A asphalt shingle on top of the cinderblock under the bed as a gasket would really help the life expectancy of the foundation

@lawrence5039

10 ай бұрын

I'm curious cuz I'm not a builder, just a clueless civil engineer: what do you consider the 'life expectancy' of this kind of foundation? Are you talking about wood on concrete degradation under pressure and time? I'd like to know. Thanks.

@TimErickson-oc6sd

10 ай бұрын

@lawrence5039 a break in the event of standing moisture cement holds moisture also ive heard it discourages ants and termites

@leethebee1560

10 ай бұрын

I can use that tip. Thanks

@deborahwhite2339

10 ай бұрын

Those laser levels are great. I have a small DIY laser level. I got it when I wanted to build a pantry closet as the walls aren't 100% square. 🙂👍🇨🇦

@user-tn7hc4ww3j

10 ай бұрын

A piece of sheet metal will serve the same purpose and not degrade like asphalt.

Glad the mistake was corrected ! The right Foundation is important! 😇🥰 😊

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Yes no question Olive. Super important.

So you and Aristotle agree: "A small mistake in the beginning is a big one in the end (Book 1 De Caelo). I knew you were a philosopher! Love the work and the videos, Mr. Don.

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Thanks as always for your lovely comments. Always helps to lift my spirit.

I enjoy watching you and your humor is fantastic!

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

So delighted you are here Carol!

Hi Don .Attention to detail at this point in the build is so important as it can and will cause major problems throughout the rest of the build. I`m so glad that thanks to the folks at Lasgoo ,you should have a nice level and true building .Good job Don. ATB

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Hi Graeme. Your comments are always so delightful and encouraging. Thanks mate!

Don, you have such a great attitude. Healthy. But I hope you don’t let sponsors compromise your channels. I’ve seen that happen many times before.

@affordabledesertliving3487

Ай бұрын

Hi Tim. My rules as follows: If its something that is high quality and something I definitely need I will promote it. Otherwise nope.

Progress! So nice the company sent you this Lasgoo LG-3D laser level.....always enjoy your videos!💚🌵

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

So appreciate your encouraging comments and your faithfulness to watch the vids!

Don, I have one of those and it is great. Nice to see you are getting the building correct the first time. Have a super blessed week.

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Thanks so much for the encouragement Rodney. Have a blessed week as well.

Very nice build you have there, lots of great info. After all this experience you can get a job building the new Taj Mahal.

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Hope they pay well grin.

"Level" on the vertical axis (up and down)is referred to as plumb. It helps to know this lingo when reading plans,drawings, instructions. Good job!

Level is good! Less problems later…it’s sure going to be a NICE building!

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Hi Sherry. I am trying to not be too OCD with it being leveled but I want it to be the best I can make it. Thanks for watching.

Hi there Don!!! Nothing Good comes easy!! Safety is#1 Be safe.

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Yep no question. I do my best to not over do it. But sometimes hard work just has to happen but done safely.

Used Cement mixers, are around Cheap. Used once, job done and for sale! Thank for the video!

Interesting video. I always try to avoid another back injury by finding easier methods for moving heavy objects. To move the beam I would have screwed a plate to the side of it and pried with a lever.

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Hmm didnt think of that one Matthew. Glad it got moved and that job is over.

If you put something round under the beam, maybe a deep well socket in 2 places it will roll back and forth with ease

Hi Don Good to see you can create kindling and move the long beam. Nothing better than multitasking 😂. It's wonderful to see you progressing in your build. 😊

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Thanks so much linda. Really appreciate the encouragement.

Tow strap and car for sliding beams! Well Dun

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

I definitely was thinking that! Thanks for watching.

Don you will need to set up a work party when your ready to stand the walls up. We will be down that way in January, hiding out from the snow up here in Montana.

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Thanks so much for watching the vids @56radioboy. Much appreciated.

Great job!! Love to see you doing well. Watch your back!!

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Thanks so very much. Yes making sure I dont strain the ol back for sure. Doing great here!

What can I say Don? You're definitely on the level my friend. :))

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

LOL yep level as she goes.

Nice work bud , looks good too

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Thanks so very much!

Hi Don !Just found you today !🙂I wached some of your videos ,I am lerning from you, I am thinking if is the Lords will, to have a cabin on my land too..THANKS A LOT !!! I got two lots in New Mexico and one in Nevada, all of them are NO RESTRICTION ZONING . Did you know about that ? And the lots are cheap... The one in New Mexico were 1500 per acre, bought from the investor , I bought all of them directly from investors .I paid the price and the 150 $ for the paper work. 15 min from the city... Beutifull area .. Glad i found you brother in Christ !May the Lord help you to the end of your projects,amen ! Many blessings to you dear brother!!!🙋‍♀️

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Wow what a lovely comment and I learned something. Didnt know New Mexico and Nevada had any No restriction zone plots of land. Thanks for sharing!

You're a pretty clever guy to do thatby yourself

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Such an encouraging comment. Thanks Elaine. Always great to see you here.

Hey Don, I just bought one yesterday for checking my foundation as well. To work in daylight, you can get a laser detector, and put the laser level in pulse mode to extend the working range! For DIYers, your checking at night works as well! Keep up the good work!

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Thanks mush. Yep my septic installer had one of those with a big stick that kept beeping. I think thats what you mean.

You're doing it the hard way but you'll get there and learn lots along the way! Keep at it, looks like progress!

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Yep in the end if I have worked safely I am none the worse for the wear and have a build that is closer to the goal of completion.

Hi Don😁Looking good! Lots of back breaking work hey! Thanks for the videos l always look forward to them Best Regards Cecile… SAfrica

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Thanks so very much for watching. Much appreciate it.

Coming along nicely Don 🤩👵🏻👩‍🌾❣️

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Wish it would go faster but obviously I need to work hard and be patient at the same time. Thanks!

@deecooper1567

10 ай бұрын

@@affordabledesertliving3487 Hahaha 🤣. Let me know when you get the balance between the two 😉. Good work takes time & you’ll be well satisfied 💖. 👵🏻👩‍🌾❣️

The Laser looks interesting.

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Yes it definitely does what its suppose to.

Very nice there Don at least its all level now great job

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Thanks ever so much Kriss.

Keep up the hard work Don! Can't wait to see how it looks when it's all done:))

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Will be a while but I am more encouraged all the time as more things get done on the project. Thanks for watching!

Nice review and that's a great price for a laser level! We will probably be purchasing one of these too and when I checked it out today (10/15/23), they also were showing a $40 coupon. Nice job making sure you're completely level...the foundation is so important!

@affordabledesertliving3487

9 ай бұрын

Thanks so very much tworebels. Yup foundation is paramount to everything isnt it?

Thanks for the update

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Your so welcome Lee. Thanks for being here as always.

Good it was just one beem. It shows you were careful with your leveling as you went along

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Yes indeed marilyn. Was delighted that things were as level as they were.

Great job 👍👍👍

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Thanks so very much Morten! Always love that folks from Europe are here watching. Oh and fun fact my ancestry evaluation says I have a good amount of norwegian ancestry.

@mortenthenorwegian2875

10 ай бұрын

@@affordabledesertliving3487 Aha. That is why I like you so much 😇😆🤣 But Canadian people and Scandinavian people have the same mood i think.

I think most modern say 1/2" off is good enough for government work so all builder would probable say something similar. Perfectionist!! good going

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Thanks Joseph. Got to keep doing my best to make it all level.

If it were me, I think I would have just improved the home you already have but added a shop to work in and a place to park the car inside. This would make it easier to get projects done year-round and be a better investment than two homes on the same property for only one person unless you plan on renting one out. I know for me as a nomad, keeping things simple is the way to go and less expensive. Good luck.

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Well your suggestion of renting one home out is spot on. I would never do 2 homes except that airbnbs in this area are very popular. So the "big home" is destined to be used as an airbnb for extra income. Plus when not occupied a wonderful place to have friends and family come by. Hope that makes sense. Thanks for watching.

@gzubeck3

10 ай бұрын

I watched part of his last live broadcast and he mentioned that he's going to rent it out for customers who come into town for a birding trip. Going forward he might make more money for combo vacation plans than even doing youtube videos.

Thank again foe sharing...

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Your welcome. Thanks for watching.

Great work Don. Are you putting in a conventional bathroom with a flushing toilet, connected to your septic? I realize it'd take a lot of water. Perhaps with your water catchment ideas it would work. Cheers Don and God Bless

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Thanks Nanny. Yes low flush toilet in the future for sure. Yes will be connected to my big ol 1000 gal septic tank. Yes with water catchment the more you have the better it is. That is why I am building a 10'x40' porch alongside this building. With my roof space I will get aproximately 8000 gallons annually. If you use conservatively it should work. I will also put in 2 car ports each with 200sq ft roof space. All that to say if you need more water just build more structures. Their total cost will be a fraction of the costs here to dig a well.

I do the same thing australia queensland you are doing a good job

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Thanks so much for watching Keith. Suspect you are enjoying springtime there mate.

Reality: You can't get the piers all exactly level with each other and they will shift. You shim for level as you build. You get under and shim it back level periodically. It might be annually. It might only need it every 10 years.

@lawrence5039

10 ай бұрын

Good thing the ground out there is like concrete Don. I doubt the ground will shift at all for a very long time...Not enough to be concerned about IMO. The Air Force stores several thousand older airplanes not far from you in Tucson, including the huge C5 Galaxy, and none require any ground prep....just tow them in and park 'em. They don't sink. C5 empty weight is 374,000 pounds! Thanks for another great video, always interesting to see what you are up to!!

@coyotech55

10 ай бұрын

Yes, I did some shimming on mine, that's for sure. Not only shifting blocks, but crooked wood, and of course plain mistakes. I said a lot of "good enough". The building came out strong, even if not quite professional 🙂

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

shim for level as build is an excellent way to do this for sure. Thanks.

I like that shirt.

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Thanks very much Sue. Love my warm shirts.

Great job Don, and good going with that Lasgoo LG-3D laser. I think it would be neat to have one, so many uses for it! By the way, is there a need to pretreat for termites at this stage of your build? I am no expert, so just a thought. 😀🥰 Keep up the good work and looking forward to the next video Don! Great to see you as always!

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Hi Martha. Excellent question. This is pressure treated lumber so good for a couple decades against termites. When I am 88 I will have to do something with it LOL. At least according to my math.

@marthabradas8873

10 ай бұрын

Good deal Don!@@affordabledesertliving3487

How about a lever to move it? Screw a block to the side of the beam.

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Yep that sounds like a smart idea. Fortunately its all done at this point.

I’m so wanting to do what you are doing.

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

I hope you get to live your dreams oscar.

A simple lever would move those beams without putting your back in jeopardy.

@affordabledesertliving3487

9 ай бұрын

Yep not sure if it would do exactly what I wanted but good suggestion for sure.

The laser levels are handy item to have .

@RippSnortin

10 ай бұрын

If you like working at dusk.

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

No question.

I hope the monsoon doesn't ever come ever again because your concrete is going on sink in the ground

@lawrence5039

10 ай бұрын

The ground out here is harder and more stable than the concrete blocks. As we know, concrete continually dries out and becomes dust. The desert floor is tougher than concrete! FYI

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Hi Johnny. Not here. Surface dirt on my property is at most 12" thick. Under that is rock like caliche. Nothing moves for years on that stuff. Thanks for watching.

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Yep no question!

When the wind blows it gets windy.

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Yep that can be an understatement here for sure.

are you going to cover the ground to hep with moisture?

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Leo the great thing about being here is that moisture is the least of my issues. Its powder dry sand/clay under the building. It is also a high piece of ground and water as a rule doesnt stay there. Thanks for watching.

I see there’s still no drywall in house #1 … or is the spray foam “eclectic”?

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Thats because Cabin # 1 is treated as a shed by the county and doesnt need a permit if just a shed. Once it has been wired and plumbed properly to code it can potentially be an accessory dwelling unit. Once the "Big House" is done. So thus not profitable to waste time and money on it just yet. Hope that makes sense. Oh and I absolutely love the "eclectic" warmpth of the spray foam come cold weather.

@saintbyron5150

10 ай бұрын

@@affordabledesertliving3487 it then becomes “electric eclectic”

Don ‘. How are those Asian trees doing ? Was wondering if you have any pictures to share of them, and how old they are now ?

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Hi Oscar. I showed off the trees a couple vids back.They are doing great despite a super dry summer and lots of attack from grasshoppers. But they are holding th eir own for sure.

How are you doing?

Pretty sure plus or minus a half inch is acceptable in home construction.

@lawrence5039

10 ай бұрын

A home we owned the carpet installer measured a room and was shocked because it was the first time he ever had an actual perfect rectangle, i.e. square corners x4. Just a tract home, had to be an accident!

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Understandable. Doing my best to make it all as accurate as possible.

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

How cool that someone did their best to make accurate measurements.

like you and many others doing youtube you dont have to watch right so i watch but dont care you will learn later fact is rain will and does have big empact on that ground and so will the winds plus sun light either way your problems your stress either way time will take it toll and you will have to jack it repair it video it learn from it such as life

@lawrence5039

10 ай бұрын

NOT going to happen, I'm a local civil engineer...and the Air Force parks more than 3,000 older planes on the same kind of soil....the C5 Galaxy weighs 374,000 lbs, and no foundation required, just park it on the desert floor same tires, in the open exposed to wind and monsoon rains and scorching desert sun. No sink evidence at all. That's why many of us own a jack hammer to dig holes and plant things. No need for a shovel here. Won't work.

@affordabledesertliving3487

9 ай бұрын

Yep Caliche soil doesnt move as near as I can tell so far.

Sorry I missed a video.. But noticed you painting where you cut the beam. ... So you painted all the beams? With???

@daedalusjones3804

10 ай бұрын

The wood is originally treated with a preserver. When he cut the section out he exposed virgin unprotected wood. So he coats it with a wood preserver that is available at any hardware store.

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

They are purchased pressure treated to preserve against moisture and termites.

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

In this case I simply used some paint I had and painted the surface twice. Good observation!

Thumb up

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Thanks so much Tom!

Why do men have instruction phobia?

@RippSnortin

10 ай бұрын

Because we're not women🎉

@nettp7773

10 ай бұрын

You do a good job.

@affordabledesertliving3487

10 ай бұрын

Thanks ever so much.