Live project update: Backyard Home (ADU) in Whately, MA
Transcript from Facebook Live Video on November 11, 2020
If you would like to see the original video you can do so to the right.
Chris:
Hey everybody, Chris Lee here, with backyard ADUs. I am onsite in Whately, Massachusetts, where we are building yet another backyard home. In this case, the ADU is again for a family. The homeowners are building an extra space, for his brother.
The really neat thing about this one is we're poolside and I will show you, we are building the house is right here. We're putting in the insulated concrete forms, but over that fence, you can see the pool. This project is really neat because we're framing in that back pool area. We're creating a little deck with French doors that will open up onto it. It's really going to transform this backyard space. At the same time, it will give the homeowner's brother a place to live.
Snapshot from FB Live: ICF foundation & Rebar, Poolside
As part of the project, we replaced all the siding on the main house to make sure the house matched the new small house that we're building. We're also building a 27' x 27' garage which will expand parking space and give the homeowner a place to work on motorcycles and to store his tractor. Here is what Kevin Schnell, head of the project and Head of General Contractors at Backyard ADUs, had to say on the project.
Snapshot from FB Live: Main house new siding going up.
Kevin Schnell:
We're starting to set our dura ICF block.
Chris Lee:
That's the Lego looking stuff?
Kevin Schnell:
Yes, it's an insulated concrete form, 8” of foundation inside the form and 1.5” of a foam on each side. We do a 20” wide footing, 1’ tall, which puts us around 9” above grade. Hopefully by the end of the day, we'll have all of our blocks set, this takes us about two hours to set a foundation this size with blocks like these, and then we'll move and set all of our blocks for the 27’ x 27’ garage.
Snapshot from FB Live: Dura ICF block installation.
Chris Lee:
How long does it take to form and pour a traditional foundation?
Kevin Schnell:
Typically a standard foundation wall with a casting plate, would mean you have a crew come in, set your forms in a day. Then you'd have to pour it another day, then you'd have to strip and forms which would be another half day. However, with this we'll have this ready by around one o'clock today and then we'll start setting our blocks for our garage. My goal is we'll be able to pour both of them Thursday or Friday dependent on weather, which really makes it quite fast in comparison. This house will be ready to be set mid January.
Chris Lee:
Thank you.
Snapshot from FB Live: Dura ICF block installation.
Chris Lee:
That was Kevin Schnell, Head of General Contracting for Backyard ADUs overseeing all the work here in Western Mass and increasingly throughout the state. As Kevin said, they're putting in the insulated concrete forms here in Whately, MA both on our poolside Backyard Small Home and for the garage. Stay tuned there'll be more updates Coming soon.
Snapshot from FB Live: Dura ICF block installation close up.