Without a doubt it was hard to find and probably very expensive.

Now a days, though, I don't think a home should be without something like that.

No I believe cast iron pipes are a great deal more in cost than PVC. I haven't seen cast iron used in residential, single family dwellings in this part of the country in many years (actually I have never seen it used in a new house but I'm not that old). I *think* it went out with the plaster walls. However, it is definately used in some commercial work.

Things are difinately not built here to last a thousand years like in the UK.

True, but in the end, 40' of iron pipe? How much can that cost, $500-$1000 extra? I know you sure can't change it later if you don't like how PVC sounds. Maybe it bothers others more than me...but that's the one thing I'm suggesting.

-Zeke

edit: ditto what he said about the high flow toilets!

The local zoning authorities may have something to say about the type of pipes you use. A friend of mine in San Francisco was walking me through his basement and pointing out the amazingly heavy gauge of his steel sewer return pipe. Apparently, that's the building code there, having something to do with earthquake safety (although it sounds to me like it's also related to the pipeworkers' union).

That makes sense. I honestly thought Zeke was kidding though . Guess not. But one advantage of having PVC is that when you finish your basement down the road like I have it is much easier to tie in pvc then it would be cast iron; besides... I haven't noticed the sound of a flushing toilet upstairs when I'm sitting in my living room downstairs. The wife definately wouldn't like that too much.

Cheers!

Now a days, though, I don't think a home should be without something like that.

Indeed. I almost wish I had bought later. Well, I do for other reasons anyway, but that's another story.

when you finish your basement down the road like I have

You didn't think of putting it under the house?

Peter

? I could have but since the sewer line is above the finished floor of the basement it would have been a bit difficult to make it flow up hill and since the basement is below the sewer line it was necessary to install a pump to pump it up so it can flow down to the sewer. Another good reason to rough in a bathroom in the basement since I needed one of those "well" things (actually it looks like a huge bucket that everything flows into) and route the toilet, shower and sink drain to it. When you finish the bathroom you add a submersible pump that pumps everything up to the main drain line so it can flow down to the sewer.

Sorry, I was just being daft about the idea of making a basement "down the road"...

Peter

Not a problem, my wife has drug me through A LOT of new houses several years ago (it used to be her favorite thing to do on the weeked).

edit:
daft ( P ) Pronunciation Key (dft)
adj. daft·er, daft·est
Mad; crazy.
Foolish; stupid.
Scots. Frolicsome.

That's a new one for me.

Great list, Jerz. I appreciate the effort you put into writing it. I wouldn't have thought of a lot of this.

-Dylan

It looks like plywood they are using. What is the advantage of fiberboard?

-Dylan

Fiberboard is a cement, fiber mixture that can be nailed into and cut just like wood, but it doesn't rot and termites don't eat it. It can get a little moldy, but all you have to do is get a hose and rinse it down.

Around here I've seen very few houses not using Hardy Plank (which is a particular brand of fiberboard), but it might be different where you are. Note that this is just for the outside paneling of the house, though. For the rest of the structure you'd expect regular old wood.

That's great information, smelly FerretBoy. A/C is extremely important here in the Wash DC area. I'll ask today about the unit and energy saving features of the house.

This builder outsources the kitchen and bathrooms to a company that specializes in that sort of work mostly for renovations. I'm hoping that this prevents the builder markup I've heard about on these sorts of things. I went through an extensive kitchen renovation a year ago in my current house and I'm now quite experienced in what is available and what it should cost. This is the part of the process I'm most comfortable with.

I like the way this builder does the appliances. I have a $2500 allowance to visit a specified appliance store and choose a fridge, range, hood and dishwasher. I think that's a reasonable allowance for mid range appliances (unless this store's game is to rip off captive customers). If I want better stuff I can pay the difference.

I did find out the landscaping package yesterday and it's pretty much nil. They will seed and hay the area that was disturbed by construction. They rest of the lot is left to me. Right now most of it is open field with ankle high brush. I definitely don't want to be mowing ten acres so I wouldn't want it all sodded but I would like some basic landscaping to be included.

I don't even get a walkway from the driveway to the front door. This was a disappointment also.

We are going to have well water. Good question about the water softener. I also have some questions about the compressor tank they are installing. It's only 32 gallons which I have been told is not enough. I need to do some research on this.

Great suggestions (from everyone) about the cabling. The builder will let me on the property to run cabling myself. He only requests I that don't drill holes without consulting him. From the realtor's descriptions, this builder seems very reasonable and willing to work with me.

My realtor already insisted that I get a home inspector so that will definitely be done at the time of our walkthrough.

-Dylan

My house has Hardy Plank (fiberboard) as well. It's wonderful stuff. When my house inspector saw it, he told me I'd be thrilled. It holds paint better than wood, it can't rot, and it's even fireproof (which saved me some money on my house insurance). Best of all, they can texture the boards with fake wood grain so you'd think they're actually wood.

Of course, brick, stucco, concrete, or even steel/tin siding are all good materials to use, depending on where you are. Bricks have better insulation properties, but you don't want to use brick anywhere that you might have an earthquake. Also, in places where the ground is effectively jello (like Houston), where your foundation will settle, brick or stucco would eventually get unsightly cracks.

There are a few modern houses a few blocks over that have this radical mix of materials on the exterior: concrete cinderblocks, steel bits, and wood bits. It looks remarkably well-done, although there are other trendy steel exterior yuppie townhomes going up here and there that are unrepentantly ugly. (A friend who grew up in the country calls them "barns".)

daft ( P ) Pronunciation Key (dft)
adj. daft·er, daft·est
Mad; crazy.
Foolish; stupid.
Scots. Frolicsome.

Heh heh - See me, I'm daft, me - completely raj - pure mental an' that.

Sorry - sitting next to too many Weegies and Fifers. Many apologies to non-UK'ers for offtopic'ing wildly.

Of course, brick, stucco, concrete, or even steel/tin siding are all good materials to use, depending on where you are.

Yes, I should clarify. Hardy Plank is good stuff to use instead of wood. I think brick looks much nicer, but if there's going to be "wood" on the outside of the house I'd make sure it was Hardy Plank (or another brand of fiberboard).

Ah, now I get it. The house is aluminum siding. That's how most houses are built around here and for years I've commented on how ugly it is. I still think it's ugly but the added expense for brick is enormous. I have a price ceiling and I'd much rather appropriate that money for things like a deck and finished basement.

-Dylan

Ooooh, now I get it... Why didn't I finish it under the house instead of "down the road".

You'll have to excuse me, it was a late night. That's pretty Daft (ahh yes like "Daffy" duck?) .

OK, carry on.

it is much easier to tie in pvc then it would be cast iron

They have these neoprene compression fittings that can tie iron to PVC with little effort and apparently work pretty well. Of course, you might have to fit a new piece of cast iron if the surface has gotten all rusty and uneven for the neoprene to adhere properly.

Here's one called PlumbQwik.

That's exactly what I have. The iron pipes are usually painted, my 60+ year old one in the damp basement has no outside surface rust whatsoever. I've never had cause to look inside, thank goodness.

-Zeke

Yes it even looks like cast iron piping is making a come back in the housing market http://www.housingzone.com/topics/cisp/cmaterials/cisp01da001.asp

"Many builders and homeowners have become aware of the noise problems associated with plastic piping systems. Due to these noise problems cast iron is now specified because of it's superior sound suppression. This time proven material is again today's choice for custom residences "

I'd be curious to know what the adder was.

One thing I learned when my parents built their "retirement house" is to NEVER accept wishy washy deadlines. Get estimated deadlines written down, signed, and have contractual hooks in place if the deadlines pass. It took my parents an additional 8 months to get into their house because of a contractor who did quaity but unreliable (timewise) work.

Yes it even looks like cast iron piping is making a come back...

I noticed this at the bottom of that article (link mine): "Content Provider: Cast Iron Soil Pipe Institute"

-jk

You have to rely on pump in order to move your poop away!? Scary!
I *much* prefer pasive safety (its something like Chernobyl design vs. natural convective reactor cooling )

Only because that particular toilet is below the level of the city-supplied drain. Most toilets in the US are powered only by gravity.

Yes, well when it's a choice of putting a bathroom in the basement or not putting one in I think you would go ahead and put one of these pumps in. The other bathrooms in the house are all gravity fed as Bitt said. It seems to handle things quite well and allowed us to put in a full bath as well as a full kitchen.

Wow, 180 gallons per minute (and 2" solids) - even I can't produce that much

Congratulations! Watching your very own house grow is beautiful experience!

I like the way this builder does the appliances. I have a $2500 allowance to visit a specified appliance store and choose a fridge, range, hood and dishwasher. I think that's a reasonable allowance for mid range appliances (unless this store's game is to rip off captive customers). If I want better stuff I can pay the difference.

Speaking of ranges, why American ones seem to always have controls positioned so that in order to reach them one has to put one's arm over flames or deep-fry one's sleeve? Isn't front of the appliance (or right top margin) better place for them? BTW, on this side of the pond the most popular type lately seems to be electric range covered with smooth glass (or is it ceramic) surface. Gets hot (and cools down) almost as fast as gas, easy to control precisely, very easy to clean, nothing to explode... And I would most definitely go for separate oven mounted almost at eye level, rather than 'combined' stove - I love to watch dough raising and roast browning without bending...

I don't even get a walkway from the driveway to the front door. This was a disappointment also.

So, your car gets to enter the house without getting its tires muddy, but you don't? As Asterix would say putting his index finger to his temple, "These Americans are crazy!"

American ones seem to always have controls positioned so that in order to reach them one has to put one's arm over flames or deep-fry one's sleeve?

To keep the kids' hands off, of course! This is a liability driven country, after all.

-jk