Still alive - just tackling a HUGE DIY

Great build Jester! That is an extremely nice place you've got there. Cheers!

It looks like you poured concrete in the walls about every few feet of vertical height. I've only seen it poured once walls are at final height. Any reason why you did it this way? I'm really thinking about using ICFs, it looks really doable for me.

pickles said:

It looks like you poured concrete in the walls about every few feet of vertical height. I've only seen it poured once walls are at final height. Any reason why you did it this way? I'm really thinking about using ICFs, it looks really doable for me.

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I actually poured the walls in three stages. From footer to roof is 30 feet, and a) you can't brace that tall a section and b) it's not recommended dropping concrete much more than 10 feet. Also, the amount of outward pressure on the bottom rows of foam with 75 yards of uncured concrete above it would be far too much and it would blow out.

If you see walls taller than 10-12 feet being poured at once, there has most likely been additional engineering with regard to bracing and special concrete mix that can take that drop without separating the aggregate.

The process I went through was:
- stack 11 feet
- set bracing
- pour wall
- break down bracing
- install 1st floor truss and subfloor
- stack next 12 feet
- set bracing
- pour wall
- break down bracing
- install 2nd floor truss and subfloor
- stack final 7 feet
- set bracing
- pour wall
- final bracing breakdown

The reason for the odd division of wall pours comes from the floor system and ceiling heights. The truss gets hung on ledgers, and those ledgers are fastened to brackets that extend through the foam into the concrete. You need to be sure that you have enough height in the pour to sufficiently cover those metal brackets so that you can load them with weight. With 8 foot ceiling in the basement and 26 inch deep truss, I needed to pour 11 feet to make sure the first floor was secure. I had to bump that to 12 feet for the next section because first floor ceilings are 9 feet. That left just 7 feet to complete the 8 foot ceilings for the second floor.

Ok I have built a couple homes in the past, the floor trust is different to me. So I saw that and don’t want to come off the wrong way, but the floor trusts are only cantilevered on the top on to ledger. Do you remove the foam and then Tapcon the ledger to the concert? Then the webbing of the trust is engineered to support the load? It would make it easier to finish off the basement lid.

Cheers

Subscribed!
This is awesome!
Thanks for sharing it with us!

Gear101 said:

Ok I have built a couple homes in the past, the floor trust is different to me. So I saw that and don’t want to come off the wrong way, but the floor trusts are only cantilevered on the top on to ledger. Do you remove the foam and then Tapcon the ledger to the concert? Then the webbing of the trust is engineered to support the load? It would make it easier to finish off the basement lid.

Cheers

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The truss is top hung on the ledgers and needs a 3" bearing surface. There are special steel 2 piece brackets that are specifically made for attaching ledgers to ICF. All you need to do is cut two slots in the foam for the first bracket to slide into - you don't remove the foam. The tabs on the back of the bracket are embedded in the concrete, and then the ledgers are hung using the second bracket mated to the first. I'll get some pics tomorrow. It really was a super easy method.

Ok, so here is a detail shot of the ledger attachment, looking up:



The steel flat against the foam bends 90 and extends 6-7 inches. With the 2 1/4" foam, that puts about 4 inches into the concrete. Then, that steel bracket cradling the LVL ledger gets fastened to the first bracket with 8 bolts. Finally, to get the full 3" bearing surface required by the truss, I have nailed a 2x8 board to the LVL. I did rout a small channel in the back of the 2x so that the bolt heads would not interfere.

BTW, that condensation on the steel is due to the swing from -5 to 50 over the course of about 36 hours. Won't be an issue once the house is closed in, but man what a wet mess as anything that can hold cold gets instantly wet.

So some really good progress over the last two days. Yesterday, I fabbed this rig to get me up to the second story windows for installation. Once pressed up against the house, it's rock solid. Waaaay better than the scaffolding I rented earlier in the project - and portable!



I managed to get 5 windows in yesterday afternoon, and was pretty happy about it.

Today, I had a couple hired guns coming to help me with the big windows. Even with the three of us, those windows were just too much. So I quickly threw together a cradle to help out:



In a fairly short time, we had everything installed, including the upstairs windows that I hadn't had time to finish up yesterday!







Tomorrow, I plan to install 3 utility doors (Basement, Utility staircase, and Garage) and then we are officially dry!

Looks good!

Not sure if I've seen it but do you have an approx move in date?

wow amazing skills man.

So a little more progress - starting to run the in floor heat pipe:

Day 1 - first loop run


Day 2 - second loop run


It's been incredibly slow, painful, and tedious. It should have been a one day project, but when they blew insulation above, they didn't tarp, and now the entire floor, including the grooves for the tubing, are blanketed with a thin layer of foam. Tried solvents, dremel buffers, and sandpaper, and so far only sandpaper really works. So it's hands and knees drudgery getting this job done. Displeased.

Radiant floor heat. Nice! Last year we renovated a bathroom and use that same system (a little tighter pattern) throughout, including the shower. Cheap a$$ me didn't want to spend the extra cash, but wife talked me into it. Got to say, it's great having a warm floor on a cold winter morning.

Looking Good!

Looking good. I would have loved to have been there just to learn. Oh well.

Surprising how simple much of this stuff really is, isn't it Jester?

It's not so much that the work is all that technical, it's just that there is a LOT of work to do, some materials are quite awkward to maneuver or are just fecking heavy after about the third or fourth lift/laydown (only 1,238 pieces left to go!), and working conditions aren't necessarilly all that favorable until you are dried in and have some way to heat or dehumidify.

Still, nice job. Best part is the pride you can claim saying "Yeah, I did that." Even if you don't ever verbalize it.

They say you finally have the house you really want, after you've built the third one.

Chop, chop brother, you got 2.5 to go!

I used to build hotels. Specialized in wood frame. And was always a lead crew member getting my hands dirty, callused, or scarred up at every stage of the project.

So, just out of curiosity. Does your location not require licensed trades for the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems? Or, do you have licensed contractors in your pocket claiming your work at a reduced fee?

GilaMinumBeer said:

Surprising how simple much of this stuff really is, isn't it Jester?

It's not so much that the work is all that technical, it's just that there is a LOT of work to do, some materials are quite awkward to maneuver or are just fecking heavy after about the third or fourth lift/laydown (only 1,238 pieces left to go!), and working conditions aren't necessarilly all that favorable until you are dried in and have some way to heat or dehumidify.

Still, nice job. Best part is the pride you can claim saying "Yeah, I did that." Even if you don't ever verbalize it.

They say you finally have the house you really want, after you've built the third one.

Chop, chop brother, you got 2.5 to go!

I used to build hotels. Specialized in wood frame. And was always a lead crew member getting my hands dirty, callused, or scarred up at every stage of the project.

So, just out of curiosity. Does your location not require licensed trades for the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems? Or, do you have licensed contractors in your pocket claiming your work at a reduced fee?

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Yeah - no one part is that complicated - it's putting them all together in the right order!

As for license requirements, no, as the homeowner I can pretty much do it all. The boiler will be installed by a pro, as well as the plumbing drains and vents, and the electrician that pulled power to the service panel is going to come in and look over my wiring just to confirm that it's all good. I'm very comfortable with electrics, but it can't hurt to have a double check.

Another day, another loop of the upstairs heat pipe in. No pic - looks pretty much just like the others! 3 down, 4 to go, but I started with the longest loop and have been working my way to the shortest. By length, I'm about halfway there.

Now, since I am starting to hit the inside work pretty hard, here are some renders to show what all the lumber in upcoming posts are ultimately going to look like:

First floor



Starting center bottom, going clockwise, it's front entry, mudroom, pantry, kitchen, living room, 1/2 bath, office. The stairs are in the same position as the drawing, but they are rotated completely differently. Just never updated the sketchup files.



The kitchen in those drawings has also been refined:



Second floor I never really put a lot of details into the drawing once I figured out the layout.



Again, starting bottom center - Boys shared bathroom, 1st boys bedroom, master walk in closet, master bedroom, laundry, master bath, 2nd boys bedroom.



In reality there is an extra window in the master closet, 2nd boys bedroom, and the master bedroom does not have those two doors and one big window. Scrapped the elevated deck idea ages ago. Also, hadn't come up with the curved wall idea yet, obviously!

Finally, the master bath ended up rather different, too:



So there you have it. Might help make sense when I start posting pictures of interior framing!

ToV said:

Looking good. I would have loved to have been there just to learn. Oh well.

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It's still under construction

Did I see Built-In dog water/food bowls in the kitchen? Smart move!

Guy is that a dog food/water bowl at the end of the base cabinets? And placement of a washer and dryer?

What kind of wood flooring are you putting over the wormboard radiant? Living here in Tahoe, as a flooring guy, we work with that a lot in these huge homes up here. Some materials perform better than others...

And whatever you choose, be sure to pressure test it thoroughly before you lay one square foot of anything down.

KIAKillerXJ said:

What kind of wood flooring are you putting over the wormboard radiant? Living here in Tahoe, as a flooring guy, we work with that a lot in these huge homes up here. Some materials perform better than others...

And whatever you choose, be sure to pressure test it thoroughly before you lay one square foot of anything down.

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Most likely going with bamboo for the wood parts. As for pressure testing: absolutely! In all likelihood the heating will be up and running well before we even think about laying flooring anyhow.

Huaco said:

Did I see Built-In dog water/food bowls in the kitchen? Smart move!

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Yeah, a brief moment of inspiration on that one!

Gear101 said:

Guy is that a dog food/water bowl at the end of the base cabinets? And placement of a washer and dryer?

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Washer and dryer are tucked in a small laundry room off the master bedroom.

Jester369 said:

It's still under construction

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Good to know. I had a lot of down time a while back and now things have gotten busier. Its looking good (both what is built and the design.)

Jester, you have inspired me. I would like to design and build my own ICF house. Could you point me in the right direction?

did you have someone design the house for you or did you buy a set of plans and make changes to them?

How hard was it to figure out what type of ICF to use and install? Would love to save the money and do the ICF myself like you did.

What resources did you use for cost estimating?

Thanks Craig

craigbrew said:

Jester, you have inspired me. I would like to design and build my own ICF house. Could you point me in the right direction?

did you have someone design the house for you or did you buy a set of plans and make changes to them?

How hard was it to figure out what type of ICF to use and install? Would love to save the money and do the ICF myself like you did.

What resources did you use for cost estimating?

Thanks Craig

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I know some of the SIP companies will take your plans and convert them over using their products.

craigbrew said:

Jester, you have inspired me. I would like to design and build my own ICF house. Could you point me in the right direction?

did you have someone design the house for you or did you buy a set of plans and make changes to them?

How hard was it to figure out what type of ICF to use and install? Would love to save the money and do the ICF myself like you did.

What resources did you use for cost estimating?

Thanks Craig

Click to expand...

Hi Craig,

I'll put together some answers for you and PM them to you.

Ok, so I am winding down on the craptacular job of sanding the flooring channels, but I needed to take a break today. Spent a little time on framing the easier (non-curved!) walls.



This is the laundry room (in the corner) and the start of the master bath.



This is the start of the master closet.

Tomorrow, more piping, and starting the curved hallway wall.

If i was building a house from scratch, i would include some or all of the following features:

A charging shelf for cell phones, etc
A hidden spot for a built in safe for valuables
Prewired 7.1 surround
Access to the space behind my tv/electronics for easier wiring
Emergency generator for the house with autostart
Pull-down shelves from the MBR closets for non-seasonal clothes
A wet bar with at least 4 faucets, fed from a keezer in another location
A wood/metal workshop with serious thought to layout/outlets
An icemaker (love having mine)
Covered gutters that never require cleaning
Designated space/wiring for battery bank for eventual solar conversion

Hmmmm

NewBrewB said:

If i was building a house from scratch, i would include some or all of the following features:

A charging shelf for cell phones, etc
A hidden spot for a built in safe for valuables
Prewired 7.1 surround
Access to the space behind my tv/electronics for easier wiring
Emergency generator for the house with autostart
Pull-down shelves from the MBR closets for non-seasonal clothes
A wet bar with at least 4 faucets, fed from a keezer in another location
A wood/metal workshop with serious thought to layout/outlets
An icemaker (love having mine)
Covered gutters that never require cleaning
Designated space/wiring for battery bank for eventual solar conversion

Hmmmm

Click to expand...

Couldn't have said it better myself.
Love this thread. Building my own house from scratch is my greatest dream.

NewBrewB said:

A charging shelf for cell phones, etc
A hidden spot for a built in safe for valuables
Prewired 7.1 surround
Access to the space behind my tv/electronics for easier wiring
Emergency generator for the house with autostart
Pull-down shelves from the MBR closets for non-seasonal clothes
A wet bar with at least 4 faucets, fed from a keezer in another location
A wood/metal workshop with serious thought to layout/outlets
An icemaker (love having mine)
Covered gutters that never require cleaning
Designated space/wiring for battery bank for eventual solar conversion

Click to expand...

The office will sort of be the central charge up locale

Floor safe - i could show you where it's going, but then I'd have to kill you

Basement features a projection home theater with 7.1 (my current audio with a new projector/screen)

The a/v rig is installed in a cabinet facing the viewing area, with the back open to the utility room for unobstructed access

Thought about the generator, still undecided how/when I want to go about it

There won't be pull down shelves, but there are high shelves that will be used for out of season stuff. There will also be cabinets over the laundry room and master bath for linens, etc.

In addition to the already mentioned theater, and pool table, there will be a wet bar with 7 taps (scavenged from The Keezer v1)

Eventually there will be a 30'x40' barn for woodworking and auto restoration

Icemaker - not a bad idea

No gutters on the house - no clogging at all!

Solar - perhaps at some point, but not for a while. House orientation isn't great for roof panels, and the land isn't great for ground mounted panels

Got one more loop done for the heat (5 down, 2 to go) and started the curved wall framing. Took some shots of the steps to build the curve.

The curve plates (from Flex-Ability Concepts) come in 2' lengths, that get pinned together with short wooden dowels. Each segment is 6" long.



After pinning together enough segments, I straightened them against a 2x4, and laid out the stud locations.



Then, the LVL studs get nailed in place - I'm doing 12" OC for the curved drywall.



Then you just stand it up, and bend the bottom plate to follow the line already scribed on the subfloor, and nail it in place.





Next, I will take a form cut to the proper radius and use it to set the curve of the top plate, and use short screws to lock the segments.

All in all, it went pretty fast. Lots more to do, of course...

I guess it goes without saying that you MUST be careful not to nail into your radiant floor heating? Lol...

We, my wife and I built about two years ago. I do custom mechanical systems, so we put a radiant floor In The basement and in the master bath a electric mat. Love the heated floors. The Wife loves the brewing and so an 10x10 brewery built in with floor drain in floor. Now stainless sheeted walls 700cfm exhaust and 150cfm makeup air pumped in. Twin 2 vessele systems. We can easily do 50gal in 11 hours.

Huaco said:

I guess it goes without saying that you MUST be careful not to nail into your radiant floor heating? Lol...

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Too true. Toooooo true. Pressure test BEFORE putting down any flooring!

NewBrewB said:

If i was building a house from scratch, i would include some or all of the following features:

A charging shelf for cell phones, etc
A hidden spot for a built in safe for valuables
Prewired 7.1 surround
Access to the space behind my tv/electronics for easier wiring
Emergency generator for the house with autostart
Pull-down shelves from the MBR closets for non-seasonal clothes
A wet bar with at least 4 faucets, fed from a keezer in another location
A wood/metal workshop with serious thought to layout/outlets
An icemaker (love having mine)
Covered gutters that never require cleaning
Designated space/wiring for battery bank for eventual solar conversion

Hmmmm

Click to expand...

One thing I would do with utilities is wire and plumb everything from the attic and basement and have all utilities running from the basement to the attic in one utility chase. I've had too many PITA moments getting at in wall routing.

ToV said:

One thing I would do with utilities is wire and plumb everything from the attic and basement and have all utilities running from the basement to the attic in one utility chase. I've had too many PITA moments getting at in wall routing.

Click to expand...

Well, as the ceiling gets framed you'll see that that's not really an option (no real attic), but with floors 26" deep I'm planning access hatches on each floor that will allow full access. Also, there will be a couple of empty chases left for pulling future wiring.

Off topic, somewhat I would guess, interesting product.

http://gajitz.com/the-roof-is-on-fire-solar-shingles-let-you-green-on-the-sly/

Might have to be Big Daddt Warbucks to buy them, but cooler than all.

Ugh - researching configurations for my heating. Too many ways to skin this particular cat. Circulators and Zone Valves and Thermal Actuators, oh my!