Starting to look like a house

No not me!!! Our house-house! You people!

Today the ICF people finished the forms. We are scheduled for the concrete pour on Tuesday...thank you weather.

I realized I never talked about the ICF or the why we're doing them. So here's the short version. (And you know how well I do short versions...) A few years ago my husband brought up the subject of ICF, which is basically styrofoam--okay not technically styrofoam--forms that are filled with concrete. They can be four inches wide and up (ours will have six inches of concrete inside the forms). I looked at him like he was crazy and said, "um, no."

We didn't discuss it for a while. Then he (ever the patient one) brought it up again. This time he showed me the webpage and described all the benefits: really really low electric bills, sound proof, fire proof, termite proof, will withstand a hurricane or tornado...etc. The drawback...cost. These walls tend to be about 10% more expensive than tradition wood frame walls. Of course you gain that back in energy cost savings, insurance breaks and well, peace of mind.

I agreed we could look into it. So we went to the local Amvic dealer and met with the owner. We both left incredibly impressed. I resolutely made up my mind that we were going to build with ICF. Even when D said something about not using it to get the house built sooner, or cheaper, I said no. That's how completely sold I was on this type of construction. I told D I would make cuts other places, but that we shouldn't sacrifice structure.

Here's the latest shots from the ol' dream home. (Front door shot)

Garage area. Am I the only one impressed that the contractors piled all their trash in a neat little pile?

This is the back of the house.

You can see in the far left of this picture the framing being done on my brother's house. Their house is being built also. He and his wife, and D and I bought the thirty acres of land that our houses are on. We have a single driveway and are building on either side of it. Okay off to relax...sounds like the thunderstorm is hitting.....