Building SIPsmart: Concrete Finish and Risers

Reader Contribution by Michael Morley
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Michael Morley is posting regular updates about his progress building a unique green home with structural insulated panels (SIPs). This is an update from March 22, 2010. You can find previous posts here.

Concrete Finish
The weather finally cleared long enough for the finishers from Burlingame Concrete to pour the tinted concrete. It was St. Patrick’s Day and green concrete would have been appropriate, but green color cost $125 extra per yard over the $50 we paid for a red family tint. We chose a color called “Bonfire,” and it has a pleasing terra cotta feel. During the finishing with the power trowel (see above photo) the blades burnished the surface with a swirling darker color, which gives a great look. The control joints were cut in the next day, and I rented a forklift and unloaded all the pre-cut SIPs from the flatbed sent down from Minnesota.

Risers
Friday started out warm and sunny and soon Butch, Jeremi and I were working in T-shirts. We checked level and laid out the location for the 48″ riser panels. This is a critical time as it

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