Gary Lewis Posted November 9, 2023 Share Posted November 9, 2023 Progress is Good! At first I was a bit surprised you didn't get a telehandler, but realized how wide open your foundation is. Not much like that here in the Northeast. Yes, that IS good! It looks like a lot of blocks, but I'll bet they get used up quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ford F834 Posted November 10, 2023 Author Share Posted November 10, 2023 Yes, that IS good! It looks like a lot of blocks, but I'll bet they get used up quickly. Yes, it is a lot of block! However, it includes the stem wall which in round terms is the first 5’ above the footer. That’s a lot of block, especially since there is not much in the way of openings except vents. CMU stem would have had lower materials cost, but a whale of a lot more labor. I am discovering just how NOT skilled I am as a mason, and just how brutal CMU construction is on your body. I am glad I chose EF block all the way to the footer. The piers, brace wall and porches are CMU and that’s plenty for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted November 10, 2023 Share Posted November 10, 2023 Yes, it is a lot of block! However, it includes the stem wall which in round terms is the first 5’ above the footer. That’s a lot of block, especially since there is not much in the way of openings except vents. CMU stem would have had lower materials cost, but a whale of a lot more labor. I am discovering just how NOT skilled I am as a mason, and just how brutal CMU construction is on your body. I am glad I chose EF block all the way to the footer. The piers, brace wall and porches are CMU and that’s plenty for me! I hope it goes well. VERY well. Please keep us apprised as to how it does go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ford F834 Posted November 24, 2023 Author Share Posted November 24, 2023 I hope it goes well. VERY well. Please keep us apprised as to how it does go. I’ve got a 4 day weekend for Thanksgiving, and I’m going for it… the first lift that is… day 1 was a little slow to start since I had to shovel and sweep debris off of the footing, and set up some string lines. I am pleased with the progress though, and the EF block is a real pleasure to work with. It is forgiving and workable and after you level and square up the first course the subsequent courses lay up pretty quickly. I definitely have a lot to be thankful for today! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted November 24, 2023 Share Posted November 24, 2023 I’ve got a 4 day weekend for Thanksgiving, and I’m going for it… the first lift that is… day 1 was a little slow to start since I had to shovel and sweep debris off of the footing, and set up some string lines. I am pleased with the progress though, and the EF block is a real pleasure to work with. It is forgiving and workable and after you level and square up the first course the subsequent courses lay up pretty quickly. I definitely have a lot to be thankful for today! Looking good!!! You are making excellent progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ford F834 Posted February 4 Author Share Posted February 4 I’ve got a 4 day weekend for Thanksgiving, and I’m going for it… the first lift that is… day 1 was a little slow to start since I had to shovel and sweep debris off of the footing, and set up some string lines. I am pleased with the progress though, and the EF block is a real pleasure to work with. It is forgiving and workable and after you level and square up the first course the subsequent courses lay up pretty quickly. I definitely have a lot to be thankful for today! The house project is inching along weekend by weekend. I got the blocks placed 6 tiers high over Christmas/New Years. Got them glued which made everything a lot sturdier. I’m glad I waited to commit with glue, as the long wall and the 45* wall needed some adjustment. I cut out the crawl space vents and framed the openings with treated wood. I began building and placing the ledgers but they are far too heavy for the method of supporting them with ties around the anchor bolts. I am going to buy all-thread and bolt them all the way through the wall. The ledgers attach between the 5th and 6th course. Once the ledgers are up, I will build two more courses of block prior to the first grout pour. I hope to complete the house in 4 lifts, two pours. Today I was working on the parge coat of stucco below grade. It isn’t required, but I wanted the extra protection against determined rodents or flash flood hydraulic damage. Man, stucco is a workout! Especially in a narrow trench 30” below grade… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 The house project is inching along weekend by weekend. I got the blocks placed 6 tiers high over Christmas/New Years. Got them glued which made everything a lot sturdier. I’m glad I waited to commit with glue, as the long wall and the 45* wall needed some adjustment. I cut out the crawl space vents and framed the openings with treated wood. I began building and placing the ledgers but they are far too heavy for the method of supporting them with ties around the anchor bolts. I am going to buy all-thread and bolt them all the way through the wall. The ledgers attach between the 5th and 6th course. Once the ledgers are up, I will build two more courses of block prior to the first grout pour. I hope to complete the house in 4 lifts, two pours. Today I was working on the parge coat of stucco below grade. It isn’t required, but I wanted the extra protection against determined rodents or flash flood hydraulic damage. Man, stucco is a workout! Especially in a narrow trench 30” below grade… Gary would say "Welcome back Kotter!" Lots of progress Jonathan, and Progress is Good! Stucco is no fun hunched down in a trench. My back can't handle it anymore. I see the props holding up your ledgers. Do you consider gluing them in place with either that foam or the foam construction adhesive in the same type of can, so they can't shift? 🤔 I don't know those blocke. Are you able to get the grout pump hose to the bottom of the cavity? Or do you just discharge at the top and use a stinger to settle it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ford F834 Posted February 4 Author Share Posted February 4 Gary would say "Welcome back Kotter!" Lots of progress Jonathan, and Progress is Good! Stucco is no fun hunched down in a trench. My back can't handle it anymore. I see the props holding up your ledgers. Do you consider gluing them in place with either that foam or the foam construction adhesive in the same type of can, so they can't shift? 🤔 I don't know those blocke. Are you able to get the grout pump hose to the bottom of the cavity? Or do you just discharge at the top and use a stinger to settle it? Yeah the stucco is putting a hurtin’ on me… but the hardest stretches are done. Since I am using the full 2x8 ledger as bucking for the anchor bolt holes, it’s a lot of weight. I might add glue, but the braces positioning my first one will be replaced by all thread running through the ledger and solid block web, and a 6”x6” plywood ‘washer’ on the outside of the wall. This way it can’t shift or slump during the pour. The concrete flows remarkably well through the blocks. You pretty much just pour it in. Vibration isn’t required, usually a little bit of rodding with the vertical rebar is all that is necessary. Some people also use a sawzall with the blade removed against a piece of plywood on the wall face to vibrate the gout. The main thing is you don’t want the grout falling too far, so if you build taller than 4-5 feet it’s a good idea to cut holes with the hole saw every ten feet or so and pour grout up to that level and plug the hole. Then pour the next lift. I will pour the second lift directly into the top of the wall. At 8’ the wall will be about 3’ above finished floor. I am thinking I will probably frame and build the floor so I can stand on it to build the rest of the EF block wall more safely. I’m not crazy about having my subfloor exposed for an extended time, but such is the nature of building a house on the weekends and evenings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 Yeah the stucco is putting a hurtin’ on me… but the hardest stretches are done. Since I am using the full 2x8 ledger as bucking for the anchor bolt holes, it’s a lot of weight. I might add glue, but the braces positioning my first one will be replaced by all thread running through the ledger and solid block web, and a 6”x6” plywood ‘washer’ on the outside of the wall. This way it can’t shift or slump during the pour. The concrete flows remarkably well through the blocks. You pretty much just pour it in. Vibration isn’t required, usually a little bit of rodding with the vertical rebar is all that is necessary. Some people also use a sawzall with the blade removed against a piece of plywood on the wall face to vibrate the gout. The main thing is you don’t want the grout falling too far, so if you build taller than 4-5 feet it’s a good idea to cut holes with the hole saw every ten feet or so and pour grout up to that level and plug the hole. Then pour the next lift. I will pour the second lift directly into the top of the wall. At 8’ the wall will be about 3’ above finished floor. I am thinking I will probably frame and build the floor so I can stand on it to build the rest of the EF block wall more safely. I’m not crazy about having my subfloor exposed for an extended time, but such is the nature of building a house on the weekends and evenings. Meant to keep the ledger from shifting, not support it entirely. I've watched the videos where they cut a hole to pump under a window or whatever... I worked building forms for bridge pylons when the highway fell down in '83. Those things had to be monolithic and were up to 75' high. There was so much rebar in them they couldn't get the hose down, and like you say, you don't want it to fall too far or the aggregate separates. In my not so expert opinion, building your platform so you don't have to work off a ladder or scaffold is a smart move. I wouldn't worry much about the deck being exposed, except if the humidity under cover climbs during the rains and the desert sun is beating down. But your vents look easily big enough that the basement/crawl shouldn't stay wet like here in the Northeast. And the ground likely has 10x the perc we do. Keep on keeping on! You're doing great. 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 The house project is inching along weekend by weekend. I got the blocks placed 6 tiers high over Christmas/New Years. Got them glued which made everything a lot sturdier. I’m glad I waited to commit with glue, as the long wall and the 45* wall needed some adjustment. I cut out the crawl space vents and framed the openings with treated wood. I began building and placing the ledgers but they are far too heavy for the method of supporting them with ties around the anchor bolts. I am going to buy all-thread and bolt them all the way through the wall. The ledgers attach between the 5th and 6th course. Once the ledgers are up, I will build two more courses of block prior to the first grout pour. I hope to complete the house in 4 lifts, two pours. Today I was working on the parge coat of stucco below grade. It isn’t required, but I wanted the extra protection against determined rodents or flash flood hydraulic damage. Man, stucco is a workout! Especially in a narrow trench 30” below grade… Yes, welcome back! That sure looks like a lot of WORK! But it is coming along nicely. I think I understand most of what you said, but want to confirm - the "ledgers" are the 2x6's I see bolted on? And you'll put the floor on them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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