Finished house i sawed out myself! Pics! Even more Pics!

[Kelvin]

Howdy all!

Some of you might have seen some pictures of the house i've been building.  Thought i would show you all an update.  We officially moved in this weekend.  Two years to the day from when i started cutting the timbers.  Boy, what a job.  Its amazing how much lumber goes into a house, especially when you make evertything from scratch.  Its great to have all this crazy wood around me now.  Spalted curly maple, quarter sawn oak, ash and elm.  My house is now a catalog of wood types.  One floor has 4 different variaties in it.  I salvaged a lot of the materials.  Bought used windows and doors, and took parts from a neighbors house they were tearing down.  The staircase is reused barn beams, heck even the drive is crushed concrete!

Well, thought i'd show you all a few pictures of it now that its close to done.

[tcsmpsi]

I like it. 

Unique and utilitarian. 

Commendable, Kelvin.

[ely]

great job kevin. i bet it makes you feel good just to sit and look out the windows.

[crtreedude]

Nice job!

[pigman]

Great looking house. 8)  You should be really proud. I like the way you put the deer stand on top of the house. ;D   I bet there is a great view from up there.

Bob

[Gabby]

Very nice. You should be very proud of your work.

[thecfarm]

Two years,bet you glad that is done.Looks good.Is that a view of a old field?Nice place for a kitchen.Look out the window well doing dishes.Probaly have wildlife there too.

[OneWithWood]

Nice job, Kelvin.  Finishing in two years is no mean feat.  I've been working on our house for a little over twenty years.  But who's counting  :D

[Percy]

Very impressive.  What kind of wood stove you got?? ;D

[Kelvin]

thanks guys!

The woodstove is a Lopi i got used out of the paper for $200.  Now the chimney, that was a different story.  $1,000 of stainless steel.  Couldn't find that used anywhere!

We have 6 acres now with an old 60x36 timber framed barn i restored into my workshop.  Also the saw shed.  We look over a pond i dug out back, and then the neighbors are in trusts with 40 acres, 140, and 60 acres that i look over.  I'm about 700 feet off the road, so less noise now.

Take it easy,
KP

[rebocardo]

WOW! A three story house, you are the man! 

With my skills I would be nervous building anything higher then a shed  :D

I bet that chimney cost a pretty penny. I found it painful just paying for 6 feet of my triple wall stainless steel stuff. Never mind $30$ feet of it.

I would love to see your stove and hearth area.

What satisfaction cutting your own lumber and building your own anything, especially a three story house.  8)

I like the widows peak, do you have enough room up there for tables and chairs for eating and such?

Looks like metal roofing?

How did you insulate the walls?

[DanG]

Splendid job, Kelvin! 8) 8)  I like it a lot!  The cozy living room is especially nice.  That couch in the foreground looks like a Sunday afternoon nap waiting to happen. ;D

[sprucebunny]

Congratulations, Kelvin  8) 8) 8) 8)

Two years is pretty fast for all the work sawing and scavenging and building .

[logwalker]

I am very impressed with the results Kevin. I have been going thru a similar process and appreciate all you must have gone thru. LW

[SwampDonkey]

Nice job Kelvin. I was curious though, do you have a bell in the top section? My uncle has a bell in the old house and it's housed in a structure like that in your roof, only it's vented with no windows (the term for it leaves my mind right now). That old bell in his house used to be on the grainery, then later on a post outside the house, and I could remember grandmother ringing that when she wanted us to come to dinner or lunch or if someone was visiting. But usually we were not far from the dinner table too often. :D I could hear that bell on the back of the farm which was 150 acres, over a mile deep.

Congrats on finishing your home.  8)

[mike_van]

Lookin' great Kelvin - There's a satisfaction out of using your own lumber [or anything you make] That most will never know -     

[lmbeachy]

Great job Kevin, i can relate to building your own house, it didn't take me quite two years, but then I didn't cut my own lumber. If I had to climb up to the top of your building, it would have taken me twenty years. Again, great job. Les

[metalspinner]

That's wonderful, Kelvin.  I've been working on my new kitchen for two years.  What's your secret?  There is a heck of a lot more wood in a three story house than in just one little kitchen. :D :D  I won't show my wife this thread.  She will think I'm sleeping on the job.

[jpad_mi]

Looks great Kelvin! You should be really proud!

[Kelvin]

Howdy again,
The insulation is just blown cellulose.  I made infill studs, covered with heavy weight tar paper under the exterior furring strips.  This kept the cellulose off the exterior siding, making and air gap behind the board and batten siding.  we just drywalled the inside.

Yup, metal roofing.  Lasts 100 yrs, and can be turned in for scrap $ when you are done, unlike asphalt shingles which cost a lot to get rid of.  Also didn't want to get back on the roof in my lifetime!

i do have a big bell to put in the copula, that i was going to use as a door bell, but decided i'd rather not have something that loud in the house.  The copula is the 4th floor and is 8x10 with a 12' peak.  We'll finish it off now that the building inspectors have left.  Not allowed to have a 4th floor for some reason.

One thing that is handy is to make a house where the design uses the structure as its own scaffolding.  The rear of the house was a cake walk, the front was not.  The copula made for a great staging area for working on the roof.  We sat all the plywood up there for the roof deck and worked from there.  its real handy when you don't own a shooting boom fork lift.

I may add some more pics of the different parts in a day or so.  Take a look again later.

Thanks for the congrats,
KP

[sandmar]

Well done Kelvin! I would love to see that stove and hearth my self,got any pics?
Sandmar

[Quebecnewf]

I don't mean to pick but she looks a lot to high for her width. maybe it is just the pictures that are throwing me off.

how are you planning to finish the outside will you paint or stain. what type of wood is the exterior done with and why is it starting to turn black after only 2 years. If I see black discoloured wood i think the next stage is dare i say it rot. Once again i am only looking at pictures

[Paul_H]

Very nice job on the house and sawing,it looks great!

[Tom]

What a neat house!

I especially like that little room on the roof, a cupola is it?

I always wanted a tower that I cold sit in of a morning and drink coffee and read the paper and watch the animal life across the canopy of the swamp.  What a neat place for a high powered telescope, a radio and a camera.

You know, that big bell could still go in that cupola and be used for a doorbell, as long as you weren't using the cupola. :D   Everybody in  40 miles would know when someone was at your front door.

[Stephen1]

great job!!!!!! I don't think there is a better feeling than the satisfaction of doing it your self.