Waiting.....

Our sub-contractor is still working on another house.  (We knew we were in line behind that one.)  We are in a waiting period right now.  We did manage to do a couple more things on our pre-building list.

First I ordered a book of building codes. We talked to the local building code enforcer and found out what book he used.  We opted to order a new version that covered gray water systems which we plan to have.  I ordered a used copy from Amazon which arrived this past week.  It is a bit overwhelming, but this will be easier than constantly looking things up online.

Second we met with someone from the power company to see where the power line would need to run.  This allows us to know where the panel box will need to go in the house.

Progress is slow, but at least we are still moving forward.

Building a House with Styrofoam and Tape

I use the title as a joke, but in fact that is the basic start of the walls of our new home.  The truth is that the house we will build is made with insulating concrete forms (ICF).  You can see more about it here and here.  The outer walls will be forms that have channels which are filled with concrete and reinforcing bars.    The building cost is 2-4% higher than building with wood.

The savings come later as the home will be very energy efficient, safer in extreme weather, and has a very high fire rating.  The home needs 44% less energy to heat and 25% less energy to cool.  This was a contributing factor in our decision to build this type of home.

I am certain we will attract a large amount of attention when we start building.  It will be exciting to watch the house come together with such unusual building materials.

Question Time: Likes and Dislikes

I knew when I decided to start this blog that I not only wanted to share the process with all of you but that I also wanted to get your input.  The first question is actually a two part one.

Question 1a:  What is the thing(s) that you like best about your home?  This can be anything - layout, appliance, color, flooring, etc.  It is fine to see things in photos in magazines.  Hearing what actual people like because they have it in their homes is better.

Question 1b:  What thing(s) do you dislike about your home?  I know that no home will be perfect.  We all have something we wish that was different though.

This will be my only new home post this week.  I really hope you will take the time to your answers.  We have not yet started construction so this is the perfect time for me to get honest input.