Hi Don .Attention to detail at this point in the build is so important as it can and will cause major problems throughout the rest of the build. I`m so glad that thanks to the folks at Lasgoo ,you should have a nice level and true building .Good job Don. ATB
I'm curious cuz I'm not a builder, just a clueless civil engineer: what do you consider the 'life expectancy' of this kind of foundation? Are you talking about wood on concrete degradation under pressure and time? I'd like to know. Thanks.
So you and Aristotle agree: "A small mistake in the beginning is a big one in the end (Book 1 De Caelo). I knew you were a philosopher! Love the work and the videos, Mr. Don.
@@affordabledesertliving3487 Hahaha 🤣. Let me know when you get the balance between the two 😉. Good work takes time & you’ll be well satisfied 💖. 👵🏻👩🌾❣️
Hi Don Good to see you can create kindling and move the long beam. Nothing better than multitasking 😂. It's wonderful to see you progressing in your build. 😊
Interesting video. I always try to avoid another back injury by finding easier methods for moving heavy objects. To move the beam I would have screwed a plate to the side of it and pried with a lever.
Hi Don !Just found you today !🙂I wached some of your videos ,I am lerning from you, I am thinking if is the Lords will, to have a cabin on my land too..THANKS A LOT !!! I got two lots in New Mexico and one in Nevada, all of them are NO RESTRICTION ZONING . Did you know about that ? And the lots are cheap... The one in New Mexico were 1500 per acre, bought from the investor , I bought all of them directly from investors .I paid the price and the 150 $ for the paper work. 15 min from the city... Beutifull area .. Glad i found you brother in Christ !May the Lord help you to the end of your projects,amen ! Many blessings to you dear brother!!!🙋♀️
Hey Don, I just bought one yesterday for checking my foundation as well. To work in daylight, you can get a laser detector, and put the laser level in pulse mode to extend the working range! For DIYers, your checking at night works as well! Keep up the good work!
Don you will need to set up a work party when your ready to stand the walls up. We will be down that way in January, hiding out from the snow up here in Montana.
Nice review and that's a great price for a laser level! We will probably be purchasing one of these too and when I checked it out today (10/15/23), they also were showing a $40 coupon. Nice job making sure you're completely level...the foundation is so important!
Great work Don. Are you putting in a conventional bathroom with a flushing toilet, connected to your septic? I realize it'd take a lot of water. Perhaps with your water catchment ideas it would work. Cheers Don and God Bless
Thanks Nanny. Yes low flush toilet in the future for sure. Yes will be connected to my big ol 1000 gal septic tank. Yes with water catchment the more you have the better it is. That is why I am building a 10'x40' porch alongside this building. With my roof space I will get aproximately 8000 gallons annually. If you use conservatively it should work. I will also put in 2 car ports each with 200sq ft roof space. All that to say if you need more water just build more structures. Their total cost will be a fraction of the costs here to dig a well.
Great job Don, and good going with that Lasgoo LG-3D laser. I think it would be neat to have one, so many uses for it! By the way, is there a need to pretreat for termites at this stage of your build? I am no expert, so just a thought. 😀🥰 Keep up the good work and looking forward to the next video Don! Great to see you as always!
Hi Martha. Excellent question. This is pressure treated lumber so good for a couple decades against termites. When I am 88 I will have to do something with it LOL. At least according to my math.
Thanks so very much Morten! Always love that folks from Europe are here watching. Oh and fun fact my ancestry evaluation says I have a good amount of norwegian ancestry.
Thats because Cabin # 1 is treated as a shed by the county and doesnt need a permit if just a shed. Once it has been wired and plumbed properly to code it can potentially be an accessory dwelling unit. Once the "Big House" is done. So thus not profitable to waste time and money on it just yet. Hope that makes sense. Oh and I absolutely love the "eclectic" warmpth of the spray foam come cold weather.
If it were me, I think I would have just improved the home you already have but added a shop to work in and a place to park the car inside. This would make it easier to get projects done year-round and be a better investment than two homes on the same property for only one person unless you plan on renting one out. I know for me as a nomad, keeping things simple is the way to go and less expensive. Good luck.
Well your suggestion of renting one home out is spot on. I would never do 2 homes except that airbnbs in this area are very popular. So the "big home" is destined to be used as an airbnb for extra income. Plus when not occupied a wonderful place to have friends and family come by. Hope that makes sense. Thanks for watching.
I watched part of his last live broadcast and he mentioned that he's going to rent it out for customers who come into town for a birding trip. Going forward he might make more money for combo vacation plans than even doing youtube videos.
The wood is originally treated with a preserver. When he cut the section out he exposed virgin unprotected wood. So he coats it with a wood preserver that is available at any hardware store.
Hi Oscar. I showed off the trees a couple vids back.They are doing great despite a super dry summer and lots of attack from grasshoppers. But they are holding th eir own for sure.
The ground out here is harder and more stable than the concrete blocks. As we know, concrete continually dries out and becomes dust. The desert floor is tougher than concrete! FYI
Hi Johnny. Not here. Surface dirt on my property is at most 12" thick. Under that is rock like caliche. Nothing moves for years on that stuff. Thanks for watching.
Leo the great thing about being here is that moisture is the least of my issues. Its powder dry sand/clay under the building. It is also a high piece of ground and water as a rule doesnt stay there. Thanks for watching.
Reality: You can't get the piers all exactly level with each other and they will shift. You shim for level as you build. You get under and shim it back level periodically. It might be annually. It might only need it every 10 years.
Good thing the ground out there is like concrete Don. I doubt the ground will shift at all for a very long time...Not enough to be concerned about IMO. The Air Force stores several thousand older airplanes not far from you in Tucson, including the huge C5 Galaxy, and none require any ground prep....just tow them in and park 'em. They don't sink. C5 empty weight is 374,000 pounds! Thanks for another great video, always interesting to see what you are up to!!
Yes, I did some shimming on mine, that's for sure. Not only shifting blocks, but crooked wood, and of course plain mistakes. I said a lot of "good enough". The building came out strong, even if not quite professional 🙂
like you and many others doing youtube you dont have to watch right so i watch but dont care you will learn later fact is rain will and does have big empact on that ground and so will the winds plus sun light either way your problems your stress either way time will take it toll and you will have to jack it repair it video it learn from it such as life
NOT going to happen, I'm a local civil engineer...and the Air Force parks more than 3,000 older planes on the same kind of soil....the C5 Galaxy weighs 374,000 lbs, and no foundation required, just park it on the desert floor same tires, in the open exposed to wind and monsoon rains and scorching desert sun. No sink evidence at all. That's why many of us own a jack hammer to dig holes and plant things. No need for a shovel here. Won't work.
A home we owned the carpet installer measured a room and was shocked because it was the first time he ever had an actual perfect rectangle, i.e. square corners x4. Just a tract home, had to be an accident!
