I finally bought a house in Cave Country! W00T!!!

[tbone1004]

@RayfromTX I think ICF came up more for the hurricane/tornado resistance both of which have clobbered that area recently

 

[The Chairman]

@RayfromTX recommended "Buildings Don't Lie" by Henry Gifford and I also highly recommend it.

A cursory research on the interwebs shows that especially here in Florida, ground water heating and/or cooling is a waste of resources. It's nothing that I am considering at the moment.

I guess your home used to be a very, very fency one and now it's just plain fency? ☺

I hope to only have a perimeter fence. Getting rid of the internal fences have really opened up this up. Mowing is easier, it looks better and there are fewer places for the weeds to hide.

 

[Akimbo]

@RayfromTX I think ICF came up more for the hurricane/tornado resistance both of which have clobbered that area recently

Don't forget the Formosan termite issue. I was amazed at the speed and damage they caused in Louisiana. They will bore and nest in EPS (foam) but can't eat it. You can get borate treated foam to prevent nesting.

I concur on the energy saving issue. It isn't expensive to build so energy efficient (insulation and low infiltration) that ground source heat pump payback doesn't work. The exception is if a good installation & maintenance infrastructure exists in your area. That indicates that you are a heating and cooling climate "sweet spot", have the required ground water access, and people to make it work.

 

[Schwob]

But it’s so long and it involves physics and the second law of thermodynamics and vapor diffusion and dew points and condensation and the reasons for airtight construction. People usually just want to be told what products are good and then they become vulnerable to marketing.

I could tell you what I do but if I don’t teach the physics then people think they can cherry pick and it can lead to straddling a picket fence, which can lead to testicular risk factors.

... but it would be a very worthy thread then... but yes, maybe not to everyone......

 

[The Chairman]

Are there house plans for the foam?

 

[mrfixitchapman]

We used the A One ICF forms from Diversifoam for our schoolhouse basement project. This is a new, energy-eficient basement under a building that was built in 1873. It's going to take a lot of work to get the upstairs as efficient as the downstairs. Book Of Faces linky. Scroll back to April to see the project develop.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100012098354138

Diversifoam linky thing

DiversiFoam Products | Building/Construction

They make the ICF forms that we used

http://www.diversifoam.com/pdf/A-ONE-ICF-2018.pdf

And they make a couple of wall insulating products for the interior of a poured-concrete wall. I have also seen this product placed inside the forms, so the foam integrates with the concrete. Leaves a ready-to-finish wall on the inside.

http://www.diversifoam.com/pdf/Pre-furred-Wall-Insulation.pdf

DC

 

[Akimbo]

Are there house plans for the foam?

There are but it doesn't take much to modify most stick-built plans. In an ideal world, start with the specific block and the core (concrete) thickness you want and make it so you don't have to trim the blocks. Trimming is super easy but using whole blocks makes the ties align perfectly and screw patterns are 100% predictable. Ties are typically every 6-8" apart depending on the brand of block. It also ensures that all the interlocking "keys" molded into the blocks align perfectly. Otherwise you have to reinforce transitions with plywood for the pour. Not a big deal but everything adds up in labor and materials.

I did a layout for a friend and adjusted the footprint for the specific block. It changed the dimensions a few inches overall and saved a lot of extra work.

The simplest approach is to find a plan you like, increase the footprint to account for the thicker wall, and then tweak the plan to optimize for the specific block. I did it in 3D CAD and got an exact minimum block count, accounting for doors and windows. Standard corners are 90° and 45°. I have some 67.5° corners so had to make special corner reinforcements for the pour. As a general rule, a square or rectangle is the most cost effective regardless of construction method (unless you are building a yurt or dome). Angles, corners, and bump-outs add cost to the foundation, walls, and roof. I'm not suggesting compromising what you want, only being aware of the impact that complex geometry has on cost.

 

[RayfromTX]

Don't forget the Formosan termite issue. I was amazed at the speed and damage they caused in Louisiana. They will bore and nest in EPS (foam) but can't eat it. You can get borate treated foam to prevent nesting.

View attachment 485072​

I concur on the energy saving issue. It isn't expensive to build so energy efficient (insulation and low infiltration) that ground source heat pump payback doesn't work. The exception is if a good installation & maintenance infrastructure exists in your area. That indicates that you are a heating and cooling climate "sweet spot", have the required ground water access, and people to make it work.

Termidor!

 

[The Chairman]

Fall seems to finally be here... or at least she's just around the corner. Woke up to 62F this morning with a high of 75. Should wake up to 48 or 50F. I spent almost all day outside and got a lot done. I'll give you a before/after pic. I removed 14 of those skinny trees in the pick as well as those three downed trees.

Before

After

Day is done on the Heckawee Reservation.​

 

[cerich]

@RayfromTX I think ICF came up more for the hurricane/tornado resistance both of which have clobbered that area recently

yup and I did mention that air handling and exchange is important because that level of efficiency can also be problematic.

I am not a expert but geothermal heat pumps given the climate in the florida panhandle would be an awesome solution.