所有者建造者发现绝缘混凝土形式（ICF）适合DIY墙壁

鲁琳·威廉姆斯（Rouleen Williams）

My plans to build a dream home took years to bear fruit. I took the first step in 1988, when I bought an 18-acre property in Salisbury, N.H. The lot slopes to the southwest, with a spectacular western view over a beaver pond to Mt. Kearsarge.

我花了19年的时间来节省足够的资格获得建筑贷款。在许多方面，这一过程花了这么长时间，因为我最终建造的房屋比我最初设想的房屋要好得多。

我于2008年3月28日开始建造一年后，为我的新节能房屋签发了我的新节能住宅证书。每次我走进门时，我都会对支持我或在房屋的设计和建筑期间帮助我的人感到感激。

Designing and dreaming

I spent several years drawing plans and choosing where to site the house. My influences included Craftsman architecture, sustainable building practices, and small house designs. I love the Craftsman style because it is comfortable and inviting. Above all, I wanted a house that looked like it belonged on the site.

机会遇到

At first, I thought I wanted to build the shell with structural insulated panels (SIPs). One day I noticed that the truck parked beside my car had “SIP” painted on the door. I introduced myself to the driver, who explained that she and her husband were working with a local builder, Al Rossetto. She showed me Rossetto’s精美的房屋建筑article and gave me his phone number. I called Al, drove to see his home in Lancaster, and my project was launched.

Al is a knowledgeable and experienced construction consultant who only works with owner-builders. He convinced me that I could act as my own general contractor. He put me in touch with all of his subcontractors so that I had an idea of the price of the various steps in the process. Al agreed with my plan to use sustainable practices and products, and supported my goal of using mostly local contractors.

ICFs, not SIPs

Al工作的大多数房屋have a foundation built with insulating concrete forms (ICFs) and above-grade walls built with SIPs. I took such a liking to ICFs that I abandoned my original plan to use SIPs. I ended up using ICFs for the above-grade walls as well as for the foundation.

Building with ICFs reminded me of building with Legos. Although ICF construction is fairly straightforward, we had a few problems when strong winds blew some of the lightweight blocks away.

Floor joists

To facilitate the home’s open floor plan, we framed the floors with trusses capable of spanning the full width of the house. As a result, my large basement is free of center posts. Trusses also worked well for the attic, where there is no living space, only insulation.

地板辐射热分布

丙烷式的布德鲁斯锅炉（6,000美元）为我的房屋提供了供暖。热量通过嵌入地下板中的PEX管分布，并钉在地下的下侧。

We laid out the PEX tubing for the lower floor in one very long day. The tubing and reinforcement mesh resembled a large sandwich. We laid out 2 1/2-in.-thick EPS insulation over the crushed stone base, then put down a layer of 4-in. reinforcing mesh. Next, we installed the loops of PEX tubing, and finally another layer of the 4-in. grid wire. The tubing was held inside the frame with wire ties. During the concrete pour, we used pieces of tubing to lift the whole sandwich, suspending it above the insulation base so that the concrete would flow under it, with the tubing and mesh floating in the center of the slab.

Under the main floor I installed staple-up PEX tubing. Although this was certainly hard work, anyone could accomplish it. Threading the tubing (which comes in a 300-ft. roll) is like weaving. We first unrolled the PEX tubing outdoors. We laid one end where it would attach to the heating system and brought the other end back to make a loop in each truss bay, taking care not to kink the tubing. It’s a challenge to work over your head in a tight space between the trusses, trying to keep the PEX tubing against the subfloor above while avoiding the vents and other plumbing pipes. Some staplers tend to jam; one that worked well for us was a Duo-Fast electric stapler that shot 5/16-in. #5010c staples.

Flooring choices

为了避免损坏辐射管，我选择了可​​以安装的地板，即可没有指甲或螺钉：陶瓷瓷砖，浮动工程硬木和软木塞。在厨房和洗衣房中，水可能是一个问题，我使用了粘合的软木塞。地下混凝土地板用酸性染色完成。

Plumbing and electrical

I used PEX tubing for the domestic water system—red tubing for hot water, blue for cold.

我家里的电线是塞进通道s melted into the ICF foam using a tool similar to one used for the craft of wood burning. A wire loop the size of an electrical box is attached to the tool; when placed against the foam wall, it neatly cuts out a rectangle to receive a plastic outlet box. Even though the electricians were initially skeptical of the tool, it worked well. Cutting channels for wiring was done with an electric drill equipped with a bit the same diameter as the Romex wiring.

To provide electricity in emergencies, my house is equipped with a whole-house propane-fired generator, which cost $3,000.

机械通气

I always try to save where I can, so I opted not to have air conditioning. I really enjoy living with the windows open and using cross ventilation to bring the outdoors in. On days when the windows are kept closed, fresh-air ventilation is provided by a Venmar energy-recovery ventilator (ERV).

Because my house started out with a lot of indoor humidity, especially in the basement, I thought that I might have to alter the ventilation system. When I asked Al about the situation, he said that there should be no excess humidity. It turned out one of the ventilation grilles in the downstairs closet had been improperly installed. Since that problem was rectified, the indoor air quality has been wonderful.

绝缘和空气密封

Before the house was insulated, I spent a lot of time on air-sealing details. Air-sealing work is much more important to the person who will ultimately pay the utility bill than it is to any contractor. All of the air-sealing work was done by me and my friends and relatives; as a result, I have a very tight house.

建筑物信封的每一次穿透都用膨胀的泡沫密封：在每个天花板穿透周围，每个电气盒，嵌入式罐子周围以及电线穿过天花板和地板的每个地方。

I would go up to the attic when the sun was on the east side to look for pinholes of light through every truss channel. I worked my way around the attic sealing every spot with spray foam. I did this for several days, with the sun shining on the house from different angles, until I was satisfied that there were no air leaks.

We insulated the ceiling with 16 in. of cellulose (R-60).

Low-maintenance materials

我希望我的房子尽可能免受维护，因此我选择了26口径的钢制屋顶和确定性的纤维水泥壁板。壁板以16英尺长的4英寸为16英尺的桃花心木颜色染色。看起来像雪松的宽木板。木板是脆弱的，直到将其连接到墙上为止，因此必须小心地移动长块。

外墙安装特殊紧固件that penetrated into the ICFs just deep enough to catch the webbing (1/2 in. under the foam). After much trial and error, we settled on 1 1/2-in. self-starting, square-drive stainless-steel screws purchased from a company in Wisconsin. These screws were so expensive that I had the framers empty their aprons each day so that I could maintain the inventory. Twice I had to order more screws, shipped by overnight delivery, to have enough to keep the crew working.

Interior framing

I used conventional wood framing for the interior partitions. I love having the flexibility to move a wall—for example, a wall that didn’t allow enough access to the closet in the master bedroom. Since none of the interior partitions are bearing walls, the change was easy to make.

我们用常规的干墙完成了墙壁。必须小心地放置干墙螺钉才能在ICF中捕获织带。（将任何东西固定在ICF墙上总是有点棘手。）

建筑物正在赋予力量

By building my own house, I learned that ordinary people can become green builders. Al Rossetto provided a step-by-step program that made it possible for me to have the house of my dreams. I ended up with an airtight house with a fresh-air ventilation system, and I did a good deal of the building myself. I did not know that was possible, but with the encouragement of Mr. Rossetto, it became a reality.