Hello all...first off, great site! I spent the last few weeks surfing the forums for info related to my current home planning process. I live in central Pennsylvania and plan on building a home summer / fall. I have done quite a bit of home design, construction, and inspect back in the late 90s and early 2000s. I haven't been involved with the industry since about 2004. I'm an engineer and facility mgr by education. I starting doing some sketching on how I want to construct my new home...and I have arrived at the conclusion that making it energy efficent as I can just makes good sense. I set on a single story brick ranch type home with a full basement. I have ruled out ICF for the whole home as I cannot justify the cost vs return. I "think" that I have settled on 2 x 6 framing @ 24" O.C. with sprayed in cell. insulation and adding 2" XPS on the exterior. I haven't been able to find and wall x-sections that show how to do this will a brick exterior. I sat down this afternoon and did some rough sketching. The biggest challenge I can see is the thickness of basement wall required for the stack-up and the nightmare trying to afix the brick ties to the framing thru the foam. It seems like the bottom flashing should attach to the osb (behind the foam), run under the foam, and brick, finally extended to just over the outter concrete wall? I've thought about the brick tie issue and have arrived at the following conclusions: The tradition z brick ties aren't going to cut it...going to need something more beefy due to the length. I thought about attaching furring strips but quickly realize that is an futile effort. I think that I need some kind of lag bolt with a flat end (in the brink motar). What options are available for this??? I did find this option...I think this would work? http://www.heckmannbuildingprods.com/Pos-I-Tie_Original.html Please shoot holes in my drawing and thoughts! Thanks in advance.

OP - how do you figure a 13" concrete wall with foam on the exterior is more cost effective then ICF? At least for the basement?

Check out the brickledge from various ICF manufactures. Some will allow brickledge to inside and outside. http://www.nudura.com/en/Technical_Centre.aspx will bring you to Nudura's info. Near the bottom is Product Guide. Download the catalogue and go to pages 17 and 18.

I believe that the pos-i-ties will work but even using the thermal break, you have a lot of steel bypassing the foam layer. Is there a need to go brick?

I have a friend that is a concrete contractor! None of the less, good point,I will so some numbers to double check that for $$$. I'm leaning towards brick mostly because we live in a mountainous high wind area. When the wind starts whipping around it sounds like the big bad wolf is outside. I am guessing your comment about the steel pentrating the foam is concerning thermal bridging and general air leaks? The other option I would consider is hardibacker...cerainly like the look and durability of brick though. Again, open to other suggestions! Thanks

The first little pig built with straw.
The second little pig built with sticks.
The third little pig built with ICF.

I'm just off the eastern slopes of the Rockies at Calgary Alberta. We get these little winds call Chinooks. I can tell you that ICF's really put a crimp in that old wolf's tail.

Hardie siding and ICF's to the trusses might still work out in the same neighbourhood as brick, foam and sticks and you will have a much more substantive home.