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Ignorance = labor diy shop addition

windsormw

Aluminum
Joined
Dec 11, 2006
Location
The corner of Hill & William
As in my home shop here in the bush ,

I started an addition in the spring with the intent of doing it on a budget . Concreting wooden posts into the dirt wasn't the route I wanted to take , foundation was my desire .

Not sure if you yanks have kijiji ( just like craigslist ) but I began scavenging used concrete blocks for free & even picked up a cement mixer for the same price .

Soil here is sand & dug that trench by hand but it was still work . Mixed & poured all concrete for footing with my newly found mixer & was real work too .

To the point :

Laying a block wall foundation .......christ ! That was alot harder than anticipated - pff ... plumb , straight , level & square - correct ?

Too be clear - I have never mixed concrete or poured a footing but BS my way through that with good results

The amount of labor involved in hauling used block , cleaning used block & laying used block was tremendous to say the least .

The addition was just short of 300 blocks & my average was approx. 15 min a block

Nothing about sticking stones ( blocks ) together with a goop / potion ( mortar ) was easy ! Dealing with mortar is a ba$tard but I am happy to report that as I stacked rows & became in more of a prone position I was not filled with AS MUCH rage .

First row was the worst , last row was the best . Filled vertical sections with concrete @ 24" centers to accept anchor bolts with +- 1/4" on transit sweeps .

Belive it or not , I also scavenged well over 300 2*6's 10' & 12' from a deck platform @ a bar in the city .


In conclusion :

15 ' by 50 ' lean too wrapped in brand new building steel with a 4 ' block wall foundation & footing . 3k Can.

No regrets , learned a bunch & hard labor is good for the body & mind


My dear old dad stains lumber with used motor oil & even he is impressed

Edit : scored the 3 4' windows for free also
 
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I see no mention of scavenging any rebar in there. Without it you can knock it down now or wait for it to fall down on it's own, won't be long.
 
Stoopid is as Stoopid does.

You couldn't take a 1 semester night school class in brick & block laying ?
I did.
 
As in my home shop here in the bush ,

I started an addition in the spring with the intent of doing it on a budget . Concreting wooden posts into the dirt wasn't the route I wanted to take , foundation was my desire .

Not sure if you yanks have kijiji ( just like craigslist ) but I began scavenging used concrete blocks for free & even picked up a cement mixer for the same price .

Soil here is sand & dug that trench by hand but it was still work . Mixed & poured all concrete for footing with my newly found mixer & was real work too .

To the point :

Laying a block wall foundation .......christ ! That was alot harder than anticipated - pff ... plumb , straight , level & square - correct ?

Too be clear - I have never mixed concrete or poured a footing but BS my way through that with good results

The amount of labor involved in hauling used block , cleaning used block & laying used block was tremendous to say the least .

The addition was just short of 300 blocks & my average was approx. 15 min a block

Nothing about sticking stones ( blocks ) together with a goop / potion ( mortar ) was easy ! Dealing with mortar is a ba$tard but I am happy to report that as I stacked rows & became in more of a prone position I was not filled with AS MUCH rage .

First row was the worst , last row was the best . Filled vertical sections with concrete @ 24" centers to accept anchor bolts with +- 1/4" on transit sweeps .

Belive it or not , I also scavenged well over 300 2*6's 10' & 12' from a deck platform @ a bar in the city .


In conclusion :

15 ' by 50 ' lean too wrapped in brand new building steel with a 4 ' block wall foundation & footing . 3k Can.

No regrets , learned a bunch & hard labor is good for the body & mind


My dear old dad stains wood with used motor oil & even he is impressed

Edit : scored the 3 4' windows for free also

I love it! Nice job and pics are always appreciated!
 
Was a thought , the building I scavenged blocks from was a complete block wall building built in the 60's & no rebar was found in those walls nor was there concrete filled columns every 24" .

My foundation is back filled with about a block and 1/2 visible & not going anywhere
 
Stoopid is as Stoopid does.

You couldn't take a 1 semester night school class in brick & block laying ?
I did.

tough crowd ,

My uncle came by when this all kicked off . He showed me how to mix mortar , set corners & laid down a few blocks . Youtube helped me along the way also - after that , in my opinion .......its hands on trowel experience
 
Good work

You are no dummy as you did a footing

Proper drainage and soil will alleviate the need for rebar

Now you have a building to work in out of the weather

The money saved can be used where you need it
 
Good work

You are no dummy as you did a footing

Proper drainage and soil will alleviate the need for rebar

Now you have a building to work in out of the weather

The money saved can be used where you need it

Thanks guys , there is still enough blocks and boards remaining for "lean too" on the opposite side of shop ( coming this spring )

I'll post some pics when i get a chance
 
tough crowd ,

My uncle came by when this all kicked off . He showed me how to mix mortar , set corners & laid down a few blocks . Youtube helped me along the way also - after that , in my opinion .......its hands on trowel experience
In my tenure here, I've learned that if you tell about something that you did on your own and of which you are proud, you are liable to get your ass kicked. There's always someone in the "peanut gallery" who has BTDT or would have done it better in some other manner. If you did it without either taking a class or spending weeks looking on Google for a better method, they will even call you stupid.

Let me congratulate you on doing something for yourself and saving money. :)

Just don't tell anyone or you're gonna get it! :rolleyes5:
 
tough crowd ,

My uncle came by when this all kicked off . He showed me how to mix mortar , set corners & laid down a few blocks . Youtube helped me along the way also - after that , in my opinion .......its hands on trowel experience

Then why all the complaining/whining about laying up a few blocks. ?...:nutter:
YouTube isn't that good for teaching IMHO, and here is proof.
Block laying is easy, and you get in a rhythm.

And why would you take the time to recycle old blocks ?
Their not that expensive, and new would be much better suited to putting all that building on top of it.

Don't disrespect the labor trades, and concentrate on doing what you know best, hire
out what you don't.
 
Don't disrespect the labor trades, and concentrate on doing what you know best, hire
out what you don't.

I have ran across quite a few of them that don't deserve respect. When I was having my steel building put up in Cali, I went through 3 incompetent electricians before finishing the job myself. All were licensed and 2 came referred by friends. When I have to hire a construction trade job out I am in total panic. I got lucky using two different plumbers on separate issues with a well here, no way am I fit to go down a well or go down in it's equipment pit. Plumber #1 was great but did not return calls for the last job of changing the pressure switch.
 
I have ran across quite a few of them that don't deserve respect. When I have to hire a construction trade job out I am in total panic.

Same here!!!!!
Very few jobs I have hired out went well. It is so hard to find a solid contractor. And, it doesn't necessarily boil down to money.
I have a great concrete guy. And, I know probably the best tile guy in AZ (I worked for him when I moved here, LOL). But, even he is an un-reliable drunk.
I also got lucky with the company I used for the new shop A/C. But that is it. Every other thing I have hired out has been a big fat fail.

Kudos to you windsormw!
 
Stoopid is as Stoopid does.

You couldn't take a 1 semester night school class in brick & block laying ?
I did.


I like using the YouTube videos more and more on projects and work on the wifes or daughters car. I also like watching fix this old house more and more.
 
The beauty of living in Norfolk is that the man is out there,just speak to friends and neighbours and you are in like Flynn.
I have had a few jobs done,how much? I will see you down the pub for a pint. Yes that is the price.
 
Then why all the complaining/whining about laying up a few blocks. ?...:nutter:
YouTube isn't that good for teaching IMHO, and here is proof.
Block laying is easy, and you get in a rhythm.

And why would you take the time to recycle old blocks ?
Their not that expensive, and new would be much better suited to putting all that building on top of it.

Don't disrespect the labor trades, and concentrate on doing what you know best, hire
out what you don't.

No complaining or whining was done & almost 300 blocks is more than a few . Here's why I used recycled block , wood , dug my own trench & mixed & poured concrete footing myself :

- 290 blocks @ $5 = $1450

- hire a backhoe & operator $750

- 150 2*6 by 12 @ = $3000

- concrete delivery ready mix MIN $600

- edit : forgot about the free windows ;)

Pretty hard to argue argue with those numbers @ the cost of getting in shape , loosing my finger prints ( from handling block ) & learning new skills
 
In my tenure here, I've learned that if you tell about something that you did on your own and of which you are proud, you are liable to get your ass kicked. There's always someone in the "peanut gallery" who has BTDT or would have done it better in some other manner. If you did it without either taking a class or spending weeks looking on Google for a better method, they will even call you stupid.

Let me congratulate you on doing something for yourself and saving money. :)

Just don't tell anyone or you're gonna get it! :rolleyes5:

Thanks fella - this is a tough board & I prob. should have know better .
 
I see no mention of scavenging any rebar in there. Without it you can knock it down now or wait for it to fall down on it's own, won't be long.

Get real.

Rome didn't use "re-bar".

Nor did Qin Shi Huang Di when he completed the Great Wall of China.

Neither did anyone else in general use until .... around 1900 or so?

"Won't be long" is over two thousand years.. and counting.

And then we have the Pyramids...

:D
 
I'm not sure what this is

Human nature. Neighbours helping each other. Just because they can.

It balances out over time. Sometimes more than a human generation. Or MANY generations. When a Chinese refers to another as "good family" they can mean "for two thousand years, so far."

That's how "community" can work. Volunteers doing what is easy for them, hard for the neighbour. And the reverse, but in a long circuitous "chain".

No need of Karl Marx and that "socialist" nonsense institutionalized at all. We are already "social" creatures who constantly interact, pay attention to those around us, NEED and expect a bit of the same "in FAIR trade".

Just folks who'd like to live well, and see others around them as well served, too.

Life in general is safer and more comfortable that way. As if "extended family".. who "pay their fair share".

Well. "Our nature" ....when we haven't screwed it up, anyway!

:(
 








 
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