House plans

[TAB]

As talked about in another thread i would soon be drawing up some rough floor plans/ elevations for thr new place.

Thats what is going to happen in this thread

Right now i am trying to determine  rather i want to stick build it or icf( insulated concrete forms, think styrofoam cinder blocks you pore concrete  into.  See this link https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulating_concrete_form)

So i guess we should start there with the pros and cons of each.

This decision will weigh  heavily  on my design.  Which hopefully will be come clear after readying some of the pros and cons.


Note, i am interviewing  a few professionals  today to see who i want to higher to ultimately  draw up and stamp the final plans.( i could do everything but stamp them, but nost people won't just stamp them)   when i get home from that i will try and post at depth and answer questions.

[blackwolfe]

Looking forward to this thread.  While ICF has some advantages, I think my preference would be stick built.  ICF might be the way to go for basement walls and if I was building, something I would look into.  My knowledge of such things is not great, so I would have a lot of learning to make sound decisions.

[tombogan03884]

I live in a wood building built in 1810 . I would definitely go with masonry .
If you can afford the initial investment just the fire protection would make it a better choice.

[MikeBjerum]

The day before our house fire I received an issue of Popular Mechanics, and it was open, where I fell asleep, on the reading table to the article on ISF when the fire hit.  Had this technology been around a year earlier, our home would have been constructed with this product.  It has turned out better than the article forecast, and the only people I heard grumble about it were those that cut corners and had form blow outs, and those that went to do additions and didn't like paying the price of cutting a solid concrete wall.

I vote ISF, as if you need my approval.

[TAB]

Looking forward to this thread.  While ICF has some advantages, I think my preference would be stick built.  ICF might be the way to go for basement walls and if I was building, something I would look into.  My knowledge of such things is not great, so I would have a lot of learning to make sound decisions.

The basement  will be precast sections.   Its up in a day and the cost is the same


Same with icf, the cost is with in 10% so a none issue

[Sponsor]

[Rastus]

My current plan is to build ICF.  I do find it interesting that you are using precast concrete for the basement.   Please feel free to expand on tht methodology if you have the time.  We are going to put in a basement.  1/2 accessible from the "ground floor" that opens to a patio space below ground level (building on a bluff) with the back 1/2 accessed through a safe door behind some bookshelfs.  I had thought that I would put ICF underground with concrete ceiling seprated by a couple of feet of earth to the ground floor.  The place where I'm building is on a "point" sloping down on 3 sides so I can easily French drain the basement. 

After a month or so of dozer work on the place I am going to take you up on the metal building guidance offer you made. 

[TAB]

There are 3 ways you can build a basement these  days.

1 is form it up and pore it.
2 block/ rocks
3 precast sections.

They are simlar to a tilt up, but not pored on site then tilted.   They are glued and welded in place.   What you save is time on siye for the walls to cure.  Which is about a month of time.  I have done several over  the years and would never do it any other way.  You can go from hole in the ground to start framing in 3 weeks insteed of the 8 weeks it tipically takes.  Most of which is the slab/ foots curing.  Doing it with either block or forming.  You have the same time on the footing/ slab curing.  The process of constructuon( 1 day for precast, easily a week + for the other methods) 1 month of curing, then a week of water proofing.  Precast you skip that and frame the deck the next day. 

Any decent 3 or 4 man crew can have the foundation go in on monday and the framing of s simple single story house framed by friday.  Where as with the other methods you still have 3 weeks of curing.

[Jim Kennedy-ar154me]

Right now i am trying to determine  rather i want to stick build it or icf( insulated concrete forms, think styrofoam cinder blocks you pore concrete  into.  See this link https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulating_concrete_form)

This may show my paranoia but wouldn't the ICF give you a bit of lead penetration protection? (Bullet) PLUS increased insulation? How about the electrical wiring? Is it the same as a stick-built?

[TAB]

This may show my paranoia but wouldn't the ICF give you a bit of lead penetration protection? (Bullet) PLUS increased insulation? How about the electrical wiring? Is it the same as a stick-built?

Depends on the system, some have a solid  wall of concrete, others are like cinder blocks made out of Styrofoam.  Same with wiring, some require conduit added before the pore, others use furring strips on the inside for things like that.


Hopefully today i will actually  have some time to sit down and do the pros and cons.  I have been putting on the consultant  hat as of late as per the contract when i sold the company.

[tombogan03884]

TAB, I just noticed.
You haven't changed your avatar in YEARS .
That used to be one of the high points of New Years .