Hard to believe it’s been almost two weeks since I’ve posted anything. Many of you know that I’m a travel nurse. Shortly after accepting my last assignment, I started feeling extreme fatigue. It progressed to weakness – to the point that I had difficulty walking and driving. I just couldn’t tolerate activity. My chest hurt, I was having a difficulty breathing and I was so pale that the ER nurses took bets on what my HGB was and whether I would need a blood transfusion. The physicians in the ER asked if I had been exposed to any industrial toxins. I hadn’t to my knowledge.

My son made a few trips there and finally, I went home with him when it was apparent that I couldn’t even take care of my dog. It’s about ten days later and I can now walk and drive without difficulty but sometimes still feel fatigue.

One of my sons who works in the building industry suggested black mold. At this point, I’m not sure but I am checking it out. I’ve started doing research on healthy homes, indoor air quality and the strategies to get there. I’ll post what I find.

It’s good to be back among the living!

Added: Here is a web site written by a physician who experienced problems with mold also. I’m not sure that was my problem but I know that I am now feeling better and can function normally again.

Toxic Mold

What New York Inspectors have to say about avoiding mold in new construction:

NY Inspectors Avoid Mold

Certain counties in Michigan have increased levels of radon. In order to meet code in those counties, you’ll need to protect your house against radon. This PDF from the EPA will explain those techniques.

As always, check with you local building official.

Radon Resistant New Construction

EPA Map of Radon Zones in Michigan

And an article regarding the codes in Michigan from Michigan.gov: Radon Resistant Construction

My favorite forum has a discussion on peak oil and it’s clarified my thoughts a little bit. The internet has made it possible to be exposed to many more opinions than I would have had available without it. It’s helpful when you don’t know quite where you stand.

Some have the impression that proponents of peak oil are suggesting that our oil is about to run out. That’s not the impression I have but I was interested to read just how much we depend on oil for our everyday living.

We all agree that the price of oil is not going to be what it was a few years ago. We may have temporary dips due to the economy and other factors but overall, it will continue to rise.

Our feelings on the matter is influenced by where we’re at in our lives. If you are in your twenties, you’re likely to have a different feeling than someone in their early fifties who faces retirement in a few years. The prospect of saving for the future between the two age groups is vastly different.

I have less than twenty years to work fulltime before retirement. The preparations I am making is reflective of that. I feel more of an urgency to have my ducks in a row than someone who has forty years to prepare.

I’m considering my options since my attitude has been adjusted. (Yeah, I need one every once in a while. I’ll admit though, this was a big one!) I’ve made a few lifestyle changes and am looking into more.

I’ve just agreed to share a house with a friend. It will save both of us money. I never would have considered this a few years ago. I’m a very private person. I’ll admit, I have a few reservations but I’ll make it work one way or another. I want to save as much money as I can and I feel it’s a good move.

For those of you who read this regularly, you are probably aware that I was interested in buying land at the tax sale. That didn’t happen and my goals have been prolonged a little bit. I’ll get there, it’ll just take longer.

Hopefully by next spring I’ll have my land and will be ready to break ground. I’m going to work as much as I can physically handle until then and put myself on a budget to finally realize that dream.

I’ll be working in the metro Detroit area but have visions of a little plot of land in a rural area further south in Michigan.

While I’ve loved to travel, those days are over. My first contract I made over $40/hr. That was three years ago and now I think I can do better as staff and/or agency in the area instead of taking contracts. Hourly wages for travel nurses have spiraled downward to the point that staff nurses make more. I’ve never thought of nursing as a business or at least I didn’t until I started traveling. It’s another issue that has given me an attitude adjustment.

If you happen to see a nurse in your HR department soon, it just may be me!

And that, my readers, is as far as I’ve gotten. It may not seem like much but the whole change in direction is about face or at least feels that way on this end.

I once was impressed with McMansions, Beamers, Coach purses and Rodeo Drive. Fortunately for me I’ve seen the light and am more interested now in assets. Not the kind you carry mortgages or a note for but the kind that you own outright.

I thought I would share what I found.

Title Check is the firm that is handling  most of the county treasurer tax sales for Michigan. They also have listings on eBay.

When you search, use “Michigan tax reversions”, “Michigan tax sale” as some of your search terms. You’ll have do dig a little but there are a few counties in Michigan that hold their own tax sales. Lenawee is one of them and I’ve searched the internet for those sales. Since I don’t find listings, I can assume the only way to find those is by making a phone call to the treasurer.

By law, parcels that aren’t sold will have a final auction in November.  Looks like it’s time to save some money, huh?

The Archtectural Salvage Warehouse in Detroit is a nonprofit providing mantels, trim, lumber and other finds. They dismantle houses for resale materials. They currently have no website but you can find them at:

Architectural Salvage Warehouse

For more information: Call 313-515-0399 or e-mail Carolyn Mosher at cmosheraswd@aol.com. The warehouse, 4884 Fifteenth St. in Detroit, is open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Thu.-Sun.

An Old to New Design Guide for you.

I keep going back to this plan. It’s from Country Plans and is an owner built variation of the Victoria Plans.

What’s so amazing about John Raabe’s plans is that they are customizable. Look at this Universal 2 story Cottage. I’m thinking I could change the outside of it to resemble the above plans.

It’s important to have a main level master suite. It doesn’t have to be large but it does have to be functional. I also like the stairway in the 2 story cottage.

Decisions, decisions!

I was wondering earlier how I could maintain my femininity while considering building my own home. Researching Simpson Strongties is definitely a masculine activity. I wondered how I would keep my femininity intact but quickly my thoughts gravitated to safety issues. Maybe it’s because I’m an emergency room nurse and I’ve seen my share of construction accidents, I’m not sure but I think it’s high time I addressed this. Consider these facts: We have less muscle mass than men. Construction is a very strenuous activity. We might have to gear up for this by eating right combined with strenth and endurance training.

Some of us are less mechanically inclined. What would be second nature to some might requre extra attention for others. Lack of knowledge alone brings with it safety issues.

There will be times when we’re alone on the job site and construction requires a healthy respect of consequences of making the wrong move.

While we may not have the physical strength of men, there are things we can do to equal the playing field so to speak.

One study by NIOSH found these differences between the male and female body with respect to construction:

“Handle size and tool weight are designed to accommodate the size and strength of men, yet the average hand length of women is 0.8 inches shorter than the average man’s. Their grip strength averages two-thirds the power of a man’s grip.20 The grips of tools are typically too thick. Tools like pliers require a wide grasp which puts inappropriate pressure on the palm, leading to the loss of functional efficiency. In addition, women do not receive training on how best to use tools and equipment designed for men.

Similarly the epidemiological studies, which provided the strongest basis for the NIOSH guidelines on lifting, were predominantly based on male workers.21 22 There is a critical need to increase our knowledge of the “safe limits” for women for lifting and other motions, such as forward flexion of the trunk (bending over). This information would be useful for preventing low back disorders among women working in construction. Back disorders, the most commonly compensated injury in the workplace, are particularly problematic in construction.23

Women’s size and body build require reconsideration of techniques for lifting and material handling. Not only do women come in all sizes and with varying degrees of muscular strength, their pelvic structure is different and their center of gravity is lower than men’s. This would impact jobs that require standing at a work station. Lower equipment handles would facilitate the use of body weight in pushing and pulling tasks. Women’s muscular strength is more equal to men’s in their legs. Women would be on more equal footing with men if the work load could be transferred downward, with less reliance on the strength of hands and arms.

Since, on average, women tend to have less upper body strength than do men, they cannot use all of the techniques men use for lifting and material handling. Out of necessity, tradeswomen have to develop ways that make the job possible and safer for a woman. For example, a plumber from the first NIOSH study stated:

You learn what not to do…. I have a body, I can use it from here [top of head] down to my feet. I don’t have to use my upper body. They [male workers] have upper body strength where we have it [strength] from here [top of head] to our toes. The guys will … grunt and groan and struggle … and I’ll sit down, put my feet on one side [of the wrench], and pull on the other…. That’s what I consider using my brain instead of my brawn.”

Hopefully men won’t take offense to that statement but if you have, remember it’s not my quote! On second thought it may require that we use our brains as well as our bodies to build. We’re use to using all the resources available to us, why would building be any different?

Safety Tips:

Wear protective equipment: Steel toe boots, workgloves, a balanced tool belt, properly fitting clothes with sleeves and pant legs that fit close to the body, a hard hat, safety goggles, ear plugs.

The vibration in power tools can turn your hands numb. Wear gloves especially for this purpose.

Don’t work until you’re too tired. Be mindful of your energy level. More accidents happen when you’re overly tired.

Eat regularly. Drink enough fluids.

Falls and electrical fatalities are two of the most common accidents. Read up on safety issues. Double check your ladders and scaffolding. Tie off the tops and make sure they are on level ground. Make sure the power is off before working on electrical issues.

Don’t stand or walk across asphalt shingles. They are slippery on a roof.

Keep your area clean and free of debris. Watch where you’re walking. Build stairs as soon as you can.

Keep your cell phone handy if you’re working alone. Have someone call to check on you through the day.

Review the safe use of hand tools

Gear Made for Women

Shoes:

Timberland

Wolverine Worldwide

Gloves:

Florian

The Construction Store

Build to surpass codes, not meet them:

Framing

Framing connectors from roof to basement. During a tornado, iIt may save your life or give you extra time to take cover. Link to Simpson Strongtie Wind Resistance.

Air and water barriers installed correctly.

The best lumber you can afford.

Plumbing

No hub cast iron drain lines that run down walls and across ceilings. They are quieter. Plumbing vent pipes can be plastic and won’t be noisy because they don’t handle water.
Type L copper 1″ water lines from the road to the house (or from the well), 3/4 inch pipe to all fixture groups, a 1/2″ line should never feed more than one fixture.
Install valves in the plumbing so parts of the house will have water while you work on other parts.
Buy the best tub and shower valves.

Basements

Make sure to do actual basement waterproofing, not merely asphalt which is damp proof.
Extra height walls for a taller basement.9′8″ walls allow for full height basements. Should be 10″ thick with vertical steel every three foot.
12″ high I-beams can often span 16 to 20 feet without support.
Treat the soil beneath slabs for termites.

Floors

2×12 floor joists, engineered floor systems to make sure floors aren’t bouncy. Go up one size past the codes. Use wide floor joists!

Roofs

Use algae resistant shingles.
40lb tin instead of 20lb for flashings.
Ice Dam shield on roofs.

Electrical

A 40 circuit electrical panel, run Cat-5 cable and run a separate telephone line for each location, not just one telephone line.
Install empty conduits to remote locations such as the attic and garage.
Don’t loop wire from room to room.

Gas Lines

Gas lines for what you need now but lines with nipples and caps for runs later to a fireplace or grill.

Windows
Energy efficient windows. Most of your heat losses are from openings in the building enclosure.

General Notes:

Each room needs a return air duct except kitchens and baths.

Caulk under bedroom wall plates for soundproofing.

There are a few materials you can skimp on and upgrade later.

Interior doors, faucets, toilets, fencing, landscaping, lighting in non-public rooms,

Information condensed from Ask the builder at http://www.askthebuilder.com/index.shtml

This is a link to a description on using a spreadsheet for a materials list when estimating lumber costs.

It’s from the Gormley’s owner-builder adventure and the description of the method is helpful.

While you are there, check out “Building a Dream”. I would save it to your computer if I were you.

I knew I would be in for an interesting day and I wasn’t disappointed in that respect. I didn’t buy land but the experience was valuable in itself.

The sale was attended by approximately 90 people, many who were repeat attendees. Evidently the secret is out about the 1999 tax changes! Poor, well-to-do, young and old were there to make it interesting.

One young couple left in tears after buying their first piece of real estate. Over four acres with a mobile home for $20k and they were elated. The land is beautiful and I was happy for them as well.

Another couple bought land across the street from their lakefront property to house their toys and still others bought for investment purposes.

The auction itself was run by the county treasurer with us verbalizing our bids. For those of us at the back of the room, it was difficult to hear at times but it didn’t seem to slow things down.

The land I was interested in went for $3800 for 1/4 acre. I like the general area but there were some issues with it. It was on a very steep slope and questionable whether it was buildable. I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get something but my expectations were low and I really wanted to know how the auctions worked. I feel like a pro already!

I’ve written before that you will get a quit claim deed in approximately 30 days from the treasurer. It’s questionable whether you can get title to it but there are a few websites that promise you can.

You have to decide which piece of land you are really interested in. They won’t come back to them and you only have one chance to bid.

The sheriff and a few deputy’s were there to provide security. You can only pay in cash or cashier’s check and security wasn’t something I considered. Also, they were worried about previous owners coming in…interesting because I hadn’t thought of that either.

You register and they give you a placard with your number on it but in this sale, there wasn’t an auctioneer so you called out your bids. The treasurer kept things on track.

The first 45 minutes were spent with him reviewing the rules. The whole auction lasted only a few hours. Evidently you could preview the properties before the auction but I hadn’t found that info previously. I researched on the web and viewed the property I was interested in the night before.

I thought I wouldn’t go over half the SEV value when in actuality, most went for just over the SEV.

He gave you more info on each property before you bid. It was helpful. Pictures and the descriptions were posted along with a very large map of the properties laid over the county map.

If you have any questions, let me know. I couldn’t find info on the internet about tax sale procedures when I thought about going. My experience would help with your expectations.