Why You Will Love Precast Walls
The foundation walls are up, and I couldn't be more pleased.
Before I get into why these walls are so great, I want to first say that these walls saved me money. No, I'm not talking about how the walls will save me money eventually because of the energy efficiency, which they will. I'm talking dollar for dollar, these walls were CHEAPER than poured walls once you take into consideration the costs of insulation, waterproofing, and sealing (which is included with the precast walls).
These walls are made-to-order in the factory and delivered and installed on site. It took less than 3 weeks after ordering our walls for them to be ready (and we were excavating the site during this time, so no time lost). Usually the walls are installed using a crane, but because of how difficult it is to get to our site, we had to use a lull. A crane can install the walls in a single day. A lull takes about 2 days, which is much better than waiting weeks for poured walls to set properly.
I already mentioned the energy efficiency--the pamphlet I received from the manufacturer estimated a 67% energy savings. The walls also provide better protection against earthquakes, tornadoes, and hurricanes, and they are waterproof and fire resistant. They also come with a lifetime warranty. Oh, and don't forget to tell your home owner's insurance carrier that you have these walls because you'll see some savings there too.
The precast walls are a finished product, meaning you don't have to cover the walls with another moisture barrier. Our original house plans called for brick on the bottom floor, but once we decided on the precast walls, we nixed the brick and decided to leave the concrete exposed since the concrete look better fits our modern design (and saves us mega $$$$). An added plus is that the precast walls have a smoother finish than poured walls.
My main concern with leaving the concrete as is was that I didn't want the house to look unfinished, like there was supposed to be brick or stone covering the concrete, but I ran out of money. My builder assures me that the whole look will tie together and look intentional. Once I have pictures of the finished product, you can decide if you agree.
One thing I did to make the concrete walls look more intentional (I hope) was request fake seams. In addition to having beveled seams in between each 6 foot panel, I had the manufacturer add a fake seam down the middle of each panel, making the walls look like long 3 foot panels. I considered requesting a horizontal seam down the middle of each panel to make them look like smaller square panels but feared it would look too busy. It may be too early to tell, but so far I like the look. The manufacturer said that this request was a first for them, but they have already recommended it to other customers, and one customer came by the site to look at the walls with the fake seams. He told the workers he was also considering adding the horizontal seam down the middle. The manufacturer can do almost anything you want, including stamping the concrete to look like brick or stone, so don't be afraid to be creative!
the precast walls can also be stained. A darker gray is a popular choice, and I have seen some neat acid stain on concrete floors that could possibly be done on concrete walls as well. I haven't decided yet if I will stain my walls. So far, I like the natural look of the concrete, but I am waiting to see what it looks like with the upper siding. I have been told that even though it is not necessary to the integrity of your home to seal the precast walls, the concrete is susceptible to stains if you do not seal the concrete. This could be important if you live in a southern state like me and have a lot of red clay.
There are several manufacturers of these precast concrete walls, including Superior Walls and Envirocast.
Before I get into why these walls are so great, I want to first say that these walls saved me money. No, I'm not talking about how the walls will save me money eventually because of the energy efficiency, which they will. I'm talking dollar for dollar, these walls were CHEAPER than poured walls once you take into consideration the costs of insulation, waterproofing, and sealing (which is included with the precast walls).
(You can see the white insulation in the interior)
(Precast, preinsulated walls installed with a lull)
The precast walls are a finished product, meaning you don't have to cover the walls with another moisture barrier. Our original house plans called for brick on the bottom floor, but once we decided on the precast walls, we nixed the brick and decided to leave the concrete exposed since the concrete look better fits our modern design (and saves us mega $$$$). An added plus is that the precast walls have a smoother finish than poured walls.
My main concern with leaving the concrete as is was that I didn't want the house to look unfinished, like there was supposed to be brick or stone covering the concrete, but I ran out of money. My builder assures me that the whole look will tie together and look intentional. Once I have pictures of the finished product, you can decide if you agree.
One thing I did to make the concrete walls look more intentional (I hope) was request fake seams. In addition to having beveled seams in between each 6 foot panel, I had the manufacturer add a fake seam down the middle of each panel, making the walls look like long 3 foot panels. I considered requesting a horizontal seam down the middle of each panel to make them look like smaller square panels but feared it would look too busy. It may be too early to tell, but so far I like the look. The manufacturer said that this request was a first for them, but they have already recommended it to other customers, and one customer came by the site to look at the walls with the fake seams. He told the workers he was also considering adding the horizontal seam down the middle. The manufacturer can do almost anything you want, including stamping the concrete to look like brick or stone, so don't be afraid to be creative!
(Fake and beveled seams every 3 feet)
the precast walls can also be stained. A darker gray is a popular choice, and I have seen some neat acid stain on concrete floors that could possibly be done on concrete walls as well. I haven't decided yet if I will stain my walls. So far, I like the natural look of the concrete, but I am waiting to see what it looks like with the upper siding. I have been told that even though it is not necessary to the integrity of your home to seal the precast walls, the concrete is susceptible to stains if you do not seal the concrete. This could be important if you live in a southern state like me and have a lot of red clay.
There are several manufacturers of these precast concrete walls, including Superior Walls and Envirocast.
The building site was very clean and tidy, despite the fact that the structure was very, very complex.
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