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icf vs block foundation

Started by addicted, May 01, 2017, 08:41:52 PM

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MbfVA

At $110 turnkey, you seem to have just made a big big argument for Superior, esp since you did not cost in your time, but my $110 cost estimate was for 9 ft ceiling ht.  Which may be with the Xi sections themselves actually closer in ht to 10?  I will check the Superior site and see if I can determine.

Still anticipating response from the OP who liked Superior but who also was at least mildly concerned with Superior's "engineering" being "light", but their proffered level of involvement leading up to install is another factor.  One day turnkey service just plain appeals if the price is right.
www.ordinary.com (really)

Ljohnsaw

Quote from: MbfVA on May 29, 2017, 05:29:43 PM
At $110 turn key, you would seem to have just made a big big argument for Superior, esp since you did not cost in your time.

Is the Superior product insulated?  I think the killer for me would be the shipping ;)  And does your price include setting them up?  Definitely not a DIY job to set them in place, I would imagine!

I looked at the FasWall because I didn't want to have to do something about the normally exposed foam on conventional ICF.  And didn't really consider poured concrete because I would 1) have to buy, build or rent a lot of forms and 2) I would have to insulate.
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

Don P

I hate it when I write a novel and the computer eats it  :D
The Superior price would be installed, insulated, studded out, wiring chases in that studding, ready for drywall, its a good deal. You have the gravel down and ready. I would slightly slope the trenches and underslab grade to daylight rather than targeting dead level, move any water out from underneath, never had a problem just things I'd do next time. Rent a plate compactor and do the trenches in lifts. They will run their plate over it install day and check/fine tune grade, be on target though.

The first job was a TF with heavy point loads, they could have done better, never been an issue just a little light on thinking there. The second was one of the first jobs out of Amelia, excellent. Must have been 5-6 years ago. The concrete is done under controlled conditions, some of the toughest stuff you will ever drill through.

Aside, Michelle was ~3 bucks of scaffold off the greatroom floor sanding the kingpost trusses on that job when a neighbor came by to check on us. He had been awakend from an afternoon nap by the tremor centered in Louisa. He was ICF's on poured footings, we were on gravel. We said "what earthquake?" Neither was damaged or anything, just interesting that the gravel trench seemed to isolate us.

nativewolf

re Don's post:  Virginia had a very rare earthquake a few years back, actually decently powerful and damaged the Washington Monument.  Shook my house so hard I had the family outside in a hurry (badly poured slab from 1960)- time spent in CA helped me figure it out.  Lasted almost a min.   Very rare thing here, 5.8 but very deep. 

Had a neighbor put in a superior basement system and they had it up very quickly.  Modular sections for the home too; was up in 2 weeks and then they spent a few months doing the other things like porch, windows, paint, etc but it was very quick. 
Liking Walnut

Don P

As the last hour of this remembrance day wanes away you've helped me remember an ancestor at a bridge over the South Anna. Eighty men held off twelve hundred.

MbfVA

 We live in Goochland County, and our farm is in Fluvanna, both of which border Louisa. I was in the kitchen when that quake started and thought the train had jumped the tracks along to James River about a half mile south. It's probably the most frightened I have ever been in my own house.  We think it trashed our 125 foot well, the one for our restaurant about 500 feet away,  and based on the amount of mica that I am seeing, may have harmed our home well, which is about 225 feet deep.  FEMA contract engineer came around, spent about 20 minutes in the house and got us $1400 for mainly minor sheet rock damage.  They had no mandate to cover commercial property, so that well was our responsibility, and I am not certain anyone could prove any damage to our home well.  We're on county water there now at the restaurant, which saves a lot of drama when the dishwashing load peaks on holidays and busy others.

Our house was built in 1983 by a 1953 USNA grad (with Ross Perot, whom he describes as one of the finest human beings he's known--has paid millions for education tuition for thousands of Naval dependents, and more), who sold it to us.  Overbuilt in some ways, with 3 steel girders underneath in the crawl, et al. 

Cuckoo Tavern or what long ago replaced it on that spot, was severely damaged as was Louisa High School.  I think the homeowner paid well over $200,000 for restoration work, and the school was demolished and replaced, something like $40 MM?  Peanuts compared to CA, I know.  But this is VA, and we don't have much experience.

I'm glad to hear that Superior seems to make out well.  I would not want our to be built home to slide down the hill into the rivah.

I am not sure why Superior charges more for above ground (the AG system) since the rep told me they are essentially the same panels.  It  may relate to the larger expected number of door and window cut outs that have to be done on above grade wall, since I believe the $130 was giving me a ballpark average (high, I am hoping), and not any sort of price list quote.

Wondering how we'd finish the exterior of AG, since I thank it basically presents a fairly smooth concrete surface, one that allows for a lot of different exterior coverings, perhaps even stucco/Dirvitthank it basically presents a fairly smooth concrete surface, one that allows for a lot of different exterior coverings, perhaps even stucco, or Dryvit for more insulation (is there some kind of mold problem going on with D?).  I  have no idea of the relative cost involved. 

I wish Sup walls were like SIPs, that more insulation could be factory installed/thicker made, since the R-13 or so they do does not work for AG installs, more will have to be added.  Wouldn't that be the cheapest way all of the things considered?  Wouldn't that be the cheapest way all of the things considered? Thinking, more "turn key".  In fact Sup recommends more insulation even with their basement systems, particularly for any part above ground level.

The included stud space certainly can hold whatever you want to add.  Somehow, fiberglass bats, likely the cheapest route, seem very low-tech in such an otherwise hi-tech product, not to mention another trade involved.  Do you get that I don't like FGlass?

Maybe they will add an insulation enhancement feature for the next generation/generation, where insulation values can be customized at the factory.

Has anyone looked at EZ SIP?  CN company that does at least some of their manufacturing in the states.  It's not structural, but it does purport to deal with thermal bridging in normal frame construction, and it comes in specific widths and heights to suit the user.

BTW, big SUP feature that I don't believe anyone has mentioned--a 20? yr warranty against water in the basement.  I suspect the insect 🐜 concerns voiced by OPs would be largely taken care of, but we are going to use Boric Acid in our construction with a vengeance, regardless, JIK.

Another thing we may try is mixing habanero pepper into things that might interest vermin, like caulking around the foundation, windows, etc.  Sprinkle a little in some of the stud cavities along with the boric acid?  Big "South of the Border" surprise for the little guys, maybe?  Can a roach scream as he or she zips around looking for water?  :D
www.ordinary.com (really)

Don P

Ours had a coarse broomed finish, a good bonding surface. On the first we had brick ties installed and the mason applied ~4" thick rock in a dry ledge stone fashion, very labor intensive but quite nice. On the second there were only a few bits of foundation visible. The garage entry was the largest area, he applied natural veneer stone there. It would be easy to do some form of stucco. I think the dryvit/mold issues you are seeing applies to EIFS systems, entirely different animal and not the best idea IMO.

It would be worth inquiring whether they could do a full foam cavity fill at the plant, no idea. We used fiberglass in above grade, yup not my favorite either. Sprayfoam would be better but another costly trade to bring in.

Do you have a link to your restaurant? Food had to come in here somewhere  ;D

MbfVA

Thought you'd never ask
www.ordinary.com
Harold Wingate of Independence originally is the owner of The Home Place in Catawba, showed us how to do it back in 1986, with total generosity of time and expertise and he & family are our friends to this day--they won't even let us pay to eat there, we're family to them.

My mother's first teaching job was in Independence, 1937.

Did you meet Jim Craig of Sotheby's Auctions, owed Great Hall up on the mtn just W of independence?  Originally asked $5 MM for it, sold some of the land

Harold is an atty and appraiser at or abt 90 now; I am a CPA and former commercial realtor, and wannabe engineer (2 years at VT before switching to acctg; and I counseled freshman engineering students for the last two years there as a student assistant – they didn't fire me when I changed majors).  Go figure how both of us went so wrong 😧🤓.

I am hoping wood will set me free.
www.ordinary.com (really)

MbfVA

I'll ask Cotton if more factory insulation is possible.  I'm sensing beta test status for residential above ground anyway-- I think they have sold some of those commercially, but I'm not sure they've done any residential.

Using the Superior AG (above ground) system would render timber framing 'ornamental' as far as the exterior wall is concerned, wouldn't it?

Who was your salesperson at Sup?

Also, he and I discussed going more than two stories about the basement for the AG system on the phone (3 total, including the Xi basement wall) , and he said he had seen that in commercial applications, maybe as many as eight or nine in some motels, so he wasn't sure why there would be any limitation. When I emailed him later with some addl questions including a reprise on the # of stories, he mentioned only the three story limitation.   No further mention of going more than three stories total with Superior.  Wondering if he got his chain pulled for mentioning >3 for residential??

We are targeting three stories above ground, to give us a high view of the river on the top floor.  Makes our desired copper roof smaller & cheaper!
www.ordinary.com (really)

Don P

My wife manages the farmer's market in Independence. Yes I know Jim socially, we share some friends in common, the old cedar garage door from their place is the door in my shop. Quite a character. They have moved, I think to FL. I've taken several of Frank Woeste's engineering short courses at VT over the years.

I cannot remember our salesperson's name, he was a retired contractor. Really you can say the same about SIPS, you can build a house out of them alone. I'm certainly not a purist, I don't mind conventional walls with a heavy timber roof. Once structure is taken care of the rest is personal taste.

Ljohnsaw

Quote from: MbfVA on May 30, 2017, 03:32:24 PM
Thought you'd never ask
www.ordinary.com

Food looks good, 8) but, man o man - the web site needs work!  They should hire Jeff! ;)  Maybe its  southern thang, but the rambling on and repeating stuff sure is confusin'! :D
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

MbfVA

Fair critique but it's like the food, home made.  When I get the time, it'll be bettah.

Wordpress is not my favorite since I cannot really do it off line (and I am one slow typist) like with the old Macromedia now Adobe program, which I have as part of Creative suite but cannot recall its name.

This little Adobe spark video (draft) probably would do better for us on its own:

https://voice.adobe.com/a/SycASXtG

That one has a typo or 2, earlier version, I'll try to redo it with the right link soon.
www.ordinary.com (really)

Don P

I cannot say enough impolite things about wordpress and other site builders... but I get outvoted by the younger set so I let them take over the sites I've helped with, then they get distracted, leave behind that pile of garbled code, and so it goes.

MbfVA

Let me toss in more kero: nudura.com
Is this just ICF of a particular fashion or a major innovation?
Anyone use them?

Also, I came across a concrete builder on Trulia blog who does residential in MO.  He claims to be able to build competitively with concrete.  I am writing to him, will report.
www.ordinary.com (really)

Raider Bill

The First 70 years of childhood is always the hardest.

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