Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with construction

Full-length classic rock ready for the construction site?

porn in the woods — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 12:30:34 -0800

A friend of mine recently went to work for a construction team. Their current music selection on their field boom box is limited to CDs of Journey's Greatest Hits, Led Zeppelin 3 and 4, and Mötley Crüe Shout at the Devil. "Tragically," they recently lost their Huey Lewis and the News Sports CD as well. We (mostly) agree that these are perfectly fine records, but there's only so much of this one can stand in a 40-hour week. I was going to help out my buddy track down some new music, but all I'm coming up with is Bob Seger, Eagles, and Steve Perry's Street Talk solo lp. What construction-and-hard-work-friendly full-length releases could be introduced to this stack of CDs to make both my friend and his co-workers happy? He works with men in their late 30s and early 40s, so nothing too outré (No Lightning Bolt or Hair Police.)

Fun with a purpose?

Bardolph — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:22:51 -0800

I like the mood and health benefits of exercise, but hate the inherent pointlessness of the activity. Short of going into construction work, what are some activities or hobbies that involve physical exertion, but to some other purposeful end? I had this revelation a few weeks ago, while helping break down a stage for a local theatre: spent several hours lifting, carrying, writhing, running, and stretching, ended up completely exhausted, and loved every minute-- while in the gym, it's as much as I can do to make 20 minutes before my willpower collapses and I'm out the door. I think the key factor was having some immediate purpose to focus on besides just the exercise. If you're building/moving something, well, it's got to get built/moved, whereas in regular exercise the long-term health benefits quickly become insufficient justification for that next excruciating rep. Sadly, my brain has also proven too devious to for most artificial reward schemes-- if there's no point, I can bloody well see there's no point, sticker or no sticker. Plus, I like doing stuff, and would like to be able to do stuff while exercising, if possible.

Since I'm fresh out of friends needing apartment-moving assistance, what might be some other physical-exertion-intensive, yet constructive, activities to take up? For what it's worth, I'm a girl, and super-uncoordinated (can't throw a frisbee, can't catch a ball) so (1) extremely heavy lifting, and (2) any kind of sports are probably out of the question. Suggestions?

How do I stop construction workers from waking me?

Elminster24 — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 06:45:12 -0800

Noisy Neighbors Filter: The construction at the house next door is waking me up every morning and they start before 8am. How early can residential construction in Chicago begin and what can I do to bust them if they violate that start time? The house that is adjacent to my walk-up is having construction done and it is waking me up early every morning. It is driving me absolutely crazy (I'm writing this at 8:30am btw).

I am no lawyer, but someone had told me they could not begin before 8am, so I went over one morning and asked if they had an early start permit and they said no and that they would wait till 8 and were generally very nice about it (of course they didn't really speak english well so not sure if they fully understood). Then their boss came by a little later and I could hear him talking to them out my back window once I went back inside and he was generally upset with the situation and started making calls to find out what the deal was with the start time. It sounded like it was indeed 8am. I also heard the tail end of a comment about how "its not a big deal because this is the only person thats complained so far."

My question is...does anybody know definitively what the earliest residential construction start time is in Chicago? Also, if they are violating this, what steps can I take to resolve the situation with the city? I'm sick of trying to talk to these people and now want to do whatever I can to get them busted for starting early and making my morning hell. Hopefully I can either get their permit revoked or get them fined.

While I don't typically get out of bed till 8:20am and realize I probably won't get them to hold off that long if the start time is indeed 8am, I'd at least like to hassle them and let them know I mean business. And this waking me up before 8am has GOT to stop.

Also, I don't believe talking to the neighbors themselves is an option...I don't think anybody is actually living there now, just some investor who's flipping a house and has people working on it all day.

HOW IS ARCHY FORMED?

TheOnlyCoolTim — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 23:17:46 -0800

How was this made? Slightly different angle here.

I discovered this while fucking off into the woods for a while today. Based on its location I would assume it to be made by random idle kids/drunks/stoners or some combination of the above three. On the other hand, I am near a large university and it's possible this was built by an expert civil engineer stoner kid.

I understand the theoretical aspects of why an arch stays up, yet based on the ad hoc nature of this one I don't immediately see how it was built or see it as likely that someone constructed a special scaffolding to build this on a concrete drainage pipe. (Though this is not implausible.) The readily available materials are rocks provided for drainage, as seen, as well as possibly wood presumably gathered from being in the woods.

Note in the pictures the fact that small rocks and rock chips are liberally used as shims between the large rocks.

Is there simply some neat simple trick behind this that I don't know? Is it just easier than it looks?

All we are is (saw)dust on your desk

littlerobothead — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 07:45:43 -0800

Help me figure out just what the hell is up with our new addition, bugs, and sawdust! My wife and I have been in our lovely 1913 bungalow (in the 'Inner Banks' of North Carolina) for close to a year now. Other than the normal issues (floors that need to be refinished, difficulty maintaining an even temperature) the house is in great condition. The previous owners undertook lots of professional renovations in nearly every part of the house. One of the nicest additions is an enclosed sunroom/office on the back of the house where before there had been only yard.

It's framed in with vintage reclaimed timbers, and otherwise constructed of standard construction materials. It has a vaulted "club" ceiling, with panels made of OSB that looks like cedar but probably isn't. My work area is in a corner of the room near the back of the house, with windows both in front of and to my left.

Over the last few weeks, I've noticed little piles of wood shavings on my keyboard and desk when I go back to the office in the evenings. I suspected termites in the wood above, but a poke around yielded nothing. But everyday the little pile of wood was there. Now, in the last five days or so, I'm finding little bugs that look like ants belly up on my desk amongst the wood bits. I should say that our yard is rather heavily wooded, and I'm sure this has to do with bugs of some kind, I'm just not sure which ones or what to tell an exterminator. These little wood bits look awfully big to be from termites. I seriously doubt that it's a mouse, because there are no other signs of such rodent (and I've had them in other places, so I know.)

Anyone experienced anything similar in a newly constructed part of a house? Anyone reading this and having an "aha" moment? Thanks!

Oldbuilders unbellyfeel Lego.

Joe in Australia — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 07:14:07 -0800

It seems to me that bricklaying would be more efficient if house bricks interlocked like Lego blocks. Why aren't they made like that?

how hard is it to install replacement windows?

stupidsexyFlanders — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:21:21 -0800

I'm moderately handy. Is installing a replacement window something I can do? Or should I leave it to the pros? Stuff I've built includes built-in bookcases and lots of outdoor furniture. I've also hung drywall. Would I run into major problems installing replacement windows in a 100yo home, or should I leave this to the pros? These would be casement and doublehung windows of various sizes.

If you've done it, got any tips and tricks to make the job easier for a window novice? How much time will it take per window?

Toronto the flat, condo-full Toronto!

pseudostrabismus — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:27:20 -0800

Please help identify buildings in two photographs depicting the area around Toronto's CN Tower, in 1976 and 2008. I've posted two photos of Toronto, both taken near the CN Tower, one from the mid-1970s, and one from this year. I would like help identifying the buildings in the photos. The photos are taken from slightly different vantage points, sorry about that!
Any help ID'ing the buildings - and specifically any buildings that are seen in both photos- would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

Comparing Construction Prices 1968 to 2008

viewmastr — Sat, 17 May 2008 11:15:06 -0800

I need to compare construction costs in 1968 to costs for a similar project in 2008. I'm not a math/finance person, so I apologize in advance if there is an easy answer to this one.

For a marketing presentation I'm giving next week, I need to be able to compare the cost of a building built in 1968 (for a total of $3 million) to a comparable building that is scheduled for completion later this year.

My final statement will hopefully look something like:

"The original building was completed in 1968 at a total cost of $3 million. Built today, a similar building (on a dollar for dollar basis) could cost approximately $XX million dollars. Thus the proposed structure is [ right on target / dramatically lower than / ludicrously higher than ] the original built 40 years ago."

I do realize that there are an infinite number of variables and distinct differences between how the buildings would be built, the forms and functions, etc. Just keep in mind that this is marketing, not rocket science. I need a sound bite more than I need an in depth study.

Thanks for your help!

Moving tasks

radsqd — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:36:42 -0800

Moving tasks Hey Mefis,

I work part-time in my school facilities management. This question is how to easily move things on stairs. There are no elevators in this building.

Need to move boxes of stuff on 6 flights of stairs. Any easy way to do this without breaking backs, cranes are not possible since the opening between the stairwell is not big enough to accomodate boxes through holes.

Blogs about remodeling?

The corpse in the library — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 12:30:16 -0800

Good blogs about house remodeling? I might be remodeling my house soon (with a contractor, not DIY'ing it), and would like to read some good blogs about the process. I want to learn from other people's mistakes, get advice about picking out bathroom fans, see how other people set up their temporary kitchens, that sort of stuff.

Any suggestions for informative, well-written blogs about remodeling or construction? Especially appreciated: photos, humor, avoidance of Country Goose aesthetics.

Construction Blogs

Chrischris — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:58:58 -0800

Residential construction industry blogs? I'm interested in keeping up with the latest trends and developments (actual construction processes as opposed to, say, financial and zoning issues) in the residential construction industry, but have been having a difficult time finding them. Are there blogs out there which do for construction materials and techniques what mags like Fine Homebuilding and Toolmonger do?

Why aren't roads made out of plastic?

lpsguy — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 05:55:04 -0800

Why aren't roads made out of plastic? Just passed some road construction on my way to work, and read an article on the decaying U.S. roadways, and it got me thinking. Why hasn't there been a radical improvement in road paving materials? Why asphalt? Why not plastic? Or rubber? Or artificial turf? It seems to be materials science should have, by now, come up with something that would be freeze/thaw impervious, non-slick, and not need to be replaced every few decades. Why not a one-and-done for 200 years paving solution? Anybody know?

I want to build a house: 1,500 sq.ft., passive solar features, $100,000 - possible?

raikkohamilonso — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 09:16:42 -0800

I want to build a house: 1,500 sq.ft., passive solar/energy efficient features, $100,000 - possible? Barring the cost of the land. I'd like to be able to do this *realistically* - meaning, local contractors and nothing that would require building in the middle of nowhere to get a permit...

Construction site curiosity

nnk — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 11:44:57 -0800

What's the purpose of painting concrete/cement block black and what are those flaps above the windows for? I pass by the building site for an addition to a large, multi-storied school. It looks like eventually the building will have a brick exterior to match the rest of the school. Right now, the building is concrete block with no windows. At some point, flaps (tyvek?) were added above the window frames and the concrete/cement block was painted black. Why?

Help me build a better cat tree.

bigcheesegump — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 10:06:56 -0800

Help me out with building a cat tree. I normally build my cat a customized cat tree and have no problem with the construction and safety aspects but I always have difficultly laying the carpet around the wooden platforms and legs.

I have seen some trees that have the carpet laid over all the surfaces of the tree as opposed to just the tops and the sides. I normally have the platforms and legs totally wrapped but end up with seams at corners and joints. These all inevitably end up shredded, tattered and requires me to constantly prune dangling strands of carpet. Does anyone have any tips to make it clean and sharp like this?

Need the name of a piece of equipment

cazoo — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 10:00:54 -0800

Tool Filter: Can someone tell me what you call a certain tool used by land professionals? I don't know what you call it but it seems to be a piece of equipment used to see into the distance and make measurements. It looks like a kind of telescope with very tall tripod-like legs and a viewing mechanism much smaller than a telescope. You sometimes see people using them on the side of roads or on undeveloped land.

And if you've seen the film "There Will Be Blood", Daniel Day Lewis's character uses one in the film when he is scoping out his neighbors properties.

If my nephew had a hammer...

miss lynnster — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 13:15:28 -0800

18 year old guy from California really wants to become a contractor. Gimme the best advice for him please. He's my nephew. He's currently going to a bible college* in the Carolinas, and although Jesus was a carpenter I keep thinking there are probably better training grounds to gain the educational background and skills that will help him to actively reach his dreams of a construction career. So I'm asking this question for my sister. My father was a contractor too, but it was the family business at the time (no longer) so I'm not sure how someone would pursue it from scratch. Insights needed! Thank you.

*No LOL xtians comments sil vous plait. That's not the advice he needs.

Tripped up by tipping.

cooker girl — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 08:08:32 -0800

We're coming near the end of a major kitchen remodel and we'd like to show our appreciation to the foreman/carpenter by "tipping" him at the end of the job. How much? It's a HUGE remodel. Walls were taken down, floors were replaced, plumbing stacks were moved; nearly the entire first floor of our house has been revamped. We're using a "full service" company, meaning they handle all the sub-contracting (electrician, plumber, drywallers, painters) for us. It's a family owned company and they use the same subs for every job they do. We've had a foreman for the whole job and he is also our carpenter (but is not one of the owners). He has overseen all the work from the start and has had his hands in everything, including the demolition. He installed our cabinets to near perfection and even repaired some drywall work he wasn't satisfied with (he's admitted to us to being a perfectionist and it shows in his work). Everything has been done on schedule (we're actually a week ahead at this point) and there hasn't been one day of non-work without explanation. Needless to say, we're incredibly pleased with his work, his professionalism, and the job in general.

We were at the company's showroom the other day and noticed a bulletin board where several thank you letters were posted. Some of them mentioned a "token of appreciation" to go to certain members of staff and it got us thinking that we'd like to "tip" our foreman but we have absolutely no idea what would be appropriate.

Everything I've seen on tipping is fairly general and covers more than a one-time service: servers in restaurants, hair stylists, doormen, etc. The question isn't whether or not it's appropriate to "tip" him, the question is how much or what (if not money)?

Help me help them

B(oYo)BIES — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 08:10:48 -0800

Construction / Contractor Filter: So a month or so back some asshat ran into my house and took out a section of wall. Help me, my insurance adjuster, and the contractor figure out what the hell this orange 1/4" tube is running through the wall. Picture 1

Picture 2

Seems to be going around the perimeter of the house. No water coming out of the line. No air flowing through it. House built in 2005.

Any ideas? If you need more information, just ask. Don't know what other clues I can give you guys.

BONUS picture set for your viewing pleasure.

Contractor or Friend, Pick Your Poison

Xurando — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 14:31:51 -0800

Diplomacy Filter: How can I tell my aquaintence/contractor/fellow club member that he overcharged me for some home repairs. I should know better than mixing business with friendship. I have been a co-member of an organization with a person who is also a contractor. He has done a couple of small projects for me in the past as a favor even though he primarily does bigger structural repairs on buildings. I recently asked him if he could do a couple of small projects at my house. These are projects I could do myself but wanted them done professionally. He said he was very busy but would try to squeeze it in. The projects were to install baseboard millwork in a medium size room and a small drywall repair.

Although we didn't talk money I had projected a maximum of $400 dollars for this work. I got the bill yesterday and it's for 17 hours of work and $750. I believe 1 person could do it in 8. Should I bring this up to my friend when I'm sure he believes he was doing me a favor? Is there a way to do this without putting a damper on our relationship. I'm sure as a contractor he has a stereotype of a customer complaining about a bill. I don't want to be that stereotype, should I just forget about it?

Is there anywhere to look at Pella replacement windows in or around London?

Rock Steady — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 04:30:32 -0800

Is there anywhere to look at Pella replacement windows in or around London? My parents are replacing the windows on their house here in the US, but are currently living in London. They would like to be able to visit a Pella showroom, or at least a builders' supply place that carries them, so they can get a look at them first hand before approving them. The official Pella distributor for the UK is in Ireland, so that's not very useful. Convenient to the Docklands/Canary Wharf area would be preferable.

Central vacuum?

bondcliff — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 07:53:50 -0800

I need recommendations for a good central vacuum system to install in my house. I grew up with a Sears central vac and it was the greatest thing ever. We’re hoping to install one in our house and I was hoping someone out there was passionate enough about theirs that they could recommend it and tell me why they love it so. What make/model do you have? What attachments can you not live without? Are the kick-plate inlets worth it?

It’s going into new construction and will be installed by the contractor so ease of installation isn’t so important. Cost is a factor, but we’re willing to pay for quality. Quiet is good. Suction is key, I want to be able to suck up dustbunnies at 30 paces.

Thanks.

Name for aluminum-coated styrofoam?

piers — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 17:38:41 -0800

What do you call this popular Chinese building material? (asking this question for my husband, an engineer)

In Shanghai, temporary structures such as construction workers' housing, guard booths, sheds, and barriers are often made of an interesting material. It is large, plywood-sheet sized (~4' by 8', or even longer) pieces of styrofoam, about 2 inches thick, covered with either sheet aluminum or sheets of plastic. The end result is a lightweight, structural, waterproof material that I assume is also really cheap. It can be held together with screws and washers, wire, pop rivets, glue, or other fasteners. Does anyone know what this stuff is called? Is it made in or imported to the U.S.? Any problems with U.S. fire codes, etc.?

Please help me build a set of form questions for general contractor hiring.

Kickstart70 — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 20:30:09 -0800

Hopefully next year, with the right people and the right financing, we will start building a house. Part of this is hiring a general contractor. I would like to create a sheet of questions to send/give general contractors in my area so I can judge them on that as well as the reputation I can glean from each other and from the many people I've met in this area. Please help me formulate those questions. Some helpful information:
- I'm pretty rural.
- House will be post-and-beam construction or perhaps timber frame, depending on the wisdom of the p-a-b or t-f designer.
- Part of the job of the general contractor will be to manage the job that the p-a-b/t-f builder does.
- Interested in alternate foundation constructions (rubble trench, FPSF (frost-protected shallow foundations)
- the soil still needs to be tested to determine if a septic system is ok, or a septic lagoon must be created (or possibly a septic mound)
- I'm not interested in extravagance. I'm interested in decent rural home, built for the area we live in (53N, western Canada).
- I'm outside the city limits, but phone and power are to the property line. A well must still be drilled.

However, please keep in mind that this is not a question of HOW I should build, it's WHAT I should ask general contractors before hiring them. I give the above information because it may be pertinent to the questions I ask.

Thanks in advance!