ICF Blocks?

These blocks are basically reinforced styrofoam lego blocks that you can build into a wall and then fill with rebar and concrete.  The styrofoam is the formwork during the pour and stays in place as insulation for the life of the building.  They are a fantastic way to build.

Training

This week, I attended a training session for “Fox Blocks” ICFs.  I had already watched all the videos on Youtube, but I wanted to get some “hands on time” before I started on my own build in the spring.

There were quite of lot of guys there learning to install these ICFs.  Many had big jobs coming up soon.  At least a couple had subcontracted other crews to do ICFs for them in the past, but wanted to do it themselves next time.  One crew had brought house plans and were discussing how to adjust the plans for easiest ICF construction.  There were lots of questions (it went for ~6 hours instead of 4).

During the training, we got to practice clipping the blocks together, cutting them, etc.   We roughed out a basic window together, but we didn’t take it as far as putting in the window bucks and buck supports.  It would also have been good to get in some hands on practice setting up the bracing.  Of course, we couldn’t pour cement in the shop, but that sort of experience before my actual job would have been great.  There was class room time to cover the details we couldn’t cover in the shop and I will get a card saying I am certified as a basic installer…

I need to buy a few basic tools and put my order together.  I could do it in winter, but I plan to wait for spring anyway.

Why FOX Blocks?

I put together a big spreadsheet comparing all the quotes I got from various companies and dividing the total costs by square footage, etc.  I found that I could get Fox blocks for less money and the install looked easier due to some clever features of their particular design.  I also liked that I could purchase the blocks from the hardware store (Menards) and install them myself.  The more I researched, the more I was convinced that the Fox Blocks company was growing so well because they made the best blocks in the industry.  During the install training, the instructor (Ken Williams) also pointed out a number of other design advantages.  As a bonus, I learned that their blocks are made from all pre-consumer recycled content (their parent company makes frozen food containers and needed something to do with the trimmings).

Unfortunately, they don’t have a “Quad Deck” alternative.  For that, I will still work with Quadlock.

Other news…

In other news, I put in some rough stairs to more easily access the basement and I will post about that separately.  I also got a drill press and “fabricated” the bases for my steel columns; again, that will be a separate post.

Some of you may have noticed that I used a new timelapse camera for this video.  I got a GoPro 3 White for my birthday and this video of the training was my first footage with it.  I guess I will record the next segment at the property with both cameras and talk about that in another post.  The much larger wide angle lens should make it much easier to get interior progress shots and a wider outdoor view of the construction.