How the Insulated Concrete Form Is Built
Insulated Concrete Form or ICF is a system of formwork for reinforced concrete that stays in place as a permanent interior and exterior substrate for walls, floors, and roofs. It is now used for commercial and high performance residential construction as new building codes are adopted by most home builders. It usually consists of a molded expanded polysterene (EPS) shell, which are bonded together with concrete to form a solid foundation. Unlike the conventional insulated masonry wall, insulated concrete form has about R – 25 insulation values that gives prevents heat loss during winter and heat gain during summer.
Construction Process of Insulated Concrete Form
Building insulated concrete form is less daunting because of its modularity. To see how insulated concrete form wall is made, let us discuss the building process.
Insulated concrete form makes solid and sturdy, energy efficient and extremely durable walls. The insulated concrete walls are made from 15% concrete which is composed of Portland cement, thereby making it super strong. Some manufacturers use fly ash as an alternative for Portland cement nowadays.
Insulated walls are constructed from the corners to the middle to form one row at a time. To minimize waste, the end blocks are cut to fit the planned dimension. Blocks are staggered as the wall rises to avoid weak polysterene formwork due to long vertical seams. Bucks or structure frames are put around the openings to make attachment points for windows and doors and also to boost the opening’s strength.
Depending on what type of insulated concrete form, the interior and exterior finishes and facades are affixed directly to the tie- ends. The surfaces of the interior insulated concrete form polysterene wall must be covered with a drywall panel or other wall coatings to prevent it from being wet. But for the first month after the completion of the house, interior humidity is common since the concrete cures and can damage the drywall. To resolve the interior humidity, general contractors used small residential humidifiers or building’s air conditioning.
The exterior foam insulation of a modular home should not be easily damaged by groundwater leakage, insects or rodents. And to answer this issue, manufacturers make insecticide- treated foam blocks and install drainage sheeting, drain tiles and waterproofing techniques to eliminate water inside the home.
The construction of insulated concrete form is not insensitive to the price of materials and labor. Initial costs may be higher than the conventional home building process. Generally, the cost of making an insulated concrete can add 3-5 % of overall construction.
To learn more about the insulated concrete form, visit Legendary Homes. They will answer your questions.
“With its superior quality, energy efficiency, strong and budget friendly modular homes, Legendary Homes is one of the trusted modular home builders around Clarklake and Jackson Michigan for over 20 years of experience now. Legendary Homes helps in site location, acquisition of permits, excavation, foundation (including Insulated Pre-Cast Foundations), landscaping, breeze ways and other services needed to complete your home. As a company that prioritizes its customers, Legendary Homes allows you to customize your home. And most importantly, we assist in modular homes financing by working with the top lenders in Michigan.”
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