BuildBlock ICF Featured on HomeTime Episode 2704 

What company, builder or ICF type have you chosen - I am in Bacchus Marsh 1 hr west of Melbourne and would like to build with ICFs but it is not easy to find builders who know how to use this stuff in regional Victoria

Thank you Karina! Visit our website BuildBlock.com to see more projects on our blog and galleries.

D Armon, I was looking for someone who commented on this so I could put in my 2 cents... you're absolutely correct. His style is calm, cool, and collected sprinkled with good info. cheers from Steel City Canada.

D Armon ㄦ

I could see blaming the pump if it was a completely closed system, due to the very high pressures, but, as the concrete is effectively only falling from the pipe, thus dissipating the pressure, it can only be due to a failure in the blocks, and their assembly on site.

Sounds great! Check out this story about a couple who did the same thing buildblock.com/icf-log-cabin/. When you're ready to start planning, give us a call at 405-840-3386.

Hahaha, yeah probably not too much snow for you! ICFs handle extremely well in the wind and rain as well. Follow this link to see how ICFs have held up in hurricane and tornado debris tests. buildblock.com/icfs/safety/high-winds/

Hey Sean. There really aren't any drawbacks to doing an ICF roof. It may take a little more time and be a little more expensive but that's about it. Finishing an ICF home with an insulated concrete roof is the best way to make the home disaster proof. Building with ICF top to bottom gives you a finished product that is complete, cohesive, and will last forever. ICF roofs are accomplished with ICF decking. BuildDeck is an affordable system that comes in multiple thicknesses, is easy to install, and can create either a flat or pitched roof. BuildDeck provides superior structural integrity while also delivering low air infiltration and sound mitigation. You can read more about it here buildblock.com/products/builddeck-floor-roofing/.

BuildBlock ICFs I appreciate your help. do you think custom trusses would need to be built for say a 78' foot depth roof? the dimensions would be approximately 78' depth an 47' width

You may or may not need custom trusses, but you will need custom engineering since those dimensions fall outside of the applicability limits in our prescriptive engineering. If you look at buildblock.com/technical-support/engineering-tables/ and download the BuildBlock engineering manual, page 4 has the applicability limits used in our tables. The HUD prescriptive is also on that same page, and uses the same limits. (40 ft. 12M unsupported). If you reach out to Rebecca or Dennis at technical@buildblock.com we can provide you with contact information for ICF friendly engineers. Though any structural engineer should be able to use our engineering as a starting point. Let us know how else we can help. BC

Yup, I already mentioned that mistake! lol

Its called a common seam.... Its where the blocks that have to be cut short all meet. Its reinforced on the outsides usually with pieces of timber and extends from the floor to the top of the wall... with all the seams or joints in a vertical line.

Its not a mistake, the common seam allows the wall to be any length. You always start from the corners and work to the centre. Then adjust the form where they meet i.e. the common seam. They make special parts to strengthen the common seam or use wood.

Yes common seam.that make H-clips to be placed 16 inches on center.and place straps on outside.plus glue seams.its better to just flip blocks over when possible

there will always be some dik who watches a vid and finds an error lmao~

I don't know what slump they used on this specific project. This video touches on our recommendations for concrete mix design and slump ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-9EUO-9UHBVE.html. Thanks for stopping by.

The footing that the walls sits on also must be reinforced per local codes, site specific engineering, or other building codes. Vertical steel from the footing must extend from the footing into the vertical wall at least 25" or more again depending on site specific engineering, prescriptive engineering, or local or international building codes.

Another noted thing is the length between vertical steel bars, I would like to know the best reinforcement that makes the home built for 100 years! Also galvanized epoxy steel is better than normal steel. Aluminum is expensive and has less flexibility.

There are really a couple of good options for reinforcement that we recommend. We also believe that these structures will last for centuries because not only are they built with reinforced concrete, but the concrete is protected by the EPS foam and the interior and exterior finishes. We recommend Grade 60 rebar. The specific size is based on the structure, spans, etc. Typically #5 horizontally and vertically. You can choose galvanized or coated rebar, but for most structures this would seem to be overkill and a waste of money for minimal benefit. The other option that has been very well received is Helix microrebar. This is added to the concrete mix as it is poured and can replace all rebar in the structure or at least the horizontal. There is a price premium involved, but there are many years of proven satisfaction and code compliance testing. Lastly, as far as spacing, that will be determined the the load on the structure. We do recommended a horizontal rebar every course for maximum strength and then rebar based on the engineering tables we provide in our engineering manual or site specific engineering.

run conduit in the inner insulation

+GordWing Great question! HomeTime didn't show the vibration process in this segment but you are right, concrete in ICF walls should always be internally vibrated to prevent honeycombing and create a strong solid wall. We recommend a low impact pencil vibrator with a 3/4 to 1 inch head.

Glad to hear that... I love Hometime. I've been watching it for 20+ years.

Absolutely. It's a great program and they were awesome to work with.

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I believe they used a standard concrete sealing product. We also recommend penetron on another sealant added to the concrete mix itself if you are concerned about water intrusion into the footing. Below grade the footing and all below grade walls should also be waterproofed appropriately. Typically is a water based primer, peel & stick membrane and an air gap membrane layered and applied correctly. The BuildBlock Guide to ICF Waterproofing covers all of these systems and strategies as well as other products and suggestions. buildblock.com/waterproofing-icf-homes/

Tremco 250 ...fully cured

Tom D Thank you for your comment! Although we strive to provide as much information as possible to our viewers concerning BuildBlock ICF construction this feature story for HomeTime does not cover every step that went into the entire construction process for this project. We would love for you to take a look at our Installation and Technical manual for information concerning our recommendations for vibrating walls and Slump tests. Here is the link: buildblock.com/technical-support/installation-manuals/

Tom D

Hey Guillermo, you can learn a little more about installing electrical with these videos- ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-etHzRRF8xao.html and ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-i0oVOGw30HU.html. You can also register for our free online training at training.buildblock.com/. Thanks!

Hi Rox. Yes, you can use just about any finish you like on an ICF project, including vinyl siding. You can learn more about finishes here ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-eW-0gUayxDg.html.

Hi Seannn! Check out this video from our installer training series ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-i0oVOGw30HU.html. You can also get more in-depth training on our free training site training.buildblock.com/. Thanks for stopping by!

thank you very much guys :)

I got also a question .. if i want to Plumber job inside the wall after i already installed the wall, hows that ? can you please tell me about i would be more thankful :)

Hey Seannn, It's advisable to do any plumbing that goes through the wall before the wall is poured. Since you're dealing with concrete, it can be pretty difficult to add plumbing after the wall is poured and set up. We suggest curring all of your penetrations for plumbing, electrical, exhuast etc. before adding concrete to the wall.

Thanks :)

Hey Fuda. Plumbing and electrical is easily chased into the ICF wall. You can see how it's done here ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-i0oVOGw30HU.html. Thanks for stopping by!

Typically the cost for ICFs is about 3-5% more than traditional construction. This can be reduced further through other savings such as reduced HVAC sizes, etc. The cost of ICFs will typically pay for themselves in the first 5 years of a home and the savings continue throughout the life of the home.

For retail pricing, you can visit our website buildblock.com/store/pricing/. You can also give us a call any time at 405-840-3386.

Vertical seams are common in ICF projects. When starting from corners and working toward a common point, many wall lengths do not evenly work with ICF form dimensions. If possible vertical seams can be placed above doors or windows and should be as far away from corners as possible.All vertical seams must be braced and strapped appropriately. In the above video, there is a quick double corner with a very short return. This was built using alternating corner forms with a small vertical seam.

check this project www.buildingmycastle.com/

Nu B- Thanks for the question! BuildBlock has a product called BuildDeck which is a Floor & Roofing Decking System. BuildDeck is a lightweight, stay-in-place Insulating Concrete Form (ICF) and used to construct a solid monolithic insulating concrete floor and/or roof decking system. Options include a Flat roof deck or up to 6/12 pitch withstandard concrete and steeper pitches can be done with Shotcrete reinforced ICF roof. Recommended integral waterproofing (Penetron or Xypex) and roof coatings, such as peel and stick or spray applied roof coatings.Here is the link for our BuildDeck Product: buildblock.com/products/builddeck-floor-roofing/ Please let us know if you have any more questions.

Joe Bowman for block that would be correct. For ICF, you always have a straight vertical joint

Yes, all of our products exceed current building codes. EPS foam, when used in building products, contains a fire retardant added to the bead before it is expanded and molded. Our walls have a 3-4 hour fire rating. You can learn more about ICFs and fire considerations here buildblock.com/icfs/safety/fire-resistant/ and here buildblock.com/asked-answered-eps-foam-and-fire-retardants/

AMD Guru for block walls, you would stagger joints. For ICF, you always have a straight, vertical joint.

I built an ICF home and staggered my joints. It was easy to do in the planning phase. Did it matter? once the concrete is dry- NO. during the pour "it may" have prevented blowouts. All "cut" seams had four 1/2" x 2" wood strips overlapping the seam by screwing one strip on the outside of the block at the top and one at the bottom- both inside and outside. I only had one blow out- it was at a seam I had overlooked and had not applied the wood strips. zero blow outs anywhere else. Using 12' as teh vertical limit with the initial pour you can literally see the concrete hit the bottom and fill the caivuty up. I did not use any concrete consolidation devices and I have zero airpockets- a good pump operator was key- he was able to adjust the flow as we went around the top of the forms filling about 24" inches each time we walked around the scaffolding. I could see how pouring fast could create air pockets.

Mike Cunningham EPS foam when used in building products contains a fire retardant added to the bead before it is expanded and molded. Additionally EPS foam with this fire retardant is not a fuel source. Also when exposed to high heat EPS foam doesn't burn, it melts since it is expanded with steam and only contains air. The EPS foam used in packaging and shipping is not the same as EPS foam used in construction products. The reason it is superior to standard poured wall construction is the insulation value of the EPS foam itself prevents the heat of the fire from transferring to the interior of structure for several hours. In a wildfire situation this is generally longer than the fire burns in a given area. For fire to transfer to the inside of a structure it must heat the outside finish (brick, siding, stucco, etc.) to a temperature that will cause ignition on the next layer beneath (EPS Foam). That layer must be consumed and burn at a hot enough temperature to transfer enough heat to the next layer, (a reinforced concrete wall) and then that must have enough heat to again transfer to the inside layer (another EPS foam layer) which also must be consumed before transferring enough heat to ignite the drywall or interior finish as well. Our products are tested by Intertek and carry a 3-hour fire rating on the wall without any finishes. The wall will last 4+ hours. Untreated EPS foam burns at 650° to 700°F with a flame source. It won't continue burning on its own until 840° to 930°F is reached. Wood burns at 480° to 660°F. Please visit our website for product testing information or contact us with any questions.

Nope. You're in an insulated concrete home with better air quality, lower energy bills and walls that are soundproof, disaster resistant, and fire resistant. You'll sleep great!

ICFs are manufactured with a flame retardant additive. The material will melt when exposed to flame but not burn. BuildBlock has been tested and received a 4-hour firewall rating from an independent testing facility. When compared to wood and other traditional materials, ICFs stand up to fire extremely well. You can learn more about ICFs and fire resistance here buildblock.com/insulating-concrete-forms-icfs/icf-disaster-resistant/fire-resistant/.

Not with ICFs! The forms go up easily in any temperature and insulate the concrete during the pour. Once filled with concrete, the walls provide a comfortable place to work, protecting you from wind and weather and adding speed to the build with fewer delays.

BuildBlock ICFs I meant the framing but I guess some want to get it up / get it done.

Gotcha, and yeah you're right. ICFs definitely make framing easier/faster but depending on the season the stacking day may be a cold one!

This 16-minute video doesn't show every single piece of the build. There were several BuildBlock representatives on site for this build and the ICF Installer is a professional who has been in the business for many years. Inspections were done, concrete was tested, and the project went very smoothly. This video is intended to inform on the use of ICFs in residential construction. If you're looking for training, we would recommend our training website- buildblock.com/training and training videos-ru-vid.com/group/PLMFDU7ZHdfWpq4Nul1yohz3koxVQwKui8. Thanks for stopping by!

If you want to live in housing like you describe check out the old soviet apartment buildings. Quite nice......