Hey, everyone! Welcome back to Mr Post Frame. Today, we're diving into the world of concrete as we pour the porches and the interior of this post-frame home. Let's get right into it.
Custom Exterior Trim:
We've just finished installing the bottom trim. It had to be custom-made because some of the ICF form stuck out about half an inch. A metal company bent a piece for me, and my actual bottom trim will sit out from that. The concrete will be poured up to about here, and it'll seamlessly match the rest of the house. This had to be done before the concrete pour, so after completing the back porch, we're moving on to the front.
The Details:
For those wondering about our preparation process, check out our rough-in plumbing and in-floor heat videos on our channel. They go into detail on how we handled these aspects before the concrete pour. Proper preparation is key, not just in terms of thickness but what's underneath. We recommend a good four inches of well-compacted gravel to allow water to escape from under the slab. This ICF frost foundation is sealed, but we still want moisture to dissipate.
Concerned about frost heave? In upcoming posts, we'll cover post-frame buildings on column footings and how to protect against frost. Rebar questions? We use two-foot on center fiberglass rebar. It's light, strong, and easy to work with. It is definitly our prefered rebar choice. Discussing details with your concrete contractor is crucial, from finished grade to drain placement. Make sure to remind them about critical points, like the slope in front of a garage door.
Concrete Pumping Begins:
Now that we have discussed all of that, we are ready to begin pumping our concrete. For this project we had a concrete company come in and pump and smooth all the concrete. This is a process that requires many people because you have to work quickly. The concrete sets up rather fast. Once that is all in you have to leave time for it to dry. The next day we come back in and do our stress and relief cuts. They should be roughly ¼ of your concrete thickness. Doing this just helps us create great results and to finish off the concrete.
Finishing:
And that's a wrap on the concrete floor in this post-frame home. We're making great progress on this project. For more in-depth insights, check out our Patreon, where we cover different phases of the build. On Patreon we can give you more in-depth, expert advice to help you self-build. The self-building process can seem overwhelming at times so being a part of a group of other self-builders can help make sure you don’t make the same mistakes that others did. Next up for the Remington build is the foundation, where we'll delve into frost walls, ICF walls, pier footings, and more. It's a fantastic way to get educated if you're tackling some of this on your own. We appreciate your support.
Thank you,
MR Post Frame
Patreon Group:
Interested in tackling your build on your own? If you want to explore the possibility of being your GC or self-building, our Patreon membership is for you! It's a community of like-minded people offering support, discounts, Q/A, and more.