I poured a papercrete floor in early May (or maybe it was April). It was about 4" thick. I made some big mistakes with the mix and had to tear the entire floor out about 5 months later. It was still very wet underneath and had a strong moldy smell so I would not recommend a papercrete floor. If I had the money and did not have a prejudice against concrete I would pour a slab and build up from that with the blocks. That would simplify things a lot. What I did was use a rubble trench foundation and use latex paint in the first 2 courses of papercrete to water proof it. This worked out OK but it would be a lot easier to do the slab. Or raise the building on a platform.
Keep in mind that a 12 x 12 building is a big project so make sure you have a lot of help. I used a combination of blocks and slip forming in my little buildings and it went quite a bit quicker than the straight block method. There are a few things I would do differently but I feel it was a good way to use up the old blocks and speed up the process.
I lived in Ohio for a while and yes it is a wet climate. I wouldn't worry too much about the moisture issue except to be very careful about keeping all papercrete away from standing water or from roof leaks.
Have fun with your project and please keep us posted on how you are doing.
Follow progress on the new project at http://www.papercretebyjudith.com/blog
More papercrete info at http://squidoo.com/papercretebyjudith
To: papercreters@yahoogroups.com
From: trendlinesystems@gmail.com
Date: Sat, 3 Dec 2011 14:31:02 +0000
Subject: [papercreters] PC in cold, wet, climes
__._,_.___ 
__,_._,___
Keep in mind that a 12 x 12 building is a big project so make sure you have a lot of help. I used a combination of blocks and slip forming in my little buildings and it went quite a bit quicker than the straight block method. There are a few things I would do differently but I feel it was a good way to use up the old blocks and speed up the process.
I lived in Ohio for a while and yes it is a wet climate. I wouldn't worry too much about the moisture issue except to be very careful about keeping all papercrete away from standing water or from roof leaks.
Have fun with your project and please keep us posted on how you are doing.
Follow progress on the new project at http://www.papercretebyjudith.com/blog
More papercrete info at http://squidoo.com/papercretebyjudith
To: papercreters@yahoogroups.com
From: trendlinesystems@gmail.com
Date: Sat, 3 Dec 2011 14:31:02 +0000
Subject: [papercreters] PC in cold, wet, climes
I'd like to build a 12' x 12' tool shed next spring using PC block.
I live in the Ohio Valley area.. The climatic data says we average 40 inches of rain a year, 30 inches of snow, and we're cloudy 50% of the time. My soil has a high clay content.
Where I want to build it has good drainage, but due to the clay soil and local runoff, it can be "squishy" for a few days after a heavy rain. In the dry summer months, the soil can get very dry.
For background, my first plan was to level a grade on my hillside and then pour a PC "pad" about 8-12" thick with the top about 2-3" above the ground level or building something similar using preformed blocks.
The shed will have a covered roof, so rain, snow, and ice falling on the PC should not be an issue. Similarly, it will not be occupied, so a little incidental mold or mildew shouldn't pose a health hazard.
My questions are:
(1) What's the consensus on PC foundations in wet climates?
(2) Should I build on joists above ground, pour a concrete pad, or can I allow the PC to come in direct contact with the soil?
In reading on-line, I've come across different views concerning PC in moist soils.
Some say it's OK as long as the PC has an opportunity to dry out eventually, others appear to say that if you don't live in an arid climate, don't let the PC stay in contact with the damp soil.
What's the latest consensus?
I live in the Ohio Valley area.. The climatic data says we average 40 inches of rain a year, 30 inches of snow, and we're cloudy 50% of the time. My soil has a high clay content.
Where I want to build it has good drainage, but due to the clay soil and local runoff, it can be "squishy" for a few days after a heavy rain. In the dry summer months, the soil can get very dry.
For background, my first plan was to level a grade on my hillside and then pour a PC "pad" about 8-12" thick with the top about 2-3" above the ground level or building something similar using preformed blocks.
The shed will have a covered roof, so rain, snow, and ice falling on the PC should not be an issue. Similarly, it will not be occupied, so a little incidental mold or mildew shouldn't pose a health hazard.
My questions are:
(1) What's the consensus on PC foundations in wet climates?
(2) Should I build on joists above ground, pour a concrete pad, or can I allow the PC to come in direct contact with the soil?
In reading on-line, I've come across different views concerning PC in moist soils.
Some say it's OK as long as the PC has an opportunity to dry out eventually, others appear to say that if you don't live in an arid climate, don't let the PC stay in contact with the damp soil.
What's the latest consensus?
__._,_.___
Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe
__,_._,___
