ICF walls are great for building a tornado resistant house.
ICF building systems are super insulated concrete walls. To start first have a level and square footing. Can set ICF blocks on wet or dry footing. First set your corners then the first row of ICF blocks. Then I recommend to square and brace first row to footing so it wont move while rest of wall is set. Now just stack your blocks all the way to the desired height making sure to stager all block joints. Once wall gets to tall to reach from ground set up bracing system. We recommend placing rebar every second row of blocks (2 rows of rebar) and 2 feet apart on up and down rebar. place window and door framing is placed and braced. We recommend to brace anything that you think could be a possible blowout. After all bracing is set and checked and walls are checked for square you place the concrete in the ICF walls and finish the top. After concrete has set you remove your bracing and walls are ready to set roof and interior and exterior finishes. The ICF building system reduce labor time and cost and are faster to set up than stick or block construction.
Here Is the House we are building with ICF blocks.
Each ICF block has 2.5 inch wide plastic wall studs 8 inch on center. That is good for hanging your things on the walls. It is also good for hanging cabinets, drywall panaling or anything that gets screwed to the wall. Siding gets nailed right to the wall just like a stick built home. Stucko can also be put right on the ICF wall.
These pictures are drywall and siding put right on the ICF wall.
ICF walls have a great insulation value. The ICF walls will save as much as 75% on your monthly heating and cooling costs. The R-value of an ICF wall is R-28 to R-32 depending on wall thickness. Wood framing R-value is around R-3 to R-14 and block walls are around R-2 to R-8. With the way the ICF blocks interlock it is air tight. That means no drafts on the windy winter months. A home built with ICF walls can also save on the size of the heating and cooling system. Heating and cooling system can be reduced by as much as 50%.
ICF walls also have a very good fire rating and sound proofing ability. ICF walls do not support combustion. When insuring your home insist on a masonry rating. That is another saving you get with this building system. ICF walls have a sound transmission rating of 48. That is very good for loud storms or loud traffic.
One of my personal favorite things with building system is the wind resistance. ICF walls will withstand winds over 160 M.P.H. To get a stick built home to withstand that would be very very expencive. That is a good thing if you do not like storms.
Wiring and plumbing are cut right into the ICF block. That makes wiring and plumbing faster and cheaper than drilling holes through 2x building materials.
Most women like the bigger window sill. On left is ICF wall on right is 2x6 stick built wall. Bigger sills makes it easyer to set plant and other decorations to be seen.
For any more questions you may have please feel free to call or visit or suppliers web site at
www.aoneform.com