I'm a now retired residential and light commercial builder with 30+ years of custom construction experience. That said, I am very impressed with your building of this mountain cabin for you and the family. Great Job!! Like others, I will be eager to see your cost breakdown. Hopefully you'll have multiple categories and break out labor and materials in those categories. It is obvious that you spared no expense in doing everything in a high-class manner and succeeded in an outstanding finished product.
I think there is well over 1/2 a million lbs of building sitting on that slope. I just don't want to calculate the lbs per square foot I will just know it is insanely high.
I am a General Contractor..... I love that you applied so many newer material applications like Zip Wall and Roof systems, ICF, Mini Split AC, etc...I did not see Solar or rain collection from the roof, but either way, really nice build. Maybe move the trash can and build an enclosure so it's not the first thing you see when pulling up the driveway. congratulations on a job that was exceptionally well done! Great details.
Solar would work better if the roof was pitch the other way, aka to the south. Then you could of split a roof with the current angle off of the now high side across to the retaining wall and had a covered driveway (aka a carport). That all being said the house looks awesome and John built it the way you wanted it! Great job!!
That was so interesting i actually sat through the entire thing. I sometimes think I may have chosen the wrong career as a software developer because i love building things and working with my hands. This was very impressive. Beautiful build. I love Northern GA so that was a plus. That foundation is SOLID
I've done both programming and building and it really is surprising how similar they are. You work with your hands for both, but it's mostly decision making. The result is a tangable thing that's hopefully very useful and valued by people.
The best construction 🚧🏗️ video by far. I absolutely loved it. The commentary is very audible and every single step of the construction have been covered. Well done.👌🏿🤜🏿
Very nice. Thanks for sharing. The foundation is massively strong for this location. For what you spent to make a flat slab, I think you could have had a crawl space or a partial basement for storage and utilities. The bedrock is good insurance that the slope will not move under your house.
I like most everything you did with the exception of your water take away and lack of rear overhang. It's my personal bias as a carpenter that all houses deserve roofs with a perimeter overhang more so in harsh climates as it provides so much in extending life of structure. No idea what state or elevation this may be located at but I've been seasoned at 36" annual rainfall and or 2 foot snow loads. Between the roof shedding and the flat drive, seepage at the sill plate just seems to be a matter of time or season. Contemporary style is pretty down on gutters but got to give them their due for water take away. Having a 18in rear overhang could have provided much function and some cool under soffit down lighting to prevent light pollution. Great color/material selections!
You should have watched the whole thing! They did plan an over hang. On the South side it looks to be 2 or 3 feet out, and a bit shorter on the East side.
This. 1800 sqft of rain will run down the back wall of the cabin and splash onto the concrete. I can't tell how the driveway slopes at that point, but this sees like a pretty good way to put your sill plate under water in a heavy rain.
@@travisshrey6720 Being ICF, is there still a sill plate? Not sure how they attached the siding to the ICF though. Still can't be good. I was expecting a drain along the driveway right next to the house to take all the water away.
That’s a nice robust build and I hope you and your family enjoy it for generations to come! Can’t wait for the cost breakdown video. I bought land on a slope in VT and am planning on building something similar. Cheers!
YES INDEED! and i wouldnt have minded exposed ductwork, which i find imho very beautiful. ..thin i would have used wood board & batten siding to soften up the feel of the entry
Question- was all that the gravel backfill necessary? It looks great but that was a lot of material… ok, going through more of the video I see what you did there. Another slab on top… nice! I
Spent parts of the last 4 days to watch your full build here--John, amazing job buddy. Beautiful area, incredible modern design, and just a really well thought out home. The deck is my favorite part by far, but the fire pit, the hot tub, and all the other little touches really take this place from being solid and serviceable, to extraordinary. Really well done man. p.s. spent a few years living in Western N.C. and will hopefully own a piece of dirt out that way again sometime soon.
@@johnwolson Absolutely man. Did you keep loose track of costs? So curious to know what each phase came in at (I could PM you too if you prefer not to post publicly). Anyway, really inspiring.
I’m glad I stuck till the end of the video,that house is magnificent & the finishing especially the colors you chose are just great.Great job John,really inspiring
All that then the view of the huge u-store-it complex below. Wonderful planning. Must have purchased this lot when the trees were full of leaves. Now if you could move this to a really nice lot with a really nice view that would be 'nice'.
Very interesting to watch your house build. We just finished almost same build but ours is a 2 storey 8 inch ICF in a small town in Canada. Thank you for sharing.
Wow. As I put my hands in my pockets, shake my head, and walk away. You did an excellent job at building a cabin, yet as a guy who built my own house I can say there are areas in your build I'd have done differently....to save huge amounts of money. But, everybody is different and the way we both built our houses is different. You went for great amenities, I went for lower cost. Both achieved the same result, a ICF house with a metal roof, yet you got a approx. 1200sq/foot cabin, looking at a valley full of trees, I got a 4350 sq/ft home looking at a cove on a lake. Interesting, very interesting. Hope you enjoy it for years and years! God bless.
Currently building a similar shaped cabin on a very similar type of lot in the N GA mountains, except we will have a daylight basement. This cabin is built like a tank!
For those on a budget or just don't want to be reasonable with the cost and timeframe a post and beam suspended floor construction, stick framing and not using ZIP would get you the same house for 1/4 the cost and 1/4 the time. Enjoyed the video. BTW did you calculate the weight of this structure? In my head I think it is over 1/2 a Million lbs of building!! 10 truckloads of compacted gravel to just to have a slab floor then you covered it with flooring. I do not understand. Your house and I can tell you are happy and proud and that is all that matters when you don't care about your bank account. Lucky you!
Wood floors, when all said and done, are more than a concrete slab, then are a home for mice ans insects underneath and the air underneath is conflicting with your inside temperature. Over all, a better investment having concrete floors and perimeter, even if the cost was a little more.
I absolutely love the crisp modern design. The use of modern building materials. The contractors are real pros. You made a great informative video. I’m very curious about what the project costs. Thank for sharing and enjoy.
Great Video. Thanks for sharing. Just curious as to the decision to go with a slab foundation vs. a crawlspace. I assume this had something to do with the the overall ICF design and energy efficiency but wanted to get your feedback on that. Obviously you had to bring in a ton of material to backfill the foundation so I was curious as to the tradeoffs. Thanks.
I thought the exact same thing. 2-3 more feet up or down and you have a walk out. That could have been ICF as well at least on the exposed wall but even all the walls. For the cost of all those truckloads of gravel fill and the concrete form work it would have cost less plus you would have had a suspended floor that would be much warmer on the main level especially if there's not a radiant floor. Maybe it's a warm climate, I might have missed that. If it's a cold climate that exposed concrete wall will transfer all the cold to the slab. All that being said, this work was an excellent execution of the plan!
I have nothing to gain with people buying ICF's but I have built and lived in ICF home and it was the best by far. I would never want to live in anything else. Hands down the best
Congratulations on the nice building. The only thing I would suggest is at least a 30 ft radius of trees be removed around the building it will help prevent damage if they're ever is some kind of wildfire I know it cuts into the view and the for lack of better words hidden home feel but foam melts pretty quickly and in a wildfire temperatures get extremely hot so the farther you cut a radius around the building the safer it will be just some fruit for thought. Thank you for taking the time to make this video.
I have looked into Hempcrete, a lot more expensive that a stick build, on the pros, it’s fireproof, mildew proof, insect proof and you don’t need siding, also the carbon negative benefits save our planet. Also the house breathes due to compounds in the blocks. Great build, I’m curious of the cost breakdown on the next video.
I really like the overall finished cabin. Very chic. I might have actually built it on the upper level of the driveway with the deck extending over the current driveway so instead of dead ending the driveway at one point into the house, the deck would act as a car port and extra level of usable space. Basically shift the whole thing about 25 ft up the mountain slope. That is, if you owned the property. Of course, there's a reason behind everything. Kudos! Enjoy your new seasonal home! The Firespit is great!
Very nice video. The cabin is fabulous and I like the modern style of it. Well done. I would like to add some ideas: the balcony could be extended, each room could have skylight, there would be a cellar in the basement and a playroom ...
It just occurred to me that if blue had been chosen in place of black, it would look like a woodsy IKEA showroom. For discriminating clients, of course. Lol. You just have to put it all together yourself.
ICF is not prohibitively expensive. Assume a house would cost another 10% on total price to build to make it near passive house products and techniques with ICF walls and SIP roof. To gain the same energy efficiency of ICF you'd have to build a 2x6 or 2x8 double studded thick lumber framed walls and then fill it all with insulation while avoiding thermal bridging. It's not easy. With ICF it's easy. Like really easy to avoid thermal breaks. You can still screw up the thermal breaks at doors, windows, etc but you build those to be very efficient too with high energy efficiency. With ICF you also gain the benefits of sound proofing, fire resistentance, tornado and hurricane resistant, and bug/pest proof which all lower home insurance costs. You're living in a bunker but it can be built to look like any style home you want. The 6" to 8" thick concrete ICF walls with outer layers foam become thermal sinks by soaking up heat in the Summer and in the winter ists releasing heat if the air is cooler. So if for instance you opened a sliding glass door to the outside for a few minutes and then close it you'll notice the temp hasn't change much in the home; the home air temp balances with the concrete.
What a well made video your house is well built and in a beautiful location and i hope you and your family enjoy your time spent there All best wishes from ENGLAND UK
Really awesome project, but I have a rookie question about foundation, and that backfill with gravel. Why not just leave half of it empty and create a sort of a crawl space? Although, I'm not sure how much did you pay for gravel, so maybe there is as much savings as I think
Very informative video, thanks for taking your time to make this. I would like to suggest showing the viewers some architectural diagrams of what u wanted to achieve at the beginning of the video. Great job anyway!
About time someone build a house out something other than wood, paper. Metal roofs or tiles are a must for my build in S Colorado. Fire country deserves bricks or concrete houses
Great effort from Thailand.. I'm concerned your cabling from the road to your meter is not placed in conduit. That the same for communication. Whilst it may be shielded and insulated additional protection from the elements I'd have thought a priority. I've seen other builds in the USA that have placed theirs in conduit. My home country, you have to place down 1m deep, conduit & concrete to grade for protection of being dug up and damaged or electrocuting unsuspecting others. Not to mention, red posts exactly on top to let others know whats dangers lay right underneath. Just my thoughts..
Most states here are run-almost exclusively-above-ground (high up, in air) electric/communication lines. There are a few with underground lines, but it’s not the most common method here. Our water table is simply WAAAY too high for that. As it stands, elevation here is *below* sea level.😅) There’s no way we could burry all of our electrical wiring underground here-nor ANYTHING else for that matter-it would be outrageously difficult to perform routine maintenance/checks, etc… never mind the trouble we’d face if any more “involved” repairs were needed afterwards! 😬 haha Besides, constant contact with/exposure to water-this much water-can/does do some srs damage to just abt anything. I mean, unless someone is genuinely hoping/planning on digging a well!? LOL! Anything else is essentially a no-go. 🤷♀️😂
He wanted a concrete floor that he could stain. Also the high side was solid rock, so he would’ve spent a fortune excavating it. The flooring made out of wood probably would have been similar in cost anyway by the time he built a sub floor and added an attractive flooring.
Longevity over what’s cheap at the moment….just saying. Some things you shouldn’t be cheap with. And also he’s building on a mudslide-prone area if the rains hit hard enough. I think he made a wise decision.
Hi John, you did wonderful job, verry classy. I wonder if you have the breakdown of the cost for foundation, electrical, etc. I will appreciate if you can give me idea. I am about to build a 1500 sqf. in a slop lot.
I'm curious why you chose to Zip R over ICF and then ice and rain shield on top of that. It seems that the ice and rain shield over osb over ICF creates the same sandwich as Zip R.
@ 57:20 better add an empty conduit (large one too "like 2 to 4 inches")) to that trench for things that you may want to add latter/ like cable, intercom to gate at entrance, wires to add lights at driveway entrance, tubing to supply water to water feature (fountain, water fall etc.) and anything else your little heart desires LOL
For those watching, you can put a crawl space and eliminate all of the gravel fill. I have built many homes in my 44 years in the business. Gravel is getting crazy expensive and you can use the crawl space for hvac and plumbing access also. I am building a house right now like this. (videos on my channel) Also, with the price of concrete going crazy, floor joists and subfloor are less expensive that concrete. They could have saved about $15-$20k on this house I would say.
Very nice build. For long I was wondering about large windows cutout in ICF panels, first time I see one in a video. Seems it worked pretty well. Do ICF manufacturer give instructions as to what the windows maximum dimension are ? (In proportion to the rest of the ICF panel) Thanks
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As an amateur when it comes to building like this I am curious as to why the foundation is filled up with gravel. Is it to add mass so the foundation sitts more stable on the ground? My first thought was that it would be nice to use that space as a basement/storrage. Really nice build and a great video overall that really inspire me for my future plans to build a cabin of my own here in Sweden.
That's unfortunate that you started out with a wooded lot, but by the time of your 2nd fall season, the neighboring lot was entire cleared out and you just have a few trees seperating from your driveway.
Not a fan of having no overhang on the low side. Water eventually wears away at the wall and it will show weathering in time from rain hitting the metal and roof run off. Over all, you did a good job choosing concrete foundation instead of wood floor, which is in my opinion, wood is inefficient and a cheaper way to build, but wont hold the value like concrete.
I wasn't financial free until my 40's and I'm still in my 40's, bought my third house already, earn on a monthly through passive income, and got 4 out of 5 goals, just hope it encourages someone that it doesn't matter if you don't have any of them right now, you can start today regardless your age invest and change your future! Investing in the financial market is a grand choice I made.
I understand that tomorrow isn't promised to anyone, but investing today is hard for me now because I have no idea of how and where to invest in. I would be happy if you could advise me based on how you went about yours, as am ready to go the passive income path.
the problem is soon enough, it will act like gambling, the further you invest in, the more it feels like gambling. I highly advise, unless you truly know what your doing, pls don’t attempt.
@@PENTHESILEIA1000 I think he’s talking about the two pipes that were in the middle of the foundation, but I think they were drain pipes than he tied his plumbing into. I first thought the same thing that you did.
@@theshermano3000 yes you’re right. I went back & watched the video. At 8:19 he explained they were extra support for the foundation. I assume maybe he had a wall going across there maybe. Don’t understand exactly how that would help though. Maybe a structural engineer would have that answer.
What a great build! You documented and captured it fantastically. So much thought and planning to make this house work on the lot, impressive. This home should survive many many years to come. Congrats!!
@@johnwolson I'm excited for join you plz 🌹🥀🌻 your WhatsApp plz 🌹🥀🌻🌺 I'm from India I'm a boy I'm single 35 I'm excited really serious can you join me plz 🌹🥀 Sir I'm excited too much
Can someone explain why he couldn’t back fill with soil? Half the foundation was filled with soil. Which he topped with gravel, why could he have used the soil from the uphill part of the house and then topped it with gravel?
this checks a lot of boxes & i applaud your use of ICF & metal roof, but i'm worried it's missing a few *key* things: -no ERV/HRV with dehumidifier?...an absolute MUST for any structure built with low ACH as an ICF with closed-cell foam roof. fresh air is important for health of both occupants & the structure/materials. no mechanical ventilation is a huge issue, but esp in GA. -no roof & siding furring strips?...need an air gap to allow moisture to escape. when the roof leaks (not if), finding & fixing are a nightmare that involves destroying the closed-cell foam. plus, high summer sun won't bake through the black metal & thermally bridge to the interior via the trusses as much if you roll out a radiant barrier too. -no overhang?...w/o an overhang or gutter, all the runoff from the roof accumulates at the base of that long wall after running down it, & possibly behind it. didn't hear Zypex mentioned, so even with a french drain, the moisture will seep into your foundation/slab/wall at a high rate. -no insulation under the slab?...all the great passive heat gain through the day gets wicked away from underneath, instead of releasing back into the home at night. sorry if this is the 1st time you're hearing of these issues, but they should have been addressed by your engineer or at minimum, any one of the many contractors should have said something. they're that important (well, aside from slab insulation, that's just beneficial).
I'm a novice, but why did you chose to fill all of the slope with gravel? Would it be inappropriate to use mostly fill soil from the site and top with gravel the last 4-8" below the slab? It just seems like a lot of gravel for such a robust foundation.
The problem is the soil will settle over time and cause the slab to crack. Plus backfilling with soil would not allow any runoff to drain to the base of the stem wall.
Nice work! I built something very similar. Mine is 24x24 2 story, daylight basement. It has a single plane 2/12 pitch roof. You enter in the back left corner to a 5x8 entry, coat, shoe area, take one step down to a 4ft wide hallway running across the back wall to the next corner. Then you turn right into the kitchen area about 7ft wide out to 5ft from the next corner where you step down another step into the great room, 12ft high ceiling, full 24ft wide, about 12ft deep. The middle of the house is open to the floor below where the fireplace is. Bedroom, bathroom, laundry downsta--elevator! If you picture a square box with the floor plan spiraling down around the perimeter, tight when you walk in then progressively opens up. Concrete foundation. Framer.
Thanks for all the comments. I have not been able to respond to everyone here. But in response to several comments, I will be putting out another video that highlights my materials with a break down of all the costs to complete this build. Please subscribe so you can be informed of my latest content.
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In my honest opinion, I would saved all the 197 tons of gravel and created a crawlspace or even a walk-in basement which could increase the revenue as an Air BnB or crash pad for a flight attendant. The good thing of a bullet proof foundation is that it will be around in 500 years. I’m looking at Hempcrete for a cabin in southwest Colorado.
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Filling your foundation with gravels is much costly. You could have save some monies by using other materials which was going to work as perfectly as the gravels
What views, it's mostly a heavily dense tree area. People Don't realize how damaging trees can be to housing and property. Most property were roadways are in heavy tree area, create many problems, roads stay damp from no sun penatration, create problems where heavy snow.
So are you suggesting we all move above the tree line? This place has great views and it looks like there has been plenty of tree removal to allow the house and driveway to dry out. Some folks might clear a bit more of a view but that is simply personal preference. Clear cutting itself produces plenty of its own problems, particularly erosion and space for invasive species.
Very nice (and entertaining). Thank you for sharing. One small thing just gnaws at me - the electrical service panel is the first thing you see driving up to the cabin and your electrician didn't bother (or forgot) to put the line to the AC disconnect in the wall, so you have ugly (and crooked) flexible NM conduit from the service panel to the AC disconnect that everyone's going to see.
Great Video. I have a question. Dont roast on me since I dont know much about home construction. What do you do when the buried pipes / lines burst in the future ?
nice use of space only thing I would change is putting a gutter of some kind on the bottom of the roof thats just way to much water to be dumping on that slab....
I'm a now retired residential and light commercial builder with 30+ years of custom construction experience. That said, I am very impressed with your building of this mountain cabin for you and the family. Great Job!! Like others, I will be eager to see your cost breakdown. Hopefully you'll have multiple categories and break out labor and materials in those categories. It is obvious that you spared no expense in doing everything in a high-class manner and succeeded in an outstanding finished product.
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@@beefquiche Sparing money is stupid, why else are they needed?
for sure costed over $800k
I think there is well over 1/2 a million lbs of building sitting on that slope. I just don't want to calculate the lbs per square foot I will just know it is insanely high.
I am a General Contractor..... I love that you applied so many newer material applications like Zip Wall and Roof systems, ICF, Mini Split AC, etc...I did not see Solar or rain collection from the roof, but either way, really nice build. Maybe move the trash can and build an enclosure so it's not the first thing you see when pulling up the driveway. congratulations on a job that was exceptionally well done! Great details.
Thank you very much!
Btw…there will be solar added. This will likely be a project next year
Solar would work better if the roof was pitch the other way, aka to the south. Then you could of split a roof with the current angle off of the now high side across to the retaining wall and had a covered driveway (aka a carport). That all being said the house looks awesome and John built it the way you wanted it! Great job!!
@@IU-Ubersolar on your roof should be a last resort option. It makes everything so much more complicated for little benefit.
The cabin looks great and solid. It will last a long time! The outside terrace in the back is amazing.
Yes, we love the terrace.
i am wondering if the floor will shift and sink in the middle. This gravel will settle, so what will happen to the floor?
That was so interesting i actually sat through the entire thing. I sometimes think I may have chosen the wrong career as a software developer because i love building things and working with my hands. This was very impressive. Beautiful build. I love Northern GA so that was a plus. That foundation is SOLID
Me too. :)
I've done both programming and building and it really is surprising how similar they are. You work with your hands for both, but it's mostly decision making. The result is a tangable thing that's hopefully very useful and valued by people.
The best construction 🚧🏗️ video by far. I absolutely loved it. The commentary is very audible and every single step of the construction have been covered. Well done.👌🏿🤜🏿
Very nice. Thanks for sharing. The foundation is massively strong for this location. For what you spent to make a flat slab, I think you could have had a crawl space or a partial basement for storage and utilities. The bedrock is good insurance that the slope will not move under your house.
I LOVE the yellow entrance! And I love the build. One of the best I’ve seen
I'm having a blast looking at your construction..!!! (Gracias)
Great appearance for a modern cabin with all of the modern amenities 👍🏼
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you for sharing a process like this.
I like most everything you did with the exception of your water take away and lack of rear overhang. It's my personal bias as a carpenter that all houses deserve roofs with a perimeter overhang more so in harsh climates as it provides so much in extending life of structure. No idea what state or elevation this may be located at but I've been seasoned at 36" annual rainfall and or 2 foot snow loads. Between the roof shedding and the flat drive, seepage at the sill plate just seems to be a matter of time or season. Contemporary style is pretty down on gutters but got to give them their due for water take away. Having a 18in rear overhang could have provided much function and some cool under soffit down lighting to prevent light pollution. Great color/material selections!
You should have watched the whole thing! They did plan an over hang. On the South side it looks to be 2 or 3 feet out, and a bit shorter on the East side.
@@SternDrive there are sides of the building with no overhang (thats what i think hes pointing out)
Georgia
This. 1800 sqft of rain will run down the back wall of the cabin and splash onto the concrete. I can't tell how the driveway slopes at that point, but this sees like a pretty good way to put your sill plate under water in a heavy rain.
@@travisshrey6720 Being ICF, is there still a sill plate? Not sure how they attached the siding to the ICF though. Still can't be good. I was expecting a drain along the driveway right next to the house to take all the water away.
That’s a nice robust build and I hope you and your family enjoy it for generations to come! Can’t wait for the cost breakdown video. I bought land on a slope in VT and am planning on building something similar.
Cheers!
Nice build and great commentary. The only thing lacking IMO would be radiant heating in the slab floor.
Makes sense especially since he already installed a recirculating h20 pump for the hot water tankless.
Agreed, have it heated from a boiler and or fireplace
YES INDEED! and i wouldnt have minded exposed ductwork, which i find imho very beautiful.
..thin i would have used wood board & batten siding to soften up the feel of the entry
Them boys did some damn good looking concrete work! That's a hard thing to find these days
Agreed. The concrete work was done very well!
Question- was all that the gravel backfill necessary? It looks great but that was a lot of material…
ok, going through more of the video I see what you did there. Another slab on top… nice! I
Spent parts of the last 4 days to watch your full build here--John, amazing job buddy. Beautiful area, incredible modern design, and just a really well thought out home. The deck is my favorite part by far, but the fire pit, the hot tub, and all the other little touches really take this place from being solid and serviceable, to extraordinary. Really well done man.
p.s. spent a few years living in Western N.C. and will hopefully own a piece of dirt out that way again sometime soon.
Thanks for the compliments.
@@johnwolson Absolutely man. Did you keep loose track of costs? So curious to know what each phase came in at (I could PM you too if you prefer not to post publicly). Anyway, really inspiring.
Beautiful sturdy construction…well done, love it!
Cool place John, thanks for sharing. I appreciate how you “overbuilt” the place, should be solid building for a long time. Good luck!
Thanks 👍
i liked the fact that you tried your best to use new materials
also the building looks great
I’m glad I stuck till the end of the video,that house is magnificent & the finishing especially the colors you chose are just great.Great job John,really inspiring
All that then the view of the huge u-store-it complex below. Wonderful planning. Must have purchased this lot when the trees were full of leaves. Now if you could move this to a really nice lot with a really nice view that would be 'nice'.
Very interesting to watch your house build. We just finished almost same build but ours is a 2 storey 8 inch ICF in a small town in Canada. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for sharing this with us!
Wow. As I put my hands in my pockets, shake my head, and walk away. You did an excellent job at building a cabin, yet as a guy who built my own house I can say there are areas in your build I'd have done differently....to save huge amounts of money. But, everybody is different and the way we both built our houses is different. You went for great amenities, I went for lower cost. Both achieved the same result, a ICF house with a metal roof, yet you got a approx. 1200sq/foot cabin, looking at a valley full of trees, I got a 4350 sq/ft home looking at a cove on a lake. Interesting, very interesting. Hope you enjoy it for years and years! God bless.
so much money spent here that was not needed
yup huge waste of money
Fantastic! Extend that deck out another 12'. Perfect outdoor space.
Even another 2 feet of width would make a huge difference.
Man, if this is your CABIN I really wonder what your home looks like?! Amazing project!
Currently building a similar shaped cabin on a very similar type of lot in the N GA mountains, except we will have a daylight basement. This cabin is built like a tank!
For those on a budget or just don't want to be reasonable with the cost and timeframe a post and beam suspended floor construction, stick framing and not using ZIP would get you the same house for 1/4 the cost and 1/4 the time. Enjoyed the video. BTW did you calculate the weight of this structure? In my head I think it is over 1/2 a Million lbs of building!! 10 truckloads of compacted gravel to just to have a slab floor then you covered it with flooring. I do not understand. Your house and I can tell you are happy and proud and that is all that matters when you don't care about your bank account. Lucky you!
Wood floors, when all said and done, are more than a concrete slab, then are a home for mice ans insects underneath and the air underneath is conflicting with your inside temperature. Over all, a better investment having concrete floors and perimeter, even if the cost was a little more.
I absolutely love the crisp modern design. The use of modern building materials. The contractors are real pros. You made a great informative video. I’m very curious about what the project costs. Thank for sharing and enjoy.
I love the cabin, Thanks for shaing all of the details of your build! I'd also love to hear a recap of what it cost to build.
Congratulations! Gorgeous home and views!
Great Video. Thanks for sharing. Just curious as to the decision to go with a slab foundation vs. a crawlspace. I assume this had something to do with the the overall ICF design and energy efficiency but wanted to get your feedback on that. Obviously you had to bring in a ton of material to backfill the foundation so I was curious as to the tradeoffs. Thanks.
Extremely cool result. Very impressive design and materials ! How I love minimalism ... 🌠
That was the perfect opportunity to double the sq footage and add a walkout basement....
That's what I thought, why not a future basement??
I thought the exact same thing. 2-3 more feet up or down and you have a walk out. That could have been ICF as well at least on the exposed wall but even all the walls. For the cost of all those truckloads of gravel fill and the concrete form work it would have cost less plus you would have had a suspended floor that would be much warmer on the main level especially if there's not a radiant floor. Maybe it's a warm climate, I might have missed that. If it's a cold climate that exposed concrete wall will transfer all the cold to the slab. All that being said, this work was an excellent execution of the plan!
I have nothing to gain with people buying ICF's but I have built and lived in ICF home and it was the best by far. I would never want to live in anything else. Hands down the best
Thank you for this detailed video. Well done. I was curious why you went with filling in the foundation instead of creating a basement.
because they're clueless
because this is how rich kids build using family money
That contractor is top-tier 👌
Congratulations on the nice building. The only thing I would suggest is at least a 30 ft radius of trees be removed around the building it will help prevent damage if they're ever is some kind of wildfire I know it cuts into the view and the for lack of better words hidden home feel but foam melts pretty quickly and in a wildfire temperatures get extremely hot so the farther you cut a radius around the building the safer it will be just some fruit for thought. Thank you for taking the time to make this video.
I have looked into Hempcrete, a lot more expensive that a stick build, on the pros, it’s fireproof, mildew proof, insect proof and you don’t need siding, also the carbon negative benefits save our planet. Also the house breathes due to compounds in the blocks. Great build, I’m curious of the cost breakdown on the next video.
Great job. Hi from Russia. Amazing forest and cute cabin.
I really like the overall finished cabin. Very chic. I might have actually built it on the upper level of the driveway with the deck extending over the current driveway so instead of dead ending the driveway at one point into the house, the deck would act as a car port and extra level of usable space. Basically shift the whole thing about 25 ft up the mountain slope. That is, if you owned the property. Of course, there's a reason behind everything. Kudos! Enjoy your new seasonal home! The Firespit is great!
I was thinking the same thing but then they would not get the great views from the deck, unless you mean building the deck top of the car port
Then you have to climb 15 feet of stairs up to your house every time you park...
Intriguing building techniques and materials, a beautiful structure.
wow I love this home and the vision behind it.
Love the design! Love the result!!
Thank you! 😊
Man, this is a fundament! Great job!😃
Strong and great looking foundation! Well done 👊 I love the ZIP System. The whole project is amazing - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Very nice design and layout.
Very nice video. The cabin is fabulous and I like the modern style of it. Well done.
I would like to add some ideas: the balcony could be extended, each room could have skylight, there would be a cellar in the basement and a playroom ...
Thanks for the tips!
It just occurred to me that if blue had been chosen in place of black, it would look like a woodsy IKEA showroom. For discriminating clients, of course. Lol. You just have to put it all together yourself.
Thanks for the #57 gravel mention
I can only imagine how much it would cost to build something like this! Amazing.
ICF is not prohibitively expensive. Assume a house would cost another 10% on total price to build to make it near passive house products and techniques with ICF walls and SIP roof.
To gain the same energy efficiency of ICF you'd have to build a 2x6 or 2x8 double studded thick lumber framed walls and then fill it all with insulation while avoiding thermal bridging. It's not easy. With ICF it's easy. Like really easy to avoid thermal breaks. You can still screw up the thermal breaks at doors, windows, etc but you build those to be very efficient too with high energy efficiency.
With ICF you also gain the benefits of sound proofing, fire resistentance, tornado and hurricane resistant, and bug/pest proof which all lower home insurance costs. You're living in a bunker but it can be built to look like any style home you want.
The 6" to 8" thick concrete ICF walls with outer layers foam become thermal sinks by soaking up heat in the Summer and in the winter ists releasing heat if the air is cooler. So if for instance you opened a sliding glass door to the outside for a few minutes and then close it you'll notice the temp hasn't change much in the home; the home air temp balances with the concrete.
It the labor that that cost 90% of the home, if you can built which is not difficult, the only you have to worry about us materials and a few labors
What a well made video your house is well built and in a beautiful location and i hope you and your family enjoy your time spent there All best wishes from ENGLAND UK
Really awesome project, but I have a rookie question about foundation, and that backfill with gravel. Why not just leave half of it empty and create a sort of a crawl space? Although, I'm not sure how much did you pay for gravel, so maybe there is as much savings as I think
Same question.
Same question???
Tanks for sharing. Learned somethings from the project..
😀👊
Very informative video, thanks for taking your time to make this. I would like to suggest showing the viewers some architectural diagrams of what u wanted to achieve at the beginning of the video. Great job anyway!
Yes please. Even if it's a link or something that you regularly edit in to show what area you are talking about at times.
About time someone build a house out something other than wood, paper. Metal roofs or tiles are a must for my build in S Colorado. Fire country deserves bricks or concrete houses
Interesting for an ICF house you used forms for the stem wall rather than ICFs.
He should have used ICF for the stem wall, would have been much better
Great effort from Thailand..
I'm concerned your cabling from the road to your meter is not placed in conduit. That the same for communication. Whilst it may be shielded and insulated additional protection from the elements I'd have thought a priority.
I've seen other builds in the USA that have placed theirs in conduit.
My home country, you have to place down 1m deep, conduit & concrete to grade for protection of being dug up and damaged or electrocuting unsuspecting others. Not to mention, red posts exactly on top to let others know whats dangers lay right underneath.
Just my thoughts..
Most states here are run-almost exclusively-above-ground (high up, in air) electric/communication lines. There are a few with underground lines, but it’s not the most common method here. Our water table is simply WAAAY too high for that. As it stands, elevation here is *below* sea level.😅) There’s no way we could burry all of our electrical wiring underground here-nor ANYTHING else for that matter-it would be outrageously difficult to perform routine maintenance/checks, etc… never mind the trouble we’d face if any more “involved” repairs were needed afterwards! 😬 haha Besides, constant contact with/exposure to water-this much water-can/does do some srs damage to just abt anything.
I mean, unless someone is genuinely hoping/planning on digging a well!? LOL! Anything else is essentially a no-go. 🤷♀️😂
The dirt will eat away at the plastic coating around the wires within 15 years. Other than that. It's a very nice mobil home with high ceilings
Nice video. Thanks for sharing.
I would have liked to see the pouring of the 12×12 piers. They came out looking very well. Thank you.⁹
Very interesting, I like to stay in the quiet environment.
You could’ve used the ICF floor and saved all that money used for backfill!!! And you would have gained a crawlspace
He wanted a concrete floor that he could stain. Also the high side was solid rock, so he would’ve spent a fortune excavating it. The flooring made out of wood probably would have been similar in cost anyway by the time he built a sub floor and added an attractive flooring.
Longevity over what’s cheap at the moment….just saying. Some things you shouldn’t be cheap with. And also he’s building on a mudslide-prone area if the rains hit hard enough. I think he made a wise decision.
@@tennesseetexan1957Icf floor is concrete
Cudn’t it be turned into a Basement without spending so much on aggregates?
I agree. And plumbing and electrical would have been much easier
Wow, good job, looks like a great space!
Thank you for sharing this John.
Hi John, you did wonderful job, verry classy. I wonder if you have the breakdown of the cost for foundation, electrical, etc.
I will appreciate if you can give me idea. I am about to build a 1500 sqf. in a slop lot.
Awesome video and thank you for sharing.
With that much digging, why didn't go ahead with a full basement?
It ain't on flat ground. Think about it
Government 😮
Very nice Cabin looks great and it fits in the bush ❤️🙏👍🤕
I'm curious why you chose to Zip R over ICF and then ice and rain shield on top of that. It seems that the ice and rain shield over osb over ICF creates the same sandwich as Zip R.
@ 57:20 better add an empty conduit (large one too "like 2 to 4 inches")) to that trench for things that you may want to add latter/ like cable, intercom to gate at entrance, wires to add lights at driveway entrance, tubing to supply water to water feature (fountain, water fall etc.) and anything else your little heart desires LOL
For those watching, you can put a crawl space and eliminate all of the gravel fill. I have built many homes in my 44 years in the business. Gravel is getting crazy expensive and you can use the crawl space for hvac and plumbing access also. I am building a house right now like this. (videos on my channel) Also, with the price of concrete going crazy, floor joists and subfloor are less expensive that concrete. They could have saved about $15-$20k on this house I would say.
A very nice cabin. The surroundings are very fresh.
Very nice build. For long I was wondering about large windows cutout in ICF panels, first time I see one in a video. Seems it worked pretty well. Do ICF manufacturer give instructions as to what the windows maximum dimension are ? (In proportion to the rest of the ICF panel) Thanks
slate rock entry would be killer!
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We have done some similar idea & designs out of shipping containers for different clients in remote locations
I’d like to understand more about the shipping containers can you PM me your information.
As an amateur when it comes to building like this I am curious as to why the foundation is filled up with gravel. Is it to add mass so the foundation sitts more stable on the ground?
My first thought was that it would be nice to use that space as a basement/storrage.
Really nice build and a great video overall that really inspire me for my future plans to build a cabin of my own here in Sweden.
Very cool! are you able to share rough costs?
i am impressed of pouring of the slab. It looked really flat and smooth
That's unfortunate that you started out with a wooded lot, but by the time of your 2nd fall season, the neighboring lot was entire cleared out and you just have a few trees seperating from your driveway.
Not a fan of having no overhang on the low side. Water eventually wears away at the wall and it will show weathering in time from rain hitting the metal and roof run off. Over all, you did a good job choosing concrete foundation instead of wood floor, which is in my opinion, wood is inefficient and a cheaper way to build, but wont hold the value like concrete.
I wasn't financial free until my 40's and I'm still in my 40's, bought my third house already, earn on a monthly through passive income, and got 4 out of 5 goals, just hope it encourages someone that it doesn't matter if you don't have any of them right now, you can start today regardless your age invest and change your future! Investing in the financial market is a grand choice I made.
I understand that tomorrow isn't promised to anyone, but investing today is hard for me now because I have no idea of how and where to invest in. I would be happy if you could advise me based on how you went about yours, as am ready to go the passive income path.
@James Vigor Do you mind sharing info on the adviser who assisted you? I'm 39 now and would love to grow my stock portfolio and plan my retirement?
Dear god all of these bots are super annoying!!!
How much debt do you have?
the problem is soon enough, it will act like gambling, the further you invest in, the more it feels like gambling. I highly advise, unless you truly know what your doing, pls don’t attempt.
8:21 I thought this could be a basement. Didn't expect you fill it all up!!!
Curious what happened with the piers in the foundation. It appears they were just covered up. So was that just something that didn't used in the end?
who mean where the balcony stands on?
@@PENTHESILEIA1000 I think he’s talking about the two pipes that were in the middle of the foundation, but I think they were drain pipes than he tied his plumbing into. I first thought the same thing that you did.
@@PENTHESILEIA1000 No. The two piers in the middle of the house foundation that got covered up by the gravel and concrete.
@@tennesseetexan1957 Those weren't chases. They were full on concrete piers.
@@theshermano3000 yes you’re right. I went back & watched the video. At 8:19 he explained they were extra support for the foundation. I assume maybe he had a wall going across there maybe. Don’t understand exactly how that would help though. Maybe a structural engineer would have that answer.
ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS 😍 WHAT A VIEW❣️
What a great build! You documented and captured it fantastically. So much thought and planning to make this house work on the lot, impressive. This home should survive many many years to come. Congrats!!
Thanks! Im glad you enjoyed it.
@@johnwolson I'm excited for join you plz 🌹🥀🌻 your WhatsApp plz 🌹🥀🌻🌺 I'm from India I'm a boy I'm single 35 I'm excited really serious can you join me plz 🌹🥀 Sir I'm excited too much
Yes, the planning had to be mind boggling at times. Especially the logistics at first with getting men on site and all thr equipment.
Can someone explain why he couldn’t back fill with soil? Half the foundation was filled with soil. Which he topped with gravel, why could he have used the soil from the uphill part of the house and then topped it with gravel?
OCD
I’m definitely not sure but it may be code there. I see them do a lot of that with mountain homes.
this checks a lot of boxes & i applaud your use of ICF & metal roof, but i'm worried it's missing a few *key* things:
-no ERV/HRV with dehumidifier?...an absolute MUST for any structure built with low ACH as an ICF with closed-cell foam roof. fresh air is important for health of both occupants & the structure/materials. no mechanical ventilation is a huge issue, but esp in GA.
-no roof & siding furring strips?...need an air gap to allow moisture to escape. when the roof leaks (not if), finding & fixing are a nightmare that involves destroying the closed-cell foam. plus, high summer sun won't bake through the black metal & thermally bridge to the interior via the trusses as much if you roll out a radiant barrier too.
-no overhang?...w/o an overhang or gutter, all the runoff from the roof accumulates at the base of that long wall after running down it, & possibly behind it. didn't hear Zypex mentioned, so even with a french drain, the moisture will seep into your foundation/slab/wall at a high rate.
-no insulation under the slab?...all the great passive heat gain through the day gets wicked away from underneath, instead of releasing back into the home at night.
sorry if this is the 1st time you're hearing of these issues, but they should have been addressed by your engineer or at minimum, any one of the many contractors should have said something. they're that important (well, aside from slab insulation, that's just beneficial).
I'm a novice, but why did you chose to fill all of the slope with gravel? Would it be inappropriate to use mostly fill soil from the site and top with gravel the last 4-8" below the slab? It just seems like a lot of gravel for such a robust foundation.
The problem is the soil will settle over time and cause the slab to crack. Plus backfilling with soil would not allow any runoff to drain to the base of the stem wall.
The bracings for the outerwall pathway are incredible... Thats so fucking smart!
Nice work! I built something very similar. Mine is 24x24 2 story, daylight basement. It has a single plane 2/12 pitch roof. You enter in the back left corner to a 5x8 entry, coat, shoe area, take one step down to a 4ft wide hallway running across the back wall to the next corner. Then you turn right into the kitchen area about 7ft wide out to 5ft from the next corner where you step down another step into the great room, 12ft high ceiling, full 24ft wide, about 12ft deep. The middle of the house is open to the floor below where the fireplace is. Bedroom, bathroom, laundry downsta--elevator! If you picture a square box with the floor plan spiraling down around the perimeter, tight when you walk in then progressively opens up. Concrete foundation. Framer.
would love to see pictures of this, looking at building something very similar.
Please make a video!
@@averageliving4Life no camera, sorry
Wonderful video,I’m saving it,that was great,thankyou 🇺🇸🕊💫
Thanks for all the comments. I have not been able to respond to everyone here. But in response to several comments, I will be putting out another video that highlights my materials with a break down of all the costs to complete this build. Please subscribe so you can be informed of my latest content.
The inside looks amazing!
Where is the dryer vent?
John remember, I am the owner!
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That wasn't start to finish I wanted to see the complete finish
In my honest opinion, I would saved all the 197 tons of gravel and created a crawlspace or even a walk-in basement which could increase the revenue as an Air BnB or crash pad for a flight attendant. The good thing of a bullet proof foundation is that it will be around in 500 years. I’m looking at Hempcrete for a cabin in southwest Colorado.
Why do you fill foundation with gravel?
Yeah, like they could have used that space🤑🤑🤑
Yellow entrance is just fantastic.
I just did cable railings and they are so good. Barely obstruct view, but don’t need cleaning (or cost) like glass.
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Filling your foundation with gravels is much costly. You could have save some monies by using other materials which was going to work as perfectly as the gravels
Yes, but the concern is always having the fill sink in a few years and leave the floor with less support. Gravel is better for packing I think.
Informative. Excellent documentation.
Thanks Robert.
What views, it's mostly a heavily dense tree area. People Don't realize how damaging trees can be to housing and property. Most property were roadways are in heavy tree area, create many problems, roads stay damp from no sun penatration, create problems where heavy snow.
So are you suggesting we all move above the tree line? This place has great views and it looks like there has been plenty of tree removal to allow the house and driveway to dry out. Some folks might clear a bit more of a view but that is simply personal preference. Clear cutting itself produces plenty of its own problems, particularly erosion and space for invasive species.
Yes, we should all move to the desert where there are no tree. Trees are bad...
Very nice (and entertaining). Thank you for sharing. One small thing just gnaws at me - the electrical service panel is the first thing you see driving up to the cabin and your electrician didn't bother (or forgot) to put the line to the AC disconnect in the wall, so you have ugly (and crooked) flexible NM conduit from the service panel to the AC disconnect that everyone's going to see.
So mush foundation for size of the building
over all great job and beautiful result 👍
Thank you! Cheers!
Don't forget he has ICF concrete walls all around. Those walls are heavy. The foundation is absolutely necessary for ICF walls.
Great Video. I have a question. Dont roast on me since I dont know much about home construction. What do you do when the buried pipes / lines burst in the future ?
Nicely finished!😊
Wow very nice and sound, thanes showing the perfectional works.
nice use of space only thing I would change is putting a gutter of some kind on the bottom of the roof thats just way to much water to be dumping on that slab....