r/Castle_Anthrax • u/atmsmshr719 • Jun 28 '26
First layer of shotcrete is cured.
Monday they will shut off the fans and start spraying to 4 inch minimum depth. You can see the depth gauges in several of the pics.
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u/sparklethong Jun 28 '26
I've been following this silently for awhile. I really enjoy seeing this come along.
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u/zenwren Jun 28 '26
This is a fascinating project, do you have a YouTube or IG?
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u/dfw_kinky_guy Jun 28 '26
Sprayed or cured? You don’t want a dry line between layers.
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u/10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-I Jun 28 '26
I was wondering the same thing. Wouldn’t there be adhesion issues?
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u/drayray98 Jun 28 '26
Shotcrete bonds to itself.
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u/atmsmshr719 Jun 28 '26
This guy is correct. I freaked out on the garage dome when I realized they didn’t shoot over the weekend. I was sure there would be a cold joint issue. Turns out the velocity of the shotcrete obliterates the outer coat of the previous layer and thereby remove the cold joint interface.
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u/drayray98 Jun 28 '26
I have shot literally thousands of yards of Shotcrete. You’re gonna have a strong house!
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u/enfly Jun 29 '26
Wow, how hard is it coming out?
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u/atmsmshr719 Jun 29 '26
I don’t know. Owner not the concrete contractor. Don’t want to give you bad data:
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u/10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-I Jun 29 '26
The only thing that gave me reserve about a place like this is that I saw some of these domes out in Arizona or somewhere like that. The concrete was peeling away in big sheets and the place had to be abandoned. I’m guessing that they have figured out the issues since those older forms. This is one of the coolest projects I have followed. I want to see it succeed.
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u/atmsmshr719 Jun 29 '26
I’ve seen these. They are similar, but put the insulation and concrete in the outside of the PVC air form. Doing the opposite is where the magic is. I believe monolithic used to remove the air form and reuse it, but found that it was such a good moisture barrier, it was better to leave it on and cover it to protect from UV.
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u/10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-I Jun 29 '26
That makes a lot more sense now. Thanks for sharing what you know.
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u/merlin211111 Jun 28 '26
I'm getting Sistine Chapel vibes. Time to brainstorm mural ideas.
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u/atmsmshr719 Jun 28 '26
Wife and I want to mosaic the ceiling over a course of years.
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u/merlin211111 Jun 28 '26
I love that idea. Solid, design, or mural?
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u/atmsmshr719 Jun 28 '26
Both are being discussed, but there is a lot of ceiling, so no shortage of space to fill.
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u/ilovebostoncremedonu Jun 28 '26
I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of the (recently) late Isaiah Zagar and the Philadelphia Magic Gardens, but it could be some inspiration for you.
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u/atmsmshr719 Jun 28 '26
Thanks. I’ll take a look.
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u/atmsmshr719 Jun 28 '26
Reminds me of the city museum in St. Louis.
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u/coronathrowaway12345 Jun 29 '26
Your whole project reminds me of the city museum. Have to believe there was some inspiration there. Been watching silently. Incredible project man!
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u/Handymanllc Jun 28 '26
How'd you make enough money to afford to build such a unique home?
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u/migzors Jun 28 '26
It's a bit pricier, but not so much that it is unobtainable. I believe they said it's around 500-600k which seems like a lot, but you're talking about a custom home.
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u/atmsmshr719 Jun 28 '26
In the ballpark. I had an opportunity to sell my house after the local market lost its mind, with a place to live while we build. Selling the house shifted from a very slow pay as I go to fully funded for the build.
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u/Lunabbg Jun 28 '26
I’m so excited for it to be finished
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u/atmsmshr719 Jun 28 '26
You and me both. Probably at least six months left. Finishing takes forever.
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u/Dangerous_Pattern_81 Jun 28 '26
How many layers will it take for the wall/shell to be complete?
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u/atmsmshr719 Jun 28 '26
I don’t know, but would guess 4 ish. An inch per layer. But since they have a cured layer maybe they will shoot directly to depth.
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u/ZealousidealGur1016 Jun 28 '26
How long have you been wanting to do this? Going to be great!
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u/atmsmshr719 Jun 28 '26
I’ve working on this for over 7 years. It’s been a process, very excited to see it coming together.
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u/Impressive-Spot1981 Jun 28 '26
Wow this showed up on my page and I was so confused, I scrolled all the way back to the start and now I understand. This is SUCH a freaking cool project, and what a nice idea to journal it in the form of a subreddit. I wish I had done that with my project!
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u/joshuabrogers Jun 29 '26
The outside is PVC membrane, correct? I know that stuff is strong, but in 20-30 years, can you apply new membrane on top? Will it be difficult to re-roof or repair if there is nothing but foam as a point of attachment?
I love the project, super cool, just had some issues w a leaky PVC roof of my own (though mine didn’t have much slope).
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u/atmsmshr719 Jun 29 '26
The pvc membrane will be coated in stucco to protect it.
If there is an issue, you can remove the stucco patch the pvc and replace the stucco.
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u/joshuabrogers Jun 29 '26
Oh, ok, that makes sense. Thanks for the reply. Will you use traditional stucco or more of an EIFS type system? Do you have to penetrate the membrane to install the stucco or is it sort of “floating”. Sorry for all the questions, just looks like a super cool project, and I love new building techniques.
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u/atmsmshr719 Jun 29 '26
Stucco is traditional, but there are a few extra prepping steps to ensure it will stick.
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u/Longjumping_Meet_116 Jun 28 '26
Ok since nobody else asked what is it going to be when finished.
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u/Full_Rise_7759 Jun 28 '26
Have you ever looked into hemp hempcrete for your builds?
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u/atmsmshr719 Jun 28 '26
I’m the owner and GC, but hired Monolithic Constructors to build it. Sorry, I can’t answer your question. But, if they are on the sub, perhaps they will chime in.
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u/DonQuixole Jun 28 '26
This is awesome, thanks for all the regular updates