Insulated Concrete Form

Although all ICF's are identical in principle:
the various brands differ widely in the details of their shapes, cavities and component parts.
Block systems have the smallest individual units, ranging from 8" x 1'4" (height X length) to 1'4" x 4'. A typical ICF block is 10" in overall width, with a 6" cavity for the concrete. The units are factory-molded with special interlocking edges that allow them to fit together much like plastic children's blocks

Concrete Homes Save Energy:
Building a concrete home with insulating concrete forms (ICF's) saves energy and money. The greater insulation, tighter construction, and temperature-smoothing mass of the walls conserve heating and cooling energy much better than conventional wood-frame walls. This reduces monthly fuel bills. It also allows use of smaller heating and cooling equipment, saving money in construction. Estimated Annual Heating Savings.

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.

Fire Resistance of Concrete Homes:
Of all construction materials, concrete is one of the most resistant to heat and fire. Such fire resistance gives houses built with insulating concrete forms (ICF's) certain safety advantages. Those advantages give builders and buyers yet another reason to consider using ICF's for their next project. Concrete walls have also proven more resistant to allowing fire to pass from one side of the wall to the other. This is especially of interest in areas with brush fires that could spread indoors. The fire wall test confirms this rule for ICF's once again. Part of the test measured how well the wall slows the passage of heat and fire from the side with the flame to the other side. The ICF walls tested did not allow flames to pass directly through. They also did not allow enough heat through to start a fire on the cool side for 2-4 hours. In contrast, wood frame walls typically allow both flame and fire-starting heat through in an hour or less.

Concrete Homes: Built-In Safety:
Debris driven by high winds presents the greatest hazard to homeowners and their homes during tornadoes and hurricanes. Recent laboratory testing at the Wind Engineering Research Center, Texas Tech University, compared the impact resistance of residential concrete wall construction to conventionally framed walls. The frame walls failed to stop the penetration of airborne hazards. The concrete walls successfully demonstrated the strength and mass to resist the impact of wind driven debris.

Comfort and Quiet with Concrete Homes:
Concrete walls built with insulating concrete forms effectively buffer a home’s interior from the outdoors. The thick ICF sandwich of a massive material (concrete) with a light one (foam) sharply cuts fluctuations in temperature, air infiltration, and noise. They keep the inside of a house more comfortable and quiet than ordinary wood frame walls. Although all ICF's are identical in principle, the various brands differ widely in the details of their shapes, cavities and component parts. Block systems have the smallest individual units, ranging from 8" x 1'4" (height X length) to 1'4" x 4'. A typical ICF block is 10" in overall width, with a 6" cavity for the concrete. The units are factory-molded with special interlocking edges that allow them to fit together much like plastic children's blocks

Concrete Homes Save Energy:
Building a concrete home with insulating concrete forms (ICF's) saves energy and money. The greater insulation, tighter construction, and temperature-smoothing mass of the walls conserve heating and cooling energy much better than conventional wood-frame walls. This reduces monthly fuel bills. It also allows use of smaller heating and cooling equipment, saving money in construction.


E-mail: info@fontier-construction.com