New Dedicated Listening Room

[Kingrex]

Before I could even begin working on the interior of my house, I had to deal with floods of water coming into the crawl space in two sections. I had to take down two large trees to access the piprs on the front of the house. They were sitting right on top of the pipes. Both required about thirty to forty feet of trenching four plus feet down. We had a pretty massive rain in the last 2 days, and I'm happy to say. The crawl space is now staying dry .

Tomorrow I continue with the crawl space encapsulation, I began a month ago. That was when I discovered how much water was really getting under there.

It turns out the original contractor building the house decided to go. Cheap and join the downspouts. To the footing, drain has one pipe to exit. Of course, he screwed it all up so the downspouts were really dumping all their water into the footing drain, which then became a lake under the house. I had to separate the system on two ends of the house.

 

[John T]

Before I could even begin working on the interior of my house, I had to deal with floods of water coming into the crawl space in two sections. I had to take down two large trees to access the piprs on the front of the house. They were sitting right on top of the pipes. Both required about thirty to forty feet of trenching four plus feet down. We had a pretty massive rain in the last 2 days, and I'm happy to say. The crawl space is now staying dry .

Tomorrow I continue with the crawl space encapsulation, I began a month ago. That was when I discovered how much water was really getting under there.

It turns out the original contractor building the house decided to go. Cheap and join the downspouts. To the footing, drain has one pipe to exit. Of course, he screwed it all up so the downspouts were really dumping all their water into the footing drain, which then became a lake under the house. I had to separate the system on two ends of the house.

Does the home have a French Drain?

 

[Kingrex]

It had a footing drain as well as downspout drain. The jerrkhole builder tied the 2 together so he only had to exit one pipe. Of course e screwed it all up. The downspouts were dumping their water into the footing drain system and flooding the gravel bed and footer around the whole house. There was also a separated downspout pipe on the opposite end of the house that was dumping its water into the footer.

 

[John T]

Yep, too much volume. When I built my house I was able to divert the downspouts. The ease of new construction vs fixing others mistakes. I put the French Drain in, I bet I did at least 2' deep of gravel over the black pipe after coating all the blocks with black tar sealant. I didn't have a tractor with a bucket at the time so it was all shovel/wheel barrel work...Are you doing total encapsulation? Dehumidifier and everything? Done right that's a great application. I thought about having all the insulation pulled out and shoot foam between the joists. I looked into that after I had to fill the cavity from a former root cellar. We pumped 10 yards! I thew everything you could imaging in that hole, blocks, old steel wine barrel racks to stretch the concrete. The guy with the pump said you don't need to do all that. As it turned out I did. If I didn't I would have come up short....

 

[Kingrex]

Yes. Total encapsulation. I would not shoot the joist, but I am using Green foam on the rimboard. I already removed all the insulation. I found a very very little bit of mold. Looks more like mold that started during construction when the structure got wet. Seams between floor sheeting. It was dry enough to not expand over the years. . So far I have the dimpled pad down. Next will be the insulated blanket on the walls. Caulked and nailed at the top. Then the 12 mm vapor barrier over all floor and concrete. Then 2 x 80 cfm exhaust fans and a dehumidifier. I have 47 inches to work with. Nice.

I will probably gut the HVAC and replace it with some liquid radiant under the living room and hallways. Then liquid to european style radiators on the walls under windows in the dining and library. Probably 1 or 2 pic a watt in the kitchen.

European wall heat in bed rooms too.

Maybe a mini split outside with a single dump in the living kitchen for AC. But with my new covered deck, I can keep the sun off the south windows. This is the PNW. We have 1 to 2 weeks of 90 degree. At night it drops to the 70s.

 

[Kingrex]

A landscape architect was here this weekend. He said get rid of a lot of fence and celebrate the size and scale of the land. Then make a semi perimeter trail through the land. I agree. That fence down the middle has to go.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

A landscape architect was here this weekend. He said get rid of a lot of fence and celebrate the size and scale of the land. Then make a semi perimeter trail through the land. I agree. That fence down the middle has to go.

i love spring time in the Northwest.

 

[John T]

Yes. Total encapsulation. I would not shoot the joist, but I am using Green foam on the rimboard. I already removed all the insulation. I found a very very little bit of mold. Looks more like mold that started during construction when the structure got wet. Seams between floor sheeting. It was dry enough to not expand over the years. . So far I have the dimpled pad down. Next will be the insulated blanket on the walls. Caulked and nailed at the top. Then the 12 mm vapor barrier over all floor and concrete. Then 2 x 80 cfm exhaust fans and a dehumidifier. I have 47 inches to work with. Nice.

I will probably gut the HVAC and replace it with some liquid radiant under the living room and hallways. Then liquid to european style radiators on the walls under windows in the dining and library. Probably 1 or 2 pic a watt in the kitchen.

European wall heat in bed rooms too.

Maybe a mini split outside with a single dump in the living kitchen for AC. But with my new covered deck, I can keep the sun off the south windows. This is the PNW. We have 1 to 2 weeks of 90 degree. At night it drops to the 70s.

Very cool! sounds like you got it under control. I have had others tell me not to use the spray foam between the joists. Your doing it by the book, everyone I know who has implemented this in the way you are going about it have been extremely happy with the results. I hate fiberglass insulation between the joists! In time it droops. Might be a good next winter project replacing with foam board...

 

[John T]

I realize I'm getting a little too old for this kind of work. Waiting on a huge chipper, I'll save the logs and get this mess cleaned up...

 

[Kingrex]

@Mike Lavigne
We have some of the best weather in the country. N Calif has moved up north.

 

[PeterA]

@Mike Lavigne
We have some of the best weather in the country. N Calif has moved up north.

I spent many summers in the Highlands, just north of Seattle and up on Orcas Island. The weather, and the views, were always wonderful.

 

[Kingrex]

I spent many summers in the Highlands, just north of Seattle and up on Orcas Island. The weather, and the views, were always wonderful.

Did you sail in the islands. If my wife was not seasick, I would have a Tug and do the whole inner passage. We use to go to Lopez all the time. I fished up there for LingCod every season. Now I have so much land around me, my escape is to a city, not from a city.

 

[PeterA]

Did you sail in the islands. If my wife was not seasick, I would have a Tug and do the whole inner passage. We use to go to Lopez all the time. I fished up there for LingCod every season. Now I have so much land around me, my escape is to a city, not from a city.

No sailing in those waters. Just took the ferry. Lots of deer hunting, trout fishing then smoking them, and clamming on my grandfather's land as a kid. Magical island, but it has been discovered.

 

[Kingrex]

Sort of Discovered. Good oll building and permit regulations sssllliooowwwww it down. My island is next to impossible to get a build permit on. Septic, wetland and water rights pretty much stop everything. Lots of talk.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

I spent many summers in the Highlands, just north of Seattle and up on Orcas Island. The weather, and the views, were always wonderful.

when i was first married (the 70's) worked a mile from the Highlands. very toney place.

No sailing in those waters. Just took the ferry. Lots of deer hunting, trout fishing then smoking them, and clamming on my grandfather's land as a kid. Magical island, but it has been discovered.

spent lots of time in the San Juan's. was up there with various boats when my kids were young. a couple of Sea Ray's and a 38' Erickson sailboat. we especially liked anchoring in the Sucia Islands north of Orcas. my brother-in-law's family owned 10 acres on the east side of Orcas. my wife and i still spend time there every few years. been up there on my Son's sailboat a few times in the last few years.

right now the issues for the San Juans is that the local businesses have trouble with their employees affording to live there. so restaurants and Inn's have to close up or are not always open.

really too perfect a place for it's own good.

 

[thedudeabides]

right now the issues for the San Juans is that the local businesses have trouble with their employees affording to live there. so restaurants and Inn's have to close up or are not always open.

really too perfect a place for it's own good

One of the top places to live in the US in my view. Wanted to move there in 2017. Had a fair amount of cash after selling house. No go. Too expensive.

RE Housing affordibilty. Also happened in Jackson Hole, WY. Lucky enough to live there when it was a real community. Now detached residence price per square foot starts at $1,200. The community destroyed the very thing that made it special. Similar to the same issue faced by uber expensive audio gear manufacturers these days.

 

[Kingrex]

So true about the San Juans. Especially Lopez. They can’t find help. The Islander built out a bunch of small units they house employees in. They already had the hotel. Lodging for guests is also hard to find. Air BB is one of the only outlets.

 

[Kingrex]

Should I put a picnic table under the Doug Fir? That's not the tree. Its a branch that came down. Speared the ground.

This is the tree

 

[PeterA]

Should I put a picnic table under the Doug Fir? That's not the tree. Its a branch that came down. Speared the ground.

This is the tree

At least you don’t have to worry about whether or not it is well grounded.

 

[Bobvin]

Should I put a picnic table under the Doug Fir? That's not the tree. Its a branch that came down. Speared the ground.
This is the tree

Only if you really see yourself trekking out with food and beverages to spend a bit of time under the tree. Reality is you’ll probably (much more frequently) enjoy a nice table on your deck enjoying the view. And for a guy a trip into the woods for ‘relief’ is easy, for the women-folk it means a trek back up to the house.