ICF (Insulated Concrete Forms) using Reward Structures. - Is this an expensive quote?

Re: ICF (Insulated Concrete Forms) using Reward Structures. - Is this an expensive qu

LEO, yes, I am a member of the ICFA Association in the UK , as well as the Super-E program. Personaly, I've been building with ICF's since 1991 and before that, a stick frame builder. Over the years I have used many different ICF's and have always championed their use. There is not a lot of difference between them in their insulating properties, as they all work well, but its a matter for the end user to pick one that they feel comfortable with. But as we all understand, its more the installation than the product that matters, whatever the type of wallsystem used. As to performance, again, one could always check out the results of the independant "Whole Wall Thermal Performance" tests done by the Oak Ridge National Laboratories (ORNL) on 18 different wall assemblies.
 
Re: ICF (Insulated Concrete Forms) using Reward Structures. - Is this an expensive qu

Thanks for the clarification.
Leo
 
Re: ICF (Insulated Concrete Forms) using Reward Structures. - Is this an expensive qu


we are completely in agreement here...

I find it regretable that some ICF suppliers are happy enought to hand 'self builder's a few pallets of ICF blocks, a 'how to' DVD.....(or a days training)..... and best wishes and off you go..... practices like this, and the inevitable end product, give your building system a bad name. And i know for a fact that nudura have done this in the past. Thats not a comment on the capabilities of the client, but it does inhibit your 'performace' u value claim.

I have also experienced a whole housing development constructed in ICF by non-skilled workers... not your system, just to be clear. I have heard some horror stories by workers on this particular site of how these systems were put together.

Maybe the ICF conglomerate here should regulate themselves a bit better, first impressions last a very long time.
 
Re: ICF (Insulated Concrete Forms) using Reward Structures. - Is this an expensive qu

Nudura does not sell to people that have not completed the training course, which is a day long with demonstrations and written test, then on site supervision for the installers first job. They have to be signed off as to their ability to hopefully, ensure good installation practices, and help and advice is only a phone call away. If you know otherwise, Nudura would be glad to know of it, for exactly the reasons you state. And I'm sorry to go on about "performance" but does the EU not have to work with the EPBD, Energy Performance of Buildings Directive? I have read some good articles by Patrick Daly in Construct Ireland that help explain what and how Ireland are doing with Part L and the DEAP to comply with EPBD.
 
Re: ICF (Insulated Concrete Forms) using Reward Structures. - Is this an expensive qu


Funny you should bring up the EPBD....
The approved method for calculating the BER is the DEAP method. The only way you can input u values into this is to use the 'resistance' method where you calculate the resistance of the structure by using the thermal conductivity factors of all the constituent materials. This will then give you an elemental u value which is what you input into DEAP... theres no such thing as 'performance' u value.

Perhaps you can better describe the advantages of ICF in other terms rather than u value, because this is a readily testable and varifiable calculation.

One clear advantage would be the inherent superiority of 'air tightness' of the ICF system over other conventional systems such as cavity wall or TF. Another is the responsiveness gain of the heating system in an ICF house over trad cavity wall.... Another is the speed (and releative ease) of construction.......
these are great advantages, but are not measured in 'performance u values'.... you should be lauding these...
 
Re: ICF (Insulated Concrete Forms) using Reward Structures. - Is this an expensive qu

Hi there, have not read all the posts but wondered have you considered how you will hang kitchen presses ect. because as far as I know it is a 60mm layer of aeroboard 100mm gap for concrete and 60mm again for aeroboard. Now I know it will be slabbed and or skimmed but you may have a hidden cost of putting up plywood under the slabs or skim coat to carry the weight of presses, wall mounted TVs ect. not to mention curtain poles wall mounted radiators. There is a hard point every 600mm but this is plastic and will it line up with the screwig points of tour appliances.

Samhain's husband.
 
Roofing for ICF house

Folks...

With regard to ICF built houses I have a question

Are these houses designed to carry a normal roofing system. As in do they have a wall plate where a timber roofing system can be attached?

Or are you confined to a proprietary roofing product?

Cheers!
 
Re: Roofing for ICF house


Most of the ICF products don't have the proprietary roofing products. The wall plate is simply bolted to the concrete core.

You can absolutely use normal roofing systems.
 
Re: ICF (Insulated Concrete Forms) using Reward Structures. - Is this an expensive qu

Cheers sas,

Thats as I thought.
 
Re: ICF (Insulated Concrete Forms) using Reward Structures. - Is this an expensive qu

I think i have found a passive house which has been built in Ireland on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4Ccuf5_E64

I was quite interested in this and thought others might as well.
 
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