Wasilla-the lowdown (jobs, moving, service)

[Marty Van Diest]

Originally Posted by Barkingowl

So does that mean that over time houses tend to shift on their foundations?

Huh?

Most of the Mat-Su Valley is gravel, or sometimes people call it river rock. It has 1-2 feet of topsoil over the gravel. This gravel is an excellent base for building. It is very stable and well-drained. Houses do not tend to shift on their foundations when built on gravel.

In Anchorage where there is very little gravel, houses can shift if there is a big earthquake as 1964 proved. Most of the gravel in Anchorage is hauled from the valley by train. Loads and loads of gravel leave the Ma-Su every day for Anchorage by train.

In Fairbanks, where some houses are built on permafrost, foundations can also be tricky. But in the valley, just find a gravel base and pour your foundation and you are good.

There are a few places in the valley where the topsoil is so deep that you can't get down to gravel. Those are harder to build on. But in general, most of the building sites have good gravel on the site. You don't have to haul it in. You just dig down to the gravel and pour the foundation.

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by Barkingowl

So does that mean that over time houses tend to shift on their foundations?

Yes. My home was built in 2003 and has settled slightly, forming a 1" crack in the drywall between the ceiling and the wall about 6 feet long. I expect any new home to settle a bit, and mine did just that. It isn't very serious, as long as it doesn't continue to shift. A little drywall tape and some paint will take care of the problem.

I only have an inch or two of top soil in my area. Followed by silt and gravel for about 2 feet, then clay. Drainage was also a problem when I first moved in. However, I sunk a couple dry wells in strategic locations away from the home and put in some french drains and now I no longer have standing water for days at a time. I currently do not have a lawn, and I like not having to mow every week in the summer. If I wanted a lawn I would have to haul in several cubic yards of top soil first.

[Classic Satch]

Wow, thanks for all of the info folks. We find it to be very informative. I will make sure to closely inspect any house before we make a purchase. At this point, we are most likely going to rent for at least 6 months to ensure we don't make any rash decisions and, hopefully, for interest rates to drop even further.

[warptman]

Glitch, you need to move your couch away from where the drywall cracked. It must be from where you sit and watch tv.

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by warptman

Glitch, you need to move your couch away from where the drywall cracked. It must be from where you sit and watch tv.

You are probably right. I'll cut back on the six-layer bean dip after the Super Bowl.

[Marty Van Diest]

A one inch gap is quite a gap...lots of times cracks are caused by truss lift if it's between the ceiling and the wall. Truss lift is caused by the trusses contracting because of the cold and lifting up from the walls taking the sheetrock with it.

But one inch is quite a bit. If it's in the center of the house you might have some settling under the center footer or pad depending on how your house is built.

[Classic Satch]

How widespread is GCI's coverage in the area? I will not EVER go back to dial-up again and I don't think too much of DSL.

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by Marty Van Diest

A one inch gap is quite a gap...lots of times cracks are caused by truss lift if it's between the ceiling and the wall. Truss lift is caused by the trusses contracting because of the cold and lifting up from the walls taking the sheetrock with it.

But one inch is quite a bit. If it's in the center of the house you might have some settling under the center footer or pad depending on how your house is built.

It is in the center of the house, and is most likely caused by truss lift, as you say. The crack first formed during the first winter, and got worse the second winter, but didn't change last winter or this winter (so far). So it would appear that the "settling" has finished. I still have a 1" gap between the wall and the ceiling that runs about 6 feet where the dry-wall separated, but I don't consider it a serious problem.

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by Classic Satch

How widespread is GCI's coverage in the area? I will not EVER go back to dial-up again and I don't think too much of DSL.

Interesting, because I would never use cable. With a cable connection you have to share it with two or three other homes (unless you are the only one in your neighborhood using cable). If you live in an apartment complex then you are truly screwed using cable because everyone in the building shares the same connection. I don't like the idea of paying the full amount for a service that I am forced to share with others. If I'm going to pay the full amount for a service, then I expect exclusive use of that service.

I don't know how wide-spread GCI's coverage in the Mat-Su Valley may be, I don't use any of their services. I get my phone and DSL connection through MTA. Up until August 2006 I used to get Dish Network, but their service was so bad I canceled it and now watch DVDs exclusively.

[Classic Satch]

Originally Posted by Glitch

Interesting, because I would never use cable. With a cable connection you have to share it with two or three other homes (unless you are the only one in your neighborhood using cable). If you live in an apartment complex then you are truly screwed using cable because everyone in the building shares the same connection. I don't like the idea of paying the full amount for a service that I am forced to share with others. If I'm going to pay the full amount for a service, then I expect exclusive use of that service.

I don't know how wide-spread GCI's coverage in the Mat-Su Valley may be, I don't use any of their services. I get my phone and DSL connection through MTA. Up until August 2006 I used to get Dish Network, but their service was so bad I canceled it and now watch DVDs exclusively.

I work for Comcast here in California and know this stuff inside-out. While it is technically true that a connection is shared over cable, the impact is usually minimal, even in an area of high population density like where I live. In Wasilla, I doubt there would be even the absolute slightest bit of an issue. It's my job to know these things and I wouldn't steer you wrong Glitch.

I just ran a speed test of my connection and there isn't a DSL service in the country that can come close to my speed. And this is with a supposedly 8Mb/s connection. GCI offers a 10Mb/s option. Methinks that you got some bad info about cable, at least from an Internet perspective.



Regarding TV, I'm a die-hard Steelers fan and will not miss a game..period. I've heard of a place called Tailgaters Sports Bar & Grill, anyone know about it? Otherwise, I'll have to go with DirecTV because of the NFL Sunday Ticket.