This video highlights inexpensive tools to install electrical wiring and boxes into ICF walls. Also instructional video on techniques to make this job quick and easy.
Thanks for taking the time to make the video. Exactly the perfect how to I needed to start the electrical in my first ICF construction basement. Much appreciated!
Great video brotha! Thanks so much....we're getting ready to start a home build project for our dream home...I have an electrician background and was curious about installation of wiring in ICF walls
How do you handle 40 cables for say electric oven, etc. Your horizontal cut is so straight. Do you make two evenly spaced horizontal cuts for larger cables? How do you fill the foam afterwards? Is it required to cover installed wires w/ foam or glue before inspections or not because sheetrock would cover it? To maintain R ratings It would make sense to fill in cut insulations?
My electric oven require 3-10+ground (which is a large cable). I ran the chainsaw a second time right next to the first cut. I fill the cut in the ICF with canned spray foam (minimal expanding door and window version works well). I had Nudura spray foam left over from gluing the block together that I used for part of it. As long as the romex size matched the cut size snugly enough that the romex wasn't loose, the inspector passed it. If it could move easily, he wanted it secured into the cut with spray foam. I like the idea of securing it and , like you said filling the gap in the insulating envelope. As far as cutting a straight line, the key for me is having a visual guide. I usually cut directly on a seam in the ICF. If not, I make a line with a marker to follow.
@@bucmeister7713 I used #10 copper and it was OK. Probably would have been better to use #8 copper, does not bend as easily as the gun hit a piece of concrete in the back of the wall. Also depends on what size your gun will accommodate.
thank you for the video. Really appreciate it . Question, what do you use to protect the Romex once the drywall is installed, studs use nail plates what is proposed for ICF?
love that sodering gun idea! ive done electric in this stuff .used router.what a mess it made.and there should be loops at the box incase drywallers cut a wire.what a nightmare to repair in the box
Como learn facts first before posting "If the heat gets high enough to ignite the foam the entire room will be ablaze in a matter of seconds" Will the foam add fuel to the fire? The foams in ICFs are manufactured with flame-retardant additives. These prevent the foams from burning by themselves. If you hold a match to the material, it will melt away. www.forms.org/index.cfm/fireresistance
Some good ideas thank you for the video I am hoping to use ICF blocks but I am looking for another State to build in after being told I can not have a basement under the home in TN and the builder does not like ICF blocks.
@@RJM1011 I can see that if buying in a builder's subdivision. Kinda like other customers will see and want it also. Not smart in my opinion, could be a money maker for the builder. Did you find a place to build?
@@charlesarmstrong3536 Yes thank you I have found a place to build but thanks to being messed about by the US Gov I will now be building in The Bahamas. Thank you
Just a question, when the sheet rock goes on , do they use screws to secure the sheets to the ICF? And if so what happens when they screw into the cabel. The cable needs mechanical protection. what has been your experiences?
is "lumex/ romex" jacket OK for spray foam. I've heard that it can make the jacket brittle over time. also inspectors want to see a loop before going into the JB, ( here in Canada) have you had that come up? BTW great video
cdnbacon2001 turn the soldering gun wire vertically and whittle an opening for the loop, leave an inch before the box, one the flange side you have to move the whittled area a bit away from the box....inspectors want to see the loop within 6 inches of the box. This also helps in case more wire is need in the box.
Here in the USA, I had an inspector have us remove the romex because we were installing the wires in a concrete styrofoam block. Had to replace the wire with an underground rated wire. Inspector said it was due to the lime in the block and nothing about the foam. No issues with foam on regular romex.
Thanks for sharing. Easy and cost effective approach, but I have a question. Is is not a safety hazard to do it that way? For what I understand house wires can get hot under load. In the Caribbean the concrete houses (not ICF) tubing is inserted in walls prior to pour the concrete, and electrical goes in there.
Yes and no is what I found in my research. Some will use absolute minimum on wire, which can be overloaded by a home owner. This can cause the wire to get hot. A good electrician ,in this situation, will put more circuits in or upsize the wire so it is at 75 percent or less operating rating under normal use. Wire should always be in conduit when in concrete. It is a good idea to install conduit for water lines also when in concrete.
Hah, that's cool. I'm by no means a safety Nazi, but please, make some sort of guard for that chainsaw. And the soldering iron is cool, but it seems a tad bit slow. But still. Great ideas
Interesting ideas. However there are a couple of code violations in doing it this way. 300.4 requires protection against physical damage - the intent being to prevent nails or screws from being driven into the cable when it is hidden. 334.30 requires that cable be secured within 12" of every outlet box - the intent is to prevent anything from pulling on other connections.
Kolby, depends on your electrical inspector and how relaxed he/she is with the codes. I have worked on projects that were different forms of ICF. My inspectors wanted to see if the cut channels were deep enough to meet code, then we had to secure the wire with 2" long staples since normal wire staples did not hold in the ICF, then low expanding foam was used to fill the gaps. The chain saw with a wheel for a depth gauge is a great idea.
Code is going to be different from location to location. His video wasn't about addressing all the codes. You can do that yourself in different ways using conduit, anchor plates etc.
If my inspector said it wasn't secured, I'd challenge him to pull it lengthwise through the foam...good luck with that! As for protected, a hanging wire between studs is no better protected. If the inspector insists, put 1" metal strapping into the grove to deflect any nails.
What kind of router bit do you use? I put in a 1/4" drill bit and that can cut deep enough, but it can't cut through the plastic "studs". The chainsaw is perfect for this and the solder/hot knife is a great idea too.
Looks like an environmental disaster to me...Shocking this ICF system can't be ordered based on plans so the system installs ready for wiring and plumbing and you don't have synthetic debris polluting the site...I'll pass.
