|
clee03m
Jun 3, 2010, 7:01 PM
Post #1 of 17
(4439 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 29, 2004
Posts: 785
|
Hi,
I am looking to build a home gym in a large masterbedroom size room in my house. I would like a small bouldering cave, a systems board, and a crack machine. Being that I am not handy, I will be hiring someone to build this gym.
I was wondering how much do yo think I will be looking at for cost? I think I have an idea about how much materials would cost (but feel free to let me know your opinion), but how much do you think is a reasonable amount for labor?
Thanks,
Christine
|
|
|
|
|
gblauer
Moderator
Jun 3, 2010, 7:10 PM
Post #2 of 17
(4434 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 4, 2002
Posts: 2824
|
FInd a climber in your local gym. Offer $30 and hour to build your wall (and all the beer they can drink). My guess is it will take 24 hours of labor (if you do the painting and set the routes). This is to help design, pick up materials, build the framing, put the t-nuts into the plywood, mount the plywood to the framing.
|
|
|
|
|
gmggg
Jun 3, 2010, 8:10 PM
Post #3 of 17
(4389 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 25, 2009
Posts: 2099
|
You could save some labor time by buying pre-tnutted and pre-painted panels. Their are several good companies out there. You could get something already framed for more money, or just plain panels that your hired hand could frame up themselves.
|
|
|
|
|
summerprophet
Jun 4, 2010, 6:12 AM
Post #4 of 17
(4303 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 17, 2004
Posts: 764
|
Christine,
Assuming 8' tall walls you are looking at starting around $16-20 per linear foot for materials alone. The more complex, the more additional cost.
If there are local gyms in your area, ask around there for recomendations, you are looking for a designer and a contractor.
Designers, may have some construction knowledge, but likely know nothing about building codes, while contractors likely know nothing about building a wall.
Labor costs vary greatly by area, and a project like this is really unusual in the construction world. If you can get OK plans, quotes are free.
If I were just going to toss out guess, I would gues a 16' x 16' room, 8' walls and a well designed, but not overly complicated wall / cave.
Assuming not having to relocate electrical / lighting or plumbing, I would say $4000, with a quarter of that in material.
You might have OK luck asking folks on here to design your wall, maybe offer up a prize of some sort. Make sue to provide accurate dimensions, and locations of all outlets, lights, doors, windows, vents, etcetera.
Toss me a PM if you want more advice.
|
|
|
|
|
edge
Jun 4, 2010, 12:01 PM
Post #5 of 17
(4250 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 14, 2003
Posts: 9120
|
I don't know what labor in the left coast costs, but I would skip the crack machine outright.
They never, ever will replace experience on real cracks, and are a PITA to build/climb/get motivated for.
|
|
|
|
|
granite_grrl
Jun 4, 2010, 12:46 PM
Post #7 of 17
(4217 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 25, 2002
Posts: 15084
|
angry wrote: gblauer wrote: FInd a climber in your local gym. Offer $30 and hour to build your wall (and all the beer they can drink). My guess is it will take 24 hours of labor (if you do the painting and set the routes). This is to help design, pick up materials, build the framing, put the t-nuts into the plywood, mount the plywood to the framing. I don't know why this got one star. If I were in the area I'd do it. The only critical part is to find someone who can do it, not just some climber who thinks he can do it. I bet you'd have some decent luck asking around Mountain Project for this exact person in your area.
The thing is even if someone can build the home wall and they climb themselves it doesn't mean the results will be any good. You look at all these home wall that people post up with useless vertical sections and poor transition areas.
Frankly, if this is the OPs first wall I could just build a simple 30 to 45 degree wall and add on to it at a later date when they have a better idea what they want (volumes, roof sections, etc). Depending on the area they're building it in they can attach it to something like exposed floor joists or use a free standing A-frame.
|
|
|
|
|
granite_grrl
Jun 4, 2010, 12:51 PM
Post #8 of 17
(4214 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 25, 2002
Posts: 15084
|
gblauer wrote: FInd a climber in your local gym. Offer $30 and hour to build your wall (and all the beer they can drink). My guess is it will take 24 hours of labor (if you do the painting and set the routes). This is to help design, pick up materials, build the framing, put the t-nuts into the plywood, mount the plywood to the framing.
http://ic2.pbase.com/...2734668.SvvTahN9.jpg
|
|
|
|
|
clee03m
Jun 4, 2010, 3:46 PM
Post #9 of 17
(4174 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 29, 2004
Posts: 785
|
edge wrote: I don't know what labor in the left coast costs, but I would skip the crack machine outright. They never, ever will replace experience on real cracks, and are a PITA to build/climb/get motivated for.
Are you speaking from personal experience? I always thought it was a shame that I get out of crack climbing shape during the winter. Wouldn't a crack machine to a crack climbing be kind of like over hanging artifical wall is to a sport climbing?
|
|
|
|
|
lena_chita
Moderator
Jun 4, 2010, 3:48 PM
Post #10 of 17
(4173 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 27, 2006
Posts: 6087
|
granite_grrl wrote: angry wrote: gblauer wrote: FInd a climber in your local gym. Offer $30 and hour to build your wall (and all the beer they can drink). My guess is it will take 24 hours of labor (if you do the painting and set the routes). This is to help design, pick up materials, build the framing, put the t-nuts into the plywood, mount the plywood to the framing. I don't know why this got one star. If I were in the area I'd do it. The only critical part is to find someone who can do it, not just some climber who thinks he can do it. I bet you'd have some decent luck asking around Mountain Project for this exact person in your area. Someone who is a carpenter who also climbs? Nathan has made us a kick ass wall, being such a person. The thing is even if someone can build the home wall and they climb themselves it doesn't mean the results will be any good. You look at all these home wall that people post up with useless vertical sections and poor transition areas.
Yeah, but people build these with different ideas in mind. The OP has a baby, many people who build these home walls have kids and put in those useless vertical sections so their kids could have fun, too.
I agree though, this is not just about finding someone who has carpentry skills and can build the wall. Ideally it should be someone who understands the purpose and can do the design of the wall, too.
To the OP: Chris, I think how much you pay depends on what you are expecting the person to do. If you get plans for your wall online (I believe there are some plans out there already), modify the design to fit your place, buy all materials, and just have someone cut and install it, exactly according to the plans you put in front of them, that any competent carpenter would do fine, doesn't have to be a climber or anything like that, and I would pay an average per-hour wage in your area. You can call several carpenters/handimen from the yellow book and find what their hourly rates are. Around here it's ~$25-30.
If you need someone who would do the design as well as instalation, that requires more knowledge, and I would pay more...
|
|
|
|
|
granite_grrl
Jun 4, 2010, 4:48 PM
Post #11 of 17
(4142 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 25, 2002
Posts: 15084
|
lena_chita wrote: granite_grrl wrote: angry wrote: gblauer wrote: FInd a climber in your local gym. Offer $30 and hour to build your wall (and all the beer they can drink). My guess is it will take 24 hours of labor (if you do the painting and set the routes). This is to help design, pick up materials, build the framing, put the t-nuts into the plywood, mount the plywood to the framing. I don't know why this got one star. If I were in the area I'd do it. The only critical part is to find someone who can do it, not just some climber who thinks he can do it. I bet you'd have some decent luck asking around Mountain Project for this exact person in your area. Someone who is a carpenter who also climbs? Nathan has made us a kick ass wall, being such a person. The thing is even if someone can build the home wall and they climb themselves it doesn't mean the results will be any good. You look at all these home wall that people post up with useless vertical sections and poor transition areas. Yeah, but people build these with different ideas in mind. The OP has a baby, many people who build these home walls have kids and put in those useless vertical sections so their kids could have fun, too. I agree though, this is not just about finding someone who has carpentry skills and can build the wall. Ideally it should be someone who understands the purpose and can do the design of the wall, too.
Since I don't have a kid I would ask other parents who have taken their kids into the bouldering cave, and what walls they have the most fun on (beyond just that the walls that have holds that are actually close enough for them to reach)
|
|
|
|
|
whipper
Jun 4, 2010, 5:45 PM
Post #12 of 17
(4118 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 21, 2002
Posts: 241
|
If you want to PM me, I live in Bend, have a lot of free time, and build climbing walls for a living, I would be happy to talk to you about it, maybe even come up and build it for you.
|
|
|
|
|
ClimbClimb
Jun 5, 2010, 3:46 AM
Post #13 of 17
(4058 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 5, 2009
Posts: 389
|
See, it's not just labor you have to pay for, it's also the gestation. Which is like 9 months if you want a full-term baby. So most surrogates get 5 to 6 figures, at least, and sometimes more. And if you do this through marriage or other non-surrogate arrangement, easily 1/2 to 2/3rds of your net worth and future income. Just saying... I think given that you've done this recenlty, you realize that it is worth MUCH more than that.
|
|
|
|
|
clee03m
Jun 5, 2010, 1:24 PM
Post #14 of 17
(4013 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 29, 2004
Posts: 785
|
ClimbClimb wrote: See, it's not just labor you have to pay for, it's also the gestation. Which is like 9 months if you want a full-term baby. So most surrogates get 5 to 6 figures, at least, and sometimes more. And if you do this through marriage or other non-surrogate arrangement, easily 1/2 to 2/3rds of your net worth and future income. Just saying... I think given that you've done this recenlty, you realize that it is worth MUCH more than that.
Ooookay...
Actually, paying surrogates money is illegal in the state of Washington. And we are a commonwealth state so your spouse is entitled to half your wealth accumulated after getting married. Just FYI.
|
|
|
|
|
edge
Jun 5, 2010, 2:35 PM
Post #15 of 17
(3992 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 14, 2003
Posts: 9120
|
clee03m wrote: edge wrote: I don't know what labor in the left coast costs, but I would skip the crack machine outright. They never, ever will replace experience on real cracks, and are a PITA to build/climb/get motivated for. Are you speaking from personal experience? I always thought it was a shame that I get out of crack climbing shape during the winter. Wouldn't a crack machine to a crack climbing be kind of like over hanging artifical wall is to a sport climbing?
Yes, I speak from experience. I had a 16 foot crack simulator across the roof of my parents garage. It hurt like hell to use and didn't help my crack climbing in any way.
Basically, it taught me to deal with pain. A useful lesson in itself, but it never, ever helped my climbing. For what it's worth, I have built probably 80+ feet of fingercracks for a local gym; no one ever uses them...
Pulling on plastic holds works as training because you are using muscles. Crack machines are just painful ways of accomplishing the same thing.
|
|
|
|
|
Bats
Jun 5, 2010, 3:09 PM
Post #16 of 17
(3978 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 27, 2007
Posts: 486
|
BEER!!! Its amazing on how much stuff people will do for it.
|
|
|
|
|
ClimbClimb
Jun 6, 2010, 3:55 PM
Post #17 of 17
(3916 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 5, 2009
Posts: 389
|
edge wrote: I had a 16 foot crack simulator across the roof of my parents garage. It hurt like hell to use and didn't help my crack climbing in any way. Basically, it taught me to deal with pain. A useful lesson in itself, but it never, ever helped my climbing.
I'm so glad to hear you say that, I thought it was just me! (from the few times I've tried these at the gym).
Sounds like one can just get a vise and a hammer, and practice interrogation-resistance while seated comfortable at the kitchen table. ;-)
(This post was edited by ClimbClimb on Jun 6, 2010, 8:01 PM)
|
|
|
|
|
|
