Earlier quoted context omitted.
Sounds cool, but the fire concern is very real and not so much flames as it is being unable to escape the smoke.
True. But like I said, there's not a lot to burn... just furniture and the kitchen cabinets. Everything else is concrete and metal. Of course, if there's a forest fire, you don't want to be on the mountain regardless.
Ask HN: Have you built a house?
101–110 of 229 posts
Re: Ask HN: Have you built a house?
#102Re: Ask HN: Have you built a house?
#103I've built a house, in the sense that I was working as the general contractor and hiring out crews and tradespeople to do the actual work. My involvement differed anywhere between hire-a-crew and pay them when they are done down to doing certain things myself 100%. A few takeaways: - Things seem simple from the outside, before you do them for the first time. They are in actuality quite complicated. Even something as…
> - Things seem simple from the outside, before you do them for the first time. They are in actuality quite complicated. Even something as straightforward as painting a wall will be hard when you are doing it for the first time. You will make mistakes if you do it yourself. Try to do it yourself only in areas where you can tolerate such mistakes. I'm not a home-builder but I am a home-owner. Let me add that any work…
Re: Ask HN: Have you built a house?
#104Earlier quoted context omitted.
Did you spout that last paragraph off the top of your head? That is a staggering bullet list that I suspect has several layers of unwritten sub-bullets. I have a whole new respect for home builders.
It's really crazy how much there is that you don't think about up front if you've never built a house. My first build (this summer) was a playhouse for the kids, 8 square meters single story. I built it mostly like you would a real house, omitting a few details (like insulation between inner and outer walls, since it's not heated anyway). I ended up with a budget overrun of 40% and spent close to twice the number of…
Sounds typical for construction.
Re: Ask HN: Have you built a house?
#105Earlier quoted context omitted.
>Even something as straightforward as painting a wall will be hard when you are doing it for the first time. Painting is one of the things I do myself, in part because it's something I do often enough that I more or less know the various gotchas, techniques, etc. It's also the case that, when redoing areas that were already painted which is most of what I do these days, I can take some very timesaving shortcuts that…
I've never hired anybody to do interior paint, so I'm wondering: do pros ever actually tape a ceiling border? I've always just cut in by hand. I've found that it's usually high enough that any minor imperfections aren't noticeable. The last time I did a wall or ceiling, the crown molding had been painted so many times, it would have been nigh impossible to tape it and get a satisfactory result. But I've been living i…
Hah. 200 years old.
I've used masking tape when I've been making changes in color or it's been around new cabinetry, windows, etc. As I say, when I'm touching up, I'm usually pretty sloppy. No crown moulding.
Re: Ask HN: Have you built a house?
#106It is still one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, though it was tough at the time.
There is a lot we didn’t get right the first time, and had to fix in subsequent years. Nothing that affected livability.
To that point. Concrete is difficult to re-work. It’s not very sustainable either, if that is a concern of yours.
Our house is made of straw bales. (It’s a thing). We visited a bunch before building. But straw bale houses are a lot like concrete houses. Once built difficult to re-work. Great for insulation. Horrible to re-work. I would not suggest concrete, from that perspective.
Anything that can cause you legal trouble or that would be expensive to re-work, pay a professional. Otherwise, have fun. Do it. You’ll be glad you did.
Re: Ask HN: Have you built a house?
#107Re: Ask HN: Have you built a house?
#108Re: Ask HN: Have you built a house?
#109Permits and Permission. You need to understand very clearly where and what you are allowed to build. You can go bankrupt trying to develop the wrong land before a single bucket of dirt is ever moved. Neighbor lawsuits, land use restrictions, easements, building review, public notice, taxes, etc...
Of course this depends on where you want to build and if you are starting with a developed lot. An existing structure on a residential lot has crossed a lot of red tape, permits, reviews, and has underground and above ground utilities (if needed). Work with a real estate agent to find suitable lots, if you already have a lot time to visit your local building department. Get a property map, building code checklist, and a permit application paperwork. A local architect will be your next stop. Before you can go much further, you need a site plan and a survey to determine soil condition. You'll need a soil engineer to verify your site can support a massive concrete building without some exotic foundation so it won't sink (that much). Next you'll submit a draft permit to get approval and they will give you a ton more paper work or may reject it or require public review.
Finally you will need a hire a concrete building and engineering contractor. Post tension concrete and concrete buildings are a specialty. Everything needed to build a concrete structure requires experience and purpose built hardware which is seldom available to the public because it will fail if not installed correctly. Also a concrete contractor will give you your first real estimate of building costs and can identify the cost centers of your project. Never relay on an architects building estimate, they are not the ones doing the work.
Re: Ask HN: Have you built a house?
#110I've built a house, in the sense that I was working as the general contractor and hiring out crews and tradespeople to do the actual work. My involvement differed anywhere between hire-a-crew and pay them when they are done down to doing certain things myself 100%. A few takeaways: - Things seem simple from the outside, before you do them for the first time. They are in actuality quite complicated. Even something as…