Cheverly Posted November 20, 2014 Author Share Posted November 20, 2014 Did you spill your coffee on your calculator? Mine says that 12"x24" (2 sq ft) @ $4 is $2/sq foot and 4'x2' ( 8 sq ft) @ $8 is $1/sq ft "Hi! My name is Cheverly. I'm a blonde with no penchant for math. I like coffee, long walks on the beach, and dollhouses...." 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marysuewashere Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 My sf550 is at my guy's house, 200 miles from mine. We have been working on it when I stay with him. AND IT IS CRACKING AND WARPING! He was on the edge of that big Buffalo snow and cold snap. I think the house was caught between heater vents and drafts. We moved it, took out the very bowed plywood base and replaced it with some serious solid hardwood. Then we took it apart and dry fitted it with bricks and ties to push it back into square. My heart is broken. It is going back. It is better now, a week after I arrived. I am lucky it happened before it was totally built. I had the option of teasing the glue apart without too much deconstruction. As I rebuild, I am going to seal every tiny bit, every side and edge. It was all the fault of the base plywood. The kit had come without any base pieces. I thought I could set it on a thick plywood and forget about it. Nope. Plywood is a tree peeled in a long spiral and teased into being flat. The layers don't agree on how to lie. The strongest ply will someday win against the others and curl back into a trunk shape. I really should have known better. I should have sealed the plywood oh so very thoroughly before leaving it for a month in cold western New York in the Fall. It will be ok. That is what I am telling myself over and over. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheverly Posted December 8, 2014 Author Share Posted December 8, 2014 I am so sorry to hear that, Mary Sue! But, it WILL be okay! You've headed it off at the pass, and like you said, correcting it now will go a long way towards having more serious issues in the future after the build is complete. Good luck!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniCrazy Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Cheverly what did you end up doing with this problem? I have the Dura Craft VH-600 that I have been working on for a couple years now. It has always been in the same room in the basement and today I was horrified to find the same issue happening with my baby. Splits in the siding under the windows and the tongue and groove separating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheverly Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 Oh no, Cheryl! I hate to hear that! But, I must say that there's no need for panic. Luckily for you, I've done enough of that for the both of us. What I did (err... am in the process of doing...) is get mat board from Hobby Lobby. They had some on clearance sold in packs of 12 x 12 and 11 x 17 that had been cut down after they framed pictures. Anyway, I cut one to size for each wall, and then used it as a pattern to cut the second one out. I'm gluing the two together with wood glue, and then using Quick Grip (or any similar non-water based glue) to adhere them to the wall. That will keep the siding from absorbing any moisture and possibly cracking/warping even further. Now, you may not have to use two pieces of mat board (or illustration board, either works), but I'm trying to thicken my walls up so I can route some wires for electricity and also to hide the corner posts on the interior. My house is huge so I've got a ways to go before it's done, but once the inside is padded, I'll go back over the outside with spackling compound to smooth out the cracks on the exterior. Then I can give a final touch-up of paint and it should be good as new. Let me know if you have any other questions. Good luck! Be sure to keep me posted on how the repair goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soapz Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Just in case anyone is interested: I bought luan 4x8 feet for $9.something at Home Depot - made them cut it in 4 parts for easy transport which left me with 4 boards of 2x4 feet each - good for large reinforcement panels and all kinds of stuff. It's either 3/16 or 1/8 - at that price I really didn't care. I'm planning on using some of it as a base for panel-walls and fireplace panels. It stains good with darker stains (b/c of the color it comes in) and takes poly rather well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniCrazy Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Thank you for replying. Unfortunately I have done very extensive tape wiring that I can't possibly redo so at this point I guess I will just press on and hope that like a real house it has settled as much as its going to. I would love to see some more pics of yours. I have just purchased that kit as well and will be starting it soon. Like you it is my dream house The one that is cracking is her sister the VH-600. I wonder if it would help to give the panels a little sip of oil before assembly and use oil base paint hmm might have to give it a try on this next one Anyway thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GirlPiper Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 How awful for all of you. If I could make another suggestion--how about reinforcing with lightweight canvas or heavy muslim and using ModPodge to seal the interior and then spackel or caulk for the exterior damage? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniCrazy Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Gloria thanks for the suggestion. My progress on this house is so slow I have plenty of time to mull over my choices. I'll keep you all posted on what I decide to do I just wish I knew how to prevent it before I start my next build that may end up in the same situation I think this is pretty new territory and only time will tell the tale of what will really work. Just makes me ill I love these Dura Craft houses but I don't want all of them to look like abandoned properties by the tome I'm done with them. Arghhh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marysuewashere Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Does anyone know if the cracking had anything to do with Dura-craft going out of business? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Hm-m-m? Good thought. These are all big builds, right? I have several DC Sweetheart's are all fine but they are also small kits so that could be a difference with less weight and strain on the build. The other thought is that the kit is old and perhaps wasn't stored properly by the previous owners. Thus the wood is older and dry so it isn't holding up as a new build that many years later. Some older GL kits that haven't been stored properly turn up dry and warped sometimes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheverly Posted January 22, 2015 Author Share Posted January 22, 2015 Does anyone know if the cracking had anything to do with Dura-craft going out of business? I could be wrong, but I think it was more to do with the quality of their later houses (although I'm sure cracking didn't help). They started going to MDF, which a lot of people didn't like, coupled with the times (early to mid 90s?) and maybe a downturn in interest in miniatures. Just guessing, here. But yes, Selkie, it is the much bigger houses that seem to have the problem which is suspect, although I don't know if that was an issue before they went out of business or it came about later. Cheryl, the one preventative thing the guy from Miniature Designs told me was when constructing, always use the non-water based glue to put the wall sidings together to form the panels. They won't warp the wood and cause tension. Making sure your base is level and all that isn't a bad idea either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suej Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Just in case anyone is interested: I bought luan 4x8 feet for $9.something at Home Depot - made them cut it in 4 parts for easy transport which left me with 4 boards of 2x4 feet each - good for large reinforcement panels and all kinds of stuff. It's either 3/16 or 1/8 - at that price I really didn't care. I'm planning on using some of it as a base for panel-walls and fireplace panels. It stains good with darker stains (b/c of the color it comes in) and takes poly rather well. Thanks to your post, I went by HD and bought this also! I had no idea that they carried 1/8. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniCrazy Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Thanks Cheverly I will keep that in mind for the next one and we'll see if it stays together. I love these houses and it is very disheartening but I will love them anyway even with their flaws. Best of luck with yours too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soapz Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Glad I could help, Sue! I didn't notice the Luan until recently. For the scratch builders (and others) they also sell a 4' x 8' sheet of cabinet grade plywood - a friend of mine cut one for me to build room boxes - it is 3/16 thick and really pretty... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaV Posted November 10, 2023 Share Posted November 10, 2023 I'm late to the party, but I'm keeping this on hand if it happens to me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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