Intro to ICF

ICFs are basically forms for poured concrete walls, that stay in place as a permanent part of the wall assembly. The forms, made of foam insulation or other insulating material, are either pre-formed interlocking blocks or separate panels connected with plastic or metal ties. The left-in-place forms not only provide a continuous insulation and sound barrier, but also a backing for drywall on the inside, and stucco, lap siding or brick on the outside.

Insulated concrete form systems were originally developed in Europe at the end of the 1960s.  ICFs have been in use in Canada and the United States for a number of decades, but have increased greatly in the last ten years in the United States for use in single and multi-family homes and commercial buildings such as offices, hotels, schools, hospitals, etc. Today, ICF systems from various sources are in widespread use in over 20 countries worldwide. There are some 80 different suppliers of ICF systems in the USA and around 20 in Europe.