[Villages Kahuna]

I happened to be riding south on O'Dell Circle and observed three new houses being built using forms and "pumped" concrete for the exterior walls. Obviously, they would be coated with stucco eventually. As I looked more closely, I saw several other houses that had concrete exterior walls instead of block.

Is this a new construction specification? I can't ever recall seeing that type of construction before. Clearly, the walls can be formed quicker--setting forms, pumping concrete and then removing the forms would take less time than building the walls with individual blocks. A lot less labor intensive, as well. And for that matter, probably a better quality, stronger wall system.

Has anyone else noticed this?

[graciegirl]

I saw that too Kahuna and we played golf yesterday with a couple who are building an "IRIS" which is a designer in the 1900 square foot range. I understand there is also a new designer called a "LILY" too. Times, they are a changing.

[villages07]

I think they have been building concrete houses for awhile.... but there was always a mix of concrete and block; I'll have to pay more attention to the newer areas to see if they are exclusively or majority poured concrete. I asked about this once and an agent (or builder) said they were pretty comparable as far as wind/storm protection goes. I'm not sure if there are any other functional differences between poured concrete vs block construction.

As to the new models, I checked out each one of them in the past week. Assuming I haven't mixed up the names, the Iris is the same interior layout as the gardenia/camelia, except that the golf cart garage comes standard but is between the garage and front door (not on the outside of the garage). This allows the model to be built on a smaller 90ft wide lot.

The Lily looks very similar to the Lantana on the outside but has a few interior modifications. The agent at the open house says that it is only about 40 sq ft smaller inside than the Lantana but it felt smaller than that. The breakfast area was smaller; the entrance to the master bedroom was at the far end of the living room with no corridor leading to it; the lanai seemed smaller too. The open house they had was on a small interior lot and had very few upgrades but was advertised (after discount) at $218K which seemed like a very low price for a "lantana-lite" house. Interesting, indeed, what they are doing with these new models.

[graciegirl]

O7 you are getting around pretty good to update us on all this. I am interested to see both of these new models. I was told by our golf partner that they only had the "demo" built at this time. That takes calling your rep and bothering him...I wish we could see the models by just walking up to them and going in. (Like in the outside world)

[golfnut]

I thought they advertised in the Daily Sun when and where the various open houses for new construction are being held..............GN

[villages07]

GN is right.... in the past week, they have had one Iris and one Lily during their daily open houses. These are advertised on the back page of the front section. Both the ones I looked at were in Hemingway, off of Aberdeen, near Havana Country club.

[Dutchman]

Poured concrete is much quicker (cheaper) to construct then laying block. They have being using that method in my area for years for foundations and I've seen full walls poured in some walls over the past year or so.

[downeaster]

The Flager Hotel, now Flagler College, in St. Augustine is a multi floor poured concrete building dating in the 1800's. Still standing firm.

[Villages Kahuna]

If TV has come up with another model which is, as some described earlier, a "Lantana-lite", I'm not surprised.

Some sales people have told me that they simply don't have enough Lantanas. They've siad that they typically sell in a very short time after they become available--or the lots where the Lantana can be built are made available.

They pointed out that the footprint of the Lanatana, with the lanai and/or pool being outside the footprint of the house itself, limits the number of Lantanas that can be built. With their normal design, they only fit on lots on cul de sacs or corner lots. If they've come up with a similar floorplan that they can fit on the "interior" lots on the typical street, I'm sure they're just responding to the popularity of the Lantana floorplan.

The difference in choice of construction method i.e. concrete block vs. concrete wall, may be due to difference in contractor as well. Each contractor may do it differently based on their preference/abilities.

[Indy-Guy]

In the spring of 2005 I purchased a Villa in Sullivan Villas of Poinciana. It has poured concrete walls and stucco. The first Villas built in Sullivan Villas were block then they switched to poured walls. Since then most of the stucco Villas that I have seen built have been poured walls in fact I don't remember seeing any stucco Villas that weren't poured walls. I have no complaints about the poured walls. If you want to hang something it is very hard to drill into and eats up bits.

[Dirigo]

Were they using ICFs to build the new homes?

Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs) have been in used in the Northeast for several years. We are living in a five year old home of my own design that has a foundation built using ICFs.

Using ICFs reduces labor and adds insulation.

I know a fellow here in our town who used ICFs to pour the foundation and walls of his new home.

Check out this ICF website.

http://www.korit.com/amvic.htm

[Villages Kahuna]

The walls I saw being poured along O'Dell Circle were simple poured concrete walls, not the ICF forms. Realistically, a lot of insulation isn't needed here in Florida. I'm assuming they still use 3/4 firring strips and 3/4 inch foam insulation between the poured walls and the interior drywall on the exterior walls.

[GMONEY]

Originally Posted by Villages Kahuna

I happened to be riding south on O'Dell Circle and observed three new houses being built using forms and "pumped" concrete for the exterior walls. Obviously, they would be coated with stucco eventually. As I looked more closely, I saw several other houses that had concrete exterior walls instead of block.

Is this a new construction specification? I can't ever recall seeing that type of construction before. Clearly, the walls can be formed quicker--setting forms, pumping concrete and then removing the forms would take less time than building the walls with individual blocks. A lot less labor intensive, as well. And for that matter, probably a better quality, stronger wall system.

Has anyone else noticed this?

We have been doing this for awhile now. It is called Form Wall. Instead of using block, T&D puts the aluminum form frame around the house. It is then pump solid. Form has rebar thru it or Steel Fiber is put in concrete. Besides resulting in a much stronger house, cuts your power bill down. Takes less to heat and cool. Started doing the Villa units, but have also done a few designer homes. Also there are 2 in Bison Valley that are Form Wall homes. Sometimes you will see it done with Styrofoam sections with rebar running thru it. Same concept here. T&D can strip and set up another wall pretty quick.

[Villages Kahuna]

Originally Posted by GMONEY

We have been doing this for awhile now. It is called Form Wall. Instead of using block, T&D puts the aluminum form frame around the house. It is then pump solid. Form has rebar thru it or Steel Fiber is put in concrete. Besides resulting in a much stronger house, cuts your power bill down. Takes less to heat and cool. Started doing the Villa units, but have also done a few designer homes. Also there are 2 in Bison Valley that are Form Wall homes. Sometimes you will see it done with Styrofoam sections with rebar running thru it. Same concept here. T&D can strip and set up another wall pretty quick.

T&D seems to be an extremely well-run company, capturing all the structural work in TV even including the pools and birdcages thru their Florida Spa & Pool and birdcage subsidiaries. If they've been able to now construct walls with poured concrete instead of block, it seems they may have substantially reduced the business of the masonry contractor(s) who did the block walls until now. When you think about it, T&D is building the entire house except the roof and anything inside.