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ICF’s (Insulated Concrete Forms) is one of the most efficient technologies for building homes, schools, hospitals, and so on. With its help, you can whip up roofs, walls, floors, basements, and other structures. Putting up its blocks is as simple as piecing together a puzzle or Legos.
Tampa ICF builders fill the foamy walls with concrete, and after the concrete is fully installed, we remove the panels. The walls have the strength to withstand fluid pressure without faltering, making them ideal not just for buildings but also for applications like retaining walls that need to hold back soil or water. Tensile steel bars, or rebars, are reinforced between them.
When it comes to material, they are insulating panels and webs. Such structures’ walls are made of polystyrene (EPS or XPS), a foamy material that works as the base of the wall as the concrete is poured in between these walls. On the other hand, ties can be made of plastic or metal.
When thinking and planning your next home or construction project, keep in mind that if you design with this construction method, any design element is possible without losing insulation value. That is huge! All the architecture you want, the structure you need, and no compromise in regards to energy efficiency and cost effectiveness.
Before investing in any building technology at the residential and commercial levels, it is always important to consider its pros and cons. Following are the benefits and drawbacks of ICF for homeowners and constructors.
Energy Efficient: As the population grows, the use of natural energy resources is also rapidly increasing. To overcome this fear, this is always the top priority for everyone. It only required 30% of energy to heat or cool an apartment, which is much less than the traditional building structure, i.e., CMU and wood.
Mold Resistance: Due to the inorganic material nature of EPS, these resiliently constructed homes have a lesser chance of getting attacked by mold, pests, insects, and other rodents if we follow all the preventive measures.
The continuous interior and exterior insulation also prevents the mixing of cold and warm air, thus reducing condensation and mold.
Low Maintenance: Maintaining always costs a lot if it is a must to do from time to time. But if your house is built with concrete forms you will not be worried about the time to time expenses of maintaining it.
Secure: Whenever it comes to building a new structure, we always keep in mind the security parameters. We always measure customer requirements by adding a second base at the top and roof of concrete pour instead of wood.
No worries if you have already built or started your project; we are always happy to help you.
Versatile: The innovative approach to wall construction is very versatile, which surprised me. I thought it would have some height restraints, but you can build multi-story residential buildings with these blocks. They can also be used on slab-on-grade or pier-and-beam homes to build walls from the basement up to the roof. You can also use all sorts of exterior finishes on these blocks.
Heat-resistant: They are also fire-resistant to a certain degree, making them ideal for areas prone to wildfires, such as Tampa. Due to EPS, these structures have a 4-hour fire rating, a significant advantage when compared to wood-framed homes that can collapse in under an hour.
DIY Ability: They are a great DIY wall assembly. Even if you contract out the pouring of the concrete, you can still stack all these blocks yourself to reduce costs. The average cost of a wall is around $10 to $30 per square foot, but you can bring it down to $25 per square foot if you stack them yourself.
Consistent Temperature: Reinforced concrete’s block keeps your home cold in summer and warmer in winter. Airtightness can be gained by using good-quality doors, windows, and a roof.
Insulated concrete homes with a wooden roof have 1 to 1.5 ACH compared to wooden homes, which have 5 to 12 ACH. So, such a modern-construction home has less air leaking out through the walls, allowing you to downsize your air conditioning system and see a reduction in your energy bills, which also makes it cost-effective.
Soundproofing: In a sound transmission test, the walls allow less than a third of the sound to pass through than ordinary wood walls. The inside of the home is so comfortable that the outside noise will not disturb you, whether you are focusing on a movie or reading a book. To make the outside noise virtually zero, use high-quality windows and doors.
Improved Air Quality: Those people who are suffering from asthma and other respiratory disorders are the best option, as the thick walls do not allow contaminants, i.e., fumes, pollen grains, dirt, and other allergens, to enter their homes.
Lower Insurance Premiums: Due to the superior resistance quality of Insulated Concrete Form in different aspects, it is less prone to damage, which insurance companies consider when calculating your premium. As a result, insurance premiums and, thus, resale values and discounts are typically higher.
Strength and Durability: New homes in Tampa and waterfront homes across the coastal region are always in danger due to the subtropical climate. These reinforced-building approach homes are permanent structures that will stand for 100 years or more. They will withstand hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and floods because EPS and concrete are water-resistant, so they are popular in coastal areas. If you have installed a wooden roof, it might get damaged. You will be good to go by changing the inner drywall of your house.
Cold Climate: Its walls are also not as good in cold climates, where you need a higher R value.
Matt Risinger: If the base of the wall, in addition to areas and window openings, is not well waterproofed, it may leak. So we use an additional peel-and-stick membrane over the entire building, which is expensive.
Humidity: These homes can have humidity issues if they aren’t properly ventilated.
Wall Thickness: The walls also occupy a lot of space. A 6-inch wall is actually more like 11 inches, so this can eat into your interior space.
Remodeling: Remodeling the exterior walls of such a Green Construction Practices home is nearly impossible; you’ll have to jackhammer through the concrete to modify it.
Less Forgiving: You also can’t have your typical beer guzzling lazy builders on site with this home. It has to be planned out carefully if you want to avoid routing through all the EPS foam to run cables. Wood construction is more forgiving because you can hide your mistakes
We offer several services at the ease of your comfort zone. Our team is fully professional and has provided these services for years and years in an exceptional way.
Residential Services | Commercial Services |
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New Home Construction | Office Buildings |
Home Additions and Renovations | Retail Stores |
Basements and Foundations Construction | Warehouses and Industrial Buildings |
Specialty Projects: Building pools, sheds, garages etc. | Schools and Healthcare Facilities |
The range of these blocks is unending. We have mentioned a few to make it easy for you while making decisions.
Types | Usage |
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Straight blocks | Constitute 80% of its wall assemblies, a prevalent choice for both residential and commercial construction projects. |
Corner blocks | Equipped with corner brackets, enhance strength and support, preventing blowouts during concrete pours. |
T-blocks | Find utility at intersections of two walls, such as where an exterior wall meets an interior one. |
45-degree angle blocks | The versatile 45-degree angle blocks, complemented by corner brackets, offer expanded design options and reinforced vulnerable edges. |
Radius blocks | Measuring 16 inches in length, are specialized units for constructing curved walls, requiring custom orders. |
Tapered top blocks | They are positioned at the wall's upper section, increasing the concrete core width to accommodate lateral loads like exterior roof truss and interior flow joist loads. |
Curb blocks | They are adept at creating ledges to support various systems, including hollow core precast concrete, engineered wood floors, and garage slabs. |
Brick ledge blocks | Positioned atop the wall, provide crucial support for adjacent lateral loads post-concrete pouring, demonstrating their capacity to uphold a 25-foot tall masonry wall. |
It is 5 to 10% more than wood construction in the states. It's a great alternative to CMU block walls in countries where pine trees aren't native.
Generally, above-grade panels provide enough vapor resistance, which reduces the need for a separate vapor barrier in construction.
We make sure to use wall sheathing materials for the home that can actually withstand the impact of a bullet. It takes a lot of muscle and patience to make a wall panel that will stop a bullet.
Designed specifically to help repel termite attacks, EPS panels are treated with Imidacloprid and offer a second layer of protection.
Remaining all the pros and cons in mind, such innovative building systems homes are becoming more popular especially with custom builds and which is the coming future. Now-a-days Tampa ICF builders have to consider that there are a lot of opportunities on the way due to its demand but on the other hand supply is not enough to fulfill people’s needs. Wood just keeps increasing in price and the quality of these finger jointed pine wood that developers are using nowadays just to lower costs is pitiful.
We have environmentally friendly practices and are skilled in preparing surfaces, pouring concrete, and finishing by ensuring the functionality of concrete-base projects.
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