ICF Blocks

On Monday after the long weekend things got going again on the guest cottage construction.  Scott's crew came over and set up all of the ICF blocks.  These are insulated foam blocks that connect together like a giant LEGO set.  Its a really neat system, and I spent a couple of hours, mostly watching and partly helping to put the big set together.

There is two inches of styrofoam insulation on both the interior and the exterior.  These are tied together by plastic struts that are bonded right into the foam.  There are coat hanger like clips that are used to secure together the vertical and horizontal joints.  Huge zip ties are used to secure the entire structure to the J-hooks that were cast into the footings.  Rebar is fitted inside the blocks, both vertically and horizontally to reinforce the structure.  And there are truss-like metal reinforcements that snap into the upper row.  Temporary supports are screwed into place at some of the cut and fitted joints, and to support the upper edge.  Spray foam insulation is used to seal to the footing, and at some of the fitted joints.

These ICF, or Insulated Concrete Forms, are not stripped away, but remain permanently in place to provide a six inch thick re-inforced concrete wall with two inches of foam insulation on either side.  The whole system is very ingenius, and slick and quick to put together.  We are now ready for concrete, which is supposed to be poured later this week, subject to favorable weather.