Making our new retirement place

[SYZ]

Excuse my Aussie ignorance, but what sort of animal is that?     

[brewerb]

Excuse my Aussie ignorance, but what sort of animal is that?       

Thylacine.

[skyking]

It is a fair sized coyote, and they do like domestic critters like cats and smaller dogs.
A pair of larger dogs will run them off, because an injury is death in the wild so they are quite cautious.
both of my videos are a single coyote but they are pack animals and howl in the night, and work an area in a spread out fashion to flush game from one to the other.

"Adult coyotes weigh 20 to 35 pounds, with males being slightly larger than females. At the shoulder, an adult male coyote is about 25 inches tall."

https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/spe...desc-range

[Deesse23]

Are you planning for an extra room, for guests? Asking for a friend.

[skyking]

Yes Friend
The upstairs is intended as guest space, unless we chose to move into that main bedroom. I think the one downstairs will be quiet and peaceful.
Here are some updated images. 14.72KW of solar panels went on the roof immediately. I did that and then took the telehandler off rent.




I had stucco tinted to match the roof color and incidentally the window color. Note the first of two stepped retaining walls.

Front and back


I have one more loop of under floor hydronic tubing to install. 2850 feet of Omega channel heat transfer extrusions, and 4000' + of 3/8" PEX tubing.


This is advanced Festoonery.

[Cavebear]

Yes Friend
The upstairs is intended as guest space, unless we chose to move into that main bedroom. I think the one downstairs will be quiet and peaceful.
Here are some updated images. 14.72KW of solar panels went on the roof immediately. I did that and then took the telehandler off rent.


I had stucco tinted to match the roof color and incidentally the window color. Note the first of two stepped retaining walls.

Front and back


I have one more loop of under floor hydronic tubing to install. 2850 feet of Omega channel heat transfer extrusions, and 4000' + of 3/8" PEX tubing.


This is advanced Festoonery.

Sorry, I deleted the images to save repetition...

I admire that you are building a retirement home. At 75, I am too locked in to my current "starter" house of 38 years. First, I have too much "stuff" to move. I am talking about both heavy wood-working tools and accumulated clutter. The idea of arranging moving the heavy stuff and packing up the clutter (and deciding what to give up) is just too daunting.

Second, The neighborhood has advantages. Protected against homeowner associations (I hate busybodies). It is on a dead end street (so it is quiet). Buried electrical cables, so few outages.

Third, I am just so used to the place. I can walk around in the dark. The cats know the yard. And the room layout is perfect!

The negative part is that, over the years, I have been surrounded by neighbors' trees and gardening is more difficult. And the house needs some renovations...

[brewerb]

I'm more impressed every time.

[skyking]

The solar panels went from pallet coming off the freight truck


to the roof in one day, because we had been building the infrastructure for them for a few days.



This dream would not be possible without my experience in the trades and a boss who gave me carte blanche with the equipment. I hauled the telehandler in and after the panels went up, I hauled it away. I had it on rent 4 months @ $2700 a month and you can't beat that.


There is more red PEX tubing buried all around the house, ground source heat pump loops.
Once again, only possible due to having a big excavator and experience and a big crew.
My older brothers and nephew hand placing the wet clay as I pushed it out, making sure no big stones were on it.



We have one more loop to put in this weekend, for a total of (7) 500' home runs to the equipment room. at 600' per ton, we have installed 5.8 ton equivalent of loop for a 4 ton heat pump.

[SYZ]

Mate... have you moved into chateau Skyking yet?

[Gwaithmir]

Have you decided on an elevator yet?

[skyking]

Have you decided on an elevator yet?

https://affordablelifts.com/

Mate... have you moved into chateau Skyking yet?

LOL no, I would post more pictures if this site would host them. It is infrastructure time now. 500' of trench for power open, 100' of sewer pump trench, conduit across the carport, down to the pump. It is either a ditch or a pile these days.

[skyking]

Plumbing Artwork-not mine. I paid for a master at the craft.


Sanitary sewer pump package. That's a wet vent coming off that wye that goes all the way to the roof of the house.


I trenched uphill to the main, located it, and core drilled the Asbestos Concrete (AC) main for the tie in.
Cue the Muse hit "Supermassive Poop-Hole"


HVAC, a critical plumbing run, and the conduit for solar panel high voltage DC come together. The conduit had to get bent about it.

[skyking]

August 9 trenching 500' east of the property on a utility district easement. The house is out of sight behind that mountain of topsoil.

Monday August 11 was epic progress. I had a date with the Power Utility District (PUD) to have them install the high voltage conduit and a fuse pedestal at the distant end. That was the goal and typical to get that done. Then they come back to set up the end by the house, pull the wire. Then back again to set the transformer.
They had a slow day and showed up 6 deep.
I said I have rock to do the transformer end too, and they just kept going. I built the fuse ped site with them, providing the 5 yards of crushed rock in the excavation, then tracked back to the house and ran to pick up the service wire. It is my responsibility from the transformer to the meter. Two runs of 4/0 4/0 2/0 Triplex for the 320 Amp service.
The power crew foreman and crew were as cool as could be. They helped us twist those 6 big wires into a massive rope, and then rigged a snatch block to the excavator. I hoisted that high above the transformer pad to get the angle right, and the two guys shoved it right through to the meter.
We would have struggled mightily with that.

The foreman ran back to his yard for lunch and brought the transformer. It was a done deal.

[brewerb]

I'm always amazed and in awe. Do you have an estimated completion date, or maybe shit you want done before the freeze?

[skyking]

I'm always amazed and in awe. Do you have an estimated completion date, or maybe shit you want done before the freeze?

We don't get much in the way of freeze. Completion date refuses to be stated as stated up thread.
Thanks to the big beautiful bill
I need to get final and Permission To Operate (PTO) on the PV system by year end. I can get a final and be nowhere near ready for occupancy, thanks to a really cooperative and helpful building inspector.
Plumbing will be ready to cover Friday. I can get mechanical ready in a few weeks. I will be wiring for several weekends, as the job has risen it's ugly head again.
Meeting with the framer today to line him out to install siding and build the carport in my absence.
hoping to have it ready for paint by the end of September.
Sheet rock crews in mid October.
500' of concrete driveway in November.

[Deesse23]

If its going to be less impressive IN THE SLIGHTEST compared to this one, i WILL HAVE to downrep ya!

[Thumpalumpacus]

If its going to be less impressive IN THE SLIGHTEST compared to this one, i WILL HAVE to downrep ya!

... and that's only my hunting cabin.

[SYZ]

I'm not clear on the requirement for a high voltage,
320A(!) line from the state main (normally 110V ?) supply,
or the step-down transformer.     Must be a huge cost?

In Australia, our domestic power supply is 230V AC, 10A, at 50Hz.

   BTW... great photos.    

[skyking]

I'm not clear on the requirement for a high voltage,
320A(!) line from the state main (normally 110V ?) supply,
or the step-down transformer.     Must be a huge cost?

In Australia, our domestic power supply is 230V AC, 10A, at 50Hz.

   BTW... great photos.    

320A is amps.
A typical residential install is a 200 amp service.
I'm planning on a future shop or Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) and wanted basically a double service.
The voltage remains the same.

The transformer was not much, it was the conduit and power crew that stacked up. Yes it was pricey.

[SYZ]

Typically in Australia, residential power is 10A
single phase, or extra cost for 15A three phase.

[Fireball]

Typically in Australia, residential power is 10A
single phase, or extra cost for 15A three phase.

That's at 240V, though? My service is 240V and 200A capable. One can't run an electric range on anything less than 240V and 50A, here in the US. I know you lot do it differently, but things don't seem to add up.

[skyking]

10a is the individual branch circuit value, methinks.

[Gwaithmir]

I love the way your place is shaping up. 

[skyking]

Last weeks fun.
I picked up the last big load of framing for the house. 576 LF of Ioists, a 24' glulam beam, subfloor and framing for the carport.
100 sticks of siding and 20 sticks of trim.
I brought the mini home from work to set the 500 pound beam.


I rented a boom lift for the siding and painting.
We got the program going and have a good start on things.


We are using natural cedar above and below the sundeck, that trim piece is the delineation there.
I put pipe and drain rock, fabric and plastic in that space between the retaining wall and window well yesterday, along with 12+ tons of compacted gravels.


Today my brother and I brought the grade up and compacted and shaped it for the approach slab to the front door, and formed it for the concrete pour tomorrow.


I installed sleeves under the walk for drainage and future things like irrigation and what have you.




That walk matches the approach slab slope coming from the carport @1.5%

It flattens in the last 4' to match the house floor. That is where the cast iron grating will go over the water feature.
That is next year's fun project after we get occupancy.


I also formed for a simple slab at the basement french doors today.

[Rhythmcs]

Good looking