Q and A.doc

Q&A

1. Has a hazardous material survey been performed for any of these buildings? If so, please provide those results. If not, will the contractor be responsible for providing a hazardous material survey?

a. A hazardous material survey has not been completed. It will be the contractor’s responsibility.

2. If a contractor finds hazardous material on site while performing this task order that was not identified in the bid documents, will the government consider this a differing site condition and handle it in accordance with FAR clause 52.236-2? Please confirm.

a. If hazardous material not already mentioned in the contract is discovered this would be considered differing site conditions and the contract would be modified to deal with its removal.

3. The specifications call for a “Model FX-60/18/AL” and FS/DW-30/18/TB Fire ring. The plans call out Model FS-30/1B/PA. The manufacturer doesn’t have a “Model FX-60/18/AL” fire ring. Please clarify which fire ring the contractor should include in their bid.

a. The correct model is FS-30/18/PA/H/S. It is a FS-30/18 with Pin Anchors, a welded-on heat shield, and a bolt on shelf.

4. Plan sheet C-02 note 8 calls for ~80’ of fence repair. Should the contractor bid to replace sections of the existing fence or to make repairs using the existing fence material?

a. The repairs will replace the existing material with gov furnished materials.

5. Where do the current propane lines from the propane tank enter the rental cabin and house?

a. The propane riser is visible in the photos. It enters the house near the north-east corner of the kitchen. It enters the rental cabin on the west side of the kitchen.

6. Plan sheet C-04 Note 11 calls for installation of 2” wide wood flooring in new hallway to match flooring in kitchen/living area and repair/replace and refinish wood flooring in the kitchen/living area. The note then states the Forest Service will provide roughly 200 SF of new wood flooring. Should the contractor assume all wood flooring material will be provided by the government?

a. It is assumed that the 200sf of flooring will be sufficient to cover repairs. If more material is needed the contract will be modified for the contractor to purchase additional flooring from a commercial source.

7. Are new walls in the rental cabin and house to be framed using 2x6 or 2x4? If both, please identify which walls will be 2x4 and which walls will be 2x6.

a. All new walls shall match the existing walls. It is assumed that exterior walls shall be 2x6 framed and all interior walls shall be 2x4 framed.

8. In the specifications, SOW for the base bid room separation calls for insulation to be installed at easily accessible exterior walls with R-19 batt insulation. Please clarify the expectation here.

a. The north and east walls that will be exposed during the remodel of the bathroom shall receive insulation. The contractor does not need to remove siding or drywall just to install insulation.

9. R-19 only works in 2x6 walls and will lose R-Value when compressed into 2x4 walls. What R-value should the contractor install in 2x4 walls.

a. If the existing exterior walls are 2x4 then R15 batts shall be used

10. Plan sheet C-03 note 4 calls for repairing of gable vents. To what extent should the contractor bid to repair the gable vents?

a. Lead based paint will be abated, missing slats and damaged screens shall be replaced, and vents shall be repainted. See photos that will be attached.

11. Plan sheet C-05 note 1 calls for ~240 SF of sheet metal under siding at the gable ends. Is it the government’s expectation that the contractor will remove the siding, install the sheet metal, and reinstall the siding? If this is the expectation, this will be very time consuming and will most likely damage the majority of the siding that is removed. Is there a more cost effective way to install the sheet metal in these buildings that would be acceptable?

a. The expectation is that the stud bays will be protected. The contractor may choose to remove all of the siding to place the sheet metal from the outside, or they may trim the sheet metal to fit between the studs in areas that are accessible from the interior

12. Are the walls in the rental cabin and the house hung with gypsum board, textured, and finished? Or are these walls finished with lath and plaster?

a. There is a variety of wall types, some are particle board, some are gypsum board and some are wood paneling.

13. Are any of the walls in the rental cabin or house hung with plywood?

a. I do not believe so

14. Plan sheet C-06 calls for a new exterior wall to be framed where the existing living room and bedroom are currently. Please provide a wall type detail for the new exterior wall including thickness of wall, siding, insulation, and building wrap and interior finish material.

a. New exterior wall shall be 2x6 framing with ½” plywood, Tyvek wrap, D-log siding, R-19 insulation, interior shall be match the existing living room with vertical (tongue and groove?) wood planks

15. What gauge of sheet metal should the contractor bid to install in the gable ends of each building?

a. The sheet metal shall be a minimum of 20 gauge

16. What is the extent of maintenance required for the garage doors as noted on plan sheet C-10 note 7?

a. The doors are hung from a slider. The slider needs to be cleaned and regreased. This can likely be done without removing the doors.

17. Page 1 of the rental cabin photos calls for repainting of the white trim to match the interior brown trim in the rental cabin. How many lineal feet of trim should the contractor bid to paint?

a. No exact measurements were taken so you’ll have to estimate quantities from photos, plans and the site visit. Based on the photos there are vertical trim pieces every 4’ along the living room that will need painted.

18. Page 2 of the rental cabin photos calls for a new door in the kitchen. The plans don’t show a door at this location. Please advise.

a. This is mislabeled in the photos. The photo shows where the entrance to the hallway will be. The door will be on the exterior wall as shown on the plans.

19. Page 4 of the rental cabin photos calls for fixing of the floor near walls. From the photo, I’m unable to determine what needs to be fixed.

a. The floor will need sanding before it is refinished. If rot is detected the board will need to be replaced

20. How many locations in the rental cabin does the flooring need fixed near the walls?

a. Just the location shown in the photo

21. Page 9 of the rental cabin photos calls for relocation of an existing door where an electrical panel is currently mounted. Where are we to relocate this electrical panel?

a. The power panel can be moved 3-4’ west on the same north wall of the cabin.

22. There is currently a frost-free hydrant located where the new ramp will be. Should the hydrant be relocated? If so, where to?

a. The ramp is offset from the house so the hydrant can remain in place.

23. What does this electrical panel feed and where is the panel fed from?

a. It is fed from the garage and feeds the cabin and well.

24. Please provide a photo of the inside of the electrical panel.

a.

25. Page 13 of the rental cabin photos calls for patching of an existing hole. How large is the existing hole? Are the electrical flex conduit and junction box to remain?

a. The hole is approximately 1’x3’ and is located in the future hallway. The junction box will need to be relocated, The contractor will suggest a location to be approved by the COR.

26. Page 13 of the rental cabin photos also shows surface mounted conduit running up the wall through the ceiling. Where does this occur? Is this conduit to remain? Please advise.

a. The contractor will determine if the conduit is being used. If active it can be moved inside the hallway wall.

27. Page 14 of the rental cabin photos shows a small concrete pad in between the electrical panel and the existing door. Is this concrete pad to be demolished? Please advise.

a. This pad will be demolished to allow for the construction of the ramp and stairs.

28. Page 16 of the rental cabin photos call for removal of two existing roof penetrations. Are these vents to be rerouted or just abandoned in the attic space?

a. The vents have already been rerouted so just the pipe and flashing will need to be removed and the hole patched before during reroofing

29. Page 17 of the rental cabin photos calls for a vent to be moved to the gable end. This will leave a hole in the existing siding. Should the contractor bid to patch the hole? What is the vent currently connected to?

a. The hole shall be patched as part of the siding repairs. The vent is connected to the water heater.

30. How deep is the crawlspace in the rental cabin and house?

a. Crawlspace in the rental cabin averages about 2.5’. The house does not have a crawl space, just a basement that has 8’ ceilings.

31. When replacing the vinyl flooring in the rental cabin and house the base boards will need to be removed. Is the contractor to replace the base board in these areas or reuse the existing?

a. Existing baseboards may be reused If they are not damaged during removal.

32. Page 23 of the rental cabin photos shows an existing light over a mirror. Is the contractor to perform any work here?

a. This light will be relocated during the bathroom remodel. Electrician to suggest a location and COR to approve.

33. Page 24 of the rental cabin photos shows an empire comfort systems wall mounted thermostat. Where is this mounted? Is it to remain?

a. The thermostat is in the bathroom next to the utility closet and it shall remain.

34. Page 30 of the rental cabin photos shows a pulley system in the window and states all windows will require maintenance. To what extent maintenance will be required? The concern is finding parts for the pulley system and counterweights. If the existing parts can be salvaged, then there’s no issue. If not, there will be difficulty finding these broken parts since they are no longer manufactured. At this time, there is no way to tell which what and how much is needed for repairs. Please advise.

a. Window maintenance shall include removal of lead based paint, replacement of any cracked glazing, replacement of missing glazing compound, cleaning and lubrication of pulley system and repainting of the windows. Assume that the existing pulley system can be salvaged.

35. Page 32 of the rental cabin photos calls for repainting of the deck and bench. The bench is not mentioned in the plans, however. Please confirm the contractor will need to paint the bench.

a. Yes the bench shall also be painted to match the porch.

36. Page 4 of the house photos calls for the wood flooring underneath the vinyl flooring to be fixed. Please clarify what needs to be fixed and how much.

a. The condition under the vinyl is unknown. You can assume that the wood flooring will need to be sanded and sealed. Any additional repairs beyond that will be fixed with a change order

37. Page 12 of the house photos calls for the ceiling to be fixed. What fixes should be made?

a. Section of water damaged roofing shall be replacing and ceiling shall me textured and painted to match the existing.

38. How many lineal feet of trim needs to be repainted in the house?

a. This quantity was not measured and will have to be estimated from the plans and photos.

39. In the house there are walls with wood finish panels. Are we to paint those panels? Do they remain? Will any repairs need to be made to these panels?

a. Any holes in the panels shall be patched and the panels shall be painted white

40. Page 17 and 19 of the house photos calls for holes to be repaired but each photo only points to one area. Are there additional locations not shown in the photos or drawings where the contractor needs to repair the walls? Please clarify.

a. All holes shall be patched even if the arrow is not pointing to them directly, All known hole are shown in photos on pages 16,17, and 19.

41. Page 9 of the garage/warehouse/barn photos calls for replacement of chinking and daubing at the warehouse. Is the contractor to replace all the chinking and daubing? If not, please quantify the amount of chinking and daubing required. From the photos provided and the photos taken at the site visit from last year, it seems like a large percentage of the chinking and daubing needs replaced. Please quantify.

a. The contractor shall repair any deficiencies in the chinking and daubing. If the existing is in good condition it may remain. Quantities are not known and will have to be estimated from photos. Best to assume 100% replacement

42. Page 19 of the garage/warehouse/barn photos calls for installation of a gate. Please provide a basis of design for the gate. Will the gate be priced as part of the warehouse option? Or as part of option 5 site work?

a. The gate shall be part of the site work and shall be a “ CountyLine 4’ x50” Itlity Gate, green” or approved equal. This shall be part of option 5 site work b.

43. Is the contractor to dispose of the items leaning up against the warehouse? Or just organize the items?

a. Just organize them

44. Page 25 of the garage/warehouse/barn photos states the door is too thick for the slider. Should the contractor bid to replace the slider?

a. Gaps in the wooden door has expanded over time. The contractor shall determine a method to close the gaps so it fits in the slider.

45. Please provide a specification including desired profile dimensions (Length, Width and Height) of the D Log siding.

a. Dimensions of the D-log were not taken, contractor shall verify dimension of the existing D0logs prior to order siding.

46. Where is the existing propane line underground? How many ft of propane line should the contractor bid to remove?

a. Propane line extends from the tank to the house and a separate line to the rental cabin. Distance shall be estimated from the plans

47. Plan sheet C-02 note 6 calls for installation of a gate wheel at the existing entrance gate. Please provide a specification for this.

a. Gate wheel shall be a 8” Black Heavy Duty Spring Loaded Gate Caster with Adjustable Bracket and 200;bs. Load rating from Stark, or approved equal.

48. Aside from the buck and rail fence material, and wood flooring material, are there any other government furnished items?

a. D-log siding is also provided, see garage photos to estimate available quantity.

49. Regarding the doors in the rental cabin and house that are to have their swings changed and reinstalled, in my experience, typically the latch edge of the doors are beveled to clear the frame when closing. Are the doors beveled? That may affect the functionality of the door. The mortise at the hinges can be adjusted on the doors to flip the swing but will expose the original placement of the mortise when flipped around. As pertaining to the jamb, a left-hand inswing jamb has the hinge prep on the left inside of the stop. If rotated 180 degrees to allow the latch prep to be on the correct side for proper operation, it would put the hinge prep on the outside of the room, thus requiring the existing hinge prep to be infilled, sanded/finished, and requiring new hinge prep on the other side of the door stop. I would also like to point out that the door side of the stop is wider than the opposite side of the stop, creating a need to relocate the stop (if stop is not integral to the jamb) to allow the door to close flush. The work required to make the adjustments to the door and frame would cost more than to replace the entire assembly with the correct swing. Please advise.

a. Contractor may choose to replace the existing door in-kind.

50. Will there be some flexibility in the height and spacing of the metal roof panels?

a. The roof panel need to match the exiting panels to meet SHPO requirements so there will not be much flexibility in the roof panel sizes

51. Will roofing panels that are ½” in height with 2-2/3” spacing and 21-1/3” coverage be acceptable?

a. These panels would only be accepted if contractor can show panels with 29.3” coverage are not available.

52. Per plan sheet C-04 the contractor is to install new siding on the north side of the rental cabin. Is this siding in addition to the siding referenced on plan sheet C-03 note 1? Is the entire north side of the rental cabin to receive new siding? Please clarify.

a. The note on C-04 refers to the area where the door is currently. The new siding will cover the gap left when the door is moved

53. Is the existing heater in the rental cabin propane or electric?

a. The existing heater is propane

54. Will the contractor be allowed to stage campers and trailers on site for lodging and material storage?

a. Yes, the site will be closed to the public during construction so campers and trailers may be staged onsite

55. Please explain the determination of responsibility. The copy provided in the bid documents has a section that isn’t legible. Please clarify.

56. Would the USFS like a technical proposal to be written as if the base bid and all 5 options are awarded? Or as if just the base bid is awarded?

a. The technical proposal should be written as if the base and all options are to be awarded

57. If trenching is required in areas near existing trees, the trees could potentially die if their root systems are affected. Will the government assume responsibility in this instance?

a. Yes, but roots shall be avoided as much as possible

58. Is the contractor to remove and replace the sub-facia trim at the eave of the roof on either side of the rental cabin? Is this trim to be painted white?

a. Yes, the sub-facia trim shall be replaced and painted white

59. What are the dimensions of the trim around the windows and doors of each building?

a. Trim dimension will need to be estimated from the plans and photos

60. Is the contractor to include replacement of any sidewalk panels that lead to the driveway on the East side of the House?

a. Existing sidewalk on the east side of the house shall remain.

61. Will the contractor be required to pull permits for any phases of this project? No permits will need to be pulled for this project

62. Regarding to the potential asbestos in the wall paneling, is there a reason to believe that this material contains asbestos? Have other units tested positive for asbestos? No testing has been done, but asbestos is not expected in the wall paneling.