Mold Prevention and Insulated Concrete Forms
September 2nd, 2010 | Common Troubleshooting, Lets Get Technical!
The Makeup of Mold
Mold development in residential and commercial construction is a common problem that is gaining more prominence because of greater concerns about how it affects the health of building occupants. People are exposed to mold every day, because it is virtually impossible to create a space that is mold free. Mold releases spores, or invisible “seeds” that are carried through air and water. When these spores land on a damp, moist base that has food and oxygen available they will start to grow.
Mold is a type of fungus that decomposes dead organic material such as leaves, wood and plants. Individual mold colonies are too small to be seen without a microscope, and the color varies according to the food source and the mold’s age.
The Effects of Mold
Prolonged exposure to mold can lead to the development of allergies in susceptible people. It can worsen chronic asthma in those who already suffer from it, and it can cause infections in individuals with suppressed immune systems and certain types of cancer and organ transplant patients. Mold also causes property damage, because it feeds on organic material, like wood and paper, and decomposes it.
Mold in Wood Frame vs. ICF
Mold has four requirements in order to grow and survive –food, oxygen, temperatures between 40 and 100 degrees F, and water or moisture. Oxygen and temperatures between 40 and 100 degrees are necessary in both wood frame and ICF buildings, so Reward ICFs provide no mold prevention advantage in those two areas. However, Reward ICFs provide a real advantage when it comes to the required food and moisture.
Food
In a wood frame structure, mold can find food sources in the wood, the paper facing of gypsum drywall and other wood materials, all of which are the dead organic material on which it thrives. The mold will decompose the wood making nutrients available for it to grow. By contrast, a Reward ICF wall assembly consists of two inorganic types of material –EPS and concrete. Because the Reward insulating concrete form walls are inorganic, the food source for mold is eliminated, and it has lost one of the four requirements for its survival. Although most structures contain organic material, such as wood or the paper on the drywall, eliminating a food source for mold in the exterior walls puts Reward ICF walls at a definite advantage compared to wood frame walls.
Moisture
Since oxygen will always be present, a food source will always be available, and indoor temperatures will generally be between 40 and 100 degree F, controlling moisture is the only effective strategy for preventing mold growth in buildings. And here Reward ICF walls provide the greatest advantage over other types of wall systems.
Next week we’ll cover the two key areas that directly affect the above conditions that will dramatically reduce the ability of mold growth and prevent the conditions where mold is susceptible to. In the meantime feel free to check out our ICF moisture research papers conducted from a 3rd party researcher that proves our insulating concrete form moisture claims.
Iowa State Fair
August 27th, 2010 | From the Field, Marketing
Butter Cows & Turkey Legs
Every year Reward is excited to help out a local builder who exhibits at the Iowa State Fair. Fair is an understatement for this event lasting over a week. Usually over a million visitors attend the Iowa State Fair, this year was a bit down but still neared the 900,000 visitor mark. It was an exciting atmosphere riddled with turkey legs and ice cream….and insulated concrete forms! Also the IA State fair is known for their Butter Cow Sculpture- yes that is made out of pure, 100% unadulterated butter. Moooooooo.
ICF Structure
This year Dan constructed a building made out of Reward ICFs. From the few pictures we took you can see the traffic was good and the building was impressive considering this was build on the fair grounds.
It was a great time and we met a lot of great people. We will see you all back for the Iowa State Fair 2011!
ICF Education & Field Training
August 19th, 2010 | Common Troubleshooting, From the Field
Wanted to give attention to a not much publicized service we offer with education and field training service when building with ICFs. These support mechanisms offered to our customers have proven to be invaluable over the years, and are things that truly set us apart from the competition and from other industry products. We have always been and will always be the source for ICF innovation, research, and field support.
If you are looking to start building with ICFs or already have ICF construction in mind, we offer on site consultation and field training, along with an education course to get you and your team familiar with insulated concrete forms.
Onsite Training
Reward Wall Systems, Inc requires all new customers who are building with insulating concrete form for the first time to sign up for onsite training. When it comes time to build your ICF project, an experienced Reward building consultant (if you’re lucky it will be Darryl U!) will come directly to you jobsite for up t three days to offer guidance and advice for you and your crew. The Reward trainer is prepared to show you all the steps for correctly and efficiently installing forms and placing concrete.
Cost
The standard onsite training package has a small nominal fee for a three day session. This fee is to cover costs for our ICF trainer’s travel and food expenses. All training can be customized to meet varying needs, based on the scope of the project. Whether you prefer onsite help with the footings to the ceiling, or just want an onsite specialist on hand for the initial concrete pour- our trainers are ready help.
What is included?
Pre-construction consultation - Once you have scheduled your training, the Reward trainer will call you to be sure you have the proper tools and that the site is prepared to make the best use of his time upon arrival. Discussion will be made on if there are any specific areas of attention for our trainer to prepare for.
Onsite training - The Reward trainer will teach you and your crew proper and efficient installation techniques throughout the wall installation process including:
- Stacking forms
- Reinforcement
- Bracing
- Aligning
- Door and window buck placement
- Placement of concrete
Post-Construction follow up – After the jobsite training has been completed, the Reward trainer and all of our support staff will be available to answer further questions by telephone and e-mail until your project is finished.
ICF Training Benefits
This valuable service will shorten your crew’s learning curve for installing ICF walls. Installation experience and expertise are necessary to be a successful user of insulated concrete forms. Your trainer can show you installation techniques and shortcuts that will save you time and money in the field. The trainers shared experience and skills will help you to avoid costly mistake and ensure your first project goes up smoothly.
At Reward Wall Systems, we don’t just sell you the insulating concrete forms and walk away. Through our Solid Support program we provide you with the tools you need to be successful. Reward also offers a comprehensive technical manual, AutoCAD drawings, ICF BIM objects, and estimating software in addition to technical support that is always just a phone call away.
Call us at 800-468-6344 to get a quote on your customized onsite training package.
Free ICF Home Plans Online
August 12th, 2010 | Marketing, Product Announcement
Recently we discontinued offering a Free home plan CD due to cutting back on printing and shipping materials and in an effort to go “paperless” and foster our corporate sustainability philosophy. Plus, we asked ourselves- why mail when you can get everyone the same access online for free?
Online Home Plans Available
We are excited to announce our free floor plans for insulating concrete forms are now available online! Whether you are just browsing to see the versatility of Reward concrete homes or you are shopping for a style or home ideas this is a great starting point. You can view thumbnails of different styles, sort by square footage, number of bedrooms, and number of bathrooms. Once you click on a thumbnail you can download a summary sheet of what the home’s floor plan look like.
Find a Favorite Concrete Home Plan?
If you find something you truly enjoy and think you would want for your ICF home,you can purchase these plans directly from Reward! These are already converted to easily incorporate insulating concrete forms, so it can save you money instead of starting from scratch and having someone convert plans to ICFs.
So check out the Free Home Plans today. Sign up to receive your access code in your email- be sure to save your code! If you encounter any problems don’t hesitate to call.
Mitering an ICF Ledge Corner V
August 5th, 2010 | Common Troubleshooting, From the Field
OK we have walked through all of the steps necessary for cutting a 90 degree corner out of an insulating concrete form ledge. To finalize this tutorial below are the steps to cut the inside corner ledge.
ICF Construction- Inside Ledge Corner
Line up the ties and allow for room to make a cut
Draw 45 degree angle from the ledge and draw cut lines
Make the Cut
For the perpendicular Ledge Form that will connect the corner- measure the 45 degree to the outside corner apex. Next, make a square cross cut on the outside panel at the inside core wall.
Once corner is cut you will have to remove the teeth directly in the corner, so a 90 degree can fit snugly on top.
No need to dig out the corbel or bend xLerator as concrete will flow correctly and ledge will be properly reinforced
And Congratulations you have completed the Mitering an ICF Ledge Corner Tutorial. If you have any questions leave us a comment or give us a call!
Mitering an ICF Ledge Corner IV
August 3rd, 2010 | Common Troubleshooting, Lets Get Technical!
Last post we got the corner insulating concrete form ledge put together and we are now ready to address the reinforcement needs for the concrete ledge. The xLerator is our patented ICF ledge reinforcement system, it simply drops in place and provides the reinforcement in all of the ledge corbels. So when you are putting together your ICF ledge corner, some simple modifications are needed to the xLerator to make it fit nicely in the corner.
xLerator Ledge Reinforcement
The xLerator is used to reinforce the ledge form and must be cut and bent to form 90 degrees.
- Cut the tab that sticks out from the spreader bar on the corbel side & eliminate about 1 ½”.
- Jump over that spreader bar on the same side as you just cut and cut between the cross piece you save and the next cross bar removing approximately 5” of material.
Bend the cross piece 45 degrees. See detail 6-05 in the Reward ICF Product Manual for further description.
Repeat those steps on another xLerator, on the opposite side so they fit nicely on top of each other and provide reinforcement everywhere there is concrete.
icf
Finished Insulated Concrete Form Ledge Corner
icf
So our final post on the ICF Corner Ledge series we be showing how to do the inside miter cut for insulated concrete form ledge corner walls!
Mitering an ICF Ledge Corner III
July 27th, 2010 | Common Troubleshooting, Lets Get Technical!
If you’ve been reading with us for the last couple posts we are now on part 3 of the ICF Construction- Mitering a Ledge Form tutorial. We decided to get this communicated out there as sometimes it can be tricky in the field if you haven’t done so before. But after you do it once or twice you’ll be a pro.
Altering the ICF Form Teeth
At this point both sides of the ledges are cut now you need to make sure the proper modifications are made in order for forms to stack on top of a regular corner form and a corner form will sit snugly on top. As well as making sure the cavity is conducive to concrete flow and support of the entire ledge.
Notice the raised flat foam areas in the 90-degree corners. The interlocking teeth will not seat all the way down in those locations.
Rasp down half of the height of the interlocking teeth on the interlocking teeth that will bear on the flat raised foam areas so that the ledge form sits down properly on the 90 degree corner.
Now that the ledge form fit snugly on top of the corner form, we need to remove some foam to allow for free flowing concrete. Where the two mitered pieces of ledge form meet at the very corner, trim the foam within the concrete core corbel area at a similar angle of the corbel on both sides.
This opens up the concrete corbel area for sufficient concrete volume.
Cut and remove half of the interlocking teeth on top of the ledge form that will meet the flat raised areas of the 90 degree corner that will stack on top of the mitered ledge form.
Once the mitered corner is cut and dry fit for acceptable appearance and function, glue the mitered cuts together and stack on top of the 90 degree corner.
Lastly, Secure Your ICF Corners!
Use horizontal and vertical wire hooks to secure the mitered ledge form to the immediate straight forms. The mitered ledge could also be taped together to add further support to the glue.
For next post on our Mitering a Ledge Form Series part IV we will go over cutting and placing the one and only xLerator- ICF Ledge reinforcement system. And then we’ll go over BRIEFLY how to do an inside miter cut (The principles are the same, just reversed really)
Miss a couple steps? Start from the beginning!
Mitering an ICF ledge corner II
July 22nd, 2010 | Common Troubleshooting, Lets Get Technical!
Our last post we started our ICF ledge corner tutorial and it will continue on today with a couple more steps! Before you know it you will have some clean cut and sturdy ledge corners…maybe even better than our own Darryl U’s!
Cutting the Ledge Form
Now that you’ve cut the ledge side of the block now you have to do the other. Mark and cut the straight foam panel, opposite the ledge side, at the 90 degree bend location where the outside foam starts. (Noted by the arrow)
After the both cuts are made, the plastic tie insert must be cut to separate the two pieces.
Sounds simple enough huh? Now you have one side of your corner cut. Repeat those procedures to cut the other corner return as well.
Cutting the Second ICF Return
Reminder: Make sure ledge form extends past the corner far enough to allow for a 45 degree cut on the ledge side AND make sure plastic furring strips are lined up.
ICF
For the other ledge form for the opposite return, cut at the inside 90 degree bend where the core starts. The cut is to be a square cross cut. After the both cuts are made, the plastic tie insert must be cut to separate the two pieces.
Now use the rasp to smooth out corners edge to ensure a snug joint and even surface to apply foam glue.
For next Tuesday we will go over some slight ledge form adjustments you’ll need to make to make sure the forms will stack correctly on top of the ledge as well as go over the xLerator modifications so it fits in the corner properly.
Mitering an ICF ledge corner
July 20th, 2010 | Common Troubleshooting, Lets Get Technical!
Common ICF Question
We get a lot of questions on mitering our ICF ledge form in order to make inside and outside corners. Most people get hung up on dimensions and measurements but really there isn’t a whole lot of need for measuring. You need the proper tools to get things done correctly and use a little patience while putting your ICF ledge corners together.
In the following posts I will be outlining a few steps each time to successfully miter you corner ledge forms and reinforce them properly. After we cover those items I will go over a proper bracing strategy for ledge forms as well.
Mitering a 90 degree ICF Ledge
The first thing you need to make sur you have is the proper tools. This will ensure you can move smoothly through the process and make the whole task simpler. Tool you need are:
- Saw
- Straight edge
- Speed Square
- Rasping device
- Tape measure
- Also don’t forget- Tape or Glue and a wire cutter to cut xLerator
Next you need to place the ledge form on top of a 90 degree ICF corner. Make sure to place the ledge form far enough past the corner to allow enough room for the 45 degree cut and be sure the furring strips are lined up with each other.
Using the speed square and straight edge, mark and cut the LEDGE side at 45 degrees from the INSIDE edge of the 90 corner form.
Come back on Thursday for Mitering a Ledge Form part II, as we continue on our ICF ledge form corner tutorial.
ICF Building in Oregon: Case Study
July 13th, 2010 | Project Showcase
This story is an oldie, but a goodie and those numbers are similar all over the country with commercial ICF construction.
When Dr. Waters, owner of Silverton Surgical in Silverton, Oregon planned their new 3-story, 13,020 square foot medical building, they wanted to lower operational costs to improve the profitability of their investment.
Over $10,000.00 per year in utility savings increased the profitability of the project starting the very first month.
The Waters’ specified Reward Wall Systems Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs) for the exterior walls of the project. To complement the insulated concrete walls, the Waters’ upgraded the roof insulation, windows, and the HVAC equipment to create a high-performance building envelope. The conservation upgrades for the project increased the cost of construction of this $2,100,000.00 project by $112,000.00 compared to a 2 x 6 wood frame building that meets Oregon energy code. The Waters’ justified the investment by counting on lower utility expenses.
The Waters’ commissioned an independent energy audit to determine if the investment in the conservation upgrades would be cost effective, and the results were astonishing.
The utility expense of the building constructed of 2 x 6 wood frame to meet Oregon Code was calculated to be $1,151.00 per month. The building with the Insulated Concrete exterior walls, increased roof insulation, window and HVAC upgrades was calculated to be $312.00 per month for a savings of $10,068.00 in utilities per year.
Even with the cost of construction increased by $112,000.00, this building is less expensive, and more profitable for the Waters’ starting the very first month of operation. The combined monthly mortgage and utility expense for the project is actually $175 less than the same building built with the less expensive 2 x 6 wood frame construction to meet code.
The Waters’ contracted a consulting firm to submit an application for the State of Oregon’s Business Energy Tax Credit (BETC). BETC was created to offer an incentive for investing in conservation upgrades. The incentive totals 35% of the $112,000.00 upgrades for a tax credit of $39,200.00 to be taken over five years.
Even with a higher cost of construction, the utility savings for this project result in a lower cost of ownership and increase profits for Silverton Medical Properties starting from the very first month of operation.
- 13,020 square feet
- CMU and brick exterior finish
- PVC sheet roofing over 3.5″ Polyisocyanurate R-22
- 5 AC units, total 25-ton inheat pump
- Energy Wise utility cost average, $312 per month
- Estimated $10,000 per year energy savings over wood
- Stairwells and elevator shaft built with Reward
- 11″ iForm for top two levels
- •13″ iForm for basement and crawl space