handrailing codes...was it a "corner post reconstruction?"
And, the exterior is so subtley pleasing...great job!
Abe says, "Man, you must be puttin' me on"
God say, "No." Abe say, "What?"
God say, "You can do what you want Abe, but
The next time you see me comin' you better run"
Well Abe says, "Where do you want this killin' done?"
God says, "Out on Highway 61."
Thank's Holly. I figured I better show something, or no one would ever believe I actually banged nails.edit: re the SS balusters, I PL'd dowels into the ends and used double ended lags (the correct term for that piece of hdwr. escapes me at the moment) and bored a hole in the treads and rail with a forstner bit.
Edited 12/4/2006 5:43 pm ET by TGNY
>>>>>>>>>>>no one would ever believe I actually banged nails.All I noticed was you hugging your buddy whilst wearing kneepads and a toolbelt. Weren't you the "Italian carpenter" in the Village People?Note: I've never used the word "whilst" previosuly. What's going on here?http://logancustomcopper.com
http://grantlogan.net/
Nicely done! I really like the openness...
What's wrong with pocket doors? :) We have one in our bathroom...
Thanks Carole. I thought we would rarely use the pocket doors, more of an architectural excess, but they sure come in handy when the kids go down and play at 6:30 am on the weekends.
LOL....I understand.....Our pocket door in our bathroom makes it nice and cozy when taking a shower.....Of course, this only happens in winter!Seriously, your cottage is beautiful.....One of the things we wanted when we moved out here was a home that was open...Our home flows from one room to the other, which is a great feat out here....Husband is working with a woodworking group that is making laser cut doors for this house that has many, many doors.....If I can ever get a picture, I will....
What years the fest?
Let's see the mortgage will be paid off in about 2020 if I'm lucky, so how about 2025.
Before I opened the slideshow, I knew I was sure I was gonna see a fine piece of work. You didn't dissapoint me. Good work Mr. G.
http://logancustomcopper.com
http://grantlogan.net/
He does have good taste, even for a Tigny!
;)And I just signed up for a Google photo album
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Thanks Grant. I wanted copper gutters but the budget would only allow for galvanized (did you notice I used half-rounds).
All houses need a little jewelry.
>>>>>>>>>>I wanted copper gutters.Actually, I think the galvanized looks better than the copper would in this case - especially from the back where it ties in with the deck rail nicely. I don't see a thing I'd do differently. Only problem with the galvanized is it seems like it doesn't last near as well as it used to.http://logancustomcopper.com
http://grantlogan.net/
You're not kidding, it's already rusting. I have to coat it with that stuff that Sphere recommended.
I really like that. How long did the transformation take? And where is it? Looks like it could be right up here near me.
And how did you get the deck railing to pass muster? I did a deck railing like that years ago ,albeit out of galvanized pipe, before the codes tightened up that I still drive by every once in a while.
Nice car in the garage too.
View Image
Thanks Jerrald. The house is on the eastern end of Long Island. Major construction took about 10 months, till we could move in, then another couple of months, building the deck, hanging the doors, tiling the bathroom, etc. Slowly finished the remaining odds and ends, trim, etc. last winter.
For some reason I assumed you made a living typing on a laptop, but I see you are capable of some pretty impressive carpentry! I guess I will have to show you more respect when I post to now that you a real craftsman.<G
Nice job, when do we all get to see it close up, this spring I assume?
>>>>>>>>>>>For some reason I assumed you made a living typing on a laptopI think a lot of us assume the same about a lot of the rest of us.http://logancustomcopper.com
http://grantlogan.net/
Get him to walk you around NYC sometime he's banged a lot of nails.
Pardon my fat fingers.
http://www.hay98.com/
some days i would like to drive a few 20 pennies with my laptop !
carpenter in transition
I like to think of myself as a renaissance man. Hang a door, tinker with the car, prepare some reports (that's what pays the bills), make a gourmet dinner for my wife, read to my daughter, and most importantly log on to BT in the evening and battle those evil neo-cons ;-)
Very, very nice. I knew I would be impressed. I love the opennes of it. I'm gonna do something I never ever do. I'm gonna show this to my wife. This is the very same house we've been talking about buying. She'll probably turn up the heat on me now, but what the heck. If I could get those kinds of results it'll be worth it.
Pardon my fat fingers.
http://www.hay98.com/
>>>>>>>>>I'm gonna do something I never ever do. I'm gonna show this to my wife. I was thinking the same thing.http://logancustomcopper.com
http://grantlogan.net/
On three.
Pardon my fat fingers.
http://www.hay98.com/
Tone
Nice!A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
Thanks Calvin.
Thank you Gunner. It might be for sale for the right price, didn't you want to move back to the Hamprons :-)
If I could make a living there I might.
Pardon my fat fingers.
http://www.hay98.com/
You kidding me? An electrician in the Hamptons. The tradesman out here own yachts, airplanes, restaraunts, etc. They name their price and get it. If I could convince my wife to live out here fulltime that's what I'd be doing. Several people have stopped by the house and asked who the builder/designer was. I tell them he died cause the client drove him nuts ;-)
No kidding. Here they are treated like crap. I don't want a yacht. But a restaurant is appealing.
Pardon my fat fingers.
http://www.hay98.com/
The electrician who did my place, and he was excellent, is thinking of retiring. Another firm wants to buy him out. He's 39 years old.
Jeezus! That's the kind of market we all dream of.
Pardon my fat fingers.
http://www.hay98.com/
WOW! That is awesome...I love it.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
I have irriatable Vowel syndrome.
Nobody got to you before you chose the colors for the bathroom tile, eh? <G>
I really like the random-width siding. I've never seen that done before.
It's an acquired taste, I'm still acquiring ;-)
Very,very nice.
First class, and then some. Way to go.
_______________________________________________________________
Rock is dead. Long live paper and scissors
Thanks Heck. BTW, How bout those Cards!
Nice job Toni. If you can keep andy away....it may remain so....doh!
Now back to the Tavern with ya!
Oh how they pound, raising the sound,
o'er hill and dale, telling their tale,
Gaily they ring while people sing
songs of good cheer, Christmas is here....
Thanks JD. Andy has threatened to come out, I just got to pick him up on the way out.
WOW, what a transformation! Looks great. Makes me wanna dive into ours...gotta wait, though.
Couple of questions about bath. Is the shower curtain the final deal or are you gonna have glass there? What's the little bump out behind the toilet?
I really like the back...looks like a good place to relax.
PJ
Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.
Thanks Peter, Shower curtain is the final deal, wife and myself both dislike glass enclosures, curtain can open wide and easy enough to wash or replace. Bump out is because the new stack had to clear the LVL that supports that exterior wall, tt runs from front to back of the house. I could have furred out the whole wall but decided just to fur out around the toilet, kind of gives it a throne like backboard ;-).
Very very nice.
Adventures in Home Building
An online journal covering the preparation and construction of our new home.
Thanks J.
Edited 12/5/2006 7:16 am ET by TGNY
If that's yer "summer house," I'd like to see what the "rest of the year" mansion looks like...
Big White Man House...
The rest of the year is just an apartment. Us city dwellers need an outpost to keep our sanity. Though there is a certain Chateau I posted in the Tavern I've got my eyes on ;-)
Super super nice work, once again.
Looks like you also did some nice work on your "winter" chateau - you can hardly tell it started as a doublewide with a blue-tarped addition! How'd they ever lift it up so high?
Forrest - assemblin' a train trestle stair today, I hope
Thanks Forrest, That's the one problem with these type of ranches, they feel like doublewides. I really didn't add much to the footprint, but the little I did sure makes a difference. Good luck with the stair, is that the one you posted the sketch of the other day.
No, your house didn't look like a double wide - I was talking about the $70M penthouse!
Yes on the stair - driving over to the jobsite with more pieces in a moment.
It's, like, let's see, about 270 feet from my shop
Forrest
That's a hell of a commute. Hope the traffic isn't too bad ;-)
WAITAMINUTE!
Didn't your last short-commute job turn into a collection problem, resolveable only by a judge?
I thought I was the king of short commutes! You are the new king!
<Didn't your last short-commute job. . .>
Whew! I hadn't thought of it that way. Got a good signed contract this time, FWIW!
Forrest
Can I play, too? My commute is 6'. Unless I go downstairs for breakfast first--then it's about 40' for the round trip.
My commute used to be about 40' too, now it's 40 blocks, (or 40 islands depending on which week).
Nice digs TG....looks like a canidate for a FHB issue.
I don't know what happened when I tried to post a picture, and the reply isn't as funny without the picture.
Anyway, here in America we wear our pants over the boots, not in the boots. Wasn't that a question on the naturalization test?
Tune in Tokyo.
Whew, I feel like I dodged a bullet. I saw a big frame with no pic, so I expected the worse.
I tend to dress more for utility (except for Utilikilts) and less for fashion these days. Those Kamiks are nice and toasty. I will admit the suspenders look goofy, but they sure do lighten the toolbelt.edit: Interestingly enough the citizenship test did ask if Budweiser is considered an adult beverage in your native land though.
Edited 12/6/2006 2:10 pm ET by TGNY
I love what you made of the house. Really great change up. (the envy is taking awhile to wear off LOL ) ... are you an architect or a builder? either way, you are blessed too get to work on your own home like that. nice .. and thanks for sharingarthurhttp://www.thesmallbuildingcompany.com
Thanks Arthur. I'm neither, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last nite ;-) Actually trained as both. Your work is not too shabby either.
Very nice work and excellent thread.
The heartpine floors look great. Are they new or reclaimed?
What did you build your kitchen doors out of?
Chuck S
live, work, build, ...better with wood
Heart pine was new. I believe it was milled in Alabama though I purchased it through a supplier in CT.
Cabinet doors are solid birch, though they were built in Sweden, if you get my drift. Eventually I will build the kitchen cabinets myself when I have the time and energy.
Ayup, I think I can discern a bit of difference in that before and after. ;)
Looks great.
by the by, if you haven't already mentioned it, what subflooring did you use under that slate?
jt8
"When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us." -- Alexander Graham Bell
Thanks John. The house originally had 1/2" plywood subfloor, I added another layer (screwed and glued) and 1/4" CBU. I wanted to keep the pine floor and the slate at the same level with no height transition.
GREAT JOB! I was totally with you, until I saw the Triumph parked in the garage...What is a ballpark square foot cost on the deck material, and where did you find the galvanized hardware (speficially, the tops of the posts that hold the handrail?)
What, you don't like the Triumph? I wanted a 68' Charger (my first car) but it wouldn't fit in the garage. Decking 5/4 x 4 R.E. was $1.09/lf a year and a half ago. With stainless steel screws, hardware, coating, stair and skirting material, etc. it worked out to about $7/sf for material. That does not include the framing lumber below or labor of course.The railing is called 'Speedrail' by Hollaender (sp?) out of Ohio.
Thanks for the information on the deck. Just kidding about the Triumph; I have a '68 MG that continues to haunt me every summer...
Oh, so you have oil stains all over your driveway too.
Very, very nice! You've given me some good ideas for my place.
Beautiful job. I love the layout and the crafstmanship is excellent. I'm really impressed that you were able to that so fast working it part time. Can't wait to see the next project!"War is God's way of teaching Americans geography." Ambrose Bierce
Beautiful transformation-I really appreciate an architect who actually can build what he draws on paper. Are you in ths Bahamas this week?
Greg in Connecticut
Thanks Greg. Won't be going down to the Bahamas till January now. Getting ready for skiing instead. Hope you and the family have a good holiday, will have to look you up next time I'm in your part of CT?Thanks Crash and 123ABC.
That is gorgeous! Good work! I was wondering about the deck material. You said RE, what is this? If you stained it what did you use? About the flooring coming from Alabama............What else can I say?
Gotta love the chargers.
My dad had a 68' with a six pack. 440. Off the show room floor. Mom sold it when he was in Viet Nam to buy a station wagon!!!! Silver with red interior.
I had a 69' RT/SE but let it go. Black on black, leather, original engine was a 440 but owner put a Hemi in it. Before I got it he took the Hemi out and put a 318. Man I liked that Hemi. He gave me a ride one day with the Hemi. We were doing like 50-55 mph and he nailed the accelerator. Boiled the tires! The compression out of the pipes would blow the leaves out of the driveway when he backed up. I was somewhat intimate with this car because my friends dad owned it.
Semper Fi
Thanks Jarhead. The deck is meranti(a malaysian mahogany - http://bluestardecks.com/Decking.htm). RE stands for rounded edge or radius eased edges. I pre-coated all 4 sides of the decking with Penofin (gold) and sealed the end grain with Anchorseal (a shellac based sealer). I have re-coated the deck twice since.That is so cool that your dad had a brand new Charger, and so tragic that your mom sold it <g>. When I was 6 years old, I had a ride in a brand new one and it has always been my favourite car since. I just saw one the other day here in NYC. Would love to get one again.
I would trade my wife for a Hemi, LOL! That is the most awesome engine ever IMO. Saw a 68 Charger with a Hemi on eBay recently for $75K, ouch!
My father and I went to a recent car show here in Mobile. Not in the show but out in the parking lot was a 68' that a guy was trying to sell. It did need some work. He wanted 13K. Too much for Dad. He too wants another. They are around just gotta find one. :-)
I remember a shop when I visited Chicago once. All they sold were old vintage and muscle classic cars. Not as expensive as I would have thought they would have been. I saw plenty of Hemi's there, Road Runners, Barracuda's, Chargers, Super Bee's, yada, yada, yada.
One car I had that was in excellent shape and condition was a 68' Mustang, fast back. 390. Numbers matched. California car, no rust. Damn would she run! I love muscle cars :-).
DW and I were talking a while back and she said it would be nice to get an old car just to cruise around in occasionally, now I just need to get one before she changes her mind! She likes the old 40's. I am thinking, ok. Chop the top, lower it, soup it up, dress the interior and paint it's arse. I like the t-buckets look but they aren't too practical.
If I come across a good deal on a charger I'll holler at ya.
Semper Fi
Edited 12/16/2006 12:49 am ET by Jarhead