building your own home

Plumbing Top Out

Plumbing Top Out When building your own home, the plumbing is topped out in accordance with the plumbing provisions of the International Residential Code after the homes frame is complete. The plumbing contractor furnishes all material for this work. As the owner builder, it is your responsibility to check the contractors work for any change [...]

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Plumbing Grounds

Foundation

Foundation Plumbing When building your own home, the plumbing grounds stage of construction will come after the forms have been set, and a load of sand has been delivered and spread out inside of the form boards for cushioning. At this time you will schedule the plumbing contractor to come out to the house and [...]

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Foundation Inspection

Foundation

First Foundation Inspection When building your own home, it is important to know that you need to have the foundation inspection called in to the applicable inspectors with sufficient lead times to ensure availability of the inspectors. The foundation inspection should not be called in, however, until you have had sufficient time yourself to thoroughly [...]

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Tractor Rough Grade

Drainage

When building your own home, you will want to perform the tractor rough grade immediately after the slab is poured and the form boards are removed. The purpose of the lot scrape is to provide adequate drainage of surface water away from the slab (Make sure the sewer and water tap have already been completed) [...]

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Concrete Expansion Joints

Concrete

Isolation/Expansion Joints in Concrete When building your own home, one of the items that will require your attention during the foundation/flatwork portion of construction is checking the use of expansion joints. Slab-on-grade isolation joints are used where a concrete slab meets another slab or other concrete structure, such as: Sidewalks or driveways adjacent to your [...]

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Cutting Curbs and Sidewalks

Concrete

Following slab placement, form wreck and lot debris removal, you should schedule your tractor man to cut down the flatwork areas for concrete placement. This is also when the contractor responsible for cutting the curb for driveway and sidewalk placement will be ready to come to the jobsite. When building your own home, you should [...]

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Managing your Framing Contractor

Framing

When building your own home, managing your framing contractor will help save you time and money. But you also need to do your homework and make sure that you are not going to be hurting your framing contractors ability to complete his job to a satisfactory level. So before providing your house plans to the [...]

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Home Framing Basics & Lumber Package

Framing

When building your own home, reaching the framing stage of construction is a great milestone. Typically you being framing your home when you complete the foundation, the driveway, and have established a foundation of drainage for your yard. Establishing the drainage of your yard may not seem important, but you do not want to skip [...]

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Weatherstripping a Door

Energy Efficiency

Weatherstripping Weatherstripping a door or window is important for preventing water penetration, air leaks and loss of energy in your home. Weatherstripping your home is an easy and great way to make your home more energy efficient. It is important to wait towards the end of construction before weatherstriping your door. Weatherstriping the door early [...]

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Tips for Hanging Drywall

Drywall

Drywall Hanging Tips, Checklist, and Overview – Flange tubs installed prior to sheetrock. Check for damage and review with contractor to confirm it is in good shape prior to his work beginning. It is very common for tubs to be chipped and damaged during either the sheetrock or tile stage of finishing out the bathtub [...]

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