In general, I’d like to know more about building concrete homes, why it’s so difficult to find designs for them and where to find them. And also about installing a masonry heater: if the building where one is to be installed has a basement, is that where the base of the weight of the heater to be placed?
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Look into ICF's insulated concrete forms. Try the search function and you will find alot of info.
I read somewhere (can't remember where) but it was from someone well acquainted with building houses from concrete....that using regular concrete blocks just stacked and then covered with some kind of finish - stucco? maybe - are actually better than ICFs - and probably less expensive.
Masonry is a very poor insulator, so concrete blocks covered in stucco would be a lousy system unless the building were in a tropical climate with little heat or cooling.
However, in a heating climate, foamboard insulation outside the block and the exterior siding material atop that will make good use of the mass of the block's heat retention capabilities, especially if the blocks are also filled with concrete.
feckless dastards?
A block wal has lousy shear strength bondingthe blocks. not good for underground, or for earthquake country.I can imagine a definition of 'better' for someone meaning cheapest and easiest, but I can't imagine it being better in normal parameters of what we consider good.
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A block wall has lousy shear strength bonding the blocks.Even if the blocks are filled with concrete.. 2+3=7
ok, so I'm an old feckless dastard:o)
'Nemo me impune lacesset'No one will provoke me with impunity
Regular block is going to be cheaper than ICF's in the short run. However just stacking blocks on top of each other and applying a parge coat(ie:stucco, mortar is a recipe for diaster). A ICF wall will give you a min of a R40 a dry basement, and a very energy efficent dwelling. Wheather your in a heat or cooling enviroment the payback is worth it. ICF's can be done by a homeowner with a little skill and most suppliers offer a class for doityourselfers, with support thru the project.
The ICF's generally have a web thru out which allows for fastening finish for interior and exterior walls (ie: no furring of walls for insulation or applied finishes, drywall, wood etc.)
For masonry heat look into a rumsford fireplace.
Manufacturers regularly claim R-values upwards o 40 but the actual is only about R-32
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I would put that in the catagory of mental myths. Stack'n'bond offers very little lateral strength, minor shear strength, less compressive strength than ICFs and every one I have ever seen more than five years old has tremendous failures. To make that comparison, I have to assume that the person had very little if any, experience with ICFs
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
The person who provided that iformations sounds like he was A - making it up
or
B- not familiar with either residential construction nor ICF building
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Greetings abby, As a first time poster Welcome to Breaktime.
The subject of masonry heaters has been addressed here on Breaktime a number of different times in the past.
In the event you fail to receive the information you desire, you might find it in the archives.
If you scroll down in the lower left corner of your screen there is a search function that will take you to previous threads dealing with whatever you type in the search bar.
If you type in 'masonry heater' or other keywords of the subject matter you'll get a supply of data from those old threads.
Cheers
cu invented the feckless dastard
Here's the link to the Masonry Heater association of North America.
http://mha-net.org/
feckless dastards?
Abby - I am building an ICF house now- google Insulated Concrete Forms, the manufacturers and proponents have a lot to say on the net.
The masonry heater I built in my last house, with chimney, weighed over 14k lbs. I poured footers in the basement (the weight must be handled with footers) mine were 12" thick with lots of rebar, but the masonry heater could be upstairs if you built a block or cast wall. The chimney will perform better if it is inside the heated area of the house (not on an outside wall)
One fire in the morning, and heat stays in the mass for over 24 hours. I used a masonry heater design from an old Taunton masonry book, and I helped Norbert Senf (masonry heater association) build one once--enough to give me the confidence to go for it.
Any house I live in will have a masonry heater - look into it, the benefits are great. My family likes it because the fire is out before bedtime, but the heat lasts a while - no worries about leaving a fire burning while we sleep.
Hi Brian,
Saw your post on the Tauton site.
I'm doing an addition and want to put in a full basement. Can ICF's be used here. Also I want to include a Masory heater in the addition. DO you know of anyone in the Phila are who might be of help?
I live up against Valley Forge Park.
Thanks,
Peter
ICFs would work great for a basement addition, but regular block is cheaper and more folks do it, so you are more likely to find a mason. But if you love the ICFs, go for it!
Masonry heaters are still pretty rare in the states, although more popular in Canada, from what I read. You may want to google the masonry heater association - they have lots of info and builders. Philly is a little far for me to travel.
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