ICF extension project

Originally Posted by sundancewfs

No your not missing any thing. It's common to use depth gauge battens. once the surface is levelled the battens are removed and the gaps filled in. This video gives an idea as to the way I described. the finish float takes off the highs and the fills the lows. This video is using cement render... hence no mesh. Mesh is used in the base coat of acrylic render. As you can see, the flatter the surface you start with, the easier it is to end up with a flat smooth final surface.
Using Cement Australia Render It to render a brick wall - YouTube

Remember, I am, by no stretch of the imagination, a professionally renderer I have taught myself on the fly. The way I do things is the way I have worked out that works for me doing large expanses by myself. It is not an easy job by any means. The quotes we had for our rendering came in at between $19,000 to $23,000. This was a very large incentive to teach myself. The surface is finished to a level that I'm comfortable to live with. It probably doesn't look as good as a professional job...... but then again..... it didn't cost as much either.

I agree with you, that is my incentive to DIY rendering as well

So how do you usually attach the wood batten to the wall? Do you nail it into the wall or just use glue?
I'm also considering the joint type between the bricks before they start racking them. Would flush joint better than raked joint?

Thanks!

Originally Posted by tangle88

I agree with you, that is my incentive to DIY rendering as well

So how do you usually attach the wood batten to the wall? Do you nail it into the wall or just use glue?
I'm also considering the joint type between the bricks before they start racking them. Would flush joint better than raked joint?

Thanks!

I suppose you could attach them with dobs of glue or a couple of masonry nails.
Some of these questions would probably be better suited to the rendering forum as there are some quite knowledgeable people who post in there. As far as the brick joins go.... if the bricks are already laid, the joints will already be set. Acrylic render isn't necessary to render over masonry. Acrylic render is mostly used on light weight materials like polystyrene. The base coat of render would fill the raked brick joins easily. so either way would be ok.... I suppose.

anything been happening in the last 7 weeks?

Originally Posted by wozzzzza

anything been happening in the last 7 weeks?

A lot wozzzzza,
Kids, school, kinder, playgroup, gym, dance, swimming lessons, and now school holidays.........

Oh and trying to get the ducted heating in place. (sure picked a great time to rip the old system out.... )
At least the insulation is proving it's worth!
We should be commissioning the new 6 star Braemar zoned system within the next two weeks.
Some pics and a description to follow soon.

Originally Posted by sundancewfs

At least the insulation is proving it's worth!
We should be commissioning the new 6 star Braemar zoned system within the next two weeks.
Some pics and a description to follow soon.

Interested to know what your early morning inside temps where during that cold snap we just had

with out heating. The B/V rental I'm in at the moment was down to 8 degrees with the heating

of over night.

Originally Posted by goldie1

Interested to know what your early morning inside temps where during that cold snap we just had

with out heating. The B/V rental I'm in at the moment was down to 8 degrees with the heating

of over night.

We had outside temps of 4 deg c and inside in the downstairs of the extension 16 deg c (upstairs with two people sleeping in the master 17.5 deg c)
The old part of the house without the walls insulated, suffered a bit dropping to 12-13 deg.

Originally Posted by sundancewfs

We had outside temps of 4 deg c and inside in the downstairs of the extension 16 deg c (upstairs with two people sleeping in the master 17.5 deg c)
The old part of the house without the walls insulated, suffered a bit dropping to 12-13 deg.

That certainly tells the story. I'm looking around to buy and renovate. Serious insulating and heating

is a whole new world to me since moving down here.

It's been pretty quiet in here Sundance... everything OK? Surely you know you have millions of us on the interweb thing waiting to see the next update from the Uberhouse?

Originally Posted by Smergen

It's been pretty quiet in here Sundance... everything OK? Surely you know you have millions of us on the interweb thing waiting to see the next update from the Uberhouse?

It's been pretty quiet around here too Smergen...
I'm coming to terms with the ever increasing demands of being the parent that stays at home. As the children get older (number 2 starts school next year) the amount of running around after them and their activities has risen dramatically. Couple that with my wife now back at work full time and the "baby" now fifteen months old and walking, I don't have a lot of free time.
We have just got back from a holiday on the Daintree and Port Douglas too.
Mind you......
There are still things going on and photos being taken. The heating is partially installed and operating. The aircon still needs to be connected and commissioned, as with the zoning of the heating (currently we are running it as one zone) so stay tuned....

Originally Posted by sundancewfs

It's been pretty quiet around here too Smergen...
I'm coming to terms with the ever increasing demands of being the parent that stays at home. As the children get older (number 2 starts school next year) the amount of running around after them and their activities has risen dramatically. Couple that with my wife now back at work full time and the "baby" now fifteen months old and walking, I don't have a lot of free time.
We have just got back from a holiday on the Daintree and Port Douglas too.
Mind you......
There are still things going on and photos being taken. The heating is partially installed and operating. The aircon still needs to be connected and commissioned, as with the zoning of the heating (currently we are running it as one zone) so stay tuned....

I hear you about the loss of time as the kids get older. I try an incorporate them in all that I do just to keep them keen. It often means a 5min job takes 15min but keeps everyone happy and interested.

Look forward to hearing the updates when you get the time. A massive house around the corner from us was done with ICF and always makes me think of your joint.

Think I need to move to the Dandenongs area. Double brick is the norm in WA (though that is starting to change) so nowhere near as exciting as timer, ICF etc etc.

I'll wait til you've reached the "Whoa" point before i ask any general or nitty/gritty stuff.

Superb effort on the house and the thread.

I'd love to do what you're doing, or even donate my time/spare hands to help anyone that is doing something similar - purely for the experience.

Huge respect going your way

Originally Posted by perplexed

Think I need to move to the Dandenongs area. Double brick is the norm in WA (though that is starting to change) so nowhere near as exciting as timer, ICF etc etc.

I'll wait til you've reached the "Whoa" point before i ask any general or nitty/gritty stuff.

Superb effort on the house and the thread.

I'd love to do what you're doing, or even donate my time/spare hands to help anyone that is doing something similar - purely for the experience.

Huge respect going your way

Thanks perplexed.
I'm probably a lot like other people on these forums..... Been doing it for what seems like ages now, and feeling a bit tired and jaded.....
If you have any questions, ask away. The "Whoa" is going to be a few years yet....
Bunbury is a nice place to live.(I used to work shifts in the Wesfi laminex plant in Bunbury)
I think you just have to be adventurous to try something like we have. The standard local building style in our area is either brick veneer or weatherboard. Really unsuited to the environment we live in.

Originally Posted by sundancewfs

As the children get older the amount of running around after them and their activities has risen dramatically.

Surely not !!!! How can it get much more than it already is? Here I was looking forward to my oldest starting kindergarten next year.

I feel your pain but there are positives about being able to spend more time with the kids than a 9-5 dad. It is good having the flexibility but there is a price to be payed with the house building taking longer.

To all the tired and jaded owner builders out there, keep celebrating the milestones (no matter how small), take the time to look back at what you have accomplished and enjoy the journey.

[posted to both ICF extension project & ICF house build in Adelaide]

Hi sundancewfs & Belair_Boy:
I'm sure I'm not the only one that really enjoys seeing progress on each of these and would love to know how they are proceeding (no matter how slow or more whoa than go.)

Any updates or, pictures for us ICF tragics??
Would love to hear how well the build in Melbourne stood up in the last couple of weeks' hot weather.

Hi president_ltd.

I agree, we need to see a lot more of Belair's progress!

Progress here has all but stopped over the summer period. 3 kids on holidays (and my wife with generous leave) means we have been holidaying. I did sit down and write out a list of things to do a week ago..... when I got to the bottom of the first sheet of A4 paper I got despondent and gave up....
The two older kids are both at school this year and that will leave me at home with just the 18 month old. This should free up a lot of time.
I did put two towel rails up in the ensuite bathroom last week.....
Oh and this coming week is a Mother-in-Law week......

Originally Posted by Bloss

There speaks a man who should know better . . . Ask your wife if you don't . . .

Hehehe.... I know Bloss, I should know better..... He'll take up just as much time as the other too did.

As for the wife.....I am the wife ..... or house husband at least. Have been now for 8 years.....

any further progression on this??

My wife wishes there was some progress Wozzzzza!
This year has been an interesting one.
With two kids at the local primary school this year, I joined the PFA (parents and friends association)
I now have a much better understanding about how and why fund-raising is so important to state schools.....
Hence, this year I initiated a fundraising program. It took a bit of convincing the other (all women) commitee members that it would work, but they were game to give it a try. At the beginning of the year we started a scrap metal drive. The goal was to collect a trailer load (8x5) of metal per month,(by appointment, no scavanging) raising approx $100 per trailer. This would raise us $1200.00 for the year. As it has turned out..... so far I have moved 24 tons of scrap and we have raised over $6500.00. A very successful program, but quite time consuming too!
And so...... building has taken somewhat of a back seat....
I have build a porch over the doors of the shed though, and fitted the base plywood staircase downstairs to the living area, but..... that's about it for the whole year....
Oh and at the age of 47, I decided to take up gymnastics.... (Our daughter has had a very successful year, rating as one of the top gymnasts for her level in the state) So I decided to give it a try too..... When I started I was 85kg. I'm now 68kg and a LOT stronger. I train 4 hours a week, at nights and have even started competing myself.
So that's news from me....
Things are starting to quieten down about now and I'm hoping, as the weather fines up to get stuck back into it.

Wow Sundance. What a read! Hope the gymnastics are going well. If I didnt have an icf build of my own going I'd offer to come and help get you going. I did 4 years at home looking after my daughter myself but didn't get much building done. Definitely worth it though. Anyhow, I have a couple of quick questions despite your well described posts to date. What are the different foams you used? Especially the orange one to fill gaps in the ICF. I think I might have one or two gaps.) Putting roof colorbond sheets on next week and also getting 36 windows delivered so need low expansion foam for them. Where did you source them from?
Cheers, merry Christmas and may the force be with you!
PenderleaBurrow

Any updates on this one? Enjoyed reading and watching this but it came to a sudden halt!

Its been almost 12months since hes been online too :@!?

well its been 2 years, any more progress??

Hopefully his email is working.

Originally Posted by phild01

Hopefully his email is working.

Yep it is..... )
So am I......
It got to the stage I just couldn't keep posting and working. Life has a way of speeding up as the kids get older.
I'll see if I can dig up some progress pics and post them up.
As a quick summary, we now have a deck on the back of the house, a 275m2 concrete driveway and the downstairs living and kitchen area very close to finished. Concrete floor has finally after 8 years been covered with spotted gum flooring.
Stay tuned! ;-)

Thanks Sundance, glad you are still with it.

Oh hey!! He's alive! Looking forward to some of these photos! Welcome back to the fray mate!

one of the recent projects we did was to lay spotted gum floating floor in the family room down stairs. After 7 years living with a brown painted slab this is a welcome change!

Welcome back. Thought we had lost you! Keep up the posting!
Cheers
Greg

A new concrete driveway was also on the go this year. 275m2 of concrete made a big difference to the levels of dust and mud being traipsed into the house!
This was our mock up of a Commodore SV6. same wheel base, same clearance. As you can see.... it's not going down the old driveway anytime soon! We used this to make sure when the earthworks were done that we had sufficient clearance to get in and out. We don't have a Holden.... but it always pays to think about the next person who might buy your house... If they can't get their car in the driveway, you may lose potential buyers.

Wow wow wow, looks awesome!

gee, a lot of concrete there. I had hard enough time laying a 20m2 slab.

Originally Posted by wozzzzza

gee, a lot of concrete there. I had hard enough time laying a 20m2 slab.

and you had help didn't you?

yep 2 people and still ended up f**kin it up. maybe 20 people had to help lay the 275m2

So...All these years after we started we did get our final inspection passed. Right before our building inspector retired... Have we finished? 😂 No way in hell! Are we still going hard at it? Not as much as we were. Having started a business put a dent in how much time I can spend working on the house. Covid has given me the opportunity to do some more.

Great news!

I still remember one of the early photos of your baby with earmuffs on - as you managed to combine both parenting and building!

Wow! Great to see ya drop in again Sundance!