More Building a Net-Positive House
The team behind the Hudson Valley build that GBA is following has begun framing the floor. In this video, project manager Ben Bogie of BPC Green Builders explains the reason for choosing an LVL ledger-hung system and the details of how it was installed.
In combination with the ICCF foundation, this framing method offers an added benefit: the ledger serves as the form board for the concrete pour into The Perfect Block cores. This allows for casting the fasteners in place with the concrete. Engineered I-joists make up the floor diaphragm, which is covered with Huber’s new AdvanTech X-Factor subflooring, the installation of which Ben describes as similar to that of its predecessor but with improved durability, which is valuable for a large project sure to have a lengthy exposure period.
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Ben Bogie is a second-generation high-performance-building obsessive working as a project manager for BPC Green Builders of Wilton, CT. Photo by Brian McAward.
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5 Comments
A very elegant solution that looks like it works well with the block foundation. You end up with a really well tied together structure that I bet feels rock solid.
The similar ledgers I've set into the forms of poured foundations had the added bonus here in seismically active coastal BC, of avoiding a whole raft of hardware that would otherwise have been necessary to tie the rim-joist and walls to the foundation.
Lots of good stuff so far on this build. Looking forward to the future blogs!
Question: was it determined somehow that there was no need to isolate the LVL ledgers w/ a membrane, etc. from the poured concrete? Just thinking of water migration to the ledger. I do not think there would be a large amount transferred, but it is pretty amazing how much water concrete sponges up.
Jaccan,
The video at one point seems to show the ends and face of the ledgers covered with a green peel & stick membrane.
Good to see you posting again!
Nice post about a nice system. Sometimes it's more than step-up height, sometimes it's about total height, especially for in-fill housing where setbacks are getting smaller and existing power lines may hang low.
I had to reduce height of the second floor (low side of shed roof) adjacent an alley due to power line clearances. As with the video, my house has floor joist hung below the tops of the foundation walls on both inside and outside as part of the foundation is helical pier.
Too bad I didn't use the AdvanTech X-Factor subflooring as in the video, rain resulted in having to tear up the non-leak resistant sheathing to dry out spray-foamed bays over the helical pier sections. Ledger hung and AdvanTech X-Factor subflooring would have saved both time and money while accomplishing the goal of overall height reduction.
Is there any ICCF system out there that includes components with pre-engineered notches that would allow the TJI joists to nest directly into the wall and obviate the need for ledgers and joist hangers?
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