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What I've been doing instead of catching fish

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3K views 34 replies 20 participants last post by  mtskibum16 
#1 ·
I have fished very little for the last few months. I have instead been turning my three car garage into living space for the mil and other guests.
I am not a builder by trade but i work with former builders who have helped guide me so far. Its a challenge to get straight level new lines in a 65 year old building. So far i have framed/ reframed it. I have most of the windows in. A coworker and i put up sheathing over the old garage doors last week.
I am hiring out rough plumbing, insulation and drywall shortly after i return from vacation, so things will move quickly as i transition from figuring out what to do to writing checks.
I hope to have it done by lingcod or at least salmon season. Its been super fun so far. I have learned so much. Building stuff with my hands has been rewarding as i produce nothing tangable at work.
I have determined that i have earned a good long steelhead orgy in March, after that it wull be back to work.
Go sox,
Cds
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#6 ·
It is intimidating. Fortunately, you can get all sort of tutorials for anything on YouTube. I have one friend at work who has built many homes. He has come over and told me what I was doing wrong. He is a building inspector now. I got plans drawn up by a coworker. That saved me a bundle too. I have quite a bit to go. I'll have to install the shower, sink, and toilet as well as the on demand water heater. Electrical has to be run, doors, trim, gable and roof vents, siding. Luckily I have done a lot of those before.
It's pretty much like building a little 800 square foot home except I don't get to start off with a level line.
I have got to buy fun tools to be used on other fun projects. The only real problem has been that my boat is homeless right now.

Go sox,
Cds
 
#7 ·
All permitted I hope. I've seen many homeowners get burned by not pulling permits. Even if you do it all to code. You might not get caught during construction then run into a big problem when you go to sell.

I did a 400+sqft addition to my house. Permits were a pain in the ass. But, my insurance is intact and the value is there when I sell.

The Washington state residential codes have gotten much more involved in the last few years. Especially on structural and electrical.
 
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#10 ·
All permitted I hope. I've seen many homeowners get burned by not pulling permits. Even if you do it all to code. You might not get caught during construction then run into a big problem when you go to sell.

I did a 400sqft addition to my house. Permits were a pain in the ass. But, my insurance is intact and the value is there when I sell.

The Washington state residential codes have gotten much more involved in the last few years. Especially on structural and electrical.
My next door neighbor thinks it's his sworn duty to call the city and ask if you have a permit for everything you do...he has gotten every neighbor around me red tagged for something. We were warned about him when we moved in so we get permits for everything...it's a pain in the ass and it's not cheap either.
 
#9 ·
Good luck, looks like a heck of a project there.

We're currently in the middle (or hopefully closer to the end) of a remodel too. Home improvement projects can be extremely rewarding, but it's definitely cut into my fishing time as well.

I can do just about all of it, but I'm just too damn slow, it takes me 3 times longer than I estimate to do everything.
 
#12 ·
I work for a small electrical company. Day one, the owner told me, we do NOT do unpermited work. If your asked, just say it's illegal and can void their insurance.

I've been asked more times than I can count. Usually by well to do customers. Doctors and lawyers, the worst are engineers. You just want to smack them up side the head.

It's legal to do all of the work on your own home. I'd put a exception for well educated homeowners. For some reason the more educated seem more willing to cut corners. I know this seems judgmental bit it's true.
 
#13 ·
I work for a small electrical company. Day one, the owner told me, we do NOT do unpermited work. If your asked, just say it's illegal and can void their insurance.

I've been asked more times than I can count. Usually by well to do customers. Doctors and lawyers, the worst are engineers. You just want to smack them up side the head.

It's legal to do all of the work on your own home. I'd put a exception for well educated homeowners. For some reason the more educated seem more willing to cut corners. I know this seems judgmental bit it's true.
My permits were a fraction of what the bill will end up at. They are budget dust.

It's interesting to find out from the inspectors at work, what contractors are the best. It generally dovetails with those that are the easiest to deal with. One of the best contractors once told me he loved permits because he didn't have to compete against awful tradesmen. There was at least a minimum standard for everyone. Thank

Engineers and architects are tough on everyone. Doctors tend to fight with their neighbors constantly and dentists........well...

Go sox,
Cds
 
#14 ·
Nice project there. I've done a lot of work on my home and appliances, but it wasn't out of courage. It was out of inability (or at least a strong disincentive) to pay the pros. I agree with you that it is a lot of fun to learn the new skills, and it feels really good to step back at the end and appreciate what you've done.

YouTube rocks!

Cool deal.
 
#15 ·
Fun times Charles! I love building, remodeling not so much because most things are not level, plumb, nor square. Building rationalizes buying lots of tools, and like fishing tackle, a man can never have enough tools. I have two table saws and try to talk myself into believing that I still need both of them. Give me a call after Hawaii.
 
#17 ·
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#22 ·
Nice! I assume you're the one with the beer, not the one working;)
Just curious. Why use tarpaper? I didn't think anyone still used it with all the better alternatives out there.
 
#23 ·
TJ,

I'm the one taking the photo. Those are some friends who were helping. It was clean-up time, hence the beer. No drinking as long as the power tools are plugged in.
I used tar paper because several people where I work have told me it's really a superior product here on the West side. It breathes better than tyvek because of the seems, or so I've been told. Additionally, tyvek should not be in the sun more than 7 days. It will be that long before I start siding. I am a weekend warrior after all.

Thanks SG!

Go Sox,
cds
 
#30 ·
Looking good.
My fishing thus far this year has been interrupted by painting, fencing, deck repair, etc. I've been busier retired than when I was still working....
My late summer/fall fishing suffered due to too much major property cleanup. Once I was out of my neck brace and got some good bike rides in and feeling stronger again, and got caught up a little on my cutthroat fishing, I finished the tear down and disposal of my old 55'x10' single-wide. I still have one more 4'x8' utility trailer full of clean aluminum scrap and copper wire/household plumbing to haul to the recyclers.
This should be "the money run;)" (as opposed to the "at least its better than paying" of 860 lbs of "tin" that I took in for $0.01/lb and left me with $4 and change, after fuel costs). I had one 880+ lb run that paid me $26.80 for steel, at $0.03/lb. So far I've hauled 8 full loads into the metal recyclers, wood-waste landfill, and the county transfer station.
Next summer I plan to do heavy maintenance/repairs and upgrading on my garage/shop.:eek: No MIL apts for me, though.
 
#32 ·
I agree that its nice work, Charles, and I hope you had fun doing it. Personally, I have never considered carpentry and home construction/remodeling to be fun, probably because I'm not much good at it, nor properly tooled up for it, and actually rarely think of those things or envision myself doing them. I'll hire someone for the bigger or more complex jobs, and maybe act as their gopher/facilitator, if that helps them.
 
#33 ·
It has been fun learning what to do and how to do it. There have been many mistakes and do overs. My project for tonight through turkey day is to grind a seam in the concrete floor so that I can put the laminate flooring over it. Dust suppression and the whole thing. Then I can lay the flooring. It is very rewarding though.

Go Sox,
cds
 

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