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When building your own home, certain building materials must be chosen and ordered well in advance of when they will be used. This is mainly due to how long the delivery time is once the order is made. By ordering these materials at the proper time you ensure that they will be on the job when they are needed.
Some of the materials that need to be ordered with plenty of lead time include windows, plumbing fixtures, roofing, siding, electrical fixtures, brick, flooring, interior trim and appliances.
Windows and certain plumbing fixtures should be ordered about the time the foundation is poured. Windows can take 3 to 6 weeks to get so order them accordingly. Ideally you'd like these ready for delivery once the roof is framed and covered with sheathing so they can be installed while the carpenter contractor is still there.
Plumbing fixtures such as bathtubs and shower stalls get put in place on the rough. Two to three weeks should be plenty of time to make this available for your plumber.
Roofing should also be ordered even if it is a stock item. Make sure the color and style you want is available so there are no surprises. If it needs to be ordered it gives your supplier time to order it for you. Once the plywood is on the roof you'll want to shingle it as soon as possible. This item should also be considered about the time the foundation is poured.
Siding and Brick should be considered once the rough framing is completed. This gives the other trades a chance to run electric, plumbing, or vents out exterior walls. Once that is done these exterior finishes should be at your disposal.
Electrical fixtures should be ordered once the rough is finished. If ordering these from an electrical supply house, specialty fixtures could take as much as six weeks.
Flooring is another item that should be considered once the rough carpentry is finished. You'll want to make sure items such as carpeting, ceramic or quarry tile, laminate, hardwood, or vinyl flooring is available when you need them.
Interior trim amd millwork should be measured up for and ordered after the drywall is up. While the taping and painting is being done, your order can be run. Once the painting is done your order should be ready for delivery. Give this two to three weeks lead time.
Once the painting is done, ordering appliances is in order. I know a guy who ordered his refrigerator for when the drywall was done so his favorite beverage was on hand as he worked on his new home.
Having all the necessary materials on hand is important to keep your homebuilding project moving smoothly. If your trying to meet a deadline this becomes even more important. If your paying on a construction loan, ordering materials with plenty of lead time can save you money.
(c) 2006 Mike Merisko
Designing your own fence does not have to be fancy. You simply need to decide what type of fence you want to build . Think about whether you want a traditional picket fence or perhaps you want a privacy fence. Plot out where your gate will be located, where you will start the first post, how far apart the posts will be, and how high the fence will be.
Next you need to mark a line to follow where the posts will be. This doesn't need to be complicated. Just figure out where your end posts will be and start there. You want to make sure that your line is straight or your fence will be crooked and it will not be as sturdy as it should be.
Your posts should be made from treated wood. If your wood was not treated before you bought it, you will definitely want to take the time to treat it yourself. Make sure the posts sit with the treatment solution for an entire day to be sure they are well saturated before you put them in the ground.
You will want your posts to be firmly anchored in the ground. In order to achieve this, you should dig the holes deep enough to bury at least one third of the post. You can use a manual post hole digger or you can rent a mechanical one. If you have a large yard, a mechanical one will be a lot faster. Once you have dug the holes. Drop a shovelful or two of gravel into the hole to make a stable bed for the post to rest on.
When the holes are dug it is time to install the posts. Make sure that you secure the posts with a brace to ensure that they are perfectly upright while you pack dirt or concrete around them. If they are slanted, it will mess up the line of your fence and could promote rotting of the wood. Give the dirt or concrete enough time to set up before you take down the braces
After you have the posts firmly in place it is time to add the rails. Many people build their fence in sections and then attach each section to the posts. This can be advantageous because you can build on a more stable surface and be sure that all of your rails are perfectly straight and even.
If you follow these few simple steps, you will have a beautiful fence that you built yourself for much less than you would spend paying someone to install it for you.
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