Building A House/Doing It Yourself/ICFs

dmccarty · Jan 3, 2001

MReeter,

I very aware of the stress involved with the extra work!

I've basically doing the 9-10 hours work days and then going home to work on the "house." In this cause the house is only plans and such but I have been up passed midnight often over the last year working on things. All vacation and most weekends last year were scheduled for working on the property.

Thanks for the information!
Dan

dmccarty · Jan 3, 2001

Hello Larry,

Nope, I have not read that book. I'll have to order it. In high school I wanted to be an architect and then I found out that I liked messing with computers. Computer worked paid more and was not as cyclic as building so I went for the keyboard instead of the hammer/pencil.

I could REALLY go OT talking about all software design and quality but I'll byte my tongue. One day the lawyers are going to find a way to get at the quality of software and there is going to be heck to pay. They already have nailed some navigation systems software. I think the real opening is going to be software accessibility for the disabled. But part of the problem is US. People want cheap and now adays free software. So it is going to be interesting!

Later...
Dan

dmccarty · Jan 3, 2001

Thanks for the support Larry.

Did you know that Fine Homebuilding has a discussion site? Its pretty good.

I have read a few issue of Home Power as well. There is a Canadian company that is selling closed water/water treatment/septic systems. I think Maryland and maybe one other eastern state were permiting the system. Interesting idea I'm not sure I would want to fully partake in!

There is also a fairly good ICF web site www.icfweb.com. Its run by people who sell and design ICF so you have to keep that bias in mind.

Later...
Dan

Anonymous Poster · Jan 3, 2001

Dan:
I'm a engineer and was very concerned about structural integrity of the ICF's before I started. Polysteel had some test reports and design information that I nagged the local rep into getting me. This answered most of my questions. The final step I took was to buy two of the forms, but them in a wood frame and poured them. I then took the foam off of one side. This should be a required selling tool for any rep that is selling this stuff. The internal beams that are formed and the complete fill of all the cavities sold me. When I built I over built due to lack of experience, I used the 12" forms were the 8" would have been adequate and I ending up using much more rebar than was required. I count this as part of the price of doing it your self.
Talk to the local ready mix guys, the only mix my guy will sell to pump in forms is 3000 psi instead of the standard 2500 psi as they had some problems when they made the 2500 thin enough to pump.
The local planinng & inspection knew about the forms and had no concerns nor did the bank.
Kelvin Gryder

Anonymous Poster · Jan 3, 2001

Jerry:
I also thought about the air duct in the ground for cooling. The problem is humidity. If during the summer the humidity is high and you just cool the air off to 50 or 60 degrees in your duct it will have near 100% humidity and the whole house will feel like a basement, cool but not real comfortable. And mildew will have run of the place. To use the ground for cooling you need a heat pump that dumps the heat into the ground and cools the air to a low enough temperature to reduce the moisture to acceptable level. Hope this helps.
Kelvin Gryder

Anonymous Poster · Jan 3, 2001

Dan,
Speaking of Lawyers and software... there are some amazing programs out there - anything that will make lawyers disappear from the planet??

Don't know much about computers. Know a little about lawyers though.
Think they're the only subclass that tops mankind as a whole, in generally doing more harm than good!

What has this got to do with the "building a house" topic?
Do anything differently from what some bureaucratic "planning-commision" has decided you SHOULD do, and lawyers will soon be involved, on one side or the other, usually both! (guess who the real "winners" are

Apologies for the cynicism... I have an attack of it every time someone says "lawyers". like my Dad says - " It isn't fair to blame all of them for what 99% of them are like!".

Larry

44hill · Jan 3, 2001

I used BlueMax. I would probably use FormTech for any additions (Which we are planning.) I like the looks of them better. The house was 2500 sqft with 9' ceilings. I used a 2x2 footing all the way around. This was a single story unit built in Oklahoma. The utilities came through the footing with the exception of the gas line. I had precut a hole for it and then I decided to move the line and had to drill a hole for it.

The home is unbelievably cool in the summer and has held the heat very very well this cold winter. I have over an R30 in the ceiling.

I did sub out the 'mud & tape' and the concrete floor.

I did buy the BlueMaxx bracing when I poured the walls. I made 4 trips around on the pour with no blowouts.

Rch · Jan 3, 2001

THE JOURNAL OF LIGHT CONSRUCTION at http://www.jlconline.com/ is a great resource for all the things you guys are talking about. I remember an article about two years ago comparing the several foam block systems. http://www.jlconline.com/bookstore/books/construction_reference/ic850.html
To subscribe pretend you are a contractor- they have the notion that they are "for the trade only"

RCH

Rodneyd · Jan 4, 2001

Dan,
My brother just moved into an ICF house he build in Colorado Springs, Co. He did EVERYTHING himself. House has basement plus two story. Went to the roofline. Biggest problem was to ensure it was braced during pours and by all means, get some help from someone who has build one before. There are some tricks to doing it. He befriended someone in the area who just built one and used his advice. As for effeciency, last spring when it was still cold in Co., he used a small propane space heater, turned on low to heat the entire house so they could drywall. I visited this summer and was impressed how quiet the house was from outside noise and how constant the inside temperature remained during the day without air conditioning. This building method has intrigued me for many years, but after seeing his house, I am sold. They say it adds about 5% to cost of house but energy savings will more than pay back.

Rod