Month: March 2008

Rosales Residential Addition Plans Ready for Premier Estimate

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After many months of looking for products, suppliers, and vendors, my residential project planning is complete. The structure has cathedral ceilings and high windows for light. The drawings may not emphatically state it, but these are the dimensions of Premier panels I would like to use:

5-1/2″ core thickness wall SIP walls
9-1/4″ core thickness roof SIP walls
9-1/4″ core thickness floor SIP walls

I’ve included both a color and black and white drawing set in PDF format. If there are any details that are missing, let me know, and I can make corrections quickly. Aside from the floor plans and elevations, I have two drawings detailing electrical chases in the roof panels, an extra horizontal communications chase in some of the wall panels, and placement of vertical electrical chases for switches and receptacles.

I assume the standard 16 inch receptacle chases and 45 inch switch chases from floor are include where possible, but I also need a chase at 20 inches from floor for ethernet, cable TV, and telephone on certain walls. The drawing with vertical electrical chases attempt to follow a 4 foot spacing, as comes from the factory, with an exception of a switch in the bathroom mounted near a pocket door. I understand that there should be a vertical chase behind door bucks, or do I need to order those as well? If the panelization process moves the locations of the field receptacle vertical chase locations within a couple of inches, I think my electrical will have no problems wiring the walls to the stated interior dimensions, so take those measures with some flexibility.

There are several door and window openings (three skylights in the roof too), with the rough opening given for all measures taken from manufacturer specifications. The roof plan dimensions may not line up to the drawing, as my architect’s software (Nemetschek Vectorworks) handles roofs oddly, but the stated dimensions are accurate in all directions from the roof ridge.

Here is the process as i understand it going forward:

1. Release and review construction documents
2. Receive an estimate on materials from Premier
3. Approve estimate and send in cash amount to cover shop drawing and structural engineering approval
4. Take drawings and engineering stamped documents to issue building permit
5. Hope City of Los Angeles approves SIP project
6. determine premier manufacturing and delivery and final payment

As I look over the drawings, I see the foundation crawl space continuous spread footings are not well defined, as they are much related to the way the SIP floor is oriented. Perhaps the CA licensed structural engineer can assist once the estimate is done to refine some interior spot footings or additional interior continuous spread footings to support the SIP floor panels, since this project already requires a SIP engineering stamp.

I look forward to Premier’s estimate.

Bought Some New Hardware

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Usually, a topic like hardware means a new mac pro, but this week I’ve ordered and will receive tools for demolition and construction. I ordered from around the country ear protection, an electric adhesive dispenser, a pavement breaker, respirator, fiberglass fish tape, true RMS multimeter, hard hats, a self feed bit, and some books. The orders started coming in last Thursday, so the construction project will begin late this week or early next.

Patio Removal Begins Soon

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The remodeling project begins with the removal of the patio. I’ve ordered the hard hats, ear protection, respiratory protection, and tools to remove the patio walls and surrounding concrete. I don’t know when I will order the inert materials recycling bin, but it may be that I first break up the concrete, and then load the bin over two days.

Mom would like your participation, if you are willing to get into the dirty and somewhat hard labor of demo. I expect to reduce all parts to no more than 25 lbs for my own health. I’ve order a high powered and low vibration pavement breaker. You can rent a similar tool, but the one you can buy has more vibration protection (more comfortable to use), so it was $600 more, but I think a good investment in health. The last vibration tool I used, my hands hurt for four days.

I was going to order the tool on Monday, but there was a freight discrepancy, so last night the price dropped by $70, so I decided to order. It’s coming from a company in Las Vegas, so it should be here soon.

Demolition should begin either late this week or early next week. Please send your schedule so I can prepare for your arrival.