Hi Stephen, I have been following alternative building methods for decades. You are doing a great job. I've added your concepts to mine and took them to a structural engineer and I am having great success. I have made some prototypes and am now getting ready to build my first tiny home. It will be 610 sqft. Sourcing eps has been a challenge. Appliance/furniture stores have been the best. dollar stores, not enough to spend the gas to get it. The unit I'm building has straight walls with pitch roof. 8" walls, 10" ceiling.
I love your ingenuity and drive to push this forward. While I'd likely never have the same drive you do to get to this point, I find it fascinating and hope work like this advances and drops material costs and options while making a better insulated wall.
My previous comment was to teach you in as kind a way as I know how. It seems you didn't understand what I was trying to say. The poi t was that what you are making is styro foamcrete, NOT Styrofoam aircrete! Please consult professionals before making videos, not a mature hobbyists and experimenters.
This feller is such a gift to the YT world. If he wants to he can turn into the “Essential Craftsman” of the alternative building world. What a wonderful video.
Do you follow Essential Craftsman’s videos? I don’t know why I can’t remember his name, but he’s an incredible dude. He’s like the dad that we all wanted, but didn’t get.
Having been with Stephen on a visit and actually having helped (very little) him, and now seeing the finished Garden Shed, I can tell you I Works. I am actually doing some samples and hope to soon be able to start making a work space using this fantastic videos a a guide to get them up and running. Congrats my friend.
You are so lucky to have seen this built first hand. I would volunteer to work on a project like this. I'd learn so much more (that's what I did instead of going to film school). I'm looking forward to my own styro aircrete project 👍
Hi, someone mentioned Stephen's depth in his explanations and the way he tryes different options on what or how much to use of one material as opposed to another, well he is very thorough on his explanations of how and why one method is better than another. I could not have had a better school on Styroaircrete. Thank you my friend.
I have been mixing styrofoam ground up beads... using a small electric lawn mower upside down with a perforated Barrel on top to grind the pieces of free scrap styrofoam. Result is great no need for foam although I have used a phone and bead mixture also I am in Weldon California... thanks styro Crete is a great revolution in building!
Looks awesome! I can't wait to get started on mine. 👍🏽 I'm going to go back and watch the vids you did for creating the foam and shredding the styrofoam. I am starting my test build next week.
Love what you are doing, great concept, for the finish layer, I recommend, plastisized concrete, comes in many colors, and once cured, does not recognize water., I call this decorative concrete, you can make your structure look like brick, flagstone, or basically anything you can do on canvas. I have saved millions of lbs of concrete from making its way to landfills. You are the perfect person to bring this idea to life, I love it.
Don, you are going to have to help me understand this better. My understanding of plasticizers is that it is used as a water reducer in your concrete mix. Are you talking about something else?
Love your videos!... I am working with round spray concrete (Stucco) over Styrofoam .... Cattle panels for the reinforcing.... Your ideas stir the creative juices!... Thank you!
Looks great! Lanco makes a really good roof sealing product that's urethane based and has ceramic powder for maximum sun ray protection. I would be careful adding pigments to any elastomeric paint though as it might get warmer that way.
Excellent presentation Stephen. It would be very helpful if you could do a video going over your equipment setup. Specifically, what equipment you're using and why you chose it. I live in the southwest and an insulated building is a must. Thanks for your efforts.
Amazing. your trim is a great touch. I would love to do this as a modular, sort of spanish courtyard type deal where once I have enough land, family members could stake a claim, and build their own.
Hello from LA(lower Alabama)! I have been researching building a gothic style house for the past year and ran across your styroaircrete building a few months back. I’m amazed at the cost savings and insulation properties!!! I’ll be waiting with baited breath on all of your updates about building codes especially but really the whole process.
I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS NEW PROCESS.TOO. IMO B REVIEWING SOME OF UR PAST PRJETS.. I LOST U FOR A MINUTE, CHANGED MY COMPUTER/LOST SOME OF MY FAVS.. BUT SO GLAD U POPPPED UP AGAIN.. I w/VIEWING FROM UR INITIAL DISCOVERIES/TESTS EARLY ON. GLAD TO SEE UR PRGRES. I FEEL CONFIDENT I CAN DIY SMALL PROJECTS TO START.. THEN BUILD ON THAT KNOWLEDGE. TY FOR SHARING~CO$T & MATERIALS TOO..I HV TO SAVE FUNDS FOR EA. OF MY PRJ. SO IT HELPS ME.RESPECT, MARGO-KC
Thank you for posting Stephen! 👍 I've been eagerly waiting for this video 😍. It's awesome to see this build. You're an excellent instructor, I've learned so much from your videos 😊👍👍
@@AbundanceBuild I absolutely will take you up on that offer when I physically get started. 😊 I've been studying all different types of cost effective builds over the last few years from around the world and styrocrete is the best way to go. Nowadays when I see discarded Styrofoam, I see styrocrete 😁😊
The first coat of stucco is normally installed with a notched or toothed trowel creating a heavily ridged "Scratch Coat" which gives the second coat something to hang onto.
@@lighttheoryllc4337 Different countries, different decades, different ways...when I built in the 1990's we used chicken-wire installed with 3/8" spacers on the nails over 15 pound felt and metal lath on corners.
Your hats are a win by example, The present structure has some unique possibilities because of it shape. Consider repurposing any sheets of plexiglass scraps larger than 2 feet by 3 feet to create skylights at the building peak. Before cutting out any area between your wood structure do this. Heat the sheet of plexiglass to just short of 320 degree F and without burning yourself lift the area across the "exact" middle over a broom handle to gently fold it into an inverted V. Carry it up that ladder you have by gripping the strait broom stick not the plastic and lay it over the still unaltered roof peak area; Lay the very soft plastic over the peak using the broom handle, When its nice and square help it with gloves to attain the shape of roof surface close enough to later to be attached with silicon alone fully around its perimeter after you like the look of line scribbed on the roof of the skylight's desired opening. Only then cut out a "porthole" using an angle grinder. Be sure to be at least a full inch smaller in all places around the perimeter to make attaching with silicone easy. The plastic generally will last 8 years without degradation. If it ever needs replacement-.melt one again! Plexiglass scraps are often found as whole "storm windows" abandoned in great shape by those unable to find value in the labor of putting them up each fall. Plexiglass prices are high now but you have plenty of time to plan it out.
Excellent progress! Thank you for openly sharing your findings! I just bought a house and I'm thinking of using your techniques to build a man cave with an arched roof.
This is super cool. This would be amazing for a A frame home made with a metal structure. Concrete sheet rock style panel walls for exterior and fill with styrocrete. Love the Idea So much.
I spent a long time working on lightweight concrete. May I suggest you build this differently. Build a form for a 4ft wall section. Then you can easily just make them all as individual sections. Then you tilt them up into place. One each side they lean into each other, and you seal the peak were they meet. The real advantage here is you can make them with a mold that has a texture for both the interior side and the exterior side. I used a brick pattern, so it looks like a brick building! The other key thing is to make it a sandwich material, use thin stucco on the inside and outside of the form, and the foam concrete in the middle. And you should make it thick, like 1ft thick so it has insulation value. Hope that helps.
Hi Murray, The idea is great but I tried molding panels and they are a lot of work to make. In addition they are very heavy. A 4x9 panel will weigh over 200 lbs. you have to move them around just to store them and then get them out to job site. For the DIYer pouring in place is way easier.
@@AbundanceBuild Great ideas here, Do you know how much a cubic foot weighs of styro-air Crete? I’m also wondering if you can mix the styrofoam into a 55 gallon barrel and stir with the foam mixer vs your big mixing machine? Leslie I was curious if you have a website where you store all of this data with supplies and specifications etc.? All the soupy awesomely helpful.
@@EmpoweredPercussion I saw someone mixing them in a 55 barrel, but there's also the aerocrete using glycerin-based soap. I think aerocrete may be better for forms like Murray was suggesting above.
@@EmpoweredPercussion Yes mixing styro aircrete in a 55 gallon drum works great. You can even make a barrel with interior mixing fins, put in on rollers and tumble the mix for 60 seconds and have it mixed.
@@stephenw1892 Any idea how much one cubic foot weighs? Also curious how much a 55 gallon tub of air Crete ways with and without Styrofoam? Ps: i’m curious About the Strength difference between aircreat and start aircreat? If we had a 4 foot long 8 foot thick rectangle of it and put weight on it with rebar inside, which one is stronger?
@StephaniRocksCali Yes we are about to start releasing video from our first tiny house mold and share the journey as we attempt to scale up production! Stay tuned 
Great ideas! Excellent. Happy I found this channel. I'm on my way to Costa Rica to built a small house and I think I'm using this idea. I mean it is amazing! I used white glue as a powerful bonding, stops water and has a nice finish. I have experimented with paper made panels, almost like paper Mache, then I used a mix with plaster and the panels came and still are hard as rock. In fact I made a few flower vases with this technique, fill it up with water and it didn't leak. I made a candle holder and it didn't cause problems. I wonder if using white glue works as a bonding. I used it with cement, with clay ad the results were similar as with the paper
Thanks for your great info! I have completed my shredder and it works great. What to do think of using styroaircrete as a subfloor on grade for a radiant concrete slab?
I have watched most of your videos. Can you create a single video for all of the aircrete recipes for each layer including the floor/foundation? Would this work if I sprayed a chicken run or carport frame? At what stage do you add the stucco or fiberglass mesh? This has been fascinating to watch. Do you have suggestions of where to source the styrofoam. It's been fun watching your journey - would love several new quick videos teaching us the layers/steps of putting the whole process together in the most simplified way. Thank you for sharing your knowledge - Brilliant!
@@AbundanceBuild I seen a few videos with oil and diesel for fences and outside of sheds. I been wondering how U were going to do the end walls. I like to build one here in Australia, but local government is very strict. U need approve for a carport. Keep up the good videos mate
thank you so much for this valuable content. You think the styro aircrete has the integrity to build an underground structure? Looking into ways to build an underground house with an open south facing wall in a hillside.
Thanks for all of your informative videos! What are your thoughts of building an aircraft hangar out of this material and framing? Thanks for your reply.
What an amazing affordable and sustainable building. I have researched so many different building options, Cobb construction workshops, Dome Homes, and so much more. Could you recommend a reliable website or company for more details, information, and building materials.
I saw a video showcasing companies that grow fungus in wood chips to use as packaging instead of styrofoam. There are lots of videos about it if you search for mycelium plastic on RU-vid. You might be interested in getting some to use instead of styrofoam just to compare the two, after you finish your garden shed and take some time to relax, obviously. Nice job and great videos by the way. There were more innovative and informative than many schools of civil engineering imo.
An idea to go with this is solar landscaping lights worked into the roof to light the interior... or to finish the last 20” of the roof with translucent fiberglass panel or skylights...
Steve, This is amazing and revolutionary. I'm a huge fan and advocate for Styo-Aircrete. What are your thoughts on using this with Lego-type connecting blocks? I'm thinking about the design that could stack, lock, and stay together under loads. Your insight could really help. Thanks for your hard work and discovery/design with Styro-Aircrete.
Roger if your need structural strength then we need a different mix. It needs to have about twice as much portland and glass fibers mixed in would help as well. They would be heavier and not as insulative and cost more. If I was manufacturing a product to sell from this that would be it. But as a DIYer building molds and pouring 100's of blocks and then building your house with it is double work. Just pour the wall in place.
Very informative. Thank you for your work. We live in bush Alaska and will be building in a year or so, and I’m always looking for affordable building options for us that will keep us warm and dry. I think the stucco would probably crack under snow load here but with some alterations, I’m curious if we can make this work. Any idea of the R-value?
You should be fine building with this in your climate. From my backyard testing I am coming up with around 3.2 to 3.5 R value per inch But the wall has some thermal mass and the stucco will add to that as well. In addition the wall is solid with no air leaks.
Does the styrofoam aircrete bond to rebar ? You briefly mentioned something about using it. Aircrete by itself doesn’t bond well. Did you get a better result ?
Rebar can cause the bubbles to pop inside of the aircrete. We have a new recipe that does not require the foam generator that we are preparing to share soon! This recipe will perform well with rebar. Subscribe to be notified!
It's possible but the challenges with panels are 1) the panel has to be in compression to bond 2) the panel must be small enough to lift 3) you have to be delicate with the panel to prevent cracks. We found it easier to pour in place! Our new methods are in our online class at abundancebuild.com - use code SPRING40 for 40% off!
@@AbundanceBuild Thanks for the quick response. Big fan of your work and inspired to research this material for my next build. What's included in the class that isn't presented in your videos here on RU-vid?
@@Capnmax Version 1.0 is free here on RU-vid. The Class covers everything we built up to version 4.0 with lots of bonuses like how to make the affordable tools, cost spreadsheets, special additives, etc
I was curious if styro aircrete could be self-standing, aka not requiring the use of 2x4 wood structure? With the fiberglass mesh and stucco I was wondering if you thought that might be sufficient tensile strength to create a monolithic structure, especially with rounded forms like arches and domes whose shapes strengthen the overall structure?
@Stephen Williams I hope this isn't the last we hear from you.. I'd be interested to hear how the structure is holding up. Are there any cracks forming?
Thanks for the update, really good work. What did you pay for the slab? $5-10 sq ft? I think that should be included in the cost per square foot. It used to be that you could get a big quonset hut for around $5 sq ft, but since steel has gone up....not any more. And it's not real well insulated. I like the fact that the air Crete is insulated for storage. Most areas have building codes, there are only a few places left in maybe West Texas, NM that don't have any building codes.
Hi Stephan I’m getting t ready to build a small 25x25 home Aircreat home. Can you tell me do you frame everything than pour your walls. Or do you have to frame at all. Also do you have any videos on how you did electrical
Hy I have a house ready but it need an exterior insulation. I was thinking to isolate it with aircreate but have questions. How to stick it to the brick wall the aircreate? will in time the aircreate just move arround? would it crack in time? how to hold it to the wall? How thick should it be the aircreate?
Hello Stephen, i find myself fascinated by your passionate work to try discover and help many like us in getting other building solutions that doesn't require one to break the bank. i have a question ... in kenya we have the pumice gravel that is light in weight and its made from volcanic material. i plan to experiment doing light weight structure in place of Styrofoam and compare. well done for this educative and eye opening mission. wish you well as you progress.
Awesome video! Thank you! What made you want to use the fiberglass mesh instead of chicken wire or some type of expanded metal? Was it cheaper, or stronger, or something else?
Great videos! Did you know there are silicone roof coatings that have a lifetime warranty on them? I was wanting to use the arches to build a dome house/greenhouse combo and had considered using canvas and coating it with the silicone roofing. Your styro aircrete looks like a better idea but would love to see how the silicone roofcoat would work.. 😁
A "lifetime" warranty refers to a warranty for the expected "lifetime" of the product, it's a little bit of marketing crap, I think most roof coatings will last for 2-5 years, and youll have to recoat it every few years. It's not super expensive though, I think one 5 gallon bucket would do this whole thing, it was about $80 a bucket last time I bought some.
Gacoroof is the best I’ve ever seen. I’m not affiliated anymore but I sold multiple brands of silicone roof coatings for over 12 years in Hawaii on flat and sloped roofing. It gets an extreme amount of abuse here and we had an incredible success with that product. If you properly apply it using the Gacoflex tape on seams and edges it’s basically bulletproof. It has a 50 year warranty when properly applied. Sorry I sound like a commercial but I’m personally sold on it being around it for so long. It is not cheap though. There is a bunch of different commercial and residential products made by Gacoflex and it’s confusing so I’m talking about Gacoroof in the blue and yellow cans.
Because the styrocrete requires packing to bond, we haven't been able to attempt tilt-up walls. It would require a large press! Subscribe for new builds coming soon!
Hi Stephen. Do you offer workshops? I've been watching a number of your videos and would be interested (as I'm sure others, too) to learn more "hands-on."
Hi Steven, I have thoroughly enjoyed your top notch videos. They have been fantastic. I am getting ready to build a couple of small out buildings on the order of 10*12 to skirt local zoning requirements and have been watching your videos for cost saving tips. I'm considering a modular design where I would build frame and pour pre-fab wall and roof sections on a flat slab, allow to dry, then tilt up and nail together. I have a local company in so cal that sells recycled foam beads for a very reasonable price. Any thoughts on this idea would be appreciated. Anthony
Anthony, yes you could frame up a wall with wood trusses laying on the floor and pour the styro crete onto the wall. You need to then lay OSB on top and screw it down to mold it flat. The remove the OSB and cover with fiber mesh and stucco. Then raise the wall in place and finish the interior wall. Not sure if this saves you anytime versus building with the wall standing.
Hi Petter, I have not. In fact I have not seen any diy attempts at that. You have to wait for it rise like a loaf of bread which would not be good every time I mixed a batch up. I am going to experiment with using much less aircrete in the mix and it should be stronger.
Mr. Williams, a question: do you think it's possible to use styro aircrete to build a house in the form of a circle? And if so how would you go about making the forms for walls? Or would it be better to pour it in between wall studs, like in place of insulation? (if that makes sense ...)
TMun, A circle would work well. I would build molds with using the 4x8 hardboard with exterior wood bands to tie them all together. Make an inside and outside mold and pour it from the top. If your wall is 8 inches or thicker you will have plenty of strength once you fiber mesh and stucco the exterior to hold up a roof.
@@stephenw1892 Thank you very much Sir, for your insight. That sounds like a plan. You are truly providing valuable information and guidance for those trying to build alternatively to the expensive status-quo. I think you've created one of the best alternatives out there. Please keep those videos coming and keep up the good work!! 👍
Question about your foam shredder for you Stephen, how did you wire yours into a different switch ?. I have the same Cobalt one as you, but there are three wires going to the motor, white, black, and a red one. Thanks for the inspiration, I have got the foundation poured for a 36 x 48 garage...
