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The Truth About Insulating Concrete Forms
Remember back in second grade when the teacher whispered a short story in one child’s ear and had each child repeat it via whisper across the room? When the short story reached the other side of the room the entire message had changed.
Welcome back to the second grade!
The ICF industry (term used loosely) is rampant with inaccurate information. This is definitely a 'buyer beware' product. Manufacturers, dealers and distributors of the products, installers and builders alike tend to disseminate information that is questionable at best. The toughest part of researching ICF’s is not the gathering of information but the sorting of the information. What is true and factually correct and what is myth or “I believe this to be true, so I will state it as fact” to the customer? Virtually every aspect of ICF is affected by misstated information, whether the discussion is about R-values, structural specifications, cost issues, termites and bugs, application of finishes or waterproofing, electrical, or general installation conversations. Many of these misstatements are obviously made by persons that simply lack the basic knowledge behind the information. To the unassuming consumer, a little bit of research and a small bit of cash will arm you with the real truth and the facts to back up your thoughts. Beware of the ICF spokesperson that says that ICF’s are too good to be true and that they are the “do all and end all” of the building construction industry.
If you have a story that you believe involves misstated information as quoted by a person involved in the industry, e-mail it to us and we will add it to the growing list of statements that follow. If your e-mail is deserving of an award, we will send you one.
You can take off the hip waders here. We won’t tread on your lack of knowledge of ICF. Instead, get out a pencil and paper, take notes and remember to ask some of these questions at your next encounter with an ICF Professional!
We have edited names from these “facts” not to protect the guilty parties, but to hopefully save their face and hope that they will soon wake up and stop the spread of ICF myths. With luck, one day this column will become obsolete!
Common Myths:
Myth: Mixing Foam Beads with Concrete after Cutting
Myth: ICF Myths in Promotional Material