Wednesday, September 17, 2008
The Mayan influence
Here, you can see the Mayan design incorporated into the house. Actually, the blocks for the gables "run wild" and will be trimmed to fit (hopefully) after they are completely stacked. The gallows has now been removed after the remaining blocks were hoisted. I may only have one or two blocks left over.
The second floor takes shape
Finess cuts are made with the old saw.
Here is how to add a window. Don't be fooled by the shirt hanging over the belt. I'm down to 169 pounds.Getting more block to the 2nd floor
The blocks are loaded on to the trailer with the Kubota tractor. The John Deere hauls them to the site. The winch on the Polaris Ranger lifts them. Repeat 20 times. Internal combustion and hydraulics, yeah. I took some video, but decided not to post it because of the OSHA violations.Building the second floor
The ledger boards are held in place using deadmen.
Joist hangers go on the ledger board.
After the joists are hung, the decking is scewed and glued. The stair well was later covered with a temporary decking.
After the joists are hung, the decking is scewed and glued. The stair well was later covered with a temporary decking.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
The next level
Three blocks will form the kneewall on the second floor. Because these are above the stair well, the second floor platform won't help in their placement. So, we just used the Genie Lift to place them on scaffolding and hand placed them over the rebar stubouts. Very hard work. You can see the covered beams in the livingroom are ready for sheathing.
Beam preparation and weatherproofing
The beams are stained with vinegar that has had steel wool dissolved in it. The resulting solution artificially darkens and weathers the wood. I added more steel wool than the vinegar could dissolve, so some of the wool just rusted. The iron oxide from the rust adds a reddish color. The color darkens for several hours.Under the beam as it was being stained is a strip of my Fast Footer that I had left over. I also cut the material into strips and stapled it to the top of the beams to protect them from rain before I can get the floor sheathing on. I'm getting my money's worth from the Fast Footer material. As a disclaimer, they saw this blog and sent me a free T-shirt. Too bad it isn't tie-died.
Beam placement
The Genie Lift was modified from an ICCF hoist to a beam hoist, using one of the form boards removed from a window.
A 16' 2x4 (resting against the wall) from the Fast Footer form was cut to size and used as a gauge to ensure that the beams were the right length. That way, we were positive that the beam would fit before it was lifted into place.
Each beam had to be raised in a skewed position to fit between the walls, then once clear of the wall height, manuevered into position and dropped down in the pockets. I couldn't do that with the last beam, so it had to be staged up on cribbing on the partition wall before the last two were placed. It was then picked up and dropped into position.
A 16' 2x4 (resting against the wall) from the Fast Footer form was cut to size and used as a gauge to ensure that the beams were the right length. That way, we were positive that the beam would fit before it was lifted into place.
Each beam had to be raised in a skewed position to fit between the walls, then once clear of the wall height, manuevered into position and dropped down in the pockets. I couldn't do that with the last beam, so it had to be staged up on cribbing on the partition wall before the last two were placed. It was then picked up and dropped into position.
Forms removed
Here it is with the form work removed. Click on the image and you can see the concrete columns and beams as the intersect the window openings. The door opening keeps it's PT jamb to accept a pre-hung door. Also visible is the mini-ledger at the top of the ICCF partition/fireplace wall. The window bucking still in place in the back wall is a partial form work for a window that will extend into the next couple of rows of ICCF. It is on the stair landing.
Cast in place bolts
These are the cast in place all-thread rods that will hold the ledger for the stairway landing. I put extra foam around them to hold them steady during the pour and to make them visible afterwards. Bolts sticking out from the concrete are nearly invisible and can be dangerous. They are very unforgiving on clothing or skin.
Inside view
This shows one of the cast in place brackets and the horizontal rebar. This is an entrance way and the bracket is actually to hold a partition wall, therefore, it isn't placed in a column and didn't get completely encased in concrete. You can also see that it pushed the rebar towards the back of the beam. This was the only place where the concrete didn't fill right up against the form. Click on it to enlarge.
Here's what the triangular pour window looks like when foamed back in place. We foamed as we poured around the building, so the second lift of about 4-5 feet took place 30 minutes after these were foamed. Not a single failure or even a leak. Once the excess foam is knocked off, it gets plastered and disappears.
Window form removal
The sill forms were held in place with plastic window shims.
They get snapped off and the board is knocked off by hooking a claw hammer under it and tapping with the sledge. In the background you can see exposed horizontal concrete beams formed by the ICCF.
