From Mud to a Foundation – Delays and $$

While we approached this project with much prayer and faith, we never expected to experience challenges of “Biblical proportions.” After facing the wettest June on record only to be followed by a near-record July and August, at times we thought building an Ark would have been more appropriate than attempting a house.

Challenged to remove more than 50 twenty-ton truck loads of “bad dirt” and bring in 20 similar-sized ones of “good dirt” we thought of Jesus’ statement about faith and mustard seeds, “Say to this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove.” Yet, due to human limitations we longed for the riches of Solomon to continue. With delays that spanned a full five months from initial groundbreaking, another Biblical analogy was frequently of mind … Job and his need for patience against all odds. Yet, like Job – or perhaps just out of sheer stubbornness – we’ve stayed the course.

On the fifth-month anniversary of the turning of our first spade of dirt, the footings and foundation were finally poured. The following day an energetic Hispanic team began erecting “giant Lego’s” – white Styrofoam-like pieces that would form the basement walls. After months of little progress our hopes of having a home before we were too old to move in, seemed once again believable.

We chose to go with an Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) system. It has two layers of foam insulation built around a reinforced coreweb filled with a poured concrete core. We opted for Arxx because of its ease and speed of construction, overall cost and proven ability to address humidity and temperature issues in a single product. We also like the fact that a wide variety of interior and exterior wall materials can be applied directly to the finished product. In this case our exterior will be a mix of stucco and James Hardie siding. As we hadn’t originally planned a basement and don’t have an immediate need for the extra space we don’t plan to finish the interior at this time.

For more about Arxx we’ve lifted the following directly from the Arxx website – http://www.arxxbuild.com/ --

Less Temperature Variability
Arxx walls dramatically reduce drafts and “cold spots” compared to conventional basements. The two layers of Arxx foam insulation will also eliminate most basement humidity problems. The “thermal mass” of the concrete core stabilizes the temperature in your basement so that you get even comfort, all year round. Protect the foundation with the peel-and-stick moisture barrier.

Solid; Stable
Arxx foundations are solid, strong and extremely durable. In fact, the R-value and sound resistance of every Arxx form is protected by a 30 year limited warranty, and The Arxx Championship Support Team. Arxx stay-in-place forms provide a slow, moist cure which increases the strength of the concrete. To get a similar strength with conventional forms, your builder would have to leave the temporary forms up for an extended period.

The reinforced monolithic concrete structure of an Arxx wall gives you dramatically improved strength and durability. It’s more stable and less likely to shift and/or crack than a conventional foundation. The insulating foam, which covers both sides of the concrete core is treated with fire retardant. It also protects your foundation against mold and mildew because it is inert.