Icf Vs Poured Concrete Walls

The time frame for reapplication of the sealant and surface protection systems varies but typically is needed every 7 to 20 years.

Icf vs poured concrete walls.

Foundation walls built with icfs are easier and faster to construct than either concrete masonry unit or cast in place concrete foundations. The eps was placed inside the concrete forms before the concrete was poured. Icf foundations are unique in that the forms themselves become part of the foundation. Insulated concrete forms icfs.

Homes constructed with insulated concrete forms commonly called icf in the trade offer some important advantages over traditional wood frame structures. Not icf which i think are a very good product. 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. 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. 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. I used 4 eps on the outside of the concrete walls for insulation. Once the forms are all put in place concrete is poured in the middle.

The addition of reinforcing steel to either wall system complicates the issue. 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. Now that i am getting ready to build i am concentrating more on costs. Icfs are prefabricated products for home construction.

Problems with insulated concrete form walls. The poured concrete wall has more mass or interlocking cement paste crystals to resist the cracking force. If a sealer or concrete coating is used on the precast concrete panels for aesthetics or to reduce moisture penetration into the panel the sealer or coating will require reapplication. Icf foundations are more energy efficient less prone to moisture intrusion less sensitive to cold temperatures than poured concrete foundations.

The hollow block wall is depending solely on the strength of the thin mortar bed between each concrete block. Icf construction costs depend on the. Insulated concrete form vs. While the icf s do have the advantage of instant insulation the initial cost is appearing to be far more.

Icf vs superior walls. The concrete and the eps bond extremely well and my walls have the insulation on the outside where it counts the most. Poured concrete foundations have r values of less than 3. For example you can make a concrete block wall.