Icf Vs Poured Concrete Walls
Problems with insulated concrete form walls.
Icf vs poured concrete walls. I used 4 eps on the outside of the concrete walls for insulation. I have been following icf construction for about 25 years. Icf vs superior walls. The eps was placed inside the concrete forms before the concrete was poured.
Insulated concrete form vs. Icf construction costs depend on the. Poured concrete foundations have r values of less than 3. While traditional concrete foundations are poured using plywood forms that are then removed the polystyrene forms stick to the concrete causing a built in immovable insulated layer.
In their 2004 study insulating concrete forms construction cost analysis the portland cement association found that icf walls cost double what a conventional 2x6 insulated wall cost. Typically they consist of hollow blocks or panels made of plastic foam designed to be part of the walls and to be filled with concrete. The hollow block wall is depending solely on the strength of the thin mortar bed between each concrete block. For example you can make a concrete block wall.
The poured concrete wall has more mass or interlocking cement paste crystals to resist the cracking force. Once the forms are all put in place concrete is poured in the middle. Insulated concrete forms icfs. However in the one step that would have produced a bare concrete wall an icf wall provides a furred out and insulated wall with a vapor barrier all the way up to the floor joist.
Icfs are prefabricated products for home construction. Icf foundations are unique in that the forms themselves become part of the foundation. 1 exact type and features of the icf products standard vs. I have been trying to make the decision of icf s or poured basement walls for a house in the mountains.
While the icf s do have the advantage of instant insulation the initial cost is appearing to be far more. Homes constructed with insulated concrete forms commonly called icf in the trade offer some important advantages over traditional wood frame structures. Now that i am getting ready to build i am concentrating more on costs. The addition of reinforcing steel to either wall system complicates the issue.
The time frame for reapplication of the sealant and surface protection systems varies but typically is needed every 7 to 20 years. The concrete and the eps bond extremely well and my walls have the insulation on the outside where it counts the most. Icf foundations have an r value of greater than 20. Not icf which i think are a very good product.