How-To: DIY and ICF Project

The housing market is suffering for a number of reasons — skilled labor shortage, material and labor costs, and tighter building codes requiring more expertise in building science to meet thermal and air infiltration standards. ICFs have always provided a fantastic alternative construction method to stick framing to meet and/or exceed energy standards, air and moisture infiltration rates, and resiliency, plus provide lifetime comfort and energy savings. The ICF industry has promoted do-it-yourself home building for years. While there are some positive results and advantages to this approach, building a DIY home with ICFs has also led to very negative experiences in some cases. There are several caveats or downsides that prospective DIY builders should be aware of.

Naturally, any problems or issues get much bigger attention than the builds that go smoothly without issues, which creates a negative perception of the advantages of building with ICFs. It’s easy for experienced ICF contractors to see this occurring if they just spend a little time following the many ICF chat pages. When a potential DIYer asks for advice on these chat pages, the responses are numerous, with a majority confusing, conflicting, or misleading. These wrong answers make it harder for the DIYer to select the right answers. Defining the “right answer” can also be tough though, since everyone approaches a project in a little different way and the answer can be subjective. But the methodology has to follow proper engineering criteria, building codes, and the ICF manufacturer’s guidelines. Persons with previous bad experiences or ones that may shoot from the hip or reinvent the wheel do not help the overall situation for a new DIYer in building with ICFs the “right” way.

What is the right way? Well, that would be following the ICF manufacturer’s installation instructions and engineering. For a DIYer to achieve confidence, there are a number of fundamental steps to follow in building with ICFs. It is important to follow each step for four basic reasons:

1. You are building your dream home for your family.
2. There are cost implications involved in every step.
3. Cutting corners on materials and costs upfront may end up costing more in the long run.
4. You are building with a product you have never used before, so read the instructions.

It is recommended that any DIYer track the following fundamental steps through the construction process:

Construction Knowledge
Have a good understanding of construction basics — plumb, level, square, sequencing of materials, labor requirements, timing, and how to operate the required tools.

Select your ICF Product
In one of the first of these “How To” articles we discussed how to select an ICF product. [Editor’s Note: Find that article here: https://www.icfmag.com/2021/10/how-to-select-an-icf-product] Selecting a regionally manufactured product versus a nationally recognized product is a very important decision. Which one can or will serve you better and be able to supply technical support, documentation, and a full product line of forms and accessories? Do some research on the product, and the dealer, and find other projects in your area that have used ICFs.

Training
Search out and complete an ICF installer training program, either one offered in a classroom or an online course by an ICF manufacturer. Understand the product you are going to be using and how it should be installed. There is more education required in building with ICFs related to the building code, engineering for walls and openings, floor and roof attachments, air tightness around openings, etc. Review and establish solutions for all of these in the design stage. Be prepared.

Design
The design stage is extremely important. Design with a plan to utilize the ICF efficiently and make the installation smoother. Resolve everything on paper first — dimensions, coursing heights, rough opening sizes, lintel designs, rebar spacing and locations, and anchors.

Crew
Typically, a minimum crew would be 2 to 3 members. In some parts of the install, more helpers are advantageous but they must be supervised to make sure the wall is installed correctly. One big issue to monitor with the crew may be the omission of rebar or rebar in the wrong position. Always check before the next block course is placed. During concrete placement, a
4- to 5-person crew is the best.

Support Network
In addition to the ICF manufacturer, develop a relationship for advice with your local ready-mix supplier, your local ICF dealer, a pump truck company, and even the building inspector. When you have a question, the first call should be to the ICF manufacturer’s representative or dealer. Find a local ICF contractor who would be able to offer advice or assist on an hourly basis to inspect the walls prior to concrete placement, and contract them to assist in placing the concrete. For a DIYer, concrete placement is the hardest part about building with ICFs, because there is no room for error. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from anyone in your support network.Tools
The only extra tools that are necessary to have are a rebar cutter and bender, internal vibrator, and ICF bracing alignment system. All of these can be rented. To build the walls straight and plumb, it is advantageous to rent an ICF bracing alignment system which has the ability to support the wall prior to concrete, align the wall straight and plumb, and provide safety-approved scaffolding.

Planning
As the general contractor, you are responsible for ordering and sequencing materials. Research ordering lead times, especially with your ICF provider. Being on top of the planning and building allows you to anticipate and better resolve any unexpected issues. Map out a timeline for construction, when materials need to be on-site, and when other contractors (electricians, plumbers, etc.) can access the project. Adjust this schedule
as needed.

Optimistic Construction Schedule
Following all these steps takes time. From an experienced installer, this is an optimistic rough timeline for a new DIYer with a dedicated crew of three, for a simple one-story house with six corners and foundation walls:

• Day 1 is a learning curve. Lay two courses and level.
• Day 2, install block full foundation height.
• Day 3, typically Thursday or Friday, place concrete. Let concrete set up over the weekend and on Monday start to install the main floor system.
• As the floor system is installed, start the main floor exterior ICF walls.
• Once the floor is in place providing lateral support to the foundation walls, waterproof the foundation walls, and backfill.
• Possibly allow one week to install main-floor ICFs with all the openings and place concrete.
• Start roof after the third week.

Every new product requires a learning curve. Although ICFs are an easy-to-install modular block system, they have a learning curve also. The basic key is start level to end level. There have been many husband-and-wife DIY teams that have survived the process and lived comfortably ever after in their dream home.