BotusBuild

I certainly am using ICF - Nudura, and received delivery of next floor kit before it went up 15%. Not sure exactly when it will be going in place. But I am happy and wiling to provide a film set when I want channels cutting in EPS for my low smoke cabling and water pipes 🙂

This will save me hours !!!!

Feeling both silly and satisfied at the same time right now. I read the (bleep) manual before starting, setup the two levers on the drill and set to drilling 26 - 30 holes in concrete. 14 holes in, over two days, and a lot of aching joints and muscles last week, I started up again this morning before the rain comes. 2 more hours done and I think that lever is showing a drill, not a hammer. Flick. OMFG. 10 minutes later, 2 holes done. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. The rain is now arrived, so waiting until tomorrow so as not to mix water and electricity. But now looking forward to the job 🙂🙂

m-2 is "per metre square", not per metre of depth? If I'm right, then the 9% improvement is irrelevant of how thick the slabs are

which is CLS timber 🙂 and what I intend to do (the metal sidetrack is curiosity only). SE doesn't specifiy whether treated or not, hence the OP Untreated is my preference purely from a cost perspective, and it seems logical to me (but never let logic get in the way of a good building reg!!)

Plus 1 MF out performs timber I should have said, this studwork will be supporting the upper floor. Is the metal/MF robust enough for this (I am basing my query on the flimsy partition stuff I have seen in office refurbishments over the years which wouldn't support floors)

CLS untreated? CLS Vac treated? CLS Tanalised? Something else?

I have seen this argument before quite a few times. I think this is based on messaging from the woodcrete manufacturers (designed to "scare"). The question I always ask is, how do you get to the top of the wall to pour the concrete? Surely some scaffolding is required. So, OK, no bracing, but you've got to put scaffold up. Now read on.... I used Nudura (EPS) with the Nudura bracing - this bracing includes a platform level (you have to put scaffold planks on it of course). We did it DIY. The first floor took myself and my wife 5 days to put it all up ready to pour. I'm not against woodcrete, it works for some, but personally I do find the "EPS needs bracing" to be a null argument. Hope this helps

No such thing as a bad question ? I think it will have to be something like CT1

Yes, as per design from waterproofing company.

@markc, at this point, what is supporting the floor? The screed would end up with holes in it, or things stuck in it.

Russell - I'd end up with an unsupported floor span of nearly 12m following that method. I think the risk would be too high even for me to take ?

You're missing a detail that I missed out in the OP ? Apologies. The new waterproofing scheme dictates: On top of the existing concrete foundation slab a layer of waterproof cementitious slurry, a screed layer in order to form a drainage channel around the exterior of the floors, then a drainage membrane on top of that, on top of which will sit the stud walls @Conor - see above to your question "Why this way?"

Thanks, but as I said to Ian above, not sure how an SE will help

@Conor - thanks for reminding me they are called stud walls (and not partition panels as in my original post - it was written after a bad day at work and my brain was skewered)

Sort of similar, but at some point I have to pour the 50mm screed and the stud walls need to sit on that (in the final configuration)

Thicko question and maybe I have missed something - how is an SE going to provide advice on how to build it? The problem I have is not to do with how strong it needs to be (I have all that info already), it is with the change of waterproofing system and how that impacts on how to construct.

Any comments?

As you may have seen from my blogs, we are progressing well and getting ready for second floor of Nudura ICF construction, but we've hit a snag. I am looking for a sanity check and/or suggestions for alternative approach. Normally, at this stage, the floor joists and sheet flooring would go in, then the ICF can be put in place with the bracing for this floor being in place on the newly installed wood sheet floor. This was our plan, until my original waterproofing scheme was rejected and we have a new one that demands a 50mm screed be poured onto which the internal stud walls that support the floor joists will rest. The screed pouring companies say they will not pour until the house is weathertight (roof, walls, windows), but I can't achieve that until my second floor walls are in place. Got the picture? I am in a chicken and egg situation. So the plan I have come up with is: construct the partition wall frames that are necessary to support the joists and floor that I need to support the bracing for the second floor Nudura build-up, packing those partition panels out to keep the floor level-ish while we work. (note the frames, joists and floor sheeting will be the actual final items) Once the Nudura walls are up and concrete poured, we can then get the roof on, any window openings can be temporarily sealed Remove floor that needs to be removed to allow... screed poured and other waterproofing items completed Floor re-installed permanently I know that installing, removing and re-installing sounds crazy, but the joists will be there anyway, and I have to make the partition frames anyway. Any other suggestions I should consider (apart from wringing the neck of the person who came up the original waterproofing plan)?

Totally agree - exactly how I am proceeding

I know this is quite late. Putting it here for future reference. I ended up using two companies: the first was CM Hill near Exeter, who supplied the pump and men, and then they used another concrete company - they poured the foundation. the second was Plymcrete, who have their own pump and insist on using their own concrete, but I saw this as a plus, and was very impressed. Used them for pouring ICF walls. They have a limited radius in which they work.

Seems a sound product, but looking at the prices of those there is still addition ££££ to other roof hooks. Something for the OP to consider mentioning to the people who quoted though.

You have to drill though the slates to use these. Slates (older ones in particular) are VERY fragile, and can crack very easily. Many installers are not patient enough and end up cracking so many slates that then have to be replaced (££££). And if they are patient enough it takes them longer to install (££££) - see @SteamyTea's comment about providing a silly quote to avoid getting the job ?

Yes, and it is a PITA - hence the extra £1,000 cost on the OP's quote I should think

Agreed - missed the 3-phase bit