Greetings everyone,
                I have been interested in green technology since the first time the concept was placed in front of me. I have never really had the funds to do a lot of this stuff on my own but have always studied different technologies. I have also had a bit of a dream to create an almost completely underground solid concrete house besides the roofing. I have designed it in google sketchup. It is rather small in size, logically space saving, and was looking towards energy savings later on. Originally I thought just normal concrete walls would be the most economical / sensible way to go but since I learned of ICF basements I began rethinking this. So, this is where my questions begin.
               
               
Could anyone give a very rough estimate for the price of an ICF basement that has 124ft of wall which is 6 inches thick and 8 ft tall. And a basic flooring of 988 sq. ft. Like I said i'm totally new to this and I'm sorry if these questions seem rather dumb.

Would anyone advise using walls thicker than 6 inches for a structure this size?

Could you see the price of ICF basements going down in comparison to standard poured concrete in the future as the technology becomes more wide spread?

Could someone give me their honest opinion whether ICF is worth it for the price increase? I am sure you see questions like this alot. I mean i'm a reasonable person if it will save in electric bills significantly then i'm sold. Over the course of a few years you will make a good amount of that money back and your resell is higher from the beginning. I just don't have the experience to really say how much it helps. I also have read that the comfort of ICF basements feels much more like a upstairs normal floor in a house and not as much like a standard basement?

I guess these questions are my main issues right now. I am glad to meet anyone that responds. Have a good day. 


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I'll give it a go:

124 LF (lineal feet) wall x 8 ft tall = 992 sq ft of wall space

Depending on where you are located installed pricing on an 6" ICF basement is going to be anywhere from ~ $12-18 per square foot. This translate into $11,904 - $17,856 + the cost of installing footings. The price is also going to be dependent on your back fill heights and roof loads. Generally most ICF basements are bumped up to 8" of concrete, especially when your reaching back fill heights in the 8-10 ft range.

- Could someone give me their honest opinion whether ICF is worth it for the price increase? -

In my opinion, absolutely hands down. Not only is the comfort level going to be superior to a conventional poured wall, your energy consumption will be reduced and you'll have a product that is ready for drywall and interior finishes. Resale value is a plus too.

The key to a successful ICF basement is to find a good contractor. Look around ask for references. Check their work. Come up with a solid water diversion plan for your application. Do not skimp on waterproofing your basement.

Hope that helps - Pete

Well, the drawing is in 3d. I have place appliances and furniture in it. I don't know if I could take a screen shot that would really explain it all to well. Would an image of just the outside work? If so I could do that. And yes I was looking to cover most of the roof with earth. I don't know if this is advised or just a bad idea. This is all pretty new to me so I'm learning what I can. Ok, I know this will sound dumb but by backfill you mean?

Back fill is the soil that will be filled along the outside of the basement wall after it is cured and waterproofed.

Contractor Pete that was some very useful information. That gave me a bit of a round about for what I was looking at. That is actually kind of the price range I was expecting or hoping for. I hadn't really even thought about water diversion yet. I had planned on placing this into a hill that naturally sheds water well. I have a lot more to learn. Thanks for the help.

Everything.imp,

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Alton