Lime stucco done

The beautiful patinaed look of an historic old world cottage. Bricks for the fireplace and chimney salvaged from the old Oregon State Insane Asylum, made famous in the movie 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest'. This home is one of only 10 in SW WA featured in October 2nd ASES National Solar Home Tour  due to its unique ICF Faswall block walls and masonry heater.

19503 NE 144th Street

Lance went back to his full time job, leaving me and Salonen to complete the framing. Next step is roofing with mgo board and installing windows and doors. We plan to have a stucco workshop by the end of july to cover the Faswall.

Junior builders create buzz with their leading edge designs!

backfilled, decking in place

 

First floor deck down and sealed from the weather with thoroseal. Faswall blocks are finally starting to dwindle in quantity!

break for ice skating

we brought the girls to Lloyd center last week for ice skating...most of the pictures came out really blurry, but this one shows Layla is so excited! She did amazing, running around on the rink and jumping up like a princess :) Emily was more hands off, wanting to learn by herself along the outside rail.

framing

The first floor framing is finally begun on our fiber-cement ICF block home near Portland, Oregon (we're in Clark County, Washington, but north of the Oregon/Washington state line - Vancouver, not BC, Washington, not DC). 

These are the original insulated concrete forms, developed nearly 75 years ago in Switzerland as an answer to reduce the loads of wooden rubble left after World War II, and to expensive lumber and low-performing building materials. The discovery of a way to chip up the scrap wood, mineralize the fibers to neutralize the sugars so there can be no rot, and bond them to cement and cast them into forms paved the way for companies such as Durasol and Faswall to grow. 

This method of construction is very common and popular in Europe and has taken strong roots in much of Canada as well. It is a proven system, not some fad or untested new technology. Please realize that this is not some form of save-the-earth or tree hugger agenda. Rather, it is a wise and prudent way to construct a home or building that will last for hundreds of years, conserves valuable resources and provides its occupants with optimal comfort, beauty, durability, and the lowest possible cost to heat and cool.

What beautiful weather we have had over the last week! Reminds me of Florida :) (sure!)

Thoroseal

Think of Thoroseal as 'Gore-Tex' allowing any vapor moisture within the wall to escape, yet no water to enter the block. The Delta-Drain dimplemat is simply a drainage plane to eliminate hydrostatic pressure against the foundation and direct ground water to the footing drain-tile.