Band-Board for the main floor installed, foam for the slab insulation

The end of the week was marked by the completion of the "band-board" attached to the ICFVLs (using ICFVL-CWs) at the level of the first floor.  This job took about 4 1/2 hours to complete most of which was spent setting the lines at level for the flooring and making sure that once the finished floor is installed we have the proper clearance for the doors.

The view from the NorthWest corner of the house with the LVLs installed - main living floor joists will attach and finished floors will be 1/2" below the door openings (door to deck is at right of this picture).

This is the view from the SouthWest corner of the basement.  The 5" foam you see on the gravel was used to protect the work Clayton's team did leveling the gravel.  There will be wire mesh and rebar as well as a 6 mil vapor barrier and then 4" of concrete to form the slab. There will be higher density 3" foam under those areas of the concrete that will be strip footers for the load-bearing walls.

Again, the view from the NorthEast which is how you will approach the house from the driveway.

The front of the house from the NorthWest. Garage will attach between the door on the right and the window to the left of that and run to the WestWall.  You may just be able to see the waterproofing applied to the sub-grade concrete (Thoroseal). You may be able to tell these pictures were taken in the morning before they installed the LVLs for the main floor. 

 This week should bring the final installation of the sub-slab insulation and wire mesh/rebar, the inspection by the county, and then the pour of the slab.  We'll let that slab set up for the weekend and then the guys will go at the flooring system in earnest.  Following the installation of the flooring system, the supports you see on the inside will be removed and they'll raise the roof.

  We're already working on the flooring material selections since that will ensure we know what the flooring system depth in each room will need to be so there are no "steps" between the different rooms.  We also need to order the skylight (for the entrance hall) and two solar tubes (one for the laundry room and one for the guest bath).    This is where is starts to get fast and furious - selecting materials and ordering them in time for the installers to do their jobs.  We do have a head start with some plumbing fixtures, a vanity sink base, a range hood, and several other things neatly stored in our family room and spare bedroom not to mention the range and dishwasher the retail store is storing for us. It pays to hit the home improvement stores (Lowes and Home Depot here in NC) and find their special-order returns or clearance items that fit your need.  We've saved 50% on the plywood-box vanity and range hood as well as high quality plumbing fixtures. We saved about 30% on the range - it was one that was ordered with four burners and a griddle instead of the 6 burners the buyer wanted and since it is LP, there is limited demand due to LNG being available in Durham and Raleigh.

 Our overall goal is to stay within the budget but by buying these items at a deep discount we can upgrade the overall fixtures in the house.