curtis73 wrote:
Since I just closed on my first house (yay housing market) I need some info in the form of DIY references.
I plan to do the typical stuff; light plumbing, electrical, and renovation/framing. I've done all of those things with a pretty good level of success, however now that I'm investing in a house I don't want to cobble it together and then run into problems selling it some day.
Codes and permit structures are very "rural" so I'm not worried about doing it legally or perfectly, I just imagine that the building code won't be the same in 20 years and it might present issues selling.
So, I need books. I need references for things like how big a vent pipe needs to be for adding a bathroom, how far apart should I put the supports for a conduit, how to properly size a support beam for adding a pass-through in a wall...etc.
Any ideas? I've looked through the stuff at Home Depot and Lowe's and it covers a fair amount but its a little light on the tech. It seems to touch on the general high points but lacks the deeper stuff.
What I did was spend time with the pro's. ask questions and watch.. Pay them back by being their go-fer or stodge. You'll pick up tricks and techniques that make your time well spent.. (and you might even be paid for your help)
One point I need to share with you..
Do not buy lumber!!!
It's too expensive.. Way, way, way, too expensive! You say that you're in rural areas..
Go to WoodMizer and ask them for a list of the local woodmizer owners..(It's one of the services they provide) That's just the starting point.. What you are really looking for is the smallish sawmill that sells wood cheap.. near every major city there is a pallet mill someplace that sells wood pallets and they are the absolute experts at buying wood cheap..
Call up the various woodmizer owners and get around to asking about other sawmills in the area. (the pallet makers usually won't share their source)
Yes even places like New Mexico and Arizona have woodmizer owners.. and there are small sawmills everyplace!
How cheap?
Well, I built my home with hardwood. (Hard wood is much better than softwoods and typically many times more expensive) Because I bought my wood direct from a smallish sawmill I paid an average of 25 cents per board feet.
That's about what sheetrock costs.. For that I got Black Walnut (average selling price around $10.00 bd.ft., Cherry $7-8, Hard Maple$7-9 White Oak $4-6 etc..
Let's put it this way What would sell for over $350,000 at a place like Home Depot, Lowes, or your local lumberyard I paid $25,000 for.. That's the potential savings if you go straight to the source..
Ask, I'll explain all about it..
In short for about what sheetrock costs you can have nice raised wood panels. massive timbers, hardwood flooring, hardwood trim, and maybe if you have the skill and patience, furniture..
