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Thread: ICF's?

  1. #1

    ICF's?

    Has anyone used ICF's for a full foundation on a 30 x 30 or 35 x 35 stock cabin? I'm wondering about cost up front vs a traditionally formed and poured foundation, as well as whether the savings they claim in HVAC costs are as tangible as they are advertised to be. What about block?

  2. #2
    sorry if this question has been asked before, I've been reading a lot on here and have found some info about ICF's but I wanted a better idea of cost.

  3. #3
    LHBA Member rocklock's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by williams_a99 View Post
    sorry if this question has been asked before.
    info about ICF's but I wanted a better idea of cost.
    Yes it has...
    cost for the icf's for a 30X30 is about 4300.

    This is what you get. You can pour the footer in one week, then pour the basement the next week. No other system will allow that. You also get the ultimate sound suppression system ever, plus an r-20 insulation that has literally 150,000 pounds of thermal mass.

    I have many pictures of the footer, and foundation...
    Dave
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    LHBA Member jrdavis's Avatar
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    Williams......
    ***Tease alert*****

    There are 5 pages in ICF stuff on the "other side".
    See you when you get there.

    Happy hunting.
    JD

  5. #5
    I figured that there is a lot on the other side. I'm not making any concrete plans...ha...just looking at options.

    Thanks rocklock! that's very helpful.

  6. #6
    LHBA Member Tom Featherstone's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rocklock View Post
    Yes it has...
    cost for the icf's for a 30X30 is about 4300.

    This is what you get. You can pour the footer in one week, then pour the basement the next week. No other system will allow that. You also get the ultimate sound suppression system ever, plus an r-20 insulation that has literally 150,000 pounds of thermal mass.

    I have many pictures of the footer, and foundation...
    Dave pretty much nails it down with that he wrote. I'm not sure if that includes the concrete. I'll let Dave respond to that.

    I did do a 40x50 ICF 2 story house a few years ago and If it wasn't for this crazy desire to build a log home, it should be the #1 method of construction of what is available today.

    What's The Cost?

    We'll, like anything there are many variables. You have to fill in your own blanks to come to an informed answer.

    ICF Blocks are nothing more than Giant Lego's. If you can build this Log home, putting together the Lego's is pretty easy and light. Instructions are easy. Or you can pay someone to pour you a basement, build piers or a stem wall. How much it costs will depend upon what size and method you choose and what part you pay for, or do yourself. Then you must add the cost of whatever it takes to reach the insulation factor to a poured wall, stem wall or floor insulation with piers. If ALL things are counted equal.

    The "Lego's" give you that once poured and more depending upon how you decide to insulate.

    "Thermal Mass"

    There are better scientists here that can explain that better than me, but I do know this. It's Real! Everyone of the members here that already live in their's will testify to the fact of how these buildings respond to the temperature swings in all parts of the world. The same scientists recognize this same "mass" effect with ICF's.

    My footings by building code here require me to go 1/2 the distance to putting in a basement. Piers are out of the question because of size & depth and volume of concrete. Not including the time and cost to build them and the excavation to get them there. Excavating out a square hole is pretty easy with a piece of equipment. 20 years ago I may have considered digging the piers out by hand, no longer an option. I can run equipment, my grandkids can carry the Lego's!

    I'll end this with this.....

    "How Much does it Cost?" Or? Should it be?? How Expensive is that engine part for that airplane you're planning to fly in?

  7. #7
    Thanks Tom. I plan on doing everything myself. I have excavation and construction experience and I'm confident I can do it. I was just wondering what the cost of the actual materials (ICF'S) was.

  8. #8
    LHBA Member Tom Featherstone's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by williams_a99 View Post
    Thanks Tom. I plan on doing everything myself. I have excavation and construction experience and I'm confident I can do it. I was just wondering what the cost of the actual materials (ICF'S) was.
    W99, We used the Logix block. Find what's available local to you, who's doing it. There are many good manufacturers of ICF's. It's the local support that I most value. Ours will be a piece of cake compared to what I help build. The experience was invaluable as far as doing it for us.

    Find your closest supplier, call him up and tell him what size you need and it short time you'll have a real number for the ICF and the amount of concrete needed to fill it. He should also be able to calculate what you need for your footer at the same time.

    Cost? Dave I think again was about right on as far as an average for his size build. Concrete prices are amazingly about the same across the country, so another variable is How Thick? 6"-8"-10"? I only need 8" here but have considered 10". We're pretty much set going 32'x32' on a full ICF basement, root cellar and walk out from basement, all out of ICF, one pour. I'll be nailing down this price soon and will post over in the members forum.

    Other Members already have completed these and have posted their costs. I'm hoping to keep my cost of excavation, forms and concrete below $15k. Not including pouring the floor. Most all of that work I can do myself with a helping hand. On pour day, I'll have many hands on deck for a short period.

    God willing, we should be pouring sometime this spring.

    Best wishes to you , it's a wonderful journey!

  9. #9
    LHBA Member loghousenut's Avatar
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    Just for the record, I wish we would have left most of our sloped lot natural and hogged our a daylight basement. Then those ICF things would have been a no-brainer. No offense Rod.
    Every time I have strayed from the teachings of Skip Ellsworth it has cost me money.

    I love the mask mandate. I hardly ever have to bruh my teeth anymore.

  10. #10
    many ICF sites have calculators you can use to determine what you'll need and for what cost.

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