We're Building a House in 90 Days!

We're a husband and wife team who bought 20 acres of bare off-grid land in North Idaho. Follow along as we learn how to build a home, run heavy equipment and turn this place into our dream property!

[tgcahill]

Riley, I have been both an EMT on an Ambulance Squad and an ER Nurse and have done my share of repairing Carpenters who have done things that can only be described as "STOOOPID". If you look at today's' video at 25 minutes and 20 seconds, you will notice how close your fingers are to a rapidly turning saw blade. There is this amazingly simple piece of safety equipment called a push board which can be obtained at no cost by going to your scrap lumber pile and picking up an approximately one foot long piece of 2x4 and using it to push the board you are cutting through the final foot of the cut. Courtney would NOT be happy if she had to pick up your fingers, wrap them in gauze and put them on ice after wrapping you hand and then driving you to the hospital to see if they can sew them back on! (She will probably eventually forgive you - probably - maybe.)

Also, FYI, remember the definition a Nurse - "the first person you are going to see when waking up in the ER after saying to your friends - "Watch this!".

Other than that, I wait impatiently every weekend for your next episode to begin. I love them. Good luck to you, Courtney, Oliver and all your helpers.

[bejohnson]

Your load bearing center wall should ideally have a stud directly below each floor joist and the door opening in that wall must have a true header to bear the weight from the joists above. Get a short piece of 8” LVL (or double 2x10)with at least one stud under each end of the LVL. Otherwise your joists will sag over that doorway.

[gplsda]

Lay the sill plate where you want it and tap on it, the J bolt will make a mark to drill perfectly placed for any position the J bolts are in....

[scotpettengill]

How cool is it to see little Oliver moving around the place on his own two feet. It's great to see your family doing so well, and keeping things real with all the video's .. Thanks for all you do.

[donaldfrazier]

I’ve watched my son who is a contractor and he always pre assembled walls with top and bottom plates with headers and king studs then it’s tilted up and nailed down to the sill plate! Really need to do some more u tube university guys!

[tommybucher]

I've been following you two, Oops, now three, for years, since you first bought the property. Something I have always admired about you is that you don't define work as men's work and women's work. The fact that Courtney can swing a hammer, use a shovel and run equipment is what makes a couple a real team. I lost my dear wife in May but that's the way we lived and loved for the 58 years we were married. Cudos to the Ambition Strikes team. I can hardly wait to see Oliver with a hammer in his hand or at the controls of the Cat.
Tommy B in Virginia

[toddheslor]

Riley, All your headers are framed wrong. That will become a huge problem. You also need wall studs fastened to the concrete and block wall. This will help you sheating.

[rcawatson]

Riley did I hear you say the lvl beams will not go on the studs? I’ll wait and see how it turns out but my dad always said the joists or trusses would go on the studs for a straight pressure point to the foundation to help keep the floor or wall from sagging and possibly of a failure. That’s why you build with the 16” or 24” on center. Love the channel.

[MrDalerex]

O'Reilly if you're putting weight on the wall it has to be 16 in on Center so add a stud between all your studs before you put your joist down

[johnm]

Always did 16" centers everywhere I've Pipe wrench can straighten a warped stud. AND building a wall vertically is HARD, assemble it on the floor and set it in place!.

[madmit]

Riley, there's a way easier way to make marks to drill the j-bolt holes. Use two people.
One person at each end of the board. Put the board on top of the whole row of bolts then eyeball it from the top with your chalk line. Then simply hit the board with a hammer tap on it all the way down it leaves an imprint on the board that's where you drill !!!! I've built many structures like that it works perfect every time.

[kastenolsen]

Yes Riiley. She LOVES you. Gave you a mask to prevent silicosis.

[MkVIIIMaus]

Load bearing walls 16" on center and double top plate on that wall.

[nathanplatt]

There is an actual difference between the Green pressure treated boards and the Brown pressure treated. The green pressure treated is for ground contact. It is resistant to rotting when touching the ground or concrete or organic material and is also termite resistant. The brown pressure treated lumber is non ground contact. It is typically used on framing exterior buildings and porches where there is no contact with the ground or organic material.

[chuckdavis]

Standard construction techniques I'm accustomed to is to build the walls flat on the ground and then stand it up. You'll have a bottom and top plate. So you end up with two plates on the bottom and two on the top. It cost a little more, but it's so much quicker. I also alway cut my studs the same length and shim between the two bottom plate boards if needed. You even have a machine to lift it into place so you don't have to horse it yourself. Also, framing tolerances is typically within an 1/8 inch, although I like it dead on too.

[notprovided]

A little carpenters' tip regarding wood that may be exposed to moisture--even treated lumber: Look at the grain from the end of the board. The board should have the up-grain side up. Meaning that if you view the end of the board, the curve of the age growth rings starts low at one end, curves up towards the center of the board, and curves back down on the other end. Like an upside-down U. This helps shed any moisture that may fall on the top or sides of the board. And it prevents moisture from staying inside the board to cause rot, which is what happens if you inadvertently install the board so the grain is shaped like a U. Water will collect inside that U and sit there as if it were sitting in a cup. Carpenters prevent that by installing all horizontal boards so the inner grain is NOT U-shaped, but rather is up-side-down-U-shaped. Especially helpful in attaining great longevity in wooden decking, docks at the lake, railings, and anywhere a horizontal board is exposed to the elements.

[waynegauthier]

For amateurs you are doing a great job. I really like watching you build with Courtney and your Australian friend getting it done.

[leebannister]

Why 24oc instead of 16oc sconces it's holding up a second floor?

[OscarOwenn]

This year's hardships are likely going to be more difficult. Looking back, I realize that I made poor financial decisions previous year as I was so focused on my portfolio. I was forced to choose between increasing my investments and purchasing a home. When I decided to sell my possessions, I discovered that the house I had bought needed more maintenance than I had anticipated. It's getting harder to say how much longer I can put up with this.

[DanP]

Congratulations to 600'000 of us!