Well I need to start figuring out what I need/want. I will be building a 4 bedroom 2 story home preferably with a basement. I was looking at AAC and was really stuck on the product but it seems it is not a viable option for Maryland? I want to go with a geothermal heating and cooling. I have 16 acres to build on so space really isn't an issue. Where do I start?! What would you do? I would love some solar panels but I am putting that off till I figure out what type of construction I am going to go with.

you've come to a great place! i would start reading through these forums, and do a search for Maryland. go from there. personally, i'd put off solar and go with a super-insulated (SIPs / ICF) home. the cheaper your HVAC, the less need for solar. that and new / better technology is coming out every other day it seems. if you can wait on solar, all the better for you.

I am building an AAC house in Pa just over the line from Md. (literally) Shipping from either Fla or Ga is the killer: $3,000 in my case for two flatbed semis. The block itself is about $3 per square foot of wall (8-inch block.) With shipping, it's works out to about $3.85/sf. Aercon has a distributor in Ohio http://www.performance-concrete.com/ While there is no advantage in transhipping the block through there, picking up a pallet or two could be a much better deal than paying for a mostly empty semi from Fla.

Labor is the second hitch. In theory, AAC walls should go up quickly with semiskilled labor. But your average Md mason will have zero experience with it, and likely will price in a weird factor that would eat up much of the economy. I am DIY so the learning curve on my house will be free. The Ohio co. could put you on to masons who do commercial projects. Aercon was shipping block to Baltimore in Dec.

Finally, you'll find the naysayers stacked eight deep. (R10!!??) 8-inch block actually works out to about R17 in the midAtlantic, after adjusting for thermal mass. You will want to make sure that the building officials in your part of the world understand that effective r values are perfectly legal in Rescheck.

All this said, you should choose a design that fits your needs and likes and worry later about picking the right building system for it. My house is an aggressive passive solar design that relies on thermal mass to buffer daytime heat. AAC is made to order. Back when I started, however, all I knew is that I wanted a Frank Lloyd Wright homage and that I needed a way to live with all those windows.

My advice, start drawing up a general shape to the home and start playing with what room you want, where you want them to be, how many windows in each room, etc. I knew I wanted my bedrooms on the corner walls, so I could install 1 window on 2 separate walls, so there is a better air flow when we open the windows. I also knew I wanted tall ceilings (I am 5'11" and my current house has 7' ceilings). So basically, figure out the things you want, then find the systems to fit. It might be a somewhat iterative process....you might design for a load bearing wall, then decide to use ICF walls and floors and won't need that load bearing wall....and decide to take it out. But again, design the shape of the house then how the rooms will fit in it. Then the rest of your systems will fall into place as you do research on them with some idea in mind. And Remember, just because you put it on paper, doesn't mean it can't change.

The most important concept to start with is that a house is a system and should be designed and built as such. Every choice impacts other choices and the object should be a comfortable house that meets your needs, excellent indoor air quality, will be very durable and low maintenance, have utility costs as low as practical and you can actually afford. Try to keep in mind the total cost of ownership, not just the initial cost to build. Wow, not easy.

 1. is make a detailed list of everything you want in a house and prioritize 1-5 with 5 being the most important 1 least.
2. is determine a realistic budget. Know what you have to spend, because that effects many parts of the design.
 3. Spend some time sketching out rooms that you like and function well, record their size and layout.
4. is understand your microclimate where you want to build. Heating and cooling degree days, solar insolation and potential, groundwater temp, humidity.
 5. Based on climate, determine insulation targets and research methods of building and decide what you want to use. There are many good choices out there, stick framing with outsulation (Persist, Remote), standard double wall construction, ICF, SIP’s AAC block, earth sheltered, strawbale, adobe. Look at window choices based on orientation and shell insulation.
6. Look at the cost and availability of energy in your area, electricity, heating oil, natural gas, propane. You may find there is an obvious choice for heating source based on this. Cost of electricity may inform decisions about efficiency of appliances.
 7. Sketch a preliminary design or find an architect or house designer . Keep in mind that property taxes can be ½ what the mortgage is. Talk to your assessor about how the assessment is determined. Sometimes small changes can have a big impact on the amount of taxes paid.


As far as AAC block goes, I have observed a very efficient buildings built out of it in Germany. Built with metric dimensions, but I am giving rough US equivalent measurements. They were using a block that was around 13” thick with 3” of EPS on the outside and 3 more inches on the inside. The slab had “6” of eps under it. From what I could understand from the builder the roof would be around 20” of insulation.


Before I built my house I spent about a year figuring out what I wanted to build.

Here was my initial house priority list about 1 year before I started building. Quite a bit  of further  changes were made once the house design took place.  I spent about a year getting to this point  and undersatnding what I wanted. 
Size 40X 28 ft 1120 ft^2 ranch with full basement optimized for a workshop
Themes for house: Open floor plan well lit, sun tempered, well ventilated, simple, low cost, high quality. Universal design principals for space and door openings. Multifunctional, Minimalist theme. Green when practical, minimal tax assessment ease of maintenance.

Sections: Interior details, basement shop details, exterior details, construction details hvac, plumbing, Solar

Rooms will be 2 bedrooms, single bath, kitchen/ eating, entrance and living room, open functional basement

Interior details
Bedrooms 1 large bedroom at least 12X12 with lots of closet space 1 smaller guest bedroom with usable closet doubles as a home office. Both will have ceiling mounted fluorescent lights Master bedroom will have ceiling fan and wall mounted AC ability to cool only one bedroom. Wood floors light color bamboo 5/8” thick
 
Entrance/ Mudroom Entrance to house has place to set objects down Bench for dressing, Closet for coats, shoes, etc easy access to kitchen. Lots of storage space Wood floor Dark slate inset ~ 4X6 near doorway
 
Kitchen Theme is easy to cook and clean designed for single cook. Open to main house. Tubular skylight 10-14” Single lite 36X80 french door (glass door) on north side second legal exit from ground floor Cabinet depth efficient fridge-freezer Sink and efficient dishwasher No disposal. (No cabinet over sink ) L shaped counter top with eating space on backside for 3 people Pendant lights above eating space 30” Gas stove- oven range unit. Manual light capability. High capacity vent over stove quiet Likely fantech or Nutone. Quality cabinets light color, birch or oak Granite tile countertop wood edging with epoxy coating Likely 24” tiles or 25.5” tiles with no edging Built in coffee maker superautomatic, moderate size microwave I would like to preserve counter space by placing microwave in a wall mount with outlet behind it Reasonable amount of pantry cabinet’s Well lit Ceramic tile floor. No formal dining space

Bathroom Low maintenance Sink and 36-48” vanity with large mirror Shower unit swanstone or Porcelain base or tileready pan tile wall in corner with controls in interior wall 36X48-54” unit glass front and side unit I would think about making a teak or Ipe slatt type wood floor in the shower unit and a wood bathmat instead of a rug so my feet don’t get cold on the tiles when I am drying off Good quiet exhaust fan with timer or humidity sensor central in bathroom I would use either Panasonic whisperlight unit with fluorescent light or Fantech exterior mount fan with FL light. Tubular skylight 10-14” Highest quality toilet available Ceramic or granite Tile floor Tiled walls Good sized casement window Task lighting for sink

Living room Natural light from southern windows Wood floors dark horizontal grain bamboo flooring 5/8” thick Variable lighting for reading and hanging out Ceiling fan Wood Stove centrally located along the wall with the bedroom designed to heat whole house. I can give the make and model and wall/floor clearances Floor under woodstove designed for fire protection Wall behind woodstove has tile pattern as fire protection Sized to accommodate 1 couch and 1 chair woven matt syle rug. Space on wall to add television Ability to place small dining room table for eating in larger groups

Room in basement that contains boiler, hot water tank, solar tank Washer dryer, tub sink

Minimal doors; 2 exterior, 4 interior. Interior doors to bathroom will have translucent panel if possible  Interior 36” wide for universal design 2 for bedrooms, 1 bathroom one to basement . All doors will have lever handles.
 
Basement Basement will have sheetrock walls to cover the polysteel foam walls. The basement will include a high efficiency washer and propane dryer, propane bioler and indirect water heater, As much as possible the plumbing, electrical and HRV will remain exposed for easy maintenance. The majority of the space will be utilized as a workshop. Eventual there will be a storage area walled off, but not in the initial building. The basement should have a walkout on the west side the (Not for cars) The ceiling will not be finished and the floor will remain bare concrete. Note: I don’t want to be assessed as having a finished basement. The way the rules are written, if any 2 of the 3 surfaces (ceiling, walls, floor) are finished it is considered as finished space per the assessment. Basement floor. Consider using epoxy floor coating per Dave f. He and I would install it. Basement floor must be poured at least 1 month prior to epoxy encapsulation This must be done at a later date as it will change the assessment to finished basement.
 
Exterior Outside will be oriented 192° Magnetic long axis for max solar gain. Clearing will be extensive to the south in a fan shape for max solar gain. I will take into account when the leaves are off trees relative to how much I clear. Max exposure from 10-3 I will use solar pathfinder to determine clearing levels. Absolute minimum clearing on the other 3 sides. To preserve shading. Consult Tyler Thompkins re landscape architecture. House to blend in with surroundings think earth tones. There will be no lawn. Anticipate low ground cover over septic and south exposure area.

Main entrance to house off of south side. Short walkway to driveway. Potential for a ramp to front door at a future date.  Drive way gravel large enough turnaround to accommodate emergency vehicles K turn acceptable. Not available max vehicle of fire dept =________ Overhangs will be 24” all around

Small porch on the north side at ground level. Space should accommodate 42” round table and chairs. Separate spot for Adirondack chairs. could be patio also. Room for outdoor kitchen and outdoor shower (phase 2 of building process) Chin up bar and room for stretching and sit-ups desirable.

HVAC Heating Propane or second choice Oil boiler with baseboard heating. I want efficient unit with outside air supply. Mark Marzialo will do heat balance calcs and order and install system with me Radiators will be on main floor and will use copper stubbs into basement. The main runs of tubing will be Pex-Al pex probably ¾” 1 zones on main floor(bedrooms, and remaining space). In basement 1 zone with a fan type radiator for occasional use, one zone for indirect very small hot water tank Programmable thermostat, outside temp reset Metal chimney through chase or wall vent if propane Wood Stove centrally located along the wall with the bedroom designed to heat whole house. I am going to install one the Doreen is giving me.
 Passive solar, south wall will contain ~ 80 ft^2 glass. Minimal glass on East, West and North faces. High solar gain glass on south side, Highly insulated glass on other 3 sides Kohltech would be my first choice. Windows on south side will be Kohltech solar glass U = .30, SHGC = 0.56 Remaining windows on other 3 sides will be High efficiency low solar gain windows. Recirculation type Solarsheat 1500 g 2 pack solar airheater with the heat directed into the basement (WWW. Yoursolarhome.com)
 Ventilation Windows on all 4 sides of the house are casement, openable to provide cross flow in any breeze HRV Air exchanger with heat exchanger for air quality. Located in basement draws from bathroom and kitchen exhausts into bedrooms. Should the exhaust and fresh air supply be located on north or south side? south I think. Must have defrost mode. Must also have a good programmable capability Bathroom has a 150 cfm capacity vent fan quiet Kitchen stove has a vent 3-400 cfm quiet Whole house fan in center of house ceiling 1000 cfm R38 unit low power draw summer use only House should have pressure balance air supply when woodstove is operating. Consider room to room vents for pressure equalization. Must be closable for summer bedroom AC AC in bedroom only

Plumbing Supply side Well by Stavins brothers including pressure tank and installation. Plumbing and hot water and solar tanks are centralized in basement directly under kitchen and bathroom. Distribution system will be Manblock home run system with a combination of 3/8 and ½ inch pex tubing. The tubing runs can all be kept down to 10 ft or less. The lines will be run exposed and utilize the utility chase as much as possible to make maintenance easy. There will be no tubing splices The water lines will be as follows: Cold: 11 total kitchen (sink, refrigerator, possibly coffeemaker) Bathroom (Sink, Toilet, shower) Basement (Sink, washing machine) Outside South, and north sides of house, one on north side to outside shower. Hot 7 total kitchen (sink, dishwasher) Bathroom (Sink, shower) Basement (Sink, washing machine) Outside north sides of house to outside shower. I will leave a few open slots for additional lines down the road
 Drain waste vent ABS tubing I want to use a single vent/waste stack up through the utility chase. The biggest difficulty I see is the shower drain is directly under the stairway base. Because I am using 9 ft ceilings, it should be ok clearance wise. I will need a plumber to do the layout for this. Will get the septic offsets from mike turner. I want a clean out in the basement placed so an additional bathroom could be installed in the basement at a later date.

Solar domestic hot water I am anticipating using AET’s indirect IPV system pressurized glycol loop solar system. This is the simplest system using a PV array to power the pump. I think I want the 40 ft^2 collector area 4X10 and 80 gallon tank. System will be installed in series with a small indirect tank warmed by one zone of the boiler. Include anti scald tempering valve Alternatively I might go for a small propane tankless hot water heater System will be installed with double isolation valves so hot water can come directly from the solar tank in the summer, but the indirect tank can be used as a stand alone if the solar system has problems. Peter Ashly will do the install if I have problems. I will run all copper tubing to the collector on the roof due to possible very high temperatures

Foundation Assumptions 2 story building light frame construction Walls are 40 ft X 28 ft OD. 136 linear ft Assume soils are 2000 lbs per ft^2 ask Mike Turner again for insight on this. Footing table 403-1 width =12” height =8” Mix for footings and walls 3000 psi 96.75$ yard need 8 yards footings Reference 402-2 I will need a stepped foundation to accommodate the land sloping and the desire to have a walkout basement. Footings must be below frost line =42” Foundation wall assume 9’ wall 7’ unbalanced backfill height Table 404.1.1(2) Need 8” nominal wall thickness Vertical reinforcement #6 32” OC The goal will be to use poly steel ICF forms. This gives me R20 walls for the basement. I would use Polysteel’s reinforcement schedule. Polysteel references costs on square ft of wall installed at 10$ ft^2 nominal Estimate from polysteelnortheast.com is including footings, WWW.polysteelnortheast.com Waterproofing is 0.90$ ft^2 assuming Tough and dry application. Probably will get Dave Fortier to spray it ~$0.45 ft^2. Suggested alternative is a peal and stick 0.040 thick membrane. Same 0.90$ ft^2 cost. The parts that are exposed above grade need to have the foam covered. Suggestion is to use synthetic stucco system 2.50 ft^2$ installed. If I use insulated concrete forms applicable reg is 404.4.1 Need to meet provisions of aci 318 Foundation drainage shall be provided and shall drain to daylight. Underneath the basement floor will be 4-6” gravel, then 2” formular extruded Styrofoam insulation then 4” 3500 psi concrete. Could use 3000 psi but I want the higher strength for equipment There will be one floor drain near the boiler and water heater.

There will be footing for 3 piers on centerline of the long axis located 10’ OC. These carry only the load from the first floor, No loading from ceiling is transmitted First floor=28X40 = 1120 ft^2 times 60 lbs/ft^2 20 lbs dead and 40 lbs live 67,200 lbs total load of first floor ½ of this is supported by the center beam 33,300 lbs with 3 center columns there is a total of 5 support points = 6,700 lbs per column Since the load bearing capability of the soil is 2000 lbs ft^2, you need 3.35 ft^2 Make the column supports 24X24”
I want the basement to have a walkout door on the west side. This implies the grading shall accommodate this. The door shall be a 48”-72” wide single or double door to accommodate woodworking machinery entrance Definitely no garage door. I would like a reasonable window ~ 4X4ft on west side Possibly several windows on south side. Note: the lot slopes from east to west aprox 1’ per 10 ft

Specifications for framing Ground floor I intend to use Ijoists for flooring over a center beam Center beam lvl built up beam 5 ¼ X11 ¼ Is it smarter to use 11 ¾ lvl (More common) 28 ft span 40 lbs live load 20 lbs dead load everything is designed to l/480 deflection so there is no issue with tile/ etc I will use 3 laly columns which yields a column spacing of 10’ (span) Using span tables from Ilevel true joist for floor girder beams 40lbs ll 20 lbs dl 28’ span 3 ½ X11 ¼ lvl beam gives l/360 deflection I am increasing it by 1.5X to get to L/480 deflection Main center floor girder will be 5 ¼ X 11 ¼ Dropped beam. Actually it will be 3 sections of 1 ¾ X 11 ¼ LVL Floor joists will be trujoist tji210 9 ½” depth 16” oc 28 ft long Joist will be doubled under wall spanning the whole floor For subfloor I can use ¾ or 7/8 OSB with no issues. It will be glued and nailed I will use the rim joist material and joist sections to carry the loads from the walls and roof loads.

Walls 2X6 construction using 92”studs 24” OC for the 40 ft long walls. If it is cost effective I will use EL top and bottom plates so they are continuous pieces. Build corners using 2 stud warm corner using formular insulation For the 28’ walls I will use 2X6 92.5” studs Standard double top plate Basic wall section should be drywall, studs and cellulose or isocyanate insulation if I can swing the costs, exterior osb(zip pannel) or plywood sheathing 1/2” with 1” polyisocyanate insulation with seems taped, then 15lb roofing felt for the water drainage plane then mesh and finally vertical wood siding shiplap eastern white pine barn siding with both sides stained prior to installation. For the interior partitions I will use 2X4 construction 16” OC.

The roof will formed using trusses I will use a basic scissor truss 24” OC. I would like 5/12 roof and 2/12 ceiling pitch. If the truss manufacturer prefers the standard 5/12 and 2.5/12 pitch that is ok also. The overall span will be 28’ with a 2 ft overhang on each side. At the ends I would like to use a dropped gable end truss so I can add outlookers and have a 24” roof overhang on the ends. What we used to call ladder rafters. What are the truss manufacturer’s recommendations for this? What is the ratio of overhang to supported area needed? My plan is to minimize labor involved in installing the trusses. I will need the truss manufacturers truss bracing schedule. Because these are scissor trusses special considerations will be necessary to deal with flex. I do not know how much of a problem it will be with the trusses I am selecting. I am assuming I will use the simpson movable truss connector on one end. Probably the end on the south side (no interior wall connections on the out side for flex to be a problem. So to summarize the truss specs, I need: Quantity 19 Clear span 28’ 0” Overhang 2’ 0” Pitch 5/12 Ceiling pitch 2/12 8” energy heel ends plumb cut Quantity 2 Dropped end gable trusses (not scissor) that will accommodate 2X6 outlookers Roof Roof will be asphalt shingles 50 year architectural shingles. Over 30 lb felt. I will use 2 layers of water and ice dam ~ 6 ft of coverage to be safe. I will buy the starter shingle pack and roof vent at the same time. The sides will have cedar shingles angles to keep water from dripping of the sides. XXXXXXX will order the stuff for me on his account The following will be openings in the roof: 1 plumbing vent 4” ABS on north side (2) 6-8” Metal chimney vents that will extend 3+ ft above roof. One will be located in the service chase on the north side backing up to the kitchen. One will be on the south side central along the bedroom wall (for the wood stove) 2 sun tunnels on the north side one above the kitchen one parallel to bathroom These will both be on 24” risers which should give them enough clearance to get direct sun even in the winter As an option, can I exit the sun tunnels on the south roof and just make a sharper bend to get to the opening in the ceiling? One opening for the solar domestic water heater lines. 4- attachment points for the solar panel

Windows and exterior doors I would like the windows on the south side to be double pane Pyrolytic loE with argon with a high solar Gain Kohltech “Solarglass” is my first choice. The other 3 sides can be argon or krypton filled double or triple pane with soft coat LoE coating on both panes. Kohltech “energlass” would be good. All windows will be Casements. The only 2 that will be fixed will be the center window of the triples on the south side Both entrance doors on the ground floor will be insulated single lite glass doors. The basement door can be industrial type but well insulated. All doors will have lever handles Front entrance and Basement doors will have keypad locks to eliminate door key See Paul Brazau for the door locks
 
Electrical and lighting see spreadsheet All lights fluorescent where possible Multimedia and house Automation The Wall outside the bathroom should contain all the house automation stuff This includes thermostat for main floor, HRV control, ceiling fan, whole house fan I would like in wall speakers in kitchen living, room, bedroom and on the north side exterior with individual sound controls. Cable hookup wall jack in living room Multi media cable to both bedrooms, kitchen and living room. Main junction and panel will be in the basement

Insulation details Basement floor R 10 2” ridged foam XPS insulation under slab (formular) Basement walls R 20 ICF construction Polysteel foundation system First floor walls Drywall- wet spray cellulose insulation or foam if affordable + sheithing1” polyisocyanate exterior sheathing over OSB ~ R25 with minimal thermal bridging Airtight drywall or zipp pannel air barier  insulation Windows R 3-4 (solar gain depending on orientation) Ceiling Minimal penetrations carefully sealed drywall then 1” polyisocyanate then R 30 fiberglass bats or cellulose,  Or foam. Blow in additional fiberglass or cellulose insulation to make it R50 All ducts will be in basement or in walls conditioned space and will be min R4.

Good Luck and have fun
eric

I am a huge advocate of wood gasification boilers that operate at very high efficiencies and burn so clean they are often called smokeless. It sounds like you have a decent amount of property and you may want to investigate this as an alternative to geothermal. Wood it part of the current carbon cycle, a renewable resource, and with gasification most of the carbon comes out in the fine powdery ash instead of into the air. Geothermal requires a good deal of electricity to run and a lot of that electricity is produced at a high pollution cost (not to mention the monthly electric bill itself). I grew up with geothermal and my father eventually mostly used a wood stove to avoid having such high electric bills.

Wood gasifiers are often connected to heat storage tanks that allow you to store the heat and burn when it is convenient for you. You can get all your domestic hot water from them, even in the off season by burning once per week and storing the heat in the tank. Burning in the summer is not a problem since it burns so clean. I have been running a gasification wood boiler for 5 seasons and I don't use any fossil fuel to heat my house or domestic hot water year round.

No matter what you choose, high R-values in the walls and roof is your best investment. R-40 walls and R-60 on the top will mean you have a very small heat load. Add some passive solar to that and it reduces the load even more. I know people that get all of their heat and hot water year round off of as little as 3-4 cords of wood and can go days between lighting fires even in the winter.

Just my $0.02 on the subject. I am sure you will find a wide array of suggestions here. Good luck!

I was involved in the build of an AAC house. We had a very hard time keeping the walls straight. With regular CMU block you have the 3/8" mortar joints to allow adjustment of each block to keep everything on the plumb and level. Not so with AAC. Then there were challenges with detailing of window and door openings and the electricians and sheetrock guys hated it, which translated into months of delays and very high prices for these trades. It was a sun tempered design and to tell you the truth I don't know how it worked out. That was ~8 years ago. Haven't seen one since.

Regarding "Just getting started", at this point you have a lot of budgeting to do. It might be sensible to get an accurate price on a standard custom built house to get a $ starting point and then decide what green/energy enhancements will fit within the budget. Taking shortcut per sq ft house costs won't work. You may end up needing to make some adjustments in the size of the home in order to balance the budget. It is kind of the chicken and the egg thing though unless you have been through this process a number of times.  Since you are interested in alternative construction you may want to consult a design professional to get a home with systems that work cohesively. A design pro will take no responsibility for your budget though. If you are going to use a builder who specializes in these types of projects he can help you with the budgeting aspect too.

I’d also check to see what Energy Star & green building programs are available locally. These programs will help a little with the design aspect but will also help verify that your home is built properly so as to perform to expected levels.

The most basic concept of energy efficient/green building is if you want a house that uses 1/2 the amount of fuel, 1/2 the amount of materials, and has 1/2 the amount of environmental impact, is to simply build a house 1/2 the size.

I know a guy who built an ICF house. Nice house however 10 years later they were never able to actually finish it per plan due to budget issues.

MattG;

good comments, some of the reasons I recommend letting the systems expert install the shell, that way the owner does not need to anguish thru the learning curve of a specialized building system. Most everything that follows the shell are fundamental construction methods.

Many owner builders don't anticipate the extra time in doing the work themselves, it is seriously like taking on another full time job, many need to extend the construction loan several times, pay rent or mortgage on where they are currently living in addition to the construction interest/loan payment. The longer it takes to build the less savings is realized because of the time/$$ factor and in some cases if the job takes too long could cost the O/B more than if they had contracted the entire job to a GC.

Many of our customers that wanted to be "involved" in the process said they would never do it again, the reward not being worth it, even as a building professional myself, when building my own home I did my own ceramic floors, cabinet installation / ceramic tops doors/trim and painting. I built the home in 3 months, but wore myself ragged doing the work while constructing 2 other homes at the same time, while also dealing with the stresses of selling my existing home and moving, it literally took months to recover and get back to normal.

...not to mention all the people who will lie, mislead, misrepresent, stall, cheat, and downright try to rob you. Unfortunately construction is an industry with a lot of coyotes.

Posted By Jelly on 03 Apr 2010 09:10 PM
...not to mention all the people who will lie, mislead, misrepresent, stall, cheat, and downright try to rob you. Unfortunately construction is an industry with a lot of coyotes.

Jelly;

I have had my share of getting ripped off too, I just chalk it up to human nature

Matt G, you angered the sheet rock guys for the wrong reason. It is simpler and cheaper to parge plaster directly to AAC blocks, skipping the drywall, or just slap paint on it.
Xella-USA, the North American arm of global AAC leader Hebel, claims a sixteenth inch tolerance on its blocks, which means some adjustments. But a CMU mortar joint is a structural component and an AAC thinset joint is not, so I am comfortable doing AAC as DIY while I would not tackle CMU.
Truth be told, the trades pretty much hate anything new, which also argues for DIY.

I'd much rather lift an AAC block over my head than a CMU one.

ToddM:

I wasn't the one calling the shots on the job - ie the drywall.  Maybe the problem was they were drywallers - not plasters.  They had problems with shrinkage crack where they covered the electricians work.   As far as slapping paint on it, the electricians had torn it up creating wire raceways, etc.  Also the blocks didn't create a perfect plane of a wall - maybe the 1/16" tolerance you spoke of.   Plus, with just painiting it, I don't know how the ceiling/wall drywall joint would be handled.  I'm just relating what happened.  It didn't go smooth and took at least 2 if not 3 times as long to built that house as a comparable sized home.  Around a year for 1200 sq ft.  And BTW - it was Hebel Block. 

Here is a few tips:  That big bandsaw we rented from them was a big help.  Also make sure your foundation block is perfectly level - ie masons MUST use a laser.  We burned up several large self feed bits and a circ saw.  Wish I had some more info.  Like I said, it was 8 or 10 years ago. 

As far as "Truth be told, the trades pretty much hate anything new, which also argues for DIY."   The thing is in the construction industry is priced via bid.  So, a guy really needs the work, bids on something highly unusual, and then ends up working for $6 an hour.  Yes - they tend to hate that....

I gather that you haven't actually tackled it yet - if so, look at it this way: You will be even more determined to make it work out OK - that's a good thing.  I bet it makes a super sound proof and cosy home.

AAC walls and panels (flat garage roof) are next. Thanks for your encouragement.

Hotel chains are a bright spot for AAC. The material is a natural for soundproof rooms that are individually climate controlled, so there are masons in training even in the north.

You needed one more saw: http://www.dewalt.co.uk/powertools/productdetails/catno/DW390/
I am building 50 miles from DeWalt's hdqs but I had to buy it on British ebay.

If you want to paint, you need to rout conduit channels on the top face of blocks, which will be covered by the next course. For that to happen expeditiously, it helps if your electrician and your block layer are the same person. You still need a skim coat, or a maybe just a high-fill acrylic primer if you are an block setting whiz.

Todd:

Sounds like you have done your homework.  I'm sure it will work out fine for you.

Re that saw - can't say I've seen one of those...  Looks like a electric handsaw?   or maybe about an industrial carving knife...

One other thing - you need a mixer of sime type...

I used AAC 30 years ago, well before thinset. There is no need to go thinset if you do not want to, you lose some of the thermal efficiency if you do.

If you can lay brick you can certainly lay AAC, much easier and a lot quicker. Very easy to cut.

It is also very easy to chase. Strikes me a lot easier than framing walls, but that depends what you are used to. Might be worth looking through the UK sites where it is a common product, you buy it at the Home Depot equivalent. http://www.hhcelcon.co.uk/