It's like pool construction for this stage of the house. It's a few days worth of work, but if there is 6 months between visits......
There are only 2 ways to meet the new Florida Building Code. Steel reinforced CMU or galvanized steel frame panels with 3" gunite sprayed on after assembly. I checked on both. The steel frame method was over 2x cost which on this house would have been $280,000 more. That would have meant no pool and no back porch, one less BR, plus nix the 12' ceilings. Easy decision to go CMU.
Actually, it's pretty fast. Will be done with all the block 5-7 days after start. Would be quicker except I have 12' ceilings. But there's a lot more to do than the block. I have almost 30 masonry openings for windows and doors. FBC requires a concrete-filled block with steel reinforcement on both sides of every opening. Then they have to be finished to tolerance for the impact windows and doors that require special fit and fasteners. Then we fly the trusses mid-May. Setting will take 3-5 days then another 2 weeks to add all the bracing and connectors that strap to a bond beam that is concrete filled on top of all the block. I'll almost have a bomb shelter when we're done and it seems like it's way over-designed until your sitting there inside with a cat 5 storm that was supposed to only be cat 3 and it's now too late to leave.
Understood completely. Its a really weird time to be doing any sort of construction. Builder I used would do either. But after considering furring out interior walls to insulate, plus added materials the cost difference wasn't that much greater than doing C block, and the build up and pour happened really fast. the only thing im not crazy about are the plastic "tabs" that the drywall and siding are mounted too. I almost went with stucco, but it wouldn't have matched up to the rest of the house then. Still amazed how thick all the window sills are though lol.
