ICF First Course Done!

For those of you who are new, we have just begun the first floor (basement) of our new home which will overlook the vineyard. For a chronological listing of our building projects with ICF (or insulated concrete forms), be sure to look through the ICF Building Index. We are using the Rewards Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) and were able to finish the first course or layer yesterday evening. We chose the Rewards ICF not only for their insulation and strength characteristics but also their price. It is amazing how easy the ICF is to snap together. They are really like legos! Inside are plastic dividers which give strength and we will place rebar before concrete is poured for added stength. First came marking the slab as a guide. So, we popped the line. Our concrete slab is not blue as the picture portrays - it is really gray! This line is our guide to make sure the blocks are square.

Each block is 4 ft wide and has teeth (remember legos) to snap to the next course. Since the first course will be sitting on the slab, the teeth of one side were cut off. A line of glue is then put down on the slab using a glue gun and lining it up with the inside edge on the line, the block laid on top. For the next block, glue is put on the slab and up the ends of the previously laid block. The blocks are then held down for a few minutes until the glue sets.

What happens if the block is too wide - you just cut it to fit!

Hopefully, most of the walls will be up by this evening with bracing. For now, though, I am off to buy more glue!