Latestarter's ramblings/musings/gripes and grumbles.

[greybeard]

I'm probably as old as you and I can tell you, digging post holes never hurt anyone.

But there are cement blocks and then there are Dek-Blocks. They are not all created equal. These things weigh about 43 lbs a piece

The weight of the block has zero to do with it's ability to distribute load over any given sized area.

It's size in footprint does. If anyone in East Texas put that many supports under a deck or porch, they'd be hauled off to the insane asylum.

 

[babsbag]

If anyone in my part of CA tried to dig post holes by hand, especially in the summer, they too would be hauled off to the insane asylum. The last time I tried it bent the spades on the digger, so I tried tool number two, same problem. I bought a twisting type of digger, nope. So getting desperate and thinking outside of the "hole" I improvised and put a 1.5" spade bit on an impact driver and it wore out the bit before I got a 3" hole dug. We use things like trenchers as post hole diggers and make a big "x" and dig it out; the 3 point hitch ones are useless. I have one on my bobcat that actually works but it could never get to all the places I needed holes for decks etc. and I didn't own it when I did most of these. Hand held augers are out of the question unless you want a broken wrist. Dynamite might work. I have dug some by hand for actual fences but with no rain for 5-6 months at a spell it is never an easy feat and you have to time it just right.

 

[Latestarter]

That's code talk for Yugo..

That's fine... I'll appreciate the improved gas mileage for sure. Gonna be a total of around 1100-1200 miles. With my truck, that's ~4 full tanks or ~$200+ in gas. The rental is ~$100 and gas costs should be around $100 as well, so ~same cost financially and no added wear/tear on my old truck. Fair trade in my mind. When I was doing the rental stuff, I glanced at the various upgrades and to rent an F-150 or equivalent for the same period would have been over $500. At that rate, the truck would be paid in full in well under a year... like 6 months or less if rented full time. I should start a truck rental business...

As for the deck/joist support system... guess a lot of different ways work and you have to do what's best for your location... I plan to do a double 2x6 horizontal block between 2 joists with a 2x6 sandwiched and centered vertically between them, down to a concrete paver. I see no reason it wouldn't work or provide enough support for what I'm doing. There will be no appreciable weight load on this floor and the weight of the bldg itself will be concentrated around the exterior edges and the doubled up centerline joists, which will also be vertically supported. The exterior sills will be supported at ~6' intervals and the interior joists at 8' intervals. The wall weight loads won't be excessive, nor will the roof as I will not be doing wood underlayment and shingles... Just purlins and the poly corrugated roofing. The process of attaching the OSB to the wall studs and the sills will add additional support and rigidity to the entire structure.

 

[greybeard]

You will be fine in NE Texas doing it as you describe, but, will you have enough width on your sills to provide footprint for the wall studs? (Part of the stud will be on the sill and part on just the plywood?)

 

[Senile_Texas_Aggie]

If anyone in East Texas put that many supports under a deck or porch, they'd be hauled off to the insane asylum.

If anyone in my part of CA tried to dig post holes by hand, especially in the summer, they too would be hauled off to the insane asylum.

You guys crack me up!

 

[greybeard]

babsbag said: ↑
If anyone in my part of CA tried to dig post holes by hand, especially in the summer, they too would be hauled off to the insane asylum.

There are lots of folks in the world that believe all of CA (or at least the southern 1/2 of it) already IS one big insane asylum.

 

[goatgurl]

oh come on greybeard just 'cause that's true doesn't you should make babs feel bad. and we dang sure don'w want to encourage them to move back this direction.
@Latestarter youall be careful on your journey, have a great time and we want lots of pictures.

 

[Bruce]

Of course I know it's crap and will eventually flake and fall apart without constant maintenance... I hope to get a good multi coat of sealant paint on it inside and out once completed.

Maybe you could Blackjack it and it will last a lot longer? Probably want to do that BEFORE it is installed so you can ensure all parts are coated. Of course you would have to paint over the exterior with a different color.

 

[RollingAcres]

oh come on greybeard just 'cause that's true doesn't you should make babs feel bad. and we dang sure don'w want to encourage them to move back this direction.

Your direction maybe. They won't move up here to NY or VT, we have SNOW here.

 

[Mini Horses]

OK-- where I live, my poor goats have a DIRT FLOOR It stays dry...except if a spot of fresh pee in their shavings. That dries. They still love me.
SO GLAD I am not building but, maybe something like a pole barn shed would have been OK -- Even if you needed to fill with some dirt in the floor area. Yeah, hind sight.