• IninewCrow@lemmy.ca
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    1 year ago

    That I had to do everything for myself, all the time, in every way.

    I’m indigenous Canadian and my parents basically grew up on their own in the wilderness. They basically just let is do anything and everything for ourselves on our own all the time.

    I worked all the time as a kid … at first because I had to but eventually because I wanted to because my parents were like that. I followed by example.

    I remember at one point as a teen taking part in project after project trying to get people to help, to take part, to share or to even just join me and make the work easier. It was always a pain to get help.

    I remember arriving at a breaking point and I just started ignoring people and did enormous projects on my own. Often people would just see me struggle and help but more often than not they wouldn’t.

    I’ve worked on my own ever since in building and construction … I got it to the point where I could literally build my own house from the ground up.

      • UsernameLost@lemmy.ml
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        1 year ago

        Possible to do solo with the right tools/enough muscle and stubbornness, much easier with 2 people

      • IninewCrow@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        You don’t need tons of concrete to build a foundation. It’s better but not necessary. I built three foundations on my own so far with a concrete footer and pressure treated crawl space. Mixing, hauling, pouring and setting small batches of concrete on your own is possible.

        A good and experienced builder can install drywall on their own. I’m not the best but I just finished drywalling my small porch on my own … ceiling and walls. It’s doable, not easy, not fun but it’s possible.

        It is better with two or more people to do these things but with modern building techniques, equipment and a bit of knowledge, just about every step is doable with one person.

        It’s not ideal, it is dangerous but building an entire house is doable by one person. It’s also better based on age. In my 20s I had a hard time because I had the strength but not the experience. In my 30s I thought nothing of it all and did my best work … now in my late 40s I’m struggling to do all these things now and seldom do anything on my own any more.

      • Cryophilia@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Except in order to be legal you need a licensed person to do much of the work. Licensed electrician to do electrical, licensed plumber to do plumbing, etc.