SIP's - Pricing

I went down to Lowe's and tried to wrap my head around how much it would cost in lumber, and insulation ... plus how much time I would spend putting all that together.  True, going that way I could piece things together as I went along and could afford them.  


HOWEVER, I also wanted to see what it would cost if I purchased SIP's (Structural Integrated Panels) for the floor (base), walls, lofts, and roof.  The base, walls, lofts, and roof could all be put up within one day.  Can you imagine having it completely "dried-in" within one day?!!  I specified 8 window openings and 1 door.  I forgot the opening for the water heater.  And I specified dormers 9 ft long over both sides of the sleeping loft area.  Anyway, here is the quote ... to have the materials delivered to my location.


You can click on these written images below to enlarge them for better reading:

Here are some more technical details ...

So, here comes the ballpark price quote ...

Notice that part about transportation to my location as being included!

and then here comes the basic legalese ...

I need to quit spending money on interior things and save my pennies to make those payments.  It may be March before I can do this.  

The trailer will certainly be ready before then.

I could probably cut down my costs somewhat if I sent a truck & trailer to pick up and bring back the load (paying for fuel).  Then I wouldn't have to worry about that 2 hr unloading limitation.  And I'd have it inside a dry-van.

Cleaning - 1

Having removed so many things and stacked them up inside the trailer ... it was time to clean things out so I could get on with other things.

Here is looking from the door towards the back end.

This is what it looks like this evening.

Looking from the bathroom back towards the door.

You can see a lot more room this evening.

The air conditioner is a bit heavy for one person to lift off the top of the trailer while standing on a ladder.  The top half just lifts out ... after you unbolt it from the bottom (inside unit).

De-Construction 7 (Bottom Bunk)

This is the bottom bunk area.

The heater system, freshwater tank, and water pump are removed.

Look at all that water damage in the corner.

Everything out of the bunk bed area.

This is the freshwater tank and water pump.

The pump must be a replacement ... 

It was built in 1994 and the trailer was built in 1985.

Next up:  climb on the roof and remove anything up there ...

De-Construction 6 (Bathroom)

All the cabinets have been removed from the bathroom.

The toilet and tub are gone too.

It helps to come back at things when you have a fresh burst of energy.

The tub in all its glory ...

outside sitting on the grass.

Maybe my neighbor would like to put it in his bathroom.

It is bigger than the one he has ...

 There's the bathroom with no bathtub.
Notice all the rot damage to the floor and walls.

The top bunk is gone ... now for the bottom bunk.

You can see the damage in the corner ...

With the bottom bunk gone ...

there is the heater and the fresh water tank.

Perhaps I will get them out tomorrow.

In Between ...

In between work and rain ... progress has been slow this week.  Speaking of which, it is time for me to run off to a camp activity with client kids.  See Ya!  :-)

Small Homes

On St. James Pl., down behind the Methodist church, is this lovely little row of 500 sq. ft. homes.  Mr. Blankenship built them as rentals.  They have metal roofs and are each painted a different pastel color to make it easier to find yours, due to their otherwise being identical.

They each have a lovely small front porch that you can place a rocker on .. along with a little side-table.  And the the windows are double-pane.  You will notice that each small house has 2 parking spots out front.

The tenants say that they are all extremely well insulated.  Which saves considerable on their electric bill.  And they are allowed to keep their little dogs at home without an extra fee.  Rental is under $500 a month.

The yards are of a minimal size so that the tenants don't have a lot of upkeep.  Mr. Blankenship is familiar with the members of the local zoning commission, and wrote up zoning paperwork that was acceptable to them.  After completion, it only took 3 weeks for them to all be rented out for the year.

These are located within a block of the downtown area.  Just walking distance to the supermarket, a dollar store, several restaurants, city hall, and an art gallery.  The library and hospital are within walking or bicycling distance [4 blocks].  WalMart is just far enough away to provide some logistical challenges -- bicycle with cart or taxi (according to the tenants).