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the examiner Friday May 19 1978 Building your own home Its not as easy as it looks By STEVE NICHOLLS Examiner Staff Reporter This is the age of the doit yourselfer Whether for recreation saving money or pride in workmanship more and more people are doing their own handiwork One activity which is growing in popularity among the doit yourself enthusiasts is home building But its not as easy as it looks Chris Sprecker is just finishing work on his new home in Midhurst It has taken him almost year to reach the pre sent stage of putting on the finishing touches namely siding and some brick work Sprecker and his wife are roud of their beautiful new me but its construction has meant sacrifices Its lot harder work than you expect says Sprecker used up all my holidays weekends and evenings to work on the house Sprecker started on his home last May He wanted to move into the home in the fall so he CHRIS SPRECKER proud of home spent hours every day working on it The progress was slowed when shipment of trusses was delayed for month but when they arrived he was able to continue at full steam On my days off would work from in the morning un til 11 at night says Sprecker On work days Id come home get changed and start work about 630 and work until 11 Sprecker did most of the work on the home himself He had the house framed by tradesmen and the gyprock taped but he did everything else from pour ing the footings to installing the plumbing and electrical work as well as completing the trim and painting and putting on the siding T00 INVOLVED Sprecker says some of this work is too involved for the average doityourselfer Rene Ouellet Barrie carpenter is building his own home in Anten Mills Ouellet says that people should not at tempt to build their own home if they dont have good knowledge of building prac tices lot of people start home and cant finish says Ouellet Ive had to finish lot of homes for people who gave up Ouellet says there are many aspects of home building which most amateur builders might notknow There are lot of things you have to know warns Ouellet If you dont know how to cut roof you cant put roof on your house He cautions people about the importance of the building code If you dont do it right the building inspector can come along and have you tear it down and start over There are some facets of building which doityourselfers can do themselves Ouellet believes people who are handy with hammer and saw can successfully install insulation and drywall themselves but they should have the framing roughed in by professional tradesman Its not worth if if you dont now what youre doing he warns Building your own home in volves great deal of hard work as well as construction skills Why do people build their own homes SAVED $15000 Sprecker estimates that he saved $15000 by doing most of the work himself We priced it all out the materials and what it would cost to have tradesmen do it and then we decided what parts could do myself says Sprecker We decided that this was the way to go We could swing it this way Perhaps even more impor tant than the money savings however is the pride in the completed workmanship and the knowledge that the house is really your own home Ouellet admits there is an ad vantage to building your own home You can build the home you like the way you want Sprecker comments Youre really know where everything is You put into it what you want His wife Chris adds You know what youre getting You know whats going into your house And you dont have house thats like everyone elses Building your own home is in volved and it means hard work and sacrifices Looking back on the project however Sprecker describes the experience as super Id do it all over again Handymen often neglect to follow building code People who build their own homes are sometimes negligent in constructing their house to required building standards This negligence means trouble and expense for the home builder The problem according to Ray Buckle Barrie building inspector stems from lack of knowledge of building regula tions It would be best says Buckle if people would come andsitdown with us first Bob Byers Vespra Township building inspector says many people are not familiar with the new Ontario Building Code Theyre just not up on the new rules says Byers Some of the regulations which doityourself home builders might not know ac cording to Byers are those regarding insulation values thickness mandatory basement insulation and the installation of combustion detectors in each home Both building inspectors stress the importance of having god working plans and adher ing closely to their guidelines Its important to get good set of plans drawn up by someone who knows what hes doing says Buckle People who are doingitthcmsclvcs often draw up their own plans But these are really just floor plans not structural working plans If they have the proper drawings stresses Byers they must build according to the drawings The plans are ap proved by the building inspec tor Wc assume that they are building according to the plan If they start cutting cor ners he warns theyll run in totrouble If builder does not construct his home according to the re quired specifications the work he has done may have to be torn down and started again Home building popular say local supply firms According to local building supply firms there are more and more people building their ownhomes There has definitely been trend in the last two to three years reports Keith Donaldson of Cardinal Cash and Carry Why not when you can save $3000 by doing the work yourself Building your own home or renovating its becoming more popular all the time says Jim Babcock of Cashway Lumber Most of the lumber com panies surveyed by The Ex aminer acknowledged such trend and suggested that one major reason for it was the financial saving for the home owner Our estimator who wished to remain anonymous told The Examiner many people want to build their own home because of better workmanship They know whats going into their house he said Donaldson says that most people have the house fram ed by tradesmen Only the really ambitious ones frame it themselves he says He adds that building your own home can take anywhere from one month to five yars depending on the pace of the builder Naturally someone who can work at it full time will finish his home much more quickly than someone who only has weekends to devote to the construction STATISTICS GIVEN More than 6000 merchant seamen were killed and more than 600 merchant vessels were sunk during the Second World War Chris Sprecker installs siding on the exterior of his new home in Midhurst Sprecker started work on the house last spring and has done almost all the work on his home by himself He estimates that by doing the work himself he has saved between $l0000 and $i5000 Examiner Photo Wayne Shellswell places boards into position in pre oration for the pouring of cement footings for his new home near Stroud ellswell began work on his home on May Shellswell millwrlght has never had any professional carpentry experience and he has no idea as to when his new bungalow will be completed Examiner Photo to homes By ROGER WHITMAN THERES BETTER WAY discovered during periods of wet weather that the basement walls of my new house become wet in several areas due to seepage from outside What would you think of my spreading thin layer of roofing cement over the walls as water proofing coat Or is there better way By STEVE ELLINGSON This isnt such bad old world after all once you get used to being nervous about everything Of course if you want to avoid the need for tran quilizers then move out doors Thcres nothing like plea sant conversation good book or an afternoon of day dreaming set to the soft background of rustling leaves and singing birds Garden notes way While the cement would be pretty effective it would be sizeablc job physically Also it might not last for many years especially if real leaks developed In stead treat the walls to clear liquid waterproofing This penetrates into the masonry and forms waterproof shield Its sold in many lumber yards hard ware stores home im provement centres DO TIIE BEST YOL AN What can do to prevent These sounds induce tranr qu1111y natures bcst remedy It helps to enjoy the out doors if we have comfortable and durable furniture The patio lounger shown here will flatter any outdoor lving room The wheels make it easy to follow thc sun wherever it might be tablc betwmm the two seats supports colorful um brclla to give you shadc on hot day And its also handy By EAN ABLE liarric llorlicultural Socicty This will be most busy week for gardcncrs as will the next month as we are at least two weeks behind Nature has way of catching up though so dont waste minutc in try ing to bring plantings into line All barc rooted stock in trees shrubs or roses should be in If they are not choose what is left with carc 73 per cent dead plant at whatever pricc is no bargain All ballcd stock am be planted most any time providing you give it that ex tm care The element of growth is there in May that is never as strong again so plant as much as you can in May Be sure your garden plot is well worked some organic material put into it like manure compost or last falls leaves dug in Nobody can keep taking out of the soil and not putting anything back in and still expect good gardens like to incorporate horticultural lime and fertilizer likc 102010 or 151515will do Dont walk all over your garden whcn wct it packs it and when the heat waves Come it will bakc like brick All plants like loose friablc soil to grow in in choosing your box plants better if they arc not in bloom If they are in bloom pinch off the flower pinch back the terminal buds and your plant will be strongcr bushicr and roducc more blooms en you set your plants out cut tbc soil into cubcs as you would chocolate cake or brownies and dont pull the plants out thrc you buy the plastic containcrs this is not pro blcm Even here moisten your plants and push them out from the bottom with as little disturbance as possiblc Always firm the plant in wcll lhcrc arc several transplant Ees much béiier the that always follow my house painting Sooner or later they appear Maybe three months ater maybe year but always If there are no leaks or other sources of moisture in the siding and if the surface is dry clean and free from grease you should have no trouble with blistering Sometimes this is easier said than done especially in damp climate and if there is heavy air pollution WINDOWS CLEAN WONT for serving cool drinks lun ches or for playing cards and checkers The entire lounger is made of standard stock wood available at all lumber yards The pads are inexpen sive and may be purchased from your neighborhood dealer The fullsize pattern has lots of easytofollow illustra tions and directions to make the building easy You sim We are building our own house and have acquired some secondhand windows These have silicatype flm on the glass which just can not get off Powdered cleanser ammonia soap pads muriatic acid and even razor blade dont do thing Ideas Frankly think youre spinning your wheels Save your valuable time on more productive projects Get new glass put in the frames Or do it yourself Its well within home fixit range ply trace the pattern on wood then saw it out and assemble very inexpen sive when you doityourself To obtain the fullsize Patio Lounger Pattern N0 255 send $250 please add 35 cents extra for postage and handlingiby cheque or money order to The Examiner Barrie Pattern Department 4630 St Catherine St Montreal PQ 1132 2W6 Dont waste minute catching up in garden chemicals to help the shock of moving and give your plant chalice to get growing If you have none of these202020 in weak solution will help lot if you plant your perennial flower seeds now you will have good plants to put in the border by Sept 15 As your bulbs finish blooming tie up the foliage to keep your border tidy but dont cut it off SOCIETY NEWS The Arboretum ommittee planted 60 trees in the ar horetum last week and completed the rose beds which con tain 120 roses The tour to Toronto Parks and to hear Harry Belefontc on May 24 is filled Thcre are still seats for the tour to Oshawa May 31 Call hookers The Society will have two buses go to the Scottish Festival Aug 20 and as promised one other night performance ONE schedule of grandstand attractions will be finalized by May 31 we are told llant sale is May 27 at Market Building on Mulcaster Strect am Your donations welcome Call any director Spring show is May 25 at Sunnidale Centre If you need show scheduled call converter lare Orrock 7286326 or Marion corkindale 7284032 Dont forget the 125th Barrie Anniversary Tea at Sun nidalc entre June 28 Tickets from any director ounty Fair Committee could use sealers if you arc disposing of any Plant party at lodrington School is next open meeting pm iunc Everyone is wlccome Trish Hines will be the guest spcukcr Edmontons historic Magrath house reflects the man who first owned it EDMONTON Ili William Magrath looked the part of turnofthcccntury realestate broker Gold chain across an ample vest Winged collar Welltailored suit Trim moustaches His home was no less re flection of his status as one of Edmontons leading citizens Built in 1913 overlooking the North Saskatchewan ltiver it incorporated the best and the latest For proFirst World War Al berta it bespoke promising fu ture In 1931 when the sheriff seized the house for back taxes and stacked the furniture on the lawn it represented the worst of the Depression Sale in 1948 to the Ukrainian Catholic Episcopal Corporation of Western anada was its sad vation The house became thc residence of the bishop of the Ukrainian diocese of Ed monton Designation in 1975 of William Magraths showplacc as classified historic site assured it an undisturbed future William Magrath arrived in Edmonton in 1904 from Helle ville Ont whcrc he had built successful chccsc exporting business IIELIED DEVELOP llY He became involved in real estate through Magrath Holgate Ltd the firm he owned in partnership with Bidwell Holgate from 1905 to 1912 contemporary historian John Blue wrote that Magrath became well known operator in that field negotiating many important property transfers and through his activities con tributing to the growth and im provcment of the city In 1911 he began selling lots in the east end of Edmonto and was instrumental in developing the Highlands area where he eventually built his own resi dcnce in 1912 he ran unsuccessfully for mayor The Edmonton Bul letin reported that same year that Magrath and llolgate were retiring from real estate ln August the nowretired realtor received building per mit for his home Construction was completed in 1913 and Magrath and his wife Ada re ceived compliments not re stricted to appearance Theirs was one of the most beautiful homes of the city and was ever the centre of warmhearted and generous hospitality wrote historian Blue The red brick house with white verandah running its full width had an unobstructed View of the winding river and surrounding horizon from every window and door The ionic columns around the portico were said to be from Louisiana the marble in the bathrooms from Home the fix tures from Paris the fireplace with the hammered brass from the British Museum The recep tion area with its cherubs painted on the ceiling by Viennese artist is said to have cost$30000 alone