Building the forever house what am I missing?

[McLovin]

Whatever you do, do NOT have a standard water heater, go with an on demand.

As a PM for a plumbing company I'd spend a few extra bucks a year on wasted energy before buying one of these. You need a 200 amp service if you want an electric one that will come close to meeting demand, all of them (gas or electric) are maintenance/service nightmares. At least they used to be, I haven't put one in for a while.

If you are doing laundry/dishes and trying to shower you're asking the unit to put out 7-10 gpm, on demand heaters meet the demand by throttling back the flow so it can heat the water as it passes through the exchanger, which results in a shower with the pressure of a prostate cancer victim's pi$$. The only other way to meet the demand is to burn a lot of btus. Now you're spending an extra $2,000.00 up front for a high end unit and you're saving $5.00 to $10.00 a month in gas or electric. Not worth it IMO. Plus if the power goes out you still have 40 or 50 gallons of hot water stored and ready to use with a tank type unit.

 

[MoLandOwner]

I would never build a house without an air exchange system or look into a whole house fan. If you don't, you are NUTS!

Great advice from the electrician. I don't see a need for 9ft ceilings. It's just extra money in lumber and the win is from ??? I would just do standard height, plus they are miserable to paint.

If you think you have enough outlets, add 20 more. Make 100% sure to add a bunch of 2.1a USB outlet plugs all over too. Charging electronics seems to be a constant move of plugs.

When you install your water, install a whole house water filtration system. It's easier to plumb it now than later.

Whatever you do, do NOT have a standard water heater, go with an on demand.

Whatever the code is for drain tile make 100000000000000000000000% sure that they wrap the tile in cloth to prevent it from clogging. some states it's code others it is not, and make sure there is enough gravel over the tile.

Yep!

We put one in, and it was not that expensive at the time of construction.

 

[shawnv]

one of the largest trip hazards in the house. throw rugs. Go to a dr. and get a hip replaced or a knee and they will tell you too toss everyone. I hate rugs laying around.

Secondly only to my buddy cleaning his hardwood floors with Pledge. Still LOL everytime i hear the story. I guess it was like an ice rink!! He hit the floor 3 times in the middle of the nite going to the fridge for a midnight snack. He was wearing socks and when he hit the floor he was ass end over tea kettles.

I can't say anyone at my house has had an issue with area rugs, I'm not talking about the small ones with no slip control underneath. I also have hand scrapped hickory floors so there is a little texture to them for traction when cleaning the floors.

 

[chickenlittle]

I guess it is a matter of perspective, is 10' really gone or do you have 14' feet gained that otherwise wold just be attic.

One downside is that it can be harder to get the insulation and air sealing done right. But both ways can be done right or wrong.

 

[j-bird]

This is way to much reading or me to get up to speed! So - put all major needs on the main floor - as you age old and stairs don't mix! This includes master bedroom, laundry facilities and anything that needs some regular attention. If you have a basement and want it finished "some day" - use the banks money now! You want landscaping - use the banks money now! ATTACHED GARAGE for the vehicles - pole barn for the toys. If you plan on using your basement - go with at least 9' walls! Nothing worse than low ceilings in your basement. I would go full second story if you need the room. If you go basement - check building codes FIRST to see what is required to use it for bedrooms and the like and size heating and AC units accordingly to any potential expansions if areas are left unfinished, but are to become finished. if you live in the sticks - look into a home wide back-up generator. They are not cheap - use the banks money! Insulate interior walls for sound deadening - especially if you have kids. Actually if you have kids - forget it - don't put in anything nice.....it doesn't stay that way!!!! If you want to use your basement - plan ahead and consider your needs. I put in a large steel bean to be able to have greater distances between poles (made great place for the pool table). Have any foundation drains - actually drain - I have seen many folks put in perf pipe that is one continuous loop - WTF! Also tie/tile your down spouts into a drain system. Make sure your breaker box has room for additional breakers if your planning an expansion. Try to centralize your furnace - this makes heat distribution easier and keeps one room from being really warm while another room is still cold. Insulate the crap out of everything and use durable exterior finishes.

 

[UP Powers]

totally disagree on the on demand water heater. I installed it and it was a breeze and there is zero issues with hot water. I personally have never experienced a loss of demand for the heater and I heat mine with LP. Having water sit in a tank heating all the time is ridiculous and I would rather pay per use rather than pay for water to be heated all the time.

oh. insulation. Don't cheap out on it and put bat insulation inbetween rooms. Nothing worse in a house and you can hear stuff going on in the other room like you are staying at a Motel 6.

Whole house vacuum system. Easy to install now, impossible later. They are super slick! The best one is the kitchen trap that you step on and you can sweep the floor into it. Very powerful and makes the crap you buy at the big box stores look like a joke.

 

[shawnv]

Our suggestions only have you at $250sqft. Good luck with whatever you decide to go with in your build.

 

[foggy]

we have a gas water heater, and a recirculating pump for hot water. that makes hot water availabe instantly at any bath. works like a hotel. slick.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[chummer]

totally disagree on the on demand water heater. I installed it and it was a breeze and there is zero issues with hot water. I personally have never experienced a loss of demand for the heater and I heat mine with LP. Having water sit in a tank heating all the time is ridiculous and I would rather pay per use rather than pay for water to be heated all the time.

oh. insulation. Don't cheap out on it and put bat insulation inbetween rooms. Nothing worse in a house and you can hear stuff going on in the other room like you are staying at a Motel 6.

Whole house vacuum system. Easy to install now, impossible later. They are super slick! The best one is the kitchen trap that you step on and you can sweep the floor into it. Very powerful and makes the crap you buy at the big box stores look like a joke.

Totally agree. We had tankless at our last house and loved it. Never had an issue the 5 years we had it. My biggest regret with our new house is we did not request it. We will be going back to one at some point.

 

[UP Powers]

The other thing to consider is to tile the floor in the mudroom and put in a floor drain. plumb it into the stack so you can mop to it. you go in old houses in the garages and they have it. All of the sudden modern stuff comes along and they are gone. Why???

whatever you do.. don't NOT put that house up unless you have an air exchange system. I am telling you DON'T DO IT!!! I know I said it before, but 1000000% sure that you plan for it. You will thank me later. Modern construction is tight like a drum and no air moves. Mold, mildew etc. you want that air moving. Plus if you plan it properly you won't need a bathroom fan!! you have your duct inside the bathroom and the fan pulls the bathroom air out and will run for a couple of hours in complete silence.

 

[foggy]

I'm pretty sure an air exchange system is code in MN these days. We put in a steam humidifier.....and so far have not had a need for it. Maybe this winter our humidity will drop enough to make it useful? Could be I wasted some money on it......but we have allot of wood to keep "moist" and prevent splitting in cold weather.

One thing here is.....that we have WINTER.....and with a heated garage (nice).....you need to deal with slush melting from beneath your car. We have trench-style floor drains under our cars with the concrete sloped slightly to thee drains from 4 angles. Nice. We also have 10x10' overhead doors that automatically light up (these days) when you enter the garage. Lots of room between our cars so you can open the doors without hitting one another. :D

Our soils here (northern MN) are dramatically different than the clay-based soils in Southern MN. With the sand here.....it's nearly impossible to make water "puddle". All water is absorbed thru the granular soils quickly. Thus we can do things like french drains and don't worry too much about sump pumps and drainage as this seems to be a non-event here (although I still am adamant about those things). Completely different here than SO MN. Point is....conditions change throughout the US. Don't listen to folks about these issues whom are a half-continent away! Check with knowledgeable locals on important issues.

Also, I put in a constant-flow, high-volume water well pump. Really can put out the water. Also have a yard hydrant which has proven useful and with the high water flow could contain or knock down a yard fire. (in our pine forest that is a possibility - our neighbor burned two acres :oops:)

 

[Jim Timber]

I guess it is a matter of perspective, is 10' really gone or do you have 14' feet gained that otherwise wold just be attic.

Except at 6' tall, I can't get closer than 3' from the knee walls, which makes it an 8' wide room if I don't risk banging my head. 1/3 the available space is useful.

In-laws built this place 5 years prior to my arrival. Were it up to me, we'd have the high vaulted ceiling in the main room, then bump to full walls on the back half. We'd then have 2 more bedrooms and a loft of the same useful space at the top of the stairs.

Build what you want. I'm not going to stop you. But you'll be taxed on finished floor area, might as well get the most out of it. :)

 

[Jordan Selsor]

Guys I'm overwhelmed with your responses.. Thank you. I mean it when I say forever house so I don't plan to skimp. The house will be modest as far as square footage but I hope to use top quality materials.
I met with the architect yesterday and should have a preliminary drawing by the weekend. I hope to post a link to them and get more feed back from you all.
Tks again guys

 

[John-W-WI]

Some of them already mentioned but here are my initial thoughts:

Geothermal heat pump. Free hot water year-round, you can run tubing in the floor for warm floors all winter (in the whole house if you want).

Siding - install LP Smartside rather than vinyl. 10 years from now you will think I'm the smartest guy ever. The house I live in right now is vinyl, and this is the last house I will EVER live in with vinyl.

If you will have a basement - install stairs down to it from the garage/breezeway or somewhere. Access directly to the basement (without having to go through the house) is a big plus.

Running water (and sinks/tables etc. depending on your needs) in the garage and shed. (another trick is to put a pressure tank in the shed to keep the line from freezing)

Floor drains in anything that isn't the house (garage/shed). Makes is MUCH easier in the winter.

For the landscaping install concrete "curb" edging rather than the plastic stuff that the lawn mower eats.

On bigger garage doors, use commercial openers. They are faster and last much longer.

Hard surfaces throughout the house - carpet just doesn't last.

-John

 

[foggy]

Get real picky on whom does your concrete work and how they go about the work. Make certain they use REBAR, and tie slabs together, etc. Don't skimp on doing this right.....casue it costs allot to do it over - if you can do it over. Specify, specify, specify.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Foggy - I don't want to hi-jack, but you said you sold a batch of shooting sticks to pay for your place. What kind / name of shooting sticks ?? Thanks.

Jordan - Glad to be of some help. My career has been 99% commercial and industrial wiring, but I've done houses and other residential jobs for various people over the years. Looking forward to seeing the plans if you post them.

 

[foggy]

Foggy - I don't want to hi-jack, but you said you sold a batch of shooting sticks to pay for your place. What kind / name of shooting sticks ?? Thanks.

Jordan - Glad to be of some help. My career has been 99% commercial and industrial wiring, but I've done houses and other residential jobs for various people over the years. Looking forward to seeing the plans if you post them.

Long story. Here goes..... It's an American dream really.

I started a small reloading products enterprise out of my basement.....back about 1989. I was a varmint hunter and guns and reloading was my passion, and a primary hobby to me. While I traveled allot working for an aluminum company......I spent my evenings reading everything I could about my passion. I was really into shooting prairie dogs. I learned that seating the bullets out near the rifling made superior accuracy....yet nobody made a good product to do so. I spent a winter developing a product to do this. Cut and try...cut and try. Viola....I had one that worked....very good. It was a really good product for it's purpose. Limited market....but the best at what it does. I lived on Stoney Point Road and used to fish on Stoney Point.....and killed my first elk on Stoney Point. Therefore I called the new business Stoney Point Products, Inc. It seemed lucky.....and I liked the name - all instinct.

I didn't have much money, and didn't want to lose what I had....so I decided I would not go out on a limb with borrowed money. Started on a shoe string with less than $10,000 seed money.....and paid myself back within a year....while I held my job selling aluminum....and developing good aluminum product for my customers (my best teachers). Sold stuff the best way I knew how. Made money.....grow, grow, spend a nickel...pay myself back....grow some more. Add some products. Bore Guides, and Bullet Comparators.....and a few lesser things.

Went to Camp Perry and got a feel that my product was "good". Developed a bit more and made bigger plans. Got a good reloading distributor to sell my stuff....incremental growth....but rolling on. Got to the Shot Show in 1990.....and had a couple of reloading products to offer. Sold the spit out of 'em at the show (walked out with many thousands of sales)....and quit my job on the way home from that show. I thought my wife would choke me. During that show I sold products to the likes of Jim Carmichal and others from the press. I didnt know them from Adam.....or, I would have given them product. It just FELT "right" for me to take the plunge. And I did.

I sent out press kits and wrote news releases.....and all of a sudden I was a household name - with AVID reloaders. Still no huge sales.....but I could pay the bills and had enough resources to develop new products. Now what?

I had read every book written on shooting and long range hunting, etc.....and I killed my first elk off a pair of rudimentary "shooting sticks" I had thrown together. Shooting sticks were not offered in any catalog....and when I offered them to the market.....most folks sneered at me. They had some pre-conceived ideas about these being less than a rifleman's product. "Americans should be able to stand on their own and hit a target.....it's the American way"......or some such nonsense The thing is.....they worked! And they work today.

So I spent a few years developing ever better and better products and gaining space in the catalogs.....not really knowing where I was going.....or smart enough to "brand" my products. I didn't sell my TM products as Steady STix, or PoleCat, and such.......I WAS BUSY SELLING THE CONCEPT. DUH! Later I discovered that to succeed.....I needed to brand myself. And when I did.....my product sales grew dramatically.

Somehow I survived my stupidity and got on the right track soon enough to retain a large portion of the market......just as the masses decided it was time to enter. Competition everywhere.....and more copies of my stuff than you could shake a stick at. I had too few of the "right people" in place to grow the company as it needed to grow.....so when I was given a great offer to sell.......I took it......and rode off into retirement.

Never real sure if I could have kept the wheels on as I grew the company??......but I am well-satified in knowing I did the best I could while I owned the company and I enjoyed every minute. My employees enjoyed working for the enterprise too....and to this day many are my good friends.

Some of my brands have been severely diminished in time....but a few live on. Hornady has done a nice job with preserving the integrity of the reloading products. A few other really good products (including my "shooting sticks") have been sent overseas....and in the process were cast into oblivion.

So it goes. :eek: I got paid.....and I had a wonderful experience with a few good people. I was able to retire nicely at an early age.....and I am forever grateful that I took the "plunge" and started this business.

Although.....gotta say.....this business got me into several law suits costing me hundreds of thousands of dollars.....got me so burned out....that at a few times I could hardly face another human being or walk out the door each morning......and I risked my entire financial future on this endeavor.....more than a few times. It would have buried many folks, I know. So.....just saying....it was not always a bed of roses.....and it's not for everyone.

To answer your question: I founded Stoney Point Products. Brand names included Steady Stix, Pole-Cat and a few more. Had 25, or so, shooting and hunting related patents / trademarks.......and still have a creative mind....or, what's left of it. :D

Sorry for the long dissertation. :D

 

[UP Powers]

not too often I am speechless. Foggy.. wow. That is fricking awesome. I seriously had no idea myself. I can't wait to look at what I use. I use a mono stick and I have no idea who made it. Can't wait to look. The other stick I use is a pine, the one that is 2x4 out my blind window. :)

 

[SD51555]

Getting back on topic... (Just kidding Foggy, that's an awesome story)

Big garage and big doors. Consider skipping the house if the garage consumes the budget. 24' deep minimum. Doors high enough to get your dream toys in it, wide enough you can back in and pull out without help. My brother has a very nice concrete insulated shop that he can't get anything in. Fishhouse is too tall. Trucks with normal mirrors have about 2" clearance on each side. He's got to work on his tractor outside. And that is only fun about six weeks per year.

Be sure to get all your landscaping done right away and correctly. Nothing worse than seeing a palace with nothing more than a spotty lawn that is getting blasted by wind and field stubble all winter. Worse yet, a windbreak that's installed on the cheap, grass grows right up against everything, and ten years later its still the same size. Plan for areas of perennial edible landscaping.

Get an installed propane or nat gas backup generator.

If you're going to be rural and need propane, buy your own 1000 gallon tank. Lots of variations out there on service quality and price. This year was a good example where guys with more storage capacity made out very well on LP vs those with 500 gallon tanks.

Outdoor wood burner? I'd only recommend that if you enjoy making firewood.

Vault in basement (as long as you're high enough to tile away your excess water). You'd be amazed at what you want behind concrete and steel once you've got it.

Ok, most of my stuff is non-house. But that's what I see often missed. If you can save some $$ on energy and food, it'll help pay for the house.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

Long story. Here goes..... It's an American dream really.

I started a small reloading products enterprise out of my basement.....back about 1989. I was a varmint hunter and guns and reloading was my passion, and a primary hobby to me. While I traveled allot working for an aluminum company......I spent my evenings reading everything I could about my passion. I was really into shooting prairie dogs. I learned that seating the bullets out near the rifling made superior accuracy....yet nobody made a good product to do so. I spent a winter developing a product to do this. Cut and try...cut and try. Viola....I had one that worked....very good. It was a really good product for it's purpose. Limited market....but the best at what it does. I lived on Stoney Point Road and used to fish on Stoney Point.....and killed my first elk on Stoney Point. Therefore I called the new business Stoney Point Products, Inc. It seemed lucky.....and I liked the name - all instinct.

I didn't have much money, and didn't want to lose what I had....so I decided I would not go out on a limb with borrowed money. Started on a shoe string with less than $10,000 seed money.....and paid myself back within a year....while I held my job selling aluminum....and developing good aluminum product for my customers (my best teachers). Sold stuff the best way I knew how. Made money.....grow, grow, spend a nickel...pay myself back....grow some more. Add some products. Bore Guides, and Bullet Comparators.....and a few lesser things.

Went to Camp Perry and got a feel that my product was "good". Developed a bit more and made bigger plans. Got a good reloading distributor to sell my stuff....incremental growth....but rolling on. Got to the Shot Show in 1990.....and had a couple of reloading products to offer. Sold the spit out of 'em at the show (walked out with many thousands of sales)....and quit my job on the way home from that show. I thought my wife would choke me. During that show I sold products to the likes of Jim Carmichal and others from the press. I didnt know them from Adam.....or, I would have given them product. It just FELT "right" for me to take the plunge. And I did.

I sent out press kits and wrote news releases.....and all of a sudden I was a household name - with AVID reloaders. Still no huge sales.....but I could pay the bills and had enough resources to develop new products. Now what?

I had read every book written on shooting and long range hunting, etc.....and I killed my first elk off a pair of rudimentary "shooting sticks" I had thrown together. Shooting sticks were not offered in any catalog....and when I offered them to the market.....most folks sneered at me. They had some pre-conceived ideas about these being less than a rifleman's product. "Americans should be able to stand on their own and hit a target.....it's the American way"......or some such nonsense The thing is.....they worked! And they work today.

So I spent a few years developing ever better and better products and gaining space in the catalogs.....not really knowing where I was going.....or smart enough to "brand" my products. I didn't sell my TM products as Steady STix, or PoleCat, and such.......I WAS BUSY SELLING THE CONCEPT. DUH! Later I discovered that to succeed.....I needed to brand myself. And when I did.....my product sales grew dramatically.

Somehow I survived my stupidity and got on the right track soon enough to retain a large portion of the market......just as the masses decided it was time to enter. Competition everywhere.....and more copies of my stuff than you could shake a stick at. I had too few of the "right people" in place to grow the company as it needed to grow.....so when I was given a great offer to sell.......I took it......and rode off into retirement.

Never real sure if I could have kept the wheels on as I grew the company??......but I am well-satified in knowing I did the best I could while I owned the company and I enjoyed every minute. My employees enjoyed working for the enterprise too....and to this day many are my good friends.

Some of my brands have been severely diminished in time....but a few live on. Hornady has done a nice job with preserving the integrity of the reloading products. A few other really good products (including my "shooting sticks") have been sent overseas....and in the process were cast into oblivion.

So it goes. :eek: I got paid.....and I had a wonderful experience with a few good people. I was able to retire nicely at an early age.....and I am forever grateful that I took the "plunge" and started this business.

Although.....gotta say.....this business got me into several law suits costing me hundreds of thousands of dollars.....got me so burned out....that at a few times I could hardly face another human being or walk out the door each morning......and I risked my entire financial future on this endeavor.....more than a few times. It would have buried many folks, I know. So.....just saying....it was not always a bed of roses.....and it's not for everyone.

To answer your question: I founded Stoney Point Products. Brand names included Steady Stix, Pole-Cat and a few more. Had 25, or so, shooting and hunting related patents / trademarks.......and still have a creative mind....or, what's left of it. :D

Sorry for the long dissertation. :D

Now that's somthing to be proud of! Very cool Foggy
Congrats that your hard work paid off
I love to hear success stories!