Some ask: What are we looking at?

>On Thursday we had the first of a three day heat wave that I hope is breaking as I write.   It was the first day I needed to move blocks and by my calculation I garden  hauled almost 3000 lbs of them, with the help of my trusty garden cart.  Can't wait for arrival of our tractor!    It was HOT AND DUSTY.  


Here's a little clarification using pictures from the last coupla days progress.  
Hoping  this will make the pictures you've already seen more understandable:  

The "foundation" of our house (this is pretty standard) is an outline of the house poured in concrete called "footings."  These are thicker heavier channels of concrete that lay under the basement slab (floor) .  THey are so that the heavy perimeter walls are sufficiently supported.  THis is the case in many houses you've seen,   just that you generally are looking at it after the concrete slab was poured on.  Here you are seeing these "footings."   

 THe squares inside are the same kind of thing,  but they are to support some steel columns that will come down to support upper construction (to allow some wide openings on the first floor).  Next week the interstices that you see in this picture will be filled with more gravel and then a 3 -4 " slab of concrete will be poured over top,   so that most  of the concrete you see here will be underneath, and invisible.


We are building the house using "insulating concrete forms."   The ones we are using are manufactured very near here and are made from wood chips rather than styrofoam,  like many.  THey are a little heavier, and  sturdier.   If you're really interested,  check out: http://www.faswall.com/product.html They fit together pretty precisely,  with a pattern that requires attention to the orientation of the blocks -- up and down, front to back, etc.  THey have cut outs that create a web of concrete when they are filled  -- with a horizontal as well as vertical elements.   THey create a tight building with breathable walls...  

The (oversimplified) idea basically is that you stack them up to the exact shape and size that you want,  and then fill the cavities inside with rebar and  concrete. Floors hang inside,  roof on top and internal walls all framed conventionally,  within this envelope.   The inside and outside of the blocks can be plastered  or stucco'd or you can attach any of the conventional finishes....    Soon I'll share some pics of a model and maybe plans,  if you're interested.   In the meantime,  above is a pic of a load of blocks.  



Fred-- my concrete guy-- is laying the all important first course of blocks for me,   because it has to be mortared and laid to near perfection so that subsequent courses fall into place square and plumb without a lot of shimming and adjustment.   It's been a little slow getting a rhythm.  I need him to finish up and am having some of the standard frustrations one has with busy construction folks.... Oh well, soon it'll be just me.

First,  all the corners had to be prepared,  placed and cemented into place.  (Placement of  just the corners such that they will be square, level, and in the right place  is a little tricky,  but I think we got pretty close.    That stage looks like this.  


THen the blocks in between get put into place.  That looks more like this (Sorry.... not a very good image but stick with me.)   

On Friday I stacked a second course just to assess whether the work was sufficiently exact,  and what I got was this:  

In actuality the procedure for stacking the courses is different - with the all important corners requiring attention first- so this was just an experiment,  but it gives you a pretty good sense of what is to come.  

Tomorrow  (Monday the 18th of August)  I have a helper coming.  If things work out,  I'll hope to have him here through as much of the construction as possible.  Keep your fingers crossed for me,  and keep some e mails or comments coming.  Don't have to be about building,  just say hi, will ya!  xxB