My house is starting to take shape! After the foundation was poured (Photo 1) it was backfilled and the drain field was installed (Photo 2). 18 pallets of Faswall blocks were delivered (Photo 3) and the construction crew began building the walls (Photo 4). The electrical outlets and conduits were installed (Photo 5) and yesterday the first 5′ layer of concrete filler was poured (Photo 6). Another 5′ layer will be poured when the walls are completed.
Faswall insulating concrete forms (ICFs) are porous, easy-to-cut blocks that are 15% concrete and 85% sanitized wood chips. They come in several shapes that fit together without mortar and with either Rockwool or Poly-ISO insulation installed on one side. Rockwool is more ecologically sound but Poly-ISO has a higher insulation R value and I don’t react to it so I opted for Poly-ISO insulation. Rebar installed both horizontally and vertically reinforces the blocks, and they are held in place with concrete poured into the chambers. Plumbing and electrical conduits have to be installed before the concrete is poured so the process requires more planning than building a wood frame house but it should result in a house that is more energy efficient and has better indoor air quality. For more info see https://faswall.com
