Icf Vs Poured Concrete Walls

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.

Icf vs poured concrete walls.

The poured concrete wall has more mass or interlocking cement paste crystals to resist the cracking force. Icf foundations are more energy efficient less prone to moisture intrusion less sensitive to cold temperatures than poured concrete foundations. 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. Homes constructed with insulated concrete forms commonly called icf in the trade offer some important advantages over traditional wood frame structures.

Foundation walls built with icfs are easier and faster to construct than either concrete masonry unit or cast in place concrete foundations. 1 exact type and features of the icf products standard vs. Icf foundations are unique in that the forms themselves become part of the foundation. The addition of reinforcing steel to either wall system complicates the issue.

Problems with insulated concrete form walls. For example you can make a concrete block wall. 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. The eps was placed inside the concrete forms before the concrete was poured.

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. Icfs are prefabricated products for home construction. Not icf which i think are a very good product. Now that i am getting ready to build i am concentrating more on costs.

The time frame for reapplication of the sealant and surface protection systems varies but typically is needed every 7 to 20 years. Insulated concrete forms icfs. Poured concrete foundations have r values of less than 3. I have been following icf construction for about 25 years.

The hollow block wall is depending solely on the strength of the thin mortar bed between each concrete block. I have been trying to make the decision of icf s or poured basement walls for a house in the mountains. Icf construction costs depend on the. Icf vs superior walls.

Icf foundations have an r value of greater than 20. The concrete and the eps bond extremely well and my walls have the insulation on the outside where it counts the most. Insulated concrete form vs. I used 4 eps on the outside of the concrete walls for insulation.