Been Busy….And A Great Little Saw

[Bob Smalser]

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/3297171/110759264.jpg

That little cheapo Ridgid 10” plastic contractor’s saw at lower left (under a tarp) in the pic has lived under a tent or tarp now for 5 years ripping stock too big for it without a hitch. Table adjusts to true with the arbor and the fence stays true for a year or so of abuse before adjustment is required.


Progress pics:

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/3297171/59962284.jpg

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/3297171/64132251.jpg

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/3297171/107308639.jpg

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/3297171/107308640.jpg

Continued…

[Bob Smalser]

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/3297171/107308948.jpg

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/3297171/110759277.jpg

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/3297171/110759274.jpg

[Ken Kimbrell]

That seems quite the project you are into there!
Looks like the view will be really great, is that a lake, or is it a river?
Details please...:)

[John Bailey]

Did I miss something? What's the project. Doesn't look like a boathouse. Looks like somebody's gonna' get a beautiful spot to live.

John

[Jim Dunn]

I take it from the photo's that Quad-Lock is an insulation cover for concrete blocks? Nice looking view and lay-out you've got there Bob. Is it a hide-away for an ex-ranger? Ain't gonna go Uni on us are ya:eek::confused::D:D

Just kidding, it is a neat looking lot with a cute looking lake to boot.

[Keith Starosta]

If I am remembering correctly, concrete is actually pumped into the recesses of the Quad-Lock block "foundation". Pretty neat process. When I saw it done, one of the problems they started having was blow-out toward the bottom of the stack, once the concrete started reaching the top. Messy!

Looks great, Bob! I'm looking forward to watching your progress.

Keith

[Bob Smalser]

...one of the problems they started having was blow-out toward the bottom of the stack, once the concrete started reaching the top.

Keith

That's whut all that framing lumber is for. It's put together with deck screws for easy disassembly.

[Bart Leetch]

Bob we all know your building somtin so what is it? :D Are you going to let us in on the secret huh? :eek:

Nice view......

[Steve Clardy]

New Lake House?
New Lake SHOP?

[Bob Smalser]

You're looking at the walk-in basement of what will be a stick frame Victorian farmhouse on a 5-acre Coho Salmon nursery in the center of our tree farm. Lotsa critters.

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/3297171/40431612.jpg

ICF (Insulated Concrete Forms) is expensive, but the energy payback comes pretty quick. The principle advantage is they go up like Legos and are one-man-crew friendly. The 2x6 frame is merely to support and brace the Legos for the pour, after which it comes off for reuse.

That basement and my current tent-shed setup will serve as a temporary shop during house construction. Later I'll build a seperate boat shop. All the lumber for three buildings is already cut and dried waiting for use. Notice those ain't your anemic Home Depot 2X6's in those pics. ;)

[Jim Dunn]

Bob that's sweet looking home your building. And I take it that that is a little cove in the front yard? Gonna add a dock? What are you doing for waste-treatment? Aeration, septic? Standard absorption field, drip irrigation or something else special since your on a lake?

[Joe Mioux]

Back in 1990, when I was building a new store, I had considered using this product. The drawings were speced for it. At the time it was realatively new and the installers were still pretty green. I chose not to go with the system at that time. From what I remember, the key to a successful pour, sans extra bracing, was to pour only a couple feet in height at a time.


If I were to be buidling today, I would give it go.

Bob, the house you are building looks great.

Joe

[Bob Smalser]

Standard gravity drainfield is on the only slope I have with 48" of soil above glacial til. To get the effluent there I have to pump it 250' up hill. I have the drainfield but not the tanks in already.

Stormwater controls are also in - there's 150' of horizontal sand filter rimming the pond below the house. The footing and eave drains go thru two Type I boxes before the filter.

And there's already two docks out there. We recover sunken cedar from that and another pond.

We'll do this pour with a pump and 6" slump mix in 2-foot lifts.

[Andy Hoyt]

That's one heck of a shop!

What's the house gonna look like?

[Dan Forman]

Looks like a little chunk of paradise! Hope the build and move go smoothly.

Dan

[Martin Hart]

That is a beautiful house. My place is a 1928 design and the best thing about it? The verandah. You'll love yours. We use ours constantly from March/April till Halloween.

[Andy Howard]

Why not use the ICF for all the exterior walls?

How much more do you estimate it to be vs. stick construction?

I looked in to it when I was looking for a house, but couldnt find anyone in my area to do it. I love the concepts and benefits of the ICF, and I think I will custom build my next house and use ICF for all the exterior and load bearing walls!

Andy

[Bob Smalser]

Why not use the ICF for all the exterior walls?

How much more do you estimate it to be vs. stick construction?

I looked in to it when I was looking for a house, but couldnt find anyone in my area to do it. I love the concepts and benefits of the ICF, and I think I will custom build my next house and use ICF for all the exterior and load bearing walls!

Andy

Expense is all.

Those 8' walls cost 6 grand for the Quadlock, 1500 for the steel and another 2 grand for the mix. Figuring I coulda used subfloor plywood for the forms and saved the 6 grand, it isn't a great short-term deal, cost-wise.

Doing an additional two stories with it would be much more than triple the cost, as the walls would have to be much thicker.

[Norman Hitt]

Bob, is there any coating or other covering required on the outside of those walls to protect the Foam blocks from moisture, soil, (and "Bugs"), from the backfill, or do you just backfill against the foam? Also, what is the recommended backfill material, pea gravel, sand, or other?

It's sure going to be a nice place with a beautiful view.

[Bob Smalser]

Bob, is there any coating or other covering required on the outside of those walls to protect the Foam blocks from moisture, soil, (and "Bugs"), from the backfill, or do you just backfill against the foam? Also, what is the recommended backfill material, pea gravel, sand, or other?

It's sure going to be a nice place with a beautiful view.

The exterior foam is covered with a fabric identical to the strong, nylon-thread strapping tape you use on packages.

Then I'll use a layer of visqueen, followed by a layer of dented plastic/filter fabric material excess to a commercial structure I scrounged, followed by 7/8" drain rock applied 2' wide from the wall outwards seperated from the fill earth by more filter fabric. 60 inches of rain here annually.

We are at the far northern limit of termite country and such ain't a big concern.

On the side of the house you don't see is a creek 100' away whose bottom is 4' higher than the footings. I left the excavation hole open for a full year to see if there would be any leakage. None yet, but the raised footings (instead of much-easier excavations) are specifically to get the footing drain well beneath the wall joint. The only way I know of to guarandamtee a 100% dry basement.

[Norman Hitt]

Sounds like a Good Plan to me. Thanks for the info, Bob.