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I am currently designing a house to be built in Northwestern CT. I have seen in old architecture magazines (1920-1925) homes where the walls were made out of formed concrete. They were in California. I assume that this single wall construction technique would not be appropriate for the east coast. Does anyone have experience with double wall concrete construction techniques? What sort of insulation is installed between the walls? Thickness of interior walls and exterior walls, etc.
Thank you for your time and interest.
Brian Billings
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Brian,
Did you just hit the Lottery ? Why do you want to do this ? Are you really into the modern look of a poured concrete wall inside and out ? Poured interior walls ? Are you going with poured floors as well ?
To help you get a grip on how expensive this is going to be, we pay our foundation guys about $125 per yard of concrete for a finished wall. This is just for a basic wall without brick shelves or pump trucks or anything. When you start talking things like sanwiching foam between inner and outer layers the price zooms skyward. I'm not trying to discourage you, just help you understand that what you want is very labor intensive. I am looking to help you here, our company just did two similar homes, one poured in place, the other a combination of poured and precast.
*Actually some of the first ones where done on the east coast by Edison. See http://flyingmoose.org/truthfic/edison.htmBTW, what about using ICF construction.
*I've worked with precast concrete and have done wall panels. The panels were 9" thick consisting of two 3" concrete wythes with a 3" foam core. The wythes are tied together by plastic dowels extending from one wythe through the foam to the other wythe. The exterior finishes were cast in reveals dividing sandblasted and acid etched sufaces. Not to say it can't be done but as Tim says,it will be expensive! Engineering costs, erection costs (if you use precast) and there is little margin for error.
*Double wall would be excessive but a single concrete wall with SM and brick on the outside would work.So would SM and stucco or wood siding or anything.ICFs have been known to work as well :)Gabe
*hi brian,here in ireland the traditional way to build is concrete block construction. but it could be copied using poured concrete if necessary.what they do here is two skin's of 4" thick solid block, separated by a 5"/6" gap, with rigid foam pinned to the inner leaf, leaving a gap of approx 2" also.if you have any more Q.'s, just let me know.good stuff
*Try shotcrete panels. I will build a house in Tucson using this system. Forget the forms....http://www.concretehomes.com/buildingsystems/shotcrete/sys-shot.htmInsulated Sandwich Panel SystemsThis system consists of prefabricated panels of polystyrene insulation sandwiched between two parallel sheets of wire mesh, and sprayed with concrete on-site. Incredible strength comes from the galvanized wire that pierces the insulation at acute angles. It is welded to both sheets of wire mesh to create a truss-like support system of incredible strength.
*Brian, how about ICFs? I can point you at some local sources if you email me.Andy
*I would do the ice blocks mentioned above.In Colorado we did a few that had an interior block wallwith smooth plaster finish. It had a five inch space to the outside of it which had two layers with staggered joints of blue foam. the outside was either stone or brick veneer. The thermal mass combined with good insulation made a house that was very easy to heat and cool.The construction cost was not cheap though.
*Thanks for the link to the Edison site. very interesting. Now I'm looking for a copy of "The Romance of Cement"!Brian B.
*Hi Tim - thanks for your reply. It's more a matter of that age old question of form over function - or I suppose that should be cost over form over function. Whatever. Yes I love the look of formed concrete - ideally 12" wire brushed cedar forming boards but I am willing to be somewhat realistic with regards to cost!! I would be very interested in seeing images from either of the homes that you have recently worked on. My e-mail address is [email protected] if it is possible for you to forward some images. Thank you again for your reply.Brian Billings
*Andy - thank you for your reply. Please forward contact info on ICF's to me @ [email protected] you, Brian Billings
*Hey Bri, Tag, yer it. He asked you to email him first.How much do you normaly pay for your 'gophers' ?b : )
*We just did 4 double wall houses here in New Orleans for Habitat for Humanity. While the cost wasn't much more than a normal frame structure (donated time & materials). The labor was very intense.The walls were 3" concrete inside & out & 3" foam in between.The system we used was supplied by Western Forms ( http://www.westernforms.com/ ). But for more information got tohttp://www.concretehomes.com.To tell the truth though, I like ICF's better. Foam on the outside, concrete within. Less labor intensive & easier to apply a finish both inside & out. Good luckDan