Building A House/Doing It Yourself/ICFs

[44hill]

Yes, I have built my own ICF house this past year. I started from the ground up with no 'real' ICF or building experience. My biggest complaint was the amout of time it took to build. My help came from family and friends. We started 9/99 we moved in 7/00 and I am still finishing little things.

My opinion is that ICF is the ONLY way to go. The walls and the footing went up real quick and easy.

 

[Bird]

Oooh, that picture hurts! That would really upset me and start a battle./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Bird

 

[cowboydoc]

Dan,
What I meant by the integrity is that I have seen guys just slap those up and not get them right. Also I know that they are guaranteed but I just didn't buy the stuff not degrading at the time. BUT I'm an old tried and true and it's hard to sell me on new stuff when the old works so well. Always did things with forms and took the time to put them in right and sturdy. Just couldn't teach me a new trick on that one not to put in forms. Hey btw I did do a drive in basement and love it! I made the garage 40 x 30 so it's nice. I insulated it all and it stays 45 in there all winter even with the subzero temps we've been having. Walk right into the basement. My wife doesn't like it as well because she has to carry stuff up the stairs but I like it. I only spent a fraction of what you're talking about to do it myself.
Richard

 

[Thomas]

Dan, By no means are you insane.

The only things I sub out was concrete and septic work.

You be very surprise how capable your are and the knowledge you shall gain.

Buy a darn good camera and start a photo book.

A builder give me a little advice once,its not the material so much that cost when having a house built,its the labor that cost to build the house.

Good luck.

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[TWINKLE_TOES]

Dan,

<font color=blue>Mr Twinkle_TOES,</font color=blue>

First time I've been called that, has a nice ring! Al works too.

I started with the cash from sale of another house, bought 5 acres a trailer house to live in and a bred heifer, and started pounding nails. My eyes were bigger than my pocket book and started building from paycheck to paycheck. When the house was water tight I was able to get home improvement loans. Mortage rates at that time were running from 9% to 11 %, same for home improvement. I was not able to compromise on how I wanted things, so not being able to afford them it took a lot of time. A good example was interior finish. I bought a thickness plane and 8,000 board feet of rough quarter sawn white oak from a mill in Maryland. This turned into doors, jams, kitchen cabinets and flooring, took forever. If I had it to do over again I would trade the dollars for the time and learn how to compromise and stay within my means. Also I would pay a little more attention to the family stuff. I have a nice house and it's all paid for but at a cost in time.

Hope my view of building helps.

Good Luck on whatever, sounds like you have a plan that works for you.

Mr. Twinkle Toes /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif A.K.A Al

 

[Estif]

May be a little late, but I'll throw my comments in, too.

I'm almost a year in my "temporary" dwelling, a metal building finished out inside to a 400 sqft apartment and a 600 sqft shop. Gotta keep the priorities straight! I've been more or less living here since the shell became watertight. Contracted out the septic and the concrete...got a crew of friends to help put up the metal shell between Christmas and New Year's, last year. Since then, it's been all my own two little hands. Just now finishing with a lot of interior stuff like cabinets and so on. In a few years I'll be doing the "real house", and I plan to do that about the same way.

For me, the whole project grew out of wanting to live out - way out - and a conviction that I ought not be in debt. Well, now I'm not, and I love it. As someone else mentioned, there is an element of proving something to myself, too.

That's one thing that is key, I think, in doing a job like this myself - I LOVE IT. Carpentry, plumbing, electrical, I love all of it. Working on the house is my R&R. I get home from work and go right into building.

Oh. One other key. At least most folks I talk to jump right on this point when I talk about the track I'm on. I'm not married. ;-)

Steve

 

[Bird]

Heck, Steve, if I wasn't married, I probably wouldn't be in debt either./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bird

 

[dmccarty]

Hey 44,

What ICF's did you use? Did you have any problems in the installation? Did you run the services through the exterior wall for power, water, sewer, etc? or did you build a stud wall? Did you do it all or subcontract out work? How large was the house? Is it as energy efficient as the marketing mavins suggest?

9/99 to 7/00 sure seems like a reasonably short period of time.

Thanks for the info!
Dan McCarty

 

[dmccarty]

You might be old tried and true type but your point is well taken. One of the tricks in putting up ICF or any concrete form I guess is making sure that the concrete flows throughout. I read that a vibrator should be used. But not to much vibrator. Ye need just the right amount of vibration.

I supposed the form material could rot away with time but I'm not sure it matters since I would still have a 4-6 inch think concrete wall reinforced with rebar.

One thing I do know is that building is about compromise. Unless you are rich you have to compromise. Its amazing, the wife says, "I want two more feet in the room." "Yes, Dear." Says I. I then figure out that the extra two feet in that room costs $6,000. Now what?

Compromise?

Later....
Dan

 

[dmccarty]

Hi Mr. Twinkle Toes,

I like the sound since it does have a nice ring!

I do appreciate the time vs money issue. I see it all the time. My problem is persuading the wifey aka, The Power That IS, that this house is NOT a dream house but an acceptable one. Right now I'm living in a 1250 square foot ranch house cookie cut in 1977. Quality is ok but MUCH better then the total $%^&*( that is being built in many areas around here by Big Name Developers. I just want to build an affordable 1800-1900 square foot house with some quality. Now the wife is looking for GraceLand!

T'ain't gonna happen.

So, on one hand I don't mind doing some of the work myself but that means adding time to the project. BUT, that means no loans since having to spend money AND time means you end up spending to much of both. So we would have to pay as we go.

Thus the quandry...

Thanks...
Dan