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New house build

Posted on 1/18/22 at 6:39 am
Posted by trident
Member since Jul 2007
4759 posts
Posted on 1/18/22 at 6:39 am
Any tips/advice you could give me on building my first house. Contractor will be building it , but what to look out for etc. this will be a raised house so any tips on spraying insecticide before the walls go up (I saw someone recommend something on here but can’t find it now)?

TIA
Posted by pdubya76
Sw Ms
Member since Mar 2012
5979 posts
Posted on 1/18/22 at 7:16 am to
Termite treatment is likely what you are referring to.
Make sure to get all inspections done as required and don’t pay until it passes.
Posted by gumbo2176
Member since May 2018
15250 posts
Posted on 1/18/22 at 7:55 am to
At the very least, I'd get all the pier areas treated because that is where subterranean termites will make access to the structure.

Also, any areas where wood is in direct contact with the ground if that situation arises.

A lot of this depends on what type foundation you plan on having. The above is for individual piers made of cinder block or brick on top of a concrete footing. Also, if going that route, I'd opt to get the metal termite shields that go between the top of the pier and the wood sills. They will stop any intrusion of termites from the inside of the hollow cinder blocks---and believe me, it they can find a way to get in them, they will.
Posted by TigerVizz87
Member since Dec 2021
164 posts
Posted on 1/18/22 at 8:27 am to
When we started our build I realized I knew basically nothing about the home building process. I found that watching some of the large homebuilders on YouTube (Matt Risinger, Matt Bangs Wood, Perkins Builder Brothers) was extremely helpful to at least know what the general process looks like. There are some nuances depending on where you live, but still a lot of good information.

Posted by Jack Daniel
In the bottle
Member since Feb 2013
25552 posts
Posted on 1/18/22 at 12:49 pm to
So is it raised or on slab? You’ve said both
Posted by tigereye58
Member since Jan 2007
2669 posts
Posted on 1/18/22 at 1:26 pm to
If you plan on doing spray foam insulation start researching it now. It changes how you vent your attic and your eaves.

Also, if you do consider spraying your exterior and plumbing walls with Boracoat I think is what it’s called. It’s a wood preservative and termites won’t eat it. You have to do this part when the studs are up but no Sheetrock. I also sprayed around my windows and valleys. It was an additional 1k but bc I elected to do spray foam I thought it was $ well spent. The bottom 3 feet of all of my walls are all protected now in addition to the normal termite treatment under the slab.
This post was edited on 1/18/22 at 1:28 pm
Posted by JumpingTheShark
America
Member since Nov 2012
22927 posts
Posted on 1/18/22 at 5:00 pm to
I’m about to start building and here are the biggest things I have heard recommendation wise:

-3 car garage has gotten the most upvotes as I’ve gone through this process. Those who had it love it and those who didn’t wish that they did.

-spray foam insulation

-get rid of any hallways in your plans. I tried drawing my own plans and had way too many hallways. Wasted sqft

I’ll post more as I think of them
Posted by cdl2006
SCP
Member since Nov 2007
312 posts
Posted on 1/18/22 at 8:37 pm to
I would recommend typing up an addendum listing everything you know you want in the house and expect to be included in the bid, no matter how small you might think it is. Make sure the contractor includes it in his bid and it is included as written in the contract you sign. Window color, a specific brick, size of moulding, final elevation of the house, a generator setup, drop brick ledge, number and zone setup of ac units, type and quantity of water heaters, etc. If it’s not on this list, make sure it is on your plans. Doing this will help to limit surprises in the process and ensure you get everything the way you want it. It will also make it easier to compare bids. Change orders in the build process can blow a budget quickly.
Posted by ShermanTxTiger
Broussard, La
Member since Oct 2007
10905 posts
Posted on 1/19/22 at 8:39 am to
Watch the allowances. $1000 here and there over budget will add up. If the builder is doing cost plus %? pray for lumber prices and materials to decrease.
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