Finished basements Over the years, ICF's (what is an ICFω) have seen their greatest usage in basements. An ICF basement should be called a "lower level" since the old stereotypes about basement do not apply to them. An ICF wall is warm, dry, quiet, and provides no opportunity for mold growth; since there is no cavity where warm air meets a cold wall and condenses. In addition, they make economical sense; usually costing less than furring out and insulating a poured wall. In one step, the lower level is poured, framed, and insulated all the way up to the floor joists, even in daylight and walkout areas; eliminating the need for a lot of work before the subfloor can be installed. Lower level rooms have seen somewhat of a comeback recently; with home theatres, wine cellars, mini bars, and other entertaining areas added to the usual extra bedrooms. The usual method to transform a basement into living space has been to first pour a wall, then build the exterior wall in the daylight or walkout area, followed by building the subfloor, and then furring out the basement walls, at which point the rough electrical is installed and then the insulation. Finally the drywall is hung and finished. This method involves a lot of coordination, a lot of labor, and a lot of time. In addition to all that, not much insulation can be installed, the rooms are hard to heat, and there is always the possibility of dampness.
ICF's eliminate all of the dampness, mold, and heating concerns. They also eliminate all but one step to finish a basement--hanging the drywall! As far as the builder is concerned, it is a dream to coordinate. In the one step that would have produced a bare concrete wall, an ICF wall produces a furred out and insulated wall, all the way up to the floor joist (even in walkout and daylight areas); with the window openings framed in and the electrical boxes installed with conduit running up to the floor joist cavity. All that remains to be done is the drywall. This wall carries a 30 year waterproofing warranty, is not damaged by the elements, and can be poured in the dead of winter.
R-Value was founded to bring the quality into ICF construction, and our walls reflect that committment. They will be straight, plumb, and level, with no need to correct anything before drywall is installed. We pour walls that both we and our customers can be proud of; combining the best alignment system in the business with our years of experience in commercial poured walls and the most ICF installation experience of anyone in the area to ensure our customers receive the very best. Given the many great attributes of an ICF wall from R-Value Concrete Structures, most builders believe that it would break their budget--so why do itω But in reality, an R-Value ICF wall is quite competetive with other finished basement systems, whether it be a Superior Wall© or the usual method of furring out a poured wall. One local builder summed it up well after we completed a full ICF home for his family; when he said that the cost of the ICF basement was the same as finishing out a poured wall; and it was a no-brainer. Unfinished basements Many builders and homeowners choose to postpone finishing the basement until after closing the construction loan and saving up some cash. This is an excellent way to build equity into a home, reduce the initial cost, and provide a greater value to your client. Unfortunately, one of the drawbacks to this approach has been that the local building inspector will usually require a 15 minute fire barrier to cover the exposed insulation. An ICF wall can be easily built to a 4 hour fire rating, and even if left uncovered, has excellent flame retardant characteristics, but the reason for this requirement comes from an interpretation of the Michigan residential code as follows. R702.3.4 Insulating Concrete Form Walls. Foam plastics for insulating concrete form walls constructed in accordance with sections R404.4 and R611 on the interior of habitable spaces (emphasis mine) shall be covered in accordance with Section R318.1.2. Adhesives are permitted to be used in conjunction with mechanical fasteners. Adhesives used for interior and exterior finishes shall be compatible with the insulating form materials. R318.1.2 Thermal Barrier. Foam plastic, except where otherwise noted, (emphasis mine) shall be separated from the interior of a building by minimum 1/2 inch gypsum board or an approved finish material equivalent to a thermal barrier to limit the average temperature rise of the unexposed surface to no more than 250 degrees F after 15 minutes of fire exposure to the ASTM E 119 standard time temperature curve. The gypsum board shall be installed using a mechanical fastening system in accordance with section R702.3.5. Reliance on adhesives to ensure that the gypsum board will remain in place when exposed to fire shall be prohibited. The usual way an inspector will handle this is to require 1/2" drywall to be installed; but even if that is left taped, not finished, it can come at a cost that renders the postponement of finishing the lower level pointless. Some of the inspectors we have dealt with will interpret R702.3.4 in such a way, that if the basement is not living space, it is then not subject to R702.3.4's requirement. All they want to see is a door at either the top or bottom of the stairs to the basement to control the smoke and flame spread should a fire occur. In such cases, the inspector interprets the phrase "on the interior of habitable spaces" to mean walls in a room that people regularly live in, such as a kitchen or bedroom. An example of a non-habitable space would be a storage or mechanical area. With such inspectors there are no further problems. But when an inspector does not see the so called "exception clause" in R702.3.4, we then turn to R318.1.2. Here what we need to do is meet the 15 minute temperature rise standard. The good news is that drywall is no longer the only way to do this! There is a product distributed locally by Jeff Huiss of Stock Building Supply in Grand Rapids called "Fire Poly". It is a 12' high x 100' roll of polyethylene, in either 4, 6, or 10 mil thicknesses; treated to resist fire. A 6 mil roll of this retails for $79.99, and can easily be stapled directly to the ties of the ICF. This product is often used in conventional construction in walkout walls that are insulated; and eliminates the need for drywall. I should be noted however, that the decision always lies with the local inspector. It is in everyone's best interest to discuss this question before construction even begins. The inspector is not your enemy, but should be seen as an essential member of the building team. It still may help to point out that he or she has probably passed Superior Walls© as well as insulated stud walls with no drywall requirement. (Superior Walls© all have 1" of foam insulation in them from the factory.) An ICF basement in an excellent choice for both you and your customers; providing the ultimate in occupant comfort and energy savings as well as simple scheduling, reduced installation time, and no callbacks for the contractor. For further information or a free estimate; call us at (616) 299-3654, visit our website at www.rvaluehomes.com, or e-mail jakev@rvaluehomes.com. "People forget how fast you did a job--but they remember how well you did it." Howard Newton |
