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We at Central Enterprises feel that
when Americans are at home they should be safe from all
possible harm. However, in many homes across
America, the families are not safe. The news media
is filled with numerous in home problems from mold and
allergens to drive-by shootings. There are also
the great natural disasters like earthquakes and
tornadoes. How does a family protect itself from
all these?
The answer to all these problems is a
simple building product called an Insulated Concrete
Form (ICF). So what is an ICF? Simply put,
an ICF is two pieces of expanded polystyrene (EPS)
material held together by either plastic or steel ties.
These ties hold the EPS material apart so that concrete
may later be poured into the cavity. The ICFs are
stacked together from the footing to the roof to form an
ICF wall. This ICF wall is then filled with a
concrete mix to form a solid concrete wall. Since
the EPS material of the ICF wall stays in place, the
ties, which helped hold the ICF together, now become
attachment points for drywall on the inside and brick,
siding and/or stucco on the outside.
The advantages of this product are
numerous. Properly installed, an ICF wall will
eliminate mold and allergy problems. Since ICF
walls are safe from harmful fumes, the homeowner does
not have to worry about “what’s under the drywall”?
Also, since the real support of the ICF wall is
concrete, the house now becomes safe from natural
disasters such as tornadoes and earthquakes.
But maybe your concern isn’t
natural disasters. What about cost effectiveness,
energy efficient and environmentally safe? ICF
construction does not cost more to
build with than conventional building products.
When all the factors of building a house or building are
considered, ICF construction is actually less
expensive. And it is certainly more energy
efficient. The R-value of an ICF wall will reach
R-50 in many areas of the country.
Environmentally, EPS material has been around for
decades and is commonly used for drinking cups.
There are no studies that show EPS
material to be in any way harmful. However, the
same can not be said for wood and fiberglass insulation!
What about if the family wishes to
build their own home? This is the easiest and
safest way to build for the inexperienced builder. When
any builder follows the established procedures of
building with ICFs, a home can be built more quickly and
efficiently than so-called “normal construction”.
Speaking of “normal construction”,
Central Enterprises has been educating the union
trainers at the Carpenter’s Union Training Facility in
Elk Grove Village, Illinois for many years now. It
takes some time for the information to trickle down to
the “rank and file” union member, but soon all carpenter
union members will be competent in working with ICFs.
The major reason why all construction companies don’t
use ICFs is a lack of education. When contractors
and architects understand and are comfortable with using
ICFs, they use them religiously.
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