Progress since Thanksgiving

The following pictures show the progress that has been made since Thanksgiving, including:

1. Max and I completed as much of the exterior trim as possible on the pole barn prior to the bitter cold that hit at the beginning of December. The remainder of the trim installation, painting, and stain glass for the door, along with the eaves troughs, water tank for gravity feed watering of the garden, and the work benches will be completed in the Spring.

2. The upper level ICF walls were poured.

3. The interior framing was completed.

4. The roof trusses and decking was installed

5. The geothermal loop was installed.

6. The well was drilled (76 feet into a good bed of gravel, and good clear water).

7. The beginning of installation of windows, electrical, and plumbing.






















On Christmas Eve, with the temperatures about 25 degrees farenheit, with about 8 inches of snow on the ground, we were dreaming of the warmth and sun shining in the windows of our new energy efficient home that we will finally experience next Christmas.

Thanks to Riemco Builders, Inc., our home building construction finally starts

After a long spring and summer of waiting for the design documents from our architect, our builders Riemco Builders, Inc. (Bob Riemenschneider, President, and Rob Riemenschneider, Vice President, Chelsea, Michigan) came through with design solutions and cost cutting measures that allowed us to retain the crucial “green” functional elements of our house design and created a construction budget which was within our means and still maintains the features and styles that we like. This allowed us to start the construction process even though there were delays in receiving the Architectural Construction Cross Sections and other required designs and drawings, which we finally received in late October.

The major "green" features in the final design are the Insulated Concrete Form (ICF)walls, Geothermal Forced Air heating and cooling, thermal mass of the textured/stained concrete floor in the lower level and the dark tiles on the main floor, and major passive solar exposure through the energy efficient windows on both levels of the house facing 5-degrees East of South.

http://www.riemco.com/

We are also fortunate to have a great friend, Max, who does fine woodworking and trim work, and was a builder and construction supervisor in Florida for many years. He was willing to build our pole barn/shed (with me as his laborer) and do the trim work in the house after Riemco, Inc. completes the shell of the house (through the drywall and priming). This allowed us to get a construction loan and begin the construction process in earnest.

Max and I began the 20x24 foot pole barn/shed on Oct. 4. Riemco began the house construction project in late October, which allowed Max and I to follow the house construction progress every day. It has been a great opportunity to be involved in the construction process every day from the first day of construction and to observe the Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) wall construction process. This has given us the first hand knowledge to advise others how to build in this very energy efficient way. We now have a much better understanding how homes built like this lose only about 30% of their heating or cooling, whereas a traditional stick-built home loses about 70%. We also understand how a home using geothermal forced air heating and cooling and built just like ours, but that is over 5000 sq. ft., with the inside temps. kept between 68-72 has heating and cooling bills for an entire year that are only $800!!!! Since our home square footage will be under 2500 sq. ft. and since we keep our home inside temps. between 60-65 degrees we should be able to have annual heating and cooling costs below $800!!! In the long run the higher costs of the ICF construction should easily pay for itself.

For me, building the shed now and helping with the interior finish/trim work next spring will be an experience that I will always cherish and will be a great feeling to know that I played a big part in the construction. What a great feeling to live in a home that you had a big hand in building!! Also what a great feeling to have great friends that built your home.

So in October 2010, we began our home construction with our good friends.

Pole Barn/Shed outbuilding construction

We began with the construction of our pole barn/shed outbuilding. On Oct. 4, after After ordering construction materials from Chelsea Lumber, Max and Pete began staking out the footprint of the barn.


During the first week of October, Steve Dewolf (Excavation, Inc., Dexter, MI) began moving the topsoil so that Max and Pete could begin auguring the post holes for the 6X6 poles.















After much struggling with one 24-foot 6X6, Rob Riemenschneider arrived unannounced and came through with a Riemco Sky Trak that made the entire barn construction go much more smoothly. It was a great surprise. Thanks so much Rob and Riemco, Inc!!!!




















The following pictures show the progress Max and I have made on the pole barn from Oct. 4 to Nov. 23 working partial days pretty much 7 days a week.










































































































































The 26 X 26 metal roof faces 5 degrees East of South. It is designed for collecting rainwater ( to be stored in a 300 gallon tank in the shed for gravity feed watering of the garden) and possibly solar panels in the future (depending on improvements in technology and when we can afford them).































At the time of this posting all of the exterior has been finished except the trim boards around the windows and doors, at the corners, and at the junction of the soffits with the walls.

House construction begins

While Max and I were busy working on the shed, Riemco began the house construction process in late October.

Once again, Steve Dewolf removed the topsoil to prepare the building site for the foundation.















Rob inspects the foundation work.








Daily oversight of construction work by Riemco, (either Vice President Rob Riemenschneider, or Construction Supervisor Ron Devine) and consistent communication with Mary and I ensures quality. As homeowners we appreciate how important Riemco's supervision and great communication is to the high quality building that they provide.





Once the foundation was set, R-Value,Inc. began assembling the Insulated Concrete Form blocks (with frames for the openings for windows and doors, as well as all needed penetrations in the walls) This creates the walls into which concrete is poured. The Styrofoam blocks acts as the insulation on both sides of the concrete walls, providing a very energy efficient wall.







Construction Manager Ron Devine consults with the electrician regarding the penetrations in the ICF walls for the electrical service and wiring.










































































After the lower level walls were fully assembled, the walls were filled with cement using a cement pumping truck with a large hinged extendable tube that was remote controlled. Four to five cement truck loads were needed for the lower level walls. As the walls were poured, a large vibration rod was used to ensure that all of the wall spaces were filled.



Once the concrete set, and a capillary barrier of pea-gravel and tile piping was completed, Steve backfilled the soil around the walls and Chelsea Lumber Company constructed the floor deck which would protect the concrete of the lower level, yet to be poured. They also began constructing the stick-built garage walls which did not need to be ICF.











































At the same time that the main floor decking and walls were being constructed, the well was drilled by Cribley Drilling Company, Dexter. At 76 feet a good well in pea gravel was completed.















Following the completion of the floor decking, R-Value, Inc. returned to assemble the ICF block for the upper level.





























In the lower level the floor was prepped with plumbing, electrical piping, foam insulation,and a vapor barrier in preparation for the lower level concrete floor pour scheduled for Nov. 24.
















At the end of the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, this is where the house construction had progressed. Pouring of the upper level walls is scheduled to be done on Monday, Nov. 29 and the lower level concrete floor should be curing at the time of this posting. Stay tuned for that and other pictures and updates.

Happy Thanksgiving!