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If we can do it, so can you

Last Post 30 Nov 2007 01:13 AM by cabinboy. 8 Replies.

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cabinboy

New Member

Posts:26

27 Nov 2007 01:18 PM
For those of you out there wondering if you can DIY with ICF's, I offer this evidence. My family of three boys 13, 13, and 16, my wife, and I spent six weeks this summer building our basement and getting the subfloor on our lot high in the Colorado Rockies. We probably didn't do everything right, but we have plumb and square walls that passed county inspection and didn't blow out when we poured. The key was to get advice and pouring help from experienced ICF guys -- namely Brad Hebig of High Plains Foam (who inspected our progress and did our pour gratis, because he "was in the area") and Terry Hackbart of R-Homes, who inspected and did our second pour basically at his cost. I highly recommend either one if you are in the Denver or mountain areas west. If I could give one piece of advice it is: brace, brace, brace. You can view the whole process at: LINK
Attachment: Braced-walls2.jpg Attachment: Graded-and-ready-for-floor.jpg

robinnc

Advanced Member

Posts:586

walltech

Basic Member

Posts:390

28 Nov 2007 08:12 AM
Congradulations also to you! Looks like Form Tech? I'm wondering why you held your sill plate in a few inches? Dave

cabinboy

New Member

Posts:26

28 Nov 2007 11:09 AM
I think the angle the pic was taken from makes it look like it's offset. In reality, it's a 2X8 sillplate (to allow for bearing the SIP floor over the pier area) centered on the 8 inch concrete. You're correct, they're Formtech forms.

PanelCrafters User is Offline

Advanced Member

Posts:680

28 Nov 2007 03:48 PM
Posted By cabinboy on 11/28/2007 11:10 AM In reality, it's a 2X8 sillplate (to allow for bearing the SIP floor over the pier area) centered on the 8 inch concrete. Why are you using a SIP floor? Aren't you heating the basement?

....jc<br>If you're not building with OSB SIPS(or ICF's), why are you building?

cabinboy

New Member

Posts:26

28 Nov 2007 06:59 PM
Because the hi-tech leach field is less than 20 feet from the house (this entire 1.3 acre lot only has a 2400 square foot building area, due to the proximity of the creek and wetlands), part of the floor must be built on piers. This is the reason for the strange shape of the foundation. The long indent on the upper left side of the photo actually will have a floor on piers extending 10 feet to the left. Since it is open to the elements below, a SIP floor seemed like the perfect solution, yes? A normal floor system was put over the basement.
Attachment: Ground-floor.jpg

PanelCrafters User is Offline

Advanced Member

Posts:680

28 Nov 2007 08:46 PM
Posted By cabinboy on 11/28/2007 6:59 PM The long indent on the upper left side of the photo actually will have a floor on piers extending 10 feet to the left. Since it is open to the elements below, a SIP floor seemed like the perfect solution, yes? A normal floor system was put over the basement. Yes, a SIP floor, in that situation, is a very good solution. Now, your statement 'A SIP floor', makes sense. Good Luck with completing the structure!

....jc<br>If you're not building with OSB SIPS(or ICF's), why are you building?

bnc_skc

New Member

Posts:27

29 Nov 2007 08:23 AM
Is there a particular reason for the vertical joint in the wall closest to us in the photo? Just curious. bnc

cabinboy

New Member

Posts:26

30 Nov 2007 01:13 AM
It's a b$stard joint which is a splice that normally occurs on every wall face bounded by two corners (unless you are an exact multiple of the form length). We shouldn't have needed one here because one end of the wall isn't a corner, but... there is a four foot high "footer wall" below grade -- under the main wall -- which we poured first. This one does have a b-joint because it goes under the garage door and around the corner. We discovered after we poured it that we didn't line up the nibs correctly on top of the four foot wall so that the eight foot wall above it would straddle the splice correctly (does this make sense?). We would have had to shave off the nibs on the top of the footer wall in order to do the straddle. After thinking about it for a long time, we decided to match the b-joint on the four foot wall. This is one (of many) places where experience would have helped avoid the problem in the first place.