Build Your Own House

Well, that's the end of my rammed earth adventures for the near future! I love long weekends

I'll let the pictures do the talking. Friday's form assembly:



Ramming on Saturday:



.. aaaand the finished panel:


.. in the daylight today:


Today's effort was the infill above the doorway. First the forms to support the lintel and rammed earth:



Form panels in place. Lots less tricky than I thought they'd be:


.. and the final result:



So that's it for the rammed earth for a while. Shame really, although it's bloody hard work it's very enjoyable and rewarding

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Simon.

The adventures of an owner-builder in the Tallarook Ranges

It's been awfully quiet around here lately! My excuse is the weather, it's been wreaking havoc with my progress on the build since I don't yet have a roof over my head

I'm thrilled with how the rammed earth has finished up:



Couldn't be happier with the result, and I'm definitely going to have to work out another part of the project to build in RE.

Other little bits of progress:

100dia vent holes bored in the retaining wall, at $100 a pop!


The tanking membrane going on the back of the wall, last weekend. The weather was as perfect as could be hoped for at this time of year, but still not quite warm enough for the membrane to cure properly in less than a few days. This means I still have the second coat to apply, but this weekend is promising nothing but cold and wet, so it may have to wait.



One little detail resolved - the interface between the retaining wall and shipping container. I'd originally thought about building a little rock infill here but after looking at the gap more closely, I've decided it's really too small for that sort of solution and so I've flashed over the problem


Aside from that there's been little other physical progress, aside from chipping (literally) away at the tops of the rammed earth walls to level them in preparation for the above slab pour. In the coming weeks I'll start the upper level earthworks once I get the membrane finished and the drainage layer backfilled, and so in preparation for that I've been measuring and drawing in Sketchup.


Gotta love technology

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Simon.

The adventures of an owner-builder in the Tallarook Ranges

Damn weather!!

First off, my delivery of backfill aggregate has been postponed, as neither driver from the supplier want to attempt to get in and out of my site in the wet. Can't say I blame them, but it's another frustration...

Also and more annoyingly: The tanking membrane. The product I'm using directs that it not be applied in temperatures below 8°C or with impending rainfall. With the perfect weather last weekend I've adhered to both these requirements but it seems that the parts of the wall below the level of the adjacent hillside remain quite cool, as it's been a week and there are large sections of membrane which haven't cured!

I've spoken to the supplier and their advice is that it WILL cure given enough heat, so I've got to find some way of heating 35 square metres of reinforced concrete wall...

What I'm probably going to do is rent a warehouse space heater, one of the fan-forced gas "rockets" and aim it between the hill and the wall. More $$ spent...

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Simon.

The adventures of an owner-builder in the Tallarook Ranges

I'll second that. 8 weeks since we've had an opportunity to get any work done now. Almost considering giving it away until mid September and just taking as many hours as I can at work.

Your RE work looks great, gotta be happy with the visual consistency.

If you're going to gas fire the back of the wall to heat it perhaps rent a decent canvas tarp or two and tent the area to retain some of the heat?

Wow, 8 weeks!? I thought I was hard hit, having only the weekends available to me and dodging the rain, but at least I've been able to get something done!

I really couldn't be happier with the rammed earth! I'm especially pleased with the layering - as you mentioned (and quite by accident, although I think the reo mesh may have assisted a little) I managed to get the layers pretty consistent, even to the point that they appear seamless along the doorway infill

Good idea with the tarps, I had already planned to do just that as I have a couple handy I can use. After paying a visit to Kennards today it appears I can have either a gas space heater (i.e. the gas "rocket" I'd thought originally, which will need a tarp to keep in the heat) or a diesel or electric radiant heater, which will be too large to squeeze in between the wall and hillside (besides being three times the cost to hire). Tarps it is

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Simon.

The adventures of an owner-builder in the Tallarook Ranges

We've been affected by unseasonally strong winds as well as the expected rain. Now we're setting the formwork 2.1 metres off the ground anything over 15-20 knots starts swinging the formwork off the end of the crane to the point where 2 of us can't easily control it.

The good news though is there have been several days where peak gusts have topped 100kph and everything is still standing. The rain has been doing a nice job of "texturing" the walls as well.

Re the chipping of the walls - I cut teeth into a series of 20mmx3mm steel flats then bolted them together so the teeth were staggered and made a big ol' bastard file out of it. It's ruthless on the set earth and much easier on the joints.

Simon,

After a bit of a break, I am back on line again. I just caught back up on your progress through your blog. Wow! things are happening ...it makes for a good read.
Nice job overcoming the Bobcat issues. I dread the day something significant happens to mine.
The wall framing looks great. I have just started to frame up the first of my internal walls and it is so good being able to work in timber. I have also fallen back in love with my nail gun. It has just been gathering dust over the last few years.

Bluey

Hey Bluey! Good to see you around again, I was beginning to wonder what had happened to you

I must say I'm enjoying being finally out of the ground, especially over winter. The last few months were certainly trying, but that's all history and it's onwards (and quite literally upwards) from here on

With Christmas coming up, I've been trying to get some things organised so I can spend a few weeks off work and make some major progress. One of these has been windows and doors - and I have to say, what a PITA this is turning out to be. Being in BAL-FZ means just about every supplier we talk to won't quote for us, as their products haven't been tested to that level. BAL-40 seems to be the highest rating most can supply, with the exception of Paarhammer who want big $$$.

I've no problems making up the windows myself, but does anyone know what the requirements are as far as BAL compliance goes? Can an individual construct frames and still comply, or would I have to have my designs tested by CSIRO (even though I wouldn't be supplying commercially)?

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Simon.

The adventures of an owner-builder in the Tallarook Ranges

Simon,
Are you putting fire shutters on your window openings? If so, my understanding is that you do not need FZ rated windows.

Let me know and I will try to look up the standards.

Sorry, I do not know where you can get FZ rated windows,
Bluey.

Yes we are, and that was my understanding initially too, but after my wife discussed our plans with window manufacturers I'm beginning to wonder. I think the best course of action is to re-read the BAL code and then take it up with our building surveyor...

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Simon.

The adventures of an owner-builder in the Tallarook Ranges

Simon,
If your windows are more than "10 m from the classified vegetation"
then:
From AS 3959—2009 Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas

9.5.2 Windows
Window assemblies shall comply with one of the following:
(a) They shall be completely protected by a bushfire shutter that complies with
Clause 9.5.1.
or
(b) The openable portion of the window shall be screened internally or externally with a
screen that complies with Clause 9.5.1A; and either—
(i) the window system shall have an FRL of at least –/30/–; or
(ii) the window system shall comply with AS 1530.8.2 when tested from the
outside.

The important word is "or" between (a) and (b).
So I think the only reason that some manufacturers make BAL FZ rated windows is for customers that do not want shutters.

I would love to hear how you go if you do discuss this with the building surveyor.

Bluey

Hey Bluey, thanks for that. I didn't get as far as looking up the code last night, but now you've saved me the effort

I've been over-thinking this a little, I think. Our building specification document, which forms part of the building permit, already details the window construction and use of shutters and this has already been signed off by the building surveyor. So as long as the windows comply with this specification, I should be fine.

I've yet to decide whether or not I'll build the windows myself - this will probably come down to a trade-off between cost and time; designing and constructing 17 double-hung, double-glazed window units will take me a considerable amount of time and depending on the quotes we get back it may simply not be worth the effort. I'm intending to be at lock-up stage by April-ish next year before the weather turns, and there's lots to do to get there...

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Simon.

The adventures of an owner-builder in the Tallarook Ranges

Well, it's been a while since I've posted about my progress here but that's only because I've been so flat out on site!

Since my last photo-post we've poured the suspended slab, I've framed the upper dwelling walls, installed the roof trusses up there and begun the BAL-FZ roof detailing (15mm plywood lining on top of the trusses).













In addition over the Christmas break I've framed the garage walls, erected the bush pole post-and-beam frames and the full and half trusses over the garage. It's starting to look like a building!

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Simon.

The adventures of an owner-builder in the Tallarook Ranges