Insulation Concrete Forms

Concrete walls built with insulating concrete forms (ICFs) give a house superior comfort, solidity, durability, resistance to natural disasters, quietness, and energy efficiency.  Use of ICFs is growing rapidly. They offer both home buyers and home builders a superior alternative to wood frame walls.

What are insulating concrete forms?

ICFs are hollow “blocks” or “panels” made of plastic foam that construction crews stack into the shape of the walls of a building. The workers then fill the center with reinforced concrete to create the structure.

There are over 40 brands of ICFs in North America, each with some variations in design and materials. ICF construction  sandwiches a heavy, high-strength material (reinforced concrete) between two layers of a light, high-insulation one (foam).

This combination  creates a wall with an unusually good combination  of desirable properties: air tightness, strength, sound attenuation, insulation, and mass.

How does the home owner benefit?

Comfort. Houses built with ICF walls have a much more even temperature throughout the day and night. They have virtually no “cold spots”, and sharply fewer drafts.

Solidity. The rigidity of concrete construction  reduces the flex in floors and cuts shifting and vibration from the force of the wind or the slamming  of a door. Concrete houses survive high-force winds like hurricanes far better than wood homes. And when properly reinforced, they should also withstand earthquakes well.

Quietness. About one-sixth as much sound gets through an ICF wall compared with an ordinary frame wall. This sharply cuts the intrusion of noise from outside.

Energy efficiency. The superior insulation, air tightness, and mass of the walls cut the amount of energy needed for heating and cooling by 30-40%. This can save $200-300 per year in a typical home. In addition, it allows the installation  of smaller heating and cooling equipment. That can reduce the initial cost of a house by over a thousand dollars.

Design flexibility. ICF houses can be completed with almost any interior and exterior finishes and can take any shape as easily as wood frame. In fact, some interesting  effects, such as curved walls and frequent corners, can be less expensive to build into an ICF home.