Week 15: Radiant Flooring

Wow! Things have really moved forward this week. The slab is almost complete and we are looking forward to start erecting the aluminum structural frame. The only thing left to do is pour the concrete on Tuesday and then we'll start setting up the iT Kit pieces.


On Wednesday the mechanical subs moved back onto the job-site and began laying out the radiant flooring. After they outlined the different radiant paths, they attached the radiant tubing to the rebar grid with plastic zip-ties. It was a fascinating process to watch and I was most surprised at the speed at which the work was being completed. By lunch time they were pretty much finished and were working on building the piping for the Munchkin boiler, and radiant flooring controls.

Inspection is scheduled for Monday morning. By Wednesday we'll be posting images of the finished concrete slab.

Week 15: Slab Rebar Layouts

This morning the rebar benders were back and began laying out the grid for the floor slab. By late afternoon, they were finished and the next step was to lay out the radiant flooring. By this time next week we will have poured the slab and starting the Bosch framing system.

Week 15: Pre-Slab

So Monday started with Alan and me arriving at the site to install the Insul-Tarp. Gail-force winter winds were there to greet us. After getting the Insul-Tarp unpacked we began the process of unrolling, cutting, and securing the tarp in place.

The Insul-Tarp works in conjunction with the radiant flooring and provides a protective thermal barrier between the radiant flooring in the slab and the ground beneath it. Without insulation, the radiant flooring would loose all of its heat to the ground below.

It took us most of the day to install the Insul-Tarp because we had to work around all of the plumbing, electrical, and HVAC layouts. The whole system is quite elegant and only took a modicum of work to install. The final result was very satisfying and by next week we should have a slab in place. Back at the office, we’ve been locking in the roofers, finalizing the custom shower design, and planning for all of the finish work that will take place in the coming months. Tomorrow, CALQUAKE, the concrete sub will be laying out the rebar for the slab area. Stay tuned!

Week 14: Electrical/Pre-Slab almost done.

Well, here we are! The end is in sight. Our electricians finished their conduit runs today and we are going for inspection with the City of Villa Park tomorrow morning. It is pretty amazing to see the conduit in electrical conjunction with the plumbing runs, and the duct work (now buried). It’s impressive to think that only a few weeks ago this all seemed like a monstrous task. Now that it’s almost wrapped up, it doesn’t seem that hard.

The final masonry wall is almost complete as well, and by the end of next week we should be ready to pour the slab.














On Monday Alan and I will be on site to lay out the Insul-Tarp and inspect everything prior to the construction of the re-bar grid for the floor slab. After that is complete our mechanical sub will return and layout the radiant flooring. By February 1st we should have a completed slab and be ready to begin the Bosch framing.

Week 13: Electrical/Slab Prep

This week we finalized our slab preparation by compacting the fill in the slab area. In order to speed things up we had our electrical crew come in right behind the compaction crew. For the first day it was quite a circus. However, by today work has calmed down to a manageable rhythm, with everyone politely staying out of each others way. Tomorrow, we should be almost done with the electrical pre-wire and into the final two weeks of the concrete phase of the project.

Week 12: Slab Preparation

So this week we got closer to pouring the slab. We compacted all of the soil under the slab and are now preparing to lay in our electrical conduit on Monday. Meanwhile, back in the office Alan and I have been tending to other iT House issues and coordination items. The Insul-Tarp arrived for th slab, as well as the bolts for the Bosch system. We are lining things up for the next phase of the project and focusing how to dove-tail all the trades against each other .

So this week we got closer to pouring the slab. We compacted all of the soil under the slab and are now preparing to lay in our electrical conduit on Monday. Meanwhile, back in the office Alan and I have been tending to other iT House issues and coordination items. The Insul-Tarp arrived for th slab, as well as the bolts for the Bosch system. We are lining things up for the next phase of the project and focusing how to dove-tail all the trades against each other .