Im planning ahead here. I am going to need some scion for a few fruit trees. Mainly pear. IT is a seedling pear that I want to top work a bit. Im not particular about varieties, only that they are dessert types. Im looking to get then sometimes next january or february. I am also looking for apricot, plum (asian and european), peach ( preferably reliance, I am in zone 4, and peaches are very unreliable here), apple (dessert, rather then cooking), almond (flowering and sweet/fruiting), and cherry (hardy sweet types, or the higher bix rated "tart" types other then evans bali. The only other thing, is that I am in canada. Thanks again

Preparation is key. A good solid base with sand for sure. Maybe even dig deeper and put crush down then sand and a thick slab. Like I say, I am by no means a conrete expert, but preparation on any project is paramount. Will it crack? Eventually, yes. When? Who knows. Could be years. It is concrete and that is what concrete does over time. Sorry I couldn't help more. Les

Did you end up trying Lapitec for your BBQ island? If so, how has it held up? We are also considering Lapitec for our countertops and concerned about chipping and cracking. This test by Consumer Reports (see video) produced edge-to-edge cracking in Dekton, another sintered stone product with a different formulation: https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/06/dekton-countertop-cracks-in-consumer-reports-tests/index.htm

Welcome neighbor! The closest comparison I have is when my parents built their home in Mason County MI 15 years ago. The house is 2400 sq ft 3 bedroom 3.5 bath with walk out basement. Mid level finishes, Amish built cabinets, 1.5 story vaulted living room and family room, plus all of the woodwork was sources off the property and milled by them. They hired out the foundation, most of the framing, plumbing, mechanical, roofing and windows, but did the basement framing, decks, siding, electrical, painting, decks, and interior finishes themselves. I believe the house cost them roughly $250k and they financed the construction. Permits will likely not be a problem or all that expensive out there. For my parents no one even came to do an inspection. Costs have gone up since then of course, but as bry911 noted, I doubt the material costs alone will break or approach 100k if you are smart with your sourcing of finishes. With such a compact house though, do be sure to draw in all of your plumbing fixtures, cabinets, closet systems, and furniture before finalizing your plan and starting construction. You want to make sure that every space is being used well and will work the way you want it to. Some things to watch out that I am seeing: 1. Master closet appears to be 5'x5'. This isn't wide enough to hang clothes on both sides and if cannot make it bigger a long reach in closet would likely be more efficient. Note that in small houses cabinet wardrobes are more efficent for storage, but cost more money. 2. Master bedroom appears to be 10'x14'. At 10' wide it will be too narrow to put anything like a dresser across from the bed. You need at leas 11' to fit both. Also watch your window placement because it seems to be making it hard to place a bed. 3. Second bathroom appears to be roughly 5'x6'10. This is just large enough to squeeze in a small shower, but the second door makes this impossible. I would delete the door to the gust bath and move the guest bedroom door around next to the bathroom to give both the bathroom and your living room better functioning. 4. Guest bedroom appears to be 8'x8' and as designed can only barely fit a full sized bed with one side pushed up against the front wall of the house. You will also get a small dresser, but that's about it. I would consider shrinking your office a little and growing the guest bedroom, if you can make the geometries work. If necessary, I would not hesitate to add 4' to the width of your house to make everything function better. It's going to have very little impact on the cost of your house for the amount of function you will achieve in exchange.