Construction Cornerstone

Since it’s just me, why do I need a basement?

Storage, security, and life without central air and heat come to mind. While heat is the problem in Louisiana, I grew up in Northern Nevada and the easiest place to keep comfortable was the basement! With modern insulation you can have ideal storage which is a relatively constant temperature.

A well planned basement can be made more secure than any part of an above ground home and for much less money. Swamp

Statistics: Posted by daaswampman — Sat Jul 22, 2017 8:00 pm

rickdun wrote:
The old saying goes, I’d rather have it and not need it than not have it and need it. Good Luck with your build.

Spoken like a true Marine

Most of the newer builds here have furnace, hot water tank & fuse box on the main floor. I will be on a well & septic.

Need the plans for cost estimates. Can’t clear the site until fall.

Statistics: Posted by Blondie — Sat Jul 22, 2017 6:58 pm

If you don’t have to file the blueprints with local authorities, you shouldn’t have to pay any extra fees, but that will be up to your contractor. Even though you don’t have to file the blueprints, I’m sure you’ll still have to build by code and that again is your contractors responsibility.

Now as far as a basement, wouldn’t you want all your utilities, hot water tank, furnace, electrical box, etc., away from you initial living space. I know I wouldn’t want to hear my furnace kick on and off all winter or a hot water tank leaking in my living space.

The old saying goes, I’d rather have it and not need it than not have it and need it. Separate part of a basement for a root cellar (north side of basement), build a separate faraday cage, food storage, etc.. Just something to think about.

Good Luck with your build.

Statistics: Posted by rickdun — Sat Jul 22, 2017 6:05 pm

OAR, the town hall will accept a site plan drawn to scale with a straight edge on a sheet of paper. Blueprints to code are required.

Frost line up here is minimum 42″ below grade.

Since it’s just me, why do I need a basement?

Statistics: Posted by Blondie — Sat Jul 22, 2017 5:30 pm

+1 for a basement

Mine was a bit on the expensive side due to the area. Still the best dollars I spent! Swamp

Statistics: Posted by daaswampman — Sat Jul 22, 2017 5:03 pm

+1 for a basement

Mine was a bit on the expensive side due to the area. Still the best dollars I spent! Swamp

Statistics: Posted by daaswampman — Sat Jul 22, 2017 5:03 pm

save $$$$$ elsewhere – don’t skip putting in a basement – cheapest square footage around ….

Statistics: Posted by Illini Warrior — Sat Jul 22, 2017 4:31 pm

I would say electrical, plumbing, and general construction. I have built homes from a sketch on a paper. The trick is to hire people with a brain that know code.

Be careful building on a slab. The cold will come through the floor if not insulated properly from the outside. You still need a footer so you won’t save a lot skipping the basement. The footer needs to be below frost line.

Statistics: Posted by oldasrocks — Sat Jul 22, 2017 2:47 pm

I found stock blueprints for a single family home that uses the space efficiently. Modest build w/ 2×6 walls which I’d prefer up here.

This plan includes a basement which isn’t required by code and I’m considering changing it to slab for cost savings. Just need to bring all the mechanicals to the main floor.

The choices are a reproducible master (no copy shop locally), or set of 4 or set of 8? Town hall, building dept, etc don’t require a copy to be filed.

If I need the foundation changed and the builder wants the plans professionally modified, what’s my most cost effective choice?

Statistics: Posted by Blondie — Sat Jul 22, 2017 1:31 pm

Why don’t you put in some effort and make a rocket mass heater. It is my understanding that they are extremely efficient and only burn 1/3 of the fuel and have virtually no visible smoke.

Statistics: Posted by sageprice — Tue Jun 27, 2017 3:29 pm

Why don’t you put in some effort and make a rocket mass heater. It is my understanding that they are extremely efficient and only burn 1/3 of the fuel and have virtually no visible smoke.

Statistics: Posted by sageprice — Tue Jun 27, 2017 3:29 pm

I think Lynda is right. just go with a regular wood stove, which saves you electricity bill too.

Statistics: Posted by abioyewilson — Tue Jun 27, 2017 6:47 am

When we were in Germany the first time back in the early 1980’s, out German apartment had these roll down metal shutters much like the OP was talking about. They operated with a counterweight and rolled up or down as desired. I do know that they still use them in Europe but don’t know if anyone here in the US makes them.

Statistics: Posted by IceFire — Sun May 28, 2017 8:35 pm

Is invasion by a platoon sized gang of armed invaders the only scenario
worth prepping for? My preps are geared towards serious natural disasters
and predatory animals in groups of half dozen or less.

If you plan to deal with anything larger than squad sized gangs incursions,
you need a neighborhood defense force and bug out plan. (And if you are
militant enough, a plan to return to fight a war of attrition.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.p … 0Attrition)

Statistics: Posted by TRex2 — Sun May 28, 2017 5:34 pm

This is a good question but you might want to reconsider the bug-in. I think a situation that requires you to bug-in and also requires the secured perimeter you are asking about won’t work because 1) as mentioned above it is fairly easy to enter through the wall adjacent to the door/window, 2) having the secured perimeter will attract more attention, and 3) you can’t stay inside forever and when you eventually left if you survived someone would or should be watching the place.

It would be better to have a written set of events that would occur that triggered you to bug-out. You are less likely to stay in a hazardous situation if you have it written out before craziness hits.

For general security you can order perimeter doors that are steel with a solid core. If the wooden core is not suitable order a hollow one and fill it with Concrete or sand yourself. Keep sheets of plywood and nails/screws with a Solar chargeable screen on hand to board up windows.

Statistics: Posted by Halmic73 — Sun May 28, 2017 5:25 pm

Google Roll UP Hurricane Shutters. They sell several types of window security. Home depot sells replacement steel doors that look like wood . All these things will slow someone down but will not stop them if really determined to get in. A fence post driver filled with cement will take a door off its hinges. You need to keep them away from the house. Maybe a moat with alligators

Norman11

Statistics: Posted by Norman11 — Sun May 28, 2017 1:32 pm

It can be done but you would need deep pockets , just hit a button and seal up all windows . over head tracks , a few gear motors , chains , auto stops wishers , steel plate . 2″ steel plate bullet (proof) pipe to support the weight and a pad poured ground level for the pipe to be attached to .
You can build a steel door and frame but the walls to frame would be weak unless you beefed up the walls or pour a pad and let the door frame legs extend into the concrete .
And a redneck jack of all trades builder .

Statistics: Posted by ajax727 — Sat May 27, 2017 8:14 pm

It can be done but you would need deep pockets , just hit a button and seal up all windows . over head tracks , a few gear motors , chains , auto stops wishers , steel plate . 2″ steel plate bullet (proof) pipe to support the weight and a pad poured ground level for the pipe to be attached to .
You can build a steel door and frame but the walls to frame would be weak unless you beefed up the walls or pour a pad and let the door frame legs extend into the concrete .
And a redneck jack of all trades builder .

Statistics: Posted by ajax727 — Sat May 27, 2017 8:14 pm

I was looking at this thread and wondering, (since it was why I was
looking at this thread:
What about those standard warehouse entrance doors
that are basically a medium weight steel door?

The picture of the hurricane door or shutter seems to be gone, also…

As I was saying, I was looking at this thread to find sources for those industrial
building doors. I have a root cellar planned, and want it to double as a tornado
shelter. I plan to use a regular wooden door, or maybe a storm door, for the
outer one, and want something kinda rugged for the inside door.

peekachoo wrote:
Forget doors, I can walk through most walls in minutes. Brick and block are easy with a 12 lb hammer.

If I built the block wall, you would be in for a rude awakening after a few swings
of that hammer. That is when you would figure out I used rebar. (I have done
a little bit of concrete work…)

Statistics: Posted by TRex2 — Sat May 27, 2017 7:37 pm

I was looking at this thread and wondering, (since it was why I was
looking at this thread:
What about those standard warehouse entrance doors
that are basically a medium weight steel door?

The picture of the hurricane door or shutter seems to be gone, also…

As I was saying, I was looking at this thread to find sources for those industrial
building doors. I have a root cellar planned, and want it to double as a tornado
shelter. I plan to use a regular wooden door, or maybe a storm door, for the
outer one, and want something kinda rugged for the inside door.

peekachoo wrote:
Forget doors, I can walk through most walls in minutes. Brick and block are easy with a 12 lb hammer.

If I built the block wall, you would be in for a rude awakening after a few swings
of that hammer. That is when you would figure out I used rebar. (I have done
a little bit of concrete work…)

Statistics: Posted by TRex2 — Sat May 27, 2017 7:37 pm

Being a “Tool Junkie”, I really like Hex Drives best! Swamp

Statistics: Posted by daaswampman — Fri May 12, 2017 5:37 pm

ajax727 wrote:
Screws in guns are slots because a screwdriver was not always handy but that coin in your pocket was . But if you had a nail in your pocket you could turn that there phillips head screw .

A coin can be used to turn a phillips head screw as well as a single slot screw.

Statistics: Posted by Photon Guy — Thu May 11, 2017 9:58 pm

Screws in guns are slots because a screwdriver was not always handy but that coin in your pocket was . But if you had a nail in your pocket you could turn that there phillips head screw .

Statistics: Posted by ajax727 — Thu May 11, 2017 8:36 pm

Gunns wrote:
And there ladies and gentlemen is a very good history lesson. Thanks Everyman I had no idea and this kind of stuff is cool to hear or read.

On another note, welcome back.

I use almost exclusively Serrated Head Star Drive screws.

Well it is a good lesson but anyway Gunns, its nice to have you reply to this thread, and especially considering your username that brings me up to my next point, the screws in guns are all too often single slot screws. What drove me to start this thread is this screw in my Heritage Rough Rider revolver that’s a single slot screw and all my small screwdrivers are phillips screw drivers. Now you don’t use glue with the screws in guns and stuff isn’t going to get into the slots, especially if you keep the gun well cleaned. So it makes sense that the screws in guns would always be Phillips screws.

Statistics: Posted by Photon Guy — Thu May 11, 2017 1:45 pm

Everyman wrote:
When wood was extensively used in yacht and ship building slotted wood screws were an absolute requirement. Boat hulls were typically built from clear cabinet grade mahogany screwed to oak frames. All the care in the construction was identical to fine cabinet making. The wood was treated as a precision material. When a hull was planked the planks were fastened to the frames with bronze screws that were counter bored into the planks. The counter bore was then filled with a plug that was glued in place. Often, after years of use the screws had to be replaced. The planks were fine but the screws would become wasted. So shipwrights would pull the plugs and replace the screws. One problem they always had was that the glue used to hold the plug filled the slot of the screw. It was a simple matter to take a straight bladed screwdriver and ‘chisel’ out the glue from the slot so a larger bit (turned by a brace) could be used to remove the screw. If you use a phillips head screw in this application it would be a nightmare to remove the screws because it is tedious to remove glue from a phillips head screw. The same thing is true of screws that are countersunk, puttied over and painted.

That makes sense, but most of the time you’re not going to be using screws where you’ve got glue or other stuff that can get in the slots so except for specific situations, such as the one you mentioned, I don’t see why phillips screws wouldn’t be used all the time.

Statistics: Posted by Photon Guy — Thu May 11, 2017 1:42 pm

Everyman wrote:
When wood was extensively used in yacht and ship building slotted wood screws were an absolute requirement. Boat hulls were typically built from clear cabinet grade mahogany screwed to oak frames. All the care in the construction was identical to fine cabinet making. The wood was treated as a precision material. When a hull was planked the planks were fastened to the frames with bronze screws that were counter bored into the planks. The counter bore was then filled with a plug that was glued in place. Often, after years of use the screws had to be replaced. The planks were fine but the screws would become wasted. So shipwrights would pull the plugs and replace the screws. One problem they always had was that the glue used to hold the plug filled the slot of the screw. It was a simple matter to take a straight bladed screwdriver and ‘chisel’ out the glue from the slot so a larger bit (turned by a brace) could be used to remove the screw. If you use a phillips head screw in this application it would be a nightmare to remove the screws because it is tedious to remove glue from a phillips head screw. The same thing is true of screws that are countersunk, puttied over and painted.

And there ladies and gentlemen is a very good history lesson. Thanks Everyman I had no idea and this kind of stuff is cool to hear or read.

On another note, welcome back.

I use almost exclusively Serrated Head Star Drive screws.

Statistics: Posted by Gunns — Thu May 11, 2017 9:30 am

Torx (star drive)

Statistics: Posted by arkieready — Tue May 09, 2017 11:26 pm

Phillip’s head screws date to the mid 19th century, as do hex head bolts and nuts. Not common, but they can be found on machinery from the mid 1800s.
Reb

Statistics: Posted by rebnavy1862 — Mon May 08, 2017 9:10 pm

Phillip’s head screws date to the mid 19th century, as do hex head bolts and nuts. Not common, but they can be found on machinery from the mid 1800s.
Reb

Statistics: Posted by rebnavy1862 — Mon May 08, 2017 9:10 pm

After working industrial maintenance for year, I have found I really like Allen head for as much as I can use. Phillips works well for small stuff.

Statistics: Posted by bacpacker1513 — Mon May 08, 2017 8:07 pm