Insulated Concrete Form Tips

Insulated Concrete Forms 

When you have been in the construction industry as long as I have it takes quite a lot to get one excited about a new product. After all, I have heard the talk and walked the walk of many manufacturer's new products. Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) have not only got my attention but that of thousands of builders across the USA, Canada and Europe. It is a revolutionary method of building structures to say the very least.

The 3 Little Pigs

Remember the fairy tale about the 3 little pigs? The pig that survived had a masonry house. An ICF house allows you to build a masonry house that can withstand strong puffs of wind (say in the 200 + mph range) yet allow you to finish the interior and exterior to virtually any style and type. Can you imagine living in a soundproof, super insulated, fire resistant structure that can look Victorian, Modern, Colonial, etc? These are all possible with an ICF house.

Poured concrete is one of the most durable man-made building materials currently available. It is cost effective and can be placed in ICF formwork with minimal training. Once you see an ICF house - both inside and out - you will be convinced.

Seeing is Believing

I had the pleasure of walking through a brand new ICF house in Dallas, Texas this past January. It was impossible to tell by looking at the house that the structure was concrete surrounded by foam. The house was simply gorgeous.

The floor plan was not rectilinear as you might expect a house made from blocks to be. The walls were angled, curved, and all different heights. You pick any floor plan and I'll bet an ICF manufacturer can easily make it happen for you!

A Growing Industry

The ICF industry is so new that each year more manufactures show up for the party. This evolution is fairly natural in the building industry. Builders and consumers benefit because this type of fierce competition often produces more innovative products / methods and usually lower prices. As it stands now, you pay just a small premium (1 to 4 percent) to build with ICF materials instead of common wood framing. Within a few years, you and I will not pay extra. In fact, I feel that with time, an ICF house will cost slightly less than a wood frame house.

Avoid Rookies if Possible

One of the problems with ICF houses is that a contractor in your area may not be too experienced. If you decide to build an ICF house, take your time and interview builders. Talk only with those who have several houses under their belt. As my daughter Meghan says you don't want to be their "lab rat".

You can often get names of experienced builders from the manufacturers. Don't hesitate to call and ask. Often you will be handed off to a local factory representative. Your phone efforts may take several days, but you will be rewarded. Be sure to visit job sites and ask questions about the house and contractor. Most homeowners will oblige you.

Different Methods

The ICF method of construction is basically the same for all systems. Once poured, the concrete is surrounded on either side by foam. The foam is a great insulator. You know this if you have ever bought fast food coffee. The assembly of the systems is quite variable. Just because a contractor has installed one system don't let that fool you to think he can do them all. Some systems are as different as night and day.

Attachment Points

How do you attach siding, brick, drywall to the foam? Each system has a different method. Some systems have wood furring strips, many have plastic strips or buttons that you use. My favorites are the ones that have steel as a part of the foam system. The steel studs or strips that are part of the foam provide you with strong connection points. If you choose a plastic system you need to exercise care when driving screws. Go a little too far and you can strip the plastic away from the screw shank.

Pay attention when you look at different systems as to the attachment method. Look to see how much target area is available for nailing and screwing things. I recommend systems that have as much steel or plastic as possible. You never know where a siding nail might fall so you want something there other than foam!

A Final Word

I believe ICF systems will overtake traditional framing methods in many parts of our nation. The energy savings benefits, solid construction, and numerous other positive qualities make it a natural. If you are just getting in the construction business, it would be wise to look at ICFs!

Insulated Concrete Form Manufacturers

Here is a list of as many ICF manufacturers as I could find. I guarantee you that more will pop up in the future. Not only that, I would expect some of the companies listed below to mysteriously drop off the radar screen in the years to come. As in all growing industries some companies can't keep up and they fall by the wayside. What does this mean to you? You should look for a company that has a long track record. Ask how long the ICF system they use has been patented. Several of the companies below are hybrids of another. In other words, designs have been modified and all of a sudden a new company is born. I have listed beneath each company the type of system they make. This should help you to limit your calls if you have already made up your mind as to the type of system you plan to use. I urge you to call all of these companies. You will be buried with useful information. Your choices may be limited as not all companies will necessarily have distribution in your area.

• AAB Building System, Inc.
  800-293-3210
  Blue Maxx - Flat wall system

• AFM Corporation
  800-255-0176
  Diamond Snap-Form - Flat wall system
• American Polysteel Forms
  800-977-3676
  Waffle system
• Amhome
  813-996-4660
  Screen wall system
• Ener-Grid Building Systems
  602-386-2232
  Waffle system
• Energy Lock, Inc.
  801-288-1199
  Screen wall system
• Featherlite Inc.
  407-575-1193
  Screen wall system
• Foam Forms Systems, LLC
  816-483-7688
  Flat wall system
• Greenblock Worldwide Corp.
  719-687-0645
  Flat wall system
• I.C.E. Block
  800-ICE-BLKS
  Waffle system
• ISOMAX
  314-677-8433
  Flat wall system
• Insulform
  206-242-9424
  Waffle system
• KEEVA
  602-827-9894
  Screen wall system
• Lite-Form, Inc.
  800-551-3313
  Flat wall system
• New Energy Wall Systems
  810-435-6056
  Screen wall system
• Polycrete
  514-646-3825
  Flat wall system
• Quad-Lock Building Systems
  360-671-3911
  Flat wall system
• Rastra
  619-778-6593
  Waffle system
• Reddi-Form
  800-734-8268
  Screen wall system
• Reward 3-10 Forms
  800-468-6344
  Waffle system
• SmartBlock
  800-CONFORM
  Waffle system
• TechSystems
  614-781-0655
  Flat wall system
• ThermoFormed Block Corp.
  800-821-0855
  Waffle system
• Therm-O-Wall
  507-367-2183
  Waffle system

Books, Pamphlets & Publications

As you might expect, there are some fantastic publications out there about ICFs. Perhaps, the best one I have seen is a hardback book that is - in my opinion - the bible of the ICF building system. It is a recent book and is very up to date. It is titled:

Insulating Concrete Forms for Residential Design and Construction by VanderWerf, Feige, Chammas & Lemay

This book is published by the Portland Cement Assocaition (PCA). You can call them for pricing information at 800-868-6733.

The PCA also has two booklets worthy of mention:

Design Criteria for Insulating Concrete Form Wall Systems by John Roller

Energy Comparisons of Concrete Homes Versus Wood Frame Home by Pieter VanderWerf

Three other associations also will possibly have some wonderful information - either for free or at a reasonable price. Call them and see what you find!

• Canadian Portland Cement Association
  613-236-9471

• Insulating Concrete Form Association
  847-657-9730
• National Ready Mix Concrete Association
  301-587-1400

ICF Installation Tips

Installing ICF systems is absolutely not a weekend DIY project. It requires multiple skills to successfully complete an ICF structure. For example, you need to be a decent carpenter. Window and door bucks (forms for openings) must be constructed, walls need to be adequately braced, and square, plumb, and straight corner posts must be placed for many of the systems.

Add to this rodbusting (reinforcing steel placement) skills and concrete handling and you have quite a job! The point is this: Once you work with an experienced crew you could probably tackle a smaller job. But don't think that you can do a job with no problems by just reading books or instructions from manufacturers. That would be very naive.

The Footer - Most Important!

Traditional poured concrete walls or concrete block walls can be placed successfully on footers that are somewhat out of level. Concrete block mortar joints can be adjusted to make up as much as 2 inches of footer height difference. Poured walls are made level by chalking a line inside the forms. So, if the forms are on an unlevel footer, no problem! Simply get the top of foundation lines right inside the forms and you are fine.

ICFs are unforgiving. They are manufactured to tight tolerances. If you have a hump on a footer and then place the blocks between the corner posts, you will surely get a belly in the wall where the ICFs relieve the stress caused by the unlevel footer.

You can install level footers by using straight steel forms and or newer plastic forms that have built-in drainage. Another method used by some contractors is the placement of the first row of ICF forms as the footer concrete is still wet. This resembles laying concrete block. It is the method I would choose to use as you can get the ICF blocks perfectly level in both directions.

Remember that ICF blocks are tender. You need to use caution when working around them. Be aware that you can only pour walls a certain height and then must stop before you go to the next level. If you try to go to high you can have a blowout in the form work!

Great Installation Book!

McGraw-Hill in conjunction with the PCA has published a fine smaller paperback book about installing ICFs. It covers the systems, tools needed, techniques, and many tips. Here is the title:

Insulating Concrete Forms
- Construction Manual -
Successful Methods and Techniques
VanderWerf & Munsell

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