Hello all! So pleased to find you!

We are in the process of designing our new home. We’re kind of feeling stuck in the design process because we don’t know of (and can’t find readily) builders with obvious expertise in ICF (including pitched roof).

We are at the very SW corner of NC, a couple hours to most of the big cities in TN and GA, about 4.5 to Asheville.

We are very handy DIY’ers, he’s an aerospace engineer and I’m good at the internet hahaha. Our reasons for wanting 100% concrete include efficiency (looking at off-grid with hydro and solar), fire resistance and strength— especially against falling trees; we are building in a mountain valley and would like to clear as little of the old growth forest as possible.

We are looking at about 2500sq ft, all above grade, 2 story w attic. Locally we have concrete folks, builders etc, but so far we have not found any concrete building specialists and don’t know if it’s something we could take on ourselves.

If anyone has suggestions on resources for DIY, advice/wisdom/warnings about self GC’ing this type of build, or if you’ve got solid recommendations for local(ish) pros, please send them my way!

TYIA!

A concrete roof seems like overkill to me. It says here that Cashier in SW NC gets 70 inches of rain a year. In the Smokeys farther north, which gets marginally less, I know from experience that finding wood on the ground that could result in a campfire is a major undertaking. No dry fuel on the ground, no dead trees, no forest fire. In fact, building in the trees reduces risk of fire because they serve as 60-foot lightning rods. As for tree damage, the cost of fixing a conventional roof will be a fraction of the cost of a concrete roof -- and homeowners insurance will pay for it. In the highly unlikely event of the insurer adding a tree hazard to your premium, you'll want to ask if concrete makes a difference.

I live in the woods on South Mountain in Pa with a dozen or so 60-foot trees towering over my house. What you MUST do is study local weather and pick a sheltered site. The big blows come from the west where I live, through a half mile of deep woods, and the highest winds pass over us and do their worst on higher ground to the east. In the middle of a dense healthy forest, wind damage typically is done the highest limbs. Then you want to befriend an arborist/tree surgeon. You'll want to make sure adjacent trees are healthy and stay that way. You'll want them taken down safely when they die. The latter is rarely an emergency in the case of emerald borer and locust borer -- the usual suspects around here. Major limbs come down years after the leaves are gone.

I had to cut five trees to build my house -- three oaks and two ash. I had a fellow tow a Saw-Mizer portable sawmill to the site and turn them into lumber for flooring, trim and cabinets. So I tell myself I didn't *really* kill any trees. I just moved some of them inside out of the weather.