Build Your Own House

Okay, it isn't actually an OB - this is my SIL's house which I designed and is being built by a custom builder in Hamilton Hill, near Fremantle WA. I thought people might be interested since it has a few interesting features:

* Rammed limestone feature walls (like rammed earth, but using crushed limestone rubble)

* Reverse-brick-veneer walls. The interior leaf is brickwork, then a cavity, then a timber frame, then the external cladding. Some of the cladding is cedar, some is cement fibre.

* Greywater system

* Rainwater harvesting

View from the street:



Recycled door between the living area and master bedroom:



Detail showing slab edge. Frame will sit on the external leaf of brickwork:




Recycled federation front door ready to be installed:

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Bruce
Draftie

Hi Bruce,

Nice house!

Can you tell us more about the crushed limestone rammed walls? Was it graded to a certain size, or done with the bigger bits left in? Did they use cement to stabilise it? (Limestone toppings for example will pack down and set like concrete on it's own, but I've no idea whether it's suitable for walls)

Thanks!
Geoff

Hi Bruce

Where do you get it, what does it cost and is it available in Qld/NSW.

Looks brilliant I like the look of it.

Regards

OB1&2
Inez

Unfortunately I wasn't there when they were forming it, but it is fairly fine, not much coarser than sand, with larger pieces maybe 15mm across?



It has a little under 10% cement I believe. The surface is then sprayed with a very light coat of sealant, mostly to prevent dusting.

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Bruce
Draftie

Ya, a very nice finish. Lighter and cleaner looking than traditional rammed earth. I have the number of the team who did the work (three french guys), but it won't help you much because we are in WA. Any rammed earth contractor should be able to do this if you have a supply of limestone in your area.

Can't tell you what it cost because it was subbed by the builder, but the boys reckon it is only about 10% more than double brick by the time you have factored in plasterwork, paint etc. Wish I had specified more of it now.

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Bruce
Draftie

Bruce,



I'm looking for a contractor in Perth to do the RBV for the house I'll start Owner building shortly. Would that builder do a contract job for the walls ? Can you PM me his phone number, etc, so I can ask myself ?

Chris

Hi Bruce ....

Sorry to "revive" an old thread but the house as shown looks absolutely beautiful - do you have any pics of the finished home ...

I am curious as to why the house is being built in the "reverse brick veneer" method that you mention in the post ... It seems a more expensive way of building with multiple layers ... Ie the rammed crushed limestone, timber frame, cavity, brick, etc - can you please outline the way the lauers fit together and the advantages of that construction method

Thank you

Regards
A|T

Sadly, no. I keep meaning to get a professional in to do some shots but I don't seem to even have any snaps. Best I can do is from google maps:
.

That photo is pretty old, there is a driveway and garden etc and the place looks like it has been there for years. Actually it *has* been there for years.



The walls you see at the front are straight rammed limestone, no cavity. This is the west face.

There is also a large rammed earth internal wall in the living room that provides additional thermal mass.

The remaining external walls are reverse brick veneer - internal leaf of brickwork (with hardwall plaster), 50mm cavity, 90mm insulated timber stud wall as the external leaf. In the more public areas (mostly at the front) the external walls are clad with cedar. The remaining walls are clad with fibrecement board with an acrylic render. If I were doing it again I would probably not use cedar because of the maintenance issues. I would probably use steel cladding at the front. The fc board and render has worked well.

The reverse-brick-veneer costs a bit more than double brick (which is the standard in Perth) but not that much more and these days with the new energy requirements in the BCA you are probably ahead on cost.

Rammed earth makes for excellent thermal mass but it doesn't insulate worth a damn. I think it works on the east and west faces because there is a lag of (probably) about 3 or 4 hours for heat to pass through the wall by which time the wall will be in shade. It can work on the north with careful shading. Should probably not be used on the south because it will just leak heat all winter.

At any rate the house has proven itself to be much more comfortable than any other house I know in the area, including my own.

I will try to get some snaps next time I am over there.

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Bruce
Draftie