Construction status (Faswall walls, electrical)

Faswall blocks arrived!
Blocks are 85% wood chips (ground up old pallets)
and 15% portland cement and fly ash

The orginal plans were developed with Durisol ICF blocks, available in multiple widths. The first floor used 12" and the second floor stepped down to 10" with the relief showing on the exterior at the transition from plaster to board and batten siding.  This stepped appearance was an architectural feature I was not eager to to ignore when the wall contractor began seriously proposing a change from Durisol to Faswall.  Faswall is only available in 12" width.


The two products are similar in composition and less so dimensionally, but still generally compatible products.  Faswall is 8" tall where Durisol is 12".  Horizontal steal is placed at 16" intervals with Faswall (every other course) and at 12" minimum intervals with Durisol.  This meant the structural engineer needed to do some work to establish a revised steal schedule.  Further, I needed to be convinced that the 12" block all the way up would have an acceptable appearance at the transition from plaster to board and batten. Some mock-ups were built and, while I believe the stepped transition would look better, the benefits in switching to Faswall had a greater influence on the decision to make the change.  The primary benefits are that Faswall (by Shelterworks) were far more forthcoming with information and technical support, and the manufacturing plant is located in Philomath Oregon (575mi) vs. Ontario Canada (2,600mi).  Everywhere else where <12" wide blocks were defined, the appropriate CMU block was used instead.

Corner window showing mineral wool
insulation and excellent fit!

View from office looking at house to the NW

I've been very pleased so far with the ease of assembly and cutting blocks to form a straight and true wall.  The workers, who are skilled in carpentry and to a lesser extend masonry, seem to work with the new construction method with ease.  Even the electrician, who is more accustomed to rolling in on the job after the wood framed walls are up and running wire and attaching junction boxes most anywhere, is positive about working in the somewhat more constrained environment.  With only a couple of minor exceptions which can be repaired such that we'll never know the difference, the electrical boxes have been installed very cleanly and tight in the Faswall blocks. Of course, we do not have the luxury of no/poor planning with regard to the locations of electrical outlets and switches that we would have had with wood framing.  We have to get it very close to right out of the gate which doesn't seem to be a very difficult.  If we find we want to add or move something after the concrete is poured, we have somewhat limited ability in routing new wires or we'll just have to live with it.  Afterall, keeping things simple is part of what we are trying to acheive in our lifestyle goals and fewer recepticals/switches means less material and waste.



Kitchen wall with electrical boxes

It looks like we are about a week away from pouring the first lift of concrete in the walls.  The wall contractor does not anticipate using any bracing and intends to rely on the glue, a few deck screws that are holding the blocks in position, and careful management of the concrete pump/hose to yeild straight walls.