Bye bye big city!

[Streetbu]

Was there a monetary advantage to the foam? Just curious what its appeal is. One would think it cuts the labor down if no forms need to be laid up, but then again there is procuring/stacking of the blocks.

Yes on multiple fronts. Quicker, cheaper, and easier than blocks. By code foundations need to be insulated inside and out in our area. ICF meet those requirements. My builder was able to do it himself, instead of having to hire out a concrete crew. Really very simple. Use a chainsaw to cut openings for windows and doors. Frame them in to hold the concrete in place while curing. Square the foundation. Brace it. Pour concrete. He literally built the whole thing with one other guy in two days, spent three more bracing it, then 4 hours pouring concrete.

 

[Supercharged111]

Yes on multiple fronts. Quicker, cheaper, and easier than blocks. By code foundations need to be insulated inside and out in our area. ICF meet those requirements. My builder was able to do it himself, instead of having to hire out a concrete crew. Really very simple. Use a chainsaw to cut openings for windows and doors. Frame them in to hold the concrete in place while curing. Square the foundation. Brace it. Pour concrete. He literally built the whole thing with one other guy in two days, spent three more bracing it, then 4 hours pouring concrete.

Duh, here I was comparing it to a solid concrete wall in my mind's eye.

 

[86LK]

here's a really good channel for showing you a complete build

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChhBsM9K_Bc9a_YTK7UUlnQ

here's the ICF's

 

[CopperNick]

Why rebar? If the intent to have hard points for attachment purposes, then why not go with All-Thread? Easier to hang boards for the deck or other purposes if the anchor point is already there and with all thread, the next step is to mark the ledger board and drill it. 1/2 inch minimum dia, grade 8, maybe go with 5/8ths or even 3/4 thread rod just for the load insurance.

if a deck is not on the agenda, then just having the thread rod pre-situated is potentially useful for down the road for whatever.



Nick

 

[ck80]

Why rebar? If the intent to have hard points for attachment purposes, then why not go with All-Thread? Easier to hang boards for the deck or other purposes if the anchor point is already there and with all thread, the next step is to mark the ledger board and drill it. 1/2 inch minimum dia, grade 8, maybe go with 5/8ths or even 3/4 thread rod just for the load insurance.

if a deck is not on the agenda, then just having the thread rod pre-situated is potentially useful for down the road for whatever.



Nick

You're right Nick.... I don't know why I wrote rebar. I blame too many pain meds coupled with short sleep of late working on pushing a closing over the finish line.

That's also probably part of why Streetbu wondered what I was getting at.

In my mind's eye I was picturing a fireplace we had built in a colonial reproduction in the 80s where the threaded rod stuck out 8 inches in a few different spots for a future mantle that took a decade to get around to installing. Just needed to cut to length then ready made attachment points.

In that case we had threaded ends of metal that was embedded in the construction rather than drilled in after the fact. Pictured that, and misspoke.

 

[Streetbu]

Makes more sense now.

 

[CopperNick]

As long as those meds don't come with a double chaser of booze; knew way too many acquaintances who tapped out way too early from that combination. Back when it was prescribed for everything, Demerol was just about the best. My dentist even dropped a whole script on me for a tooth that he had cranked out under local.

Anyway, hope that whatever hurts, gets better and your mad dash to a closing turns out to be successful.



Nick

 

[ck80]

As long as those meds don't come with a double chaser of booze; knew way too many acquaintances who tapped out way too early from that combination. Back when it was prescribed for everything, Demerol was just about the best. My dentist even dropped a whole script on me for a tooth that he had cranked out under local.

Anyway, hope that whatever hurts, gets better and your mad dash to a closing turns out to be successful.



Nick

We made it today Nick, thanks for the wishes. And, generally, negative on the mixing... at least for a double chaser. Usually make sure at least 6-8 hours pass between a dose and a small drink, longer for hard stuff. Been going like this since '16 now so pretty settled in.

 

[Texas82GP]

Sean and I went back out for more Kudzu mowing the weekend before last. Here's a look at the finished roadway paving. This one is looking towards our section of the neighborhood. We're up the hill and on the left....

Here's a look at the growth since the last time we mowed (roughly six weeks of growth).....

About two hours later....

I was behind our field and brush mower and Sean was using our weedeater. He covered a lot of ground but it is waaaaayyy too small for the job. Next time, we're thinking of renting the field and brush mower from the big orange store and taking ours as well and go at it with two of them.

That's about all there is to report for now. We are thinking about having the house plans revised to increase the size of the patio. Lumber prices have gone down some. We're hoping market conditions will start to work in our favor. Interest rates are going up though. We'll just keep saving until we can overcome it all. Until next time, thanks for following along.

 

[ck80]

Sean and I went back out for more Kudzu mowing the weekend before last. Here's a look at the finished roadway paving. This one is looking towards our section of the neighborhood. We're up the hill and on the left....

View attachment 200018

Here's a look at the growth since the last time we mowed (roughly six weeks of growth).....

View attachment 200022

View attachment 200024


View attachment 200025

About two hours later....

View attachment 200026

View attachment 200027


View attachment 200028


View attachment 200029

I was behind our field and brush mower and Sean was using our weedeater. He covered a lot of ground but it is waaaaayyy too small for the job. Next time, we're thinking of renting the field and brush mower from the big orange store and taking ours as well and go at it with two of them.

That's about all there is to report for now. We are thinking about having the house plans revised to increase the size of the patio. Lumber prices have gone down some. We're hoping market conditions will start to work in our favor. Interest rates are going up though. We'll just keep saving until we can overcome it all. Until next time, thanks for following along.

Something about my current frame of mind makes me want to wreak havoc every time I see one of those white 'lot xx' 'block xx' signs in a picture... such as, what if someone went around and randomly moved a couple dozen of them all one lot to the left or right of their original positions? How many people would rely on the sign, and not a survey? Or not remember what they bought?