Practical House Building Tips for First Time Homeowners
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Transcript of Practical House Building Tips for First Time Homeowners
Getting the House Built
If you would rather build a house than buy one, there are several ways to go about
it. You can get an architect to plan the house and get a contractor to build it; this
should result in just the "perfect" house for you, but can be expensive unless you are
more than careful.
Hire the plans drawn and be your own contractor, letting the work out to sub-
contractors, as concrete men, carpenters, electricians, plasterers, etc. Do this only if
you have had considerable business experience and have plenty of time to devote to
it, as the supervision of these workmen is what you pay the general contractor to do.
You might get plans out of a magazine and proceed as suggested above; or get
some experienced person to help you with the plans and build part of the house
yourself, hiring professional help only where necessary.
Photo owned by Danrok
Of you could buy a lot, draw your own plans, and do the whole job yourself, with the
help of your family, hiring specialized skills only where absolutely necessary. This is
the most work, but can' also be the most fun and the least expensive. Much depends
on your experience, your skill, and the time you can afford to devote to the work.
If you decide to hire a general contractor to build for you, select him with care.
There are several criteria by which to judge a contractor's ability and competence.
Ask to see several houses that he has built; let him show you the houses, which he
should be proud to do, and look them over carefully. Satisfy yourself that he has
done the type of work that you want in your new house. Also get him to show you
houses he built two or three years ago, to see how they are standing the hard usage
of living. Go back later and have a good talk with the people for whom he has built,
rinding out from them how well they have been pleased in their dealings with him.
Has he done what he said he would? Has he built the house on time, and with
efficiency?
Equally important with the quality of the house are the business methods of the
contractor. Does he have a reputation for paying his bills? Does he get the work
done with dispatch? Is his work well organized, or do his jobs run at loose ends?
What has been his attitude toward coming back and making necessary adjustments
on the windows, doors, or plumbing, to get everything to working satisfactorily? This
may seem like a lot of trouble, but it is nothing compared to the trouble you can get
into, if you let the contract to an inefficient or dishonest contractor.
If the majority of his customers are highly pleased with the work he has done for
them, you are reasonably safe in dealing with a contractor, but if a large percentage
of them condemn him for various shortcomings, beware when you employ him, or
better yet, look for another contractor. It is a mistake to suppose that by getting a
good iron-clad contract, and a very complete set of plans and specifications that you
can get a dishonest or incapable contractor to do you a first class job.
Most contractors are honest and capable, of course. If a man has built several
houses, all of which are eminently satisfactory, that is pretty good evidence that he
will do the same for you. A little discreet inquiry will often give you several worth-
while clues as to what to expect from a certain contractor.
Sometimes a banker or the loan company will be able to help in selecting a
contractor. They probably will not say anything against anyone, but if you listen
carefully, they will praise some much more highly than others.
The real evidence of what a man will do is what he has done. But you can't tell much
about it just driving by in the street and looking at the houses at a distance. A house
may not be beautiful according to your standards, but the contractor may have built
it exactly according to the plans that were given him, and it may suit the owner just
fine. Given a different set of plans, he will build an entirely different kind of house.
When you have found three or four contractors who meet your standards, you let
them have the plans so they can bid on the job; that is, to let a contract, give sets of
the plans and specifications to several reputable contractors, let them figure the cost,
and make a firm bid, telling exactly how much it will cost to get them to build the
house in strict accordance with the plans and specifications. Then you get all the bids
together, study them carefully, and decide which builder you prefer.
Always keep these figures in the strictest confidence. It is very unethical to tell one
bidder what another has bid, unless you have a formal bid opening, which is not
usually good on small jobs. On large public works, formal bid openings are the
accepted thing.
The bids may vary a great deal as to the price asked, but it is not always wise to
accept the lowest bid, as you must do in a public bid opening. If you have been
wise, you have asked only builders in whom you have confidence to bid on your
job, but even then there are differences in the quality of different builders.
Sometimes the builder second from the lowest or even the middle one is to be
preferred. Two or three hundred dollars will not make much difference on a
twelve-thousand-dollar contract, but it might save you a lot of headaches to get
a builder who would do you a first-class job, without your having to watch him
too much and haggle with him all the time to get him to do the work the way you
want it.
A good reliable builder is greatly to be preferred over one that is careless or
indifferent. Get the best builder you can who also has a reasonable price. It may
sometimes happen that the best builder is also the cheapest. He can do his work
well and inexpensively because he has things well organized, and has an efficient crew
with good up-to-date equipment.
Get your contractor to give you a list of the subcontractors he intends to use on
your job. Check into the reputation of these sub-contractors. If you keep your ear
to the ground, you can get a lot of information without too much trouble. Of course,
you can't believe everything you hear, but a person's reputation as a reliable builder
is worth considering. Avoid irresponsible builders.
The Contract
The contract is a legal document, signed by both the owner and the contractor,
usually before a notary public, which together with the plans and specifications make
up the contract documents. The contract identifies the plans and specifications,
states when the work is to be started and when it is to be completed, states exactly
the cost of the building, when payments are to be made and how much, makes
provision for changes in the plans or specifications if the owner desires them,
states who is to do the building, and should also make some provision for settling
disputes in case of disagreement. Make up your mind for sure before you sign the
contract, as you will find it difficult, if not impossible, to do much changing after the
contract is signed.
Select the best contractor you can get and then trust him. After you have let the
contract to a responsible builder, have confidence in him instead of annoying him by
asking too many questions and getting in the way on the job. Do not give orders
to his workmen. They are working for him, and not for you; if you have any
orders to give, give them directly to the contractor, or possibly to his foreman.
A builder likes to do things the way he is accustomed to doing them and the way
his crew has learned to work. Anything that interferes with this routine slows down
the job, making it more expensive.
As the job progresses, you will see why it was so necessary to have the plans
complete and the specifications so accurate. These are the only things you and the
contractor have to guide you in building the house. If they are not clear and
accurate, the contractor may have an idea exactly opposite to yours about what
you want.
Don't just go out and change your mind every day about how you want the house
built. That will certainly cost you money and result in a poorly built house.
This is a good place to emphasize the importance of careful planning over a
reasonably long period of time, to give you opportunity to change your mind
several times, and to investigate many possibilities.
After you have started to build, stop going to visit more houses to get ideas
about your house. Do all this before you complete your plans and let the contract.
You can't get everything in one house anyway. After the contract is let, do not
make any changes unless you find that a gross mistake has been made. Every time
you order a change after the contract is signed, you will pay from five dollars to a
hundred dollars extra, more than it would have cost if it had been incorporated in
the original plans and specifications.
In inspecting the work of the contractor, if something does not look just right to
you, get some unbiased experienced person to look at it with you before you say
too much. What may not look good when partly done may, in fact, be perfectly OK
when finished.
When the house is finished, before the final payment is made, go over everything
carefully to make sure that nothing has been omitted and that everything is
working in a satisfactory manner. Check to see that all the bills have been paid
and ask to see the signed payroll to see that the workmen have received their
wages. Also check into the payments that have been made to the sub-
contractors to see that they are all paid up in full. If the contractor hasn't paid
for these things, then the owner must pay them, even if he has paid the
contractor.
Suppose you decide to do most of the work yourself and sub-let only certain parts
of the job. Then you are not looking for a contractor, but you do need to make the
same kind of inquiry regarding the subcontractors that you expect to employ as
you would for a general contractor. You sign a separate contract for each specialty
sub-contractor.
There are several things around a building that are best done by specialists in the
field. Most people that would like to build for themselves would do well to plan
on hiring the plumbing, the wiring, and the heating done by persons who know
what they are doing. Of course, you can hire them by the day as well as by
contract if you wish. Then you can help them and might save something. One of the
big considerations in deciding how you will go about getting your house built is the
time you have to spend on it.
If you have a reasonable amount of spare time, are well and strong, and a bit
handy at doing things, and particularly if your wife is enthusiastic about the
proposition, you can build a good house at reasonable cost. Of course, although you
will have to hire some of the work done, it is surprising how much of the work you
can do yourself, especially if you have a friend who is a builder, who will give you a
lesson now and then, or at least to whom you can go for advice. Sometimes you
can hire an old carpenter to help you, who will also show you how things are
done, and who can help you in negotiating with the sub-contractors.
By building the house yourself you may save part of the financing costs, the
escrow fees, the real estate man's fee in the sale of the house to you, the
contractor's profits, and a considerable part of the labour costs, which should total
up to several thousand dollars as your reward and wages for building your own
house, besides the fun and satisfaction of doing it yourself. Consequently, you can
use the money you were able to save for the installation of security gadgets like
intercoms in every part of your house. These are great investments for the safety
of your family and your entire property.
Before you plunge too deeply into the building operations, there are certain things
to consider.
Building a house is no job for a Sunday dilettante. There is real work involved
in building a house. You have to get a shovel and wear blisters on your hands,
take a pipe wrench and get your hands greasy, drive nails until your muscles ache.
But, behold the result when it is all finished. A thing of beauty, a home for your
family, and your own handiwork! The risk is considerable, the labour tremendous,
and the result glorious. This is no job for weaklings or quitters. It will bring out
the best, or the worst, that is in you. Don't start to build, unless you really want a
house more than almost anything else in the world.
Tools
You will need a few tools in order to build effectively. The following list should
serve as a guide in buying the necessary tools:
Shovel. Any good shovel should prove satisfactory.
8 lb. sledge.
16 02 hammer. This is about the right size for most people. For framing, a
20 02. hammer is sometimes used, and a 13 02. for finishing. But most-
people work better with the same hammer for all purposes, and a 16 oz. is
the best all-around si2e. There are several good makes, but perhaps Stanley,
Maydole, Estwing, and Vaughan are among the best. It pays to get a good
hammer, as it is the most used tool on the job.
26" saw. The regular-sided saw is 26" long. For framing, about 8 points to
the inch is best, but good work can be done with a finer saw if only one
saw is to be bought. The finish saw should have about 11 points per inch.
If you can afford it, the two saws should be bought as they are used a
great deal.
Hand axe. Do not get one that is too heavy. You will find this tool very
useful. Keep it sharp.
Steel tape. The 50' size is long enough for most work and is not so heavy
to carry around as the 100 ft. size. But most carpenters prefer the 100 ft.
tapes.
Rule. The rolling 8 or 10 ft. size is the handiest, and should always be in
one's pocket while he is working.
Pencil. Be sure to have a good supply of pencils on hand.
Steel framing square. This square has a blade 24" long and a tongue 16"
long. It is used in much of the measuring and squaring in the framing of the
house.
Try square. A small square that is very useful in cabinet work. An adaptation
of this square is called the combination square, in which the head slips
along the blade to enable one to measure in tight places, and to set off a
specific distance, will be found more useful than a regular try square.
Photo owned by Flominator
Level. A level from 2' to 3' long will be adequate for building a house.
Bricklayers use a level, called a plumb rule that is 4' long.
Plumb bob. A stone can be used with a string if you wish, as you measure
from the string anyway.
Planes. Perhaps a 14" jack plane is the most universally used, as it will do
almost any planing operation, but if you can afford two planes, get an 18"
fore plane and a 6" block plane.
Chisels. A chisel 1/4" wide, one that is 3/4" wide and a large heavy chisel
should be all that you really need, but other sizes are also useful.
Wrecking Bar. A 30" bar will be found better than the usual 24" size. You
do not expect to use it much, but it will come in handy.
Chalk Line. Get plenty of chalk line or other strong string in long lengths, as
this will aid in getting a straight building job. Whenever you want anything
straight, stretch a string. Get a few pieces of chalk to go with your line.
Hoe. You will need a large hoe for mixing mortar.
Trowel, Brick Hammer. You will need these if you lay blocks or brick. They
are also very useful around concrete work.
Pick. You will not need this very much unless your soil is rocky or unusually
hard. Why not borrow a pick if you need it?
Hand Box. Make a lightweight hand box to carry your tools around in. This
will aid in keeping them together and should prevent losing them.
Nail apron or Carpenter's overalls. You will need something that has the
right kind of pockets to carry nails in. Avoid putting too many in at one
time and making the thing too heavy.
Sandpaper. When you get to the finish work, you will need sandpaper of
several sizes. Garnet paper is the sharpest and cuts the fastest. You will need
it in sizes of 1/2, 0, 00. Flint paper is cheaper and does not cut so fast, but the
fine and very fine sizes will be very useful. When you are sanding paint, use
the flint paper.
Brace and bits. You will need a brace and three or four bits. Sizes like
9/16, 3/4, and an expansion bit should give you enough so that you can
get along.
Small tools that most people already have like pliers, screwdrivers, hack
saws, wrenches will come in very handy.
Power Saw. A small power saw will be found very helpful, and will save a
great deal of labour; but one must be very careful in their use to avoid acci-
dents. The portable electric hand saw is perhaps the most convenient for
the average builder, as it can be taken to the place where the work is to
be done, whereas the larger stationary models require you to bring the work
to them. You can get more accurate cutting from a larger saw with an arm
that permits the saw to be brought out over the work. Some radial arm
saws permit you to cut almost any angle on the end of a board, like the
cuts of rafters, even the complicated cheek cuts which are compound miters.
You have such a few of them, however, that they can easily be cut by hand
in a short time. Most of your work will require only square cutting. The
little portable saws can also be set to cut compound angles, but their
accuracy will depend largely on the skill of the operator and may be slightly
disappointing at times. A good sharp handsaw will do a lot of cutting in an
hour if worked by a determined and sinewy hand. Where you buy the
studding already cut to length, and do not use sheathing or boxing on the
outside of the house, there is hot so much sawing anyway.
Power Jointer. A 6" power jointer will save a lot of hand planning. You
can use it to straighten some boards, plane others smooth, to help in fit-
ting doors, making thresholds, etc. This will also be used in the cupboard
work.
Electric Drill. The 1/2" size will be large enough to bore holes for electric
wiring and plumbing. It can also be used to bore holes in brick or concrete
if you use carboloy drill bits. The 1/4" size can be used for many things, but
is hardly large enough for work on a house.
With wages the way they are, it does not take many hours of hard work saved to
pay for a power tool or machine.
Here is just a word of caution for amateur builders regarding power tools,
particularly these small portable electric hand saws. Treat them with respect and
learn how to use them safely. Always keep the guard in place, looking before you
turn on the switch to see that everything is ready for the saw to start. No amount
of saving you may hope to make can compensate for the loss of a hand, a leg, or
even of a finger, and they are not hard to saw off.
Machinery can be handled safely, but it takes constant vigilance and a certain
amount of information as to what is safe practice and what is dangerous. Never
take a chance. If a thing is at all dangerous, instead of doing it that way figure out
a safe way of accomplishing the result you desire. You cut off a finger only once
and it is gone forever. Take time to be safe. Never remove the guard from port-
able hand saws. The switch should work freely and turn off automatically as soon
as you release it. Be sure the saw is grounded electrically. They usually come with a
triple plug or with a small wire insulated in green which should be connected to
a ground somewhere. If you have an outlet with the triple plug, it is probably
properly grounded. Arrange the boards so they will not bind or pinch the blade and
cause the saw to jerk out of control. Keep the blade sharp and avoid cutting into
nails or cement. Do not use the saw where you do not have good footing, or where
something is liable to slip.
The electric hand saw saves a lot of work, but remember that a bad accident could
stop the entire job very suddenly. Never use a cord that is frayed, or not otherwise
in first class condition. These saws use a large current, so the cord must be larger
than an ordinary lamp cord. Always pull the cord from the outlet before attempting
to change the saw blade or making major adjustments, as an accidental start at
the wrong time might be a serious mistake.
The larger saws that stay in one place and have the work brought to them are
safer than the portable kind, but even these, not being vegetarian saws, should
be used with care. It is safe to use power machinery, but a person must always be
careful to use it properly and with caution.
One cause of accidents is hurry. Work as fast as you can without hurrying. That
feeling of urgency that makes people step too heavily on the gas sometimes
carries over into the building work. Take enough time to be safe, for it will pay in
the long run.
Many accidents result from falls. When you work at any height, take special
precaution to see that all ladders are strong and in good condition, and that they
rest squarely on the ground. If you build scaffolds, be sure that they are substantial,
well braced, and equipped with a strong hand rail. A fall can end your building work
in a hurry. Select scaffold planks that do not have knots near the middle, testing
them for strength by placing them on low supports and springing them up and
down.
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