ICF Filter House – EIFS Completed

For a chronological listing of our building projects with ICF (or insulated concrete forms), be sure to look through the ICF Building Index.

I have posted over the past several months about the progress on our filter house. You have shared the start of the project – taking down of the old metal building, putting up the ICF (insulated concrete forms) walls, pouring of the ICF walls and the first coat of the EIFS (exterior insulation finishing system) exterior. Now, the second and final coat of EIFS is finished! This last coat has the color and has made such a difference in the way it looks! No longer does it look like a concrete bunker!

If you are new, we began using ICF when building our home overlooking the vineyard – we are living in what will eventually be the basement and hope to begin the second phase of the house after next harvest. We also used ICF for our icf barn which we built this fall after grape harvest (2012). Because of the insulation value of the ICF, it was a natural choice to use for building our filter house. We have underground drip irrigation in the vineyard and the filter house houses, as you probably guessed, the filter system for our irrigation. Now when the weather is below freezing, it is unlikely that any pipes will burst!

ICF is great for DIY’ers like us. Not only are they quick and easy to put together, it is fun. They are like big legos and simply snap together, except, these legos are for adults!

The filter house is octagonal and the front sports a door which John made. I had seen this style in some pictures from Italian real estate and wanted to see how it looked – needless to say, I am pleased with the way it turned out!

We mounted a sun dial made from hand-painted ceramic tiles that I purchased in Spain years ago. Finally, it has a home other than a drawer!

We used glass blocks for a window. They provide light inside without having a traditional window.

Pruning the vineyard begins soon, so, the roof and banister of the pavilion (which will be on top of the filter house) will have to wait until later.

I love seeing the progress and the beautiful west Texas sunsets from the pavilion!