I can't speak absolutely about my issue yet, because I have to take some more measurements and get an idea about what's going on. Having said that, I am an O-B stacking my first floor ICF walls. I have a situation where a corner is not plumb. Part of the problem is I do not have bracing with a turnbuckle system, just a set screw. It's difficult to pull the wall into plumb and set it. However, since I was by myself while attempting this, I did manage to get it plumb enough using a come along and gently pulling into plumb, then wrenching down the setscrew on the bracing. However, when I ran a string line from corner to corner on that wall (with both corners now being plumb), it seems as if all I managed to do was flex the inside of the block about an inch. The outside of the block looks to be still out of plumb with the rest of the wall. It sort of makes a big curve. At this point, I don't know if my wall is out of square (the first floor or the basement underneath it) or if the basement is not plumb. I am considering purchasing some better quality bracing to help overall because no one in my area will rent it for a sane price. So, my question has to do with, what techniques can you use to plumb difficult walls (i.e. corners), and what can you do to mitigate walls that may not be square, etc.? I also wonder if it has to do with ice/snow getting into some of the cracks and nubs of the block. I realize it's a bit after the fact with the wall stacked, but I am doing this myself after firing my contractor and my rep doesn't seem to want to return my phone calls. My aforementioned contractor did neat things like cut off all of the nubs on the block of the basement in certain areas when going from 8" to 6" forms, instead of just cutting off the inner set. I had to basically strap the outside of the block with wood so it would align. He did other things too which makes me glad I fired him, but now I have to deal with this problem. I really appreciate any tips you folks can give me.

I wish everyone showed where they lived in their profile, it helps :-)

Your wall?? OK, the damage is done, from the erection point, but you MUST remedy the bow(s) now. I would start by remeasuring everything, such as at the bottom and at the top to see how square you are or are not. Actually, one of the $50 laser measuring units from HD would work rather well for this. Then you are going to have to releive the stress on the running wall with the bow. Probably the easiest way is to find a place with a window or door opening, cut out a 1/2" in both sides to start, and see if you can then move the wall where the bow is. Remember, you will need to also trim one side of where the block hits the window or door so you don't bind there again. If no doors or windows, just cut a 1/2" slot, probably from about 24" above the floor to the top of the wall, straighten up the wall, then foam the joint, and place a plywood patch screwed to the studs on each side of the cut. I would not cut thru a vertical joint, I would cut between studs.

Keep in mind though, you have two problems. One is fixing the corner(s), and the other is you don't have vertical bracing which keeps the wall straight, or will straighten the wall as you attach it. I don't know what the rental price of "sane" is, but I do know that unless you have a good understanding of carpentry fundamentals, and some knowledge of fluid mechanics for the concrete, just placing 2x4s for bracing could be a feel good measure but still leave you with a less than stellar result!

I'm interested in why won't the rep call you back? and which block it is(although I can guess on a couple). Perhaps if you posted some more info one of us can possibly intercede and help you get thru this? None of us wants to see a bad pour, by either a contractor or a BO. It's not in our best interest, that's why I want to know where and which!

I'm in Rome, NY. We've spoken over e-mail a few times before I got my project going. And I appreciate your feedback. There is a local lumberyard which will rent the bracing for $5 per piece per day. Since I am doing this myself now with help from my dad and his cousin, coupled with the fabulously nasty weather we've had lately, I figured I would be better off buying the bracing, using it, and selling it for the amount of time I may end up needing it for. The block I am using is BuildBlock.

I am wondering what direction the bow in your wall is. If the bow is from the bottom to the top it is probably your choice of bracing. if the bow is from corner to corner then it is probably the corners that are out of plumb. It is always best to start from the corners when building with an ICF and making sure that the corners are plumb and square. If the problem persists then the cut and patch is the next step.

As for the bracing rent that is high compared to what we charge here in MN. we generally get $3 per unit per day excluding the weekends. Basic bracing set with turn buckle should run about $120 to $170 depending on brand and the frieght to NY from the producer. Even with a good set of bracing you could continue to have problems if it is not installed properly, if you get a set you can contact me on this site and I will give you some pointers. By the way I have a customer who is going to be purchasing a new set of taller braces and would love to sell his 8' set, they are two years old and have done about 4 jobs I believe. He is located in Iowa on the east side not to far from you he is asking $100 per set sounds like this would be cheaper than your rent and you could probably sell them upon completion for about the same amount.

In regards to MattD's post .
Being the rep for Rome new york this is the first i have heard of this. I Have never been contacted nor i have no idea where he purchased the block. But if we were contacted we would be more than happy to help with your situation. Also our Scaffold price is right in line with everybody else at 3 dollars a day per section. Thank you we may be reached at 1-877-91-block

Hi MatD:

I am going to address the effect, of the wall being out of plumb, on structural integrity and load carrying capability aspects.

You did not mention any numbers -- by that I mean by how much (in inches) and what locations vertically and horizontally is the wall out of plumb or from being true and square. Since you mentioned it is at a corner, you should make a drawing of that corner and the walls on each side of the corner, and plot the deviations (out of plumbness, or out of being true and square) in inches or fraction of inches.

If the wall is out only in one direction, you will have a bow type effect, and if the wall is out in both the vertical and horizontal planes, you will have a dish type effect. In any event, if the deviation is not large, it may not have an adverse impact on the structural integrity and load carrying capability of the wall -- you will still have to contend with making the finished wall surfaces to be true and square by using furring strips or building another stud wall. But we are getting ahead of ourselves here -- the important thing is first to know the magnitude of the deviations.

If you go by the manufacturer's specifications, chances are the reference for tolerances for out of plumbness will be to the American Concrete Institute (ACI) standard 318 -- and those, being for rigid reinforced concrete walls, are very tight.

If the deviations are large, you may have to consult a structural engineer with experience and knowledge in ICF design and construction to determine what may have been the effect on load carrying capability of the wall, and what action if any should be taken for a cost-effective fix.

I am glad to see that you have got a number of helpful responses. Good Luck and keep us posted with the progress on your project.

I got a chance to go to my site on my lunch break. I can almost tell where the wall starts to get crooked by putting my level vertically against the vertical cut lines in the block. Overall, the wall is out probably 3/4" to 1" in plumb from top to bottom (8' wall). The next decent work day, I plan on taking everyone's advice about the vertical cut method. Thanks again everyone, I really appreciate the help. It's not the first time I have asked a question on this forum and gotten timely, professional responses. Kudos to you all.

Mat if yopur problem is from top to bottom the vertical cut will serve no purpose this is a bracing issue call me 218-685-4365.

I didn't get a complete analysis of the problem, but I can see the cut lines begin to "lean" towards the corner at a certain point in the length of the wall. It makes me think as the wall was being stacked higher, it was continually being slightly pushed longer (out) towards the corner. Perhaps the cuts were made too tight and the cut pieces were forced into place a little more with each course.. ?

MATD Being the Build Block Rep in this Area we would be more than happy to help you out with this problem our office is only 10 miles from Rome Please feel free to call (315)859-1011

MatD: Your last post talks about your wall potentially growing and pushing the wall out of plumb? Your cuts should have been on a cut line unless your wall dimensions were other than full inch increments & or you didn't bump any dimensions. The problems you speak of can also be caused by a high spot in the footing that is multiplying as you go up.. As you stack additional levels this issue causes wall lengths to grow and push corners out. This problem could have been remedied at an earlier stage on the upper level, but will be a little more difficult now. The alignment system you are using is inferior if you can't easily adjust the walls when empty or full. Most, if not all walls move some after the pour and have to be re-aligned with a simple but functional system.

Just an update - I was able to easily plumb the wall by cutting a small piece out of the top of a window buck and gently tapping the wall.  Worked like a charm!

Thanks all again.

Hi MatD:

How about if you elaborate a little --what do you think was the cause?, how did you determine that cutting a small piece out of the top of a window buck and gently tapping the wall would provide the needed fix?. Is it some thing you knew before hand that that particular window was not true and square? or was it something else that led you to finding a potential fix ...

Yogia -

In a nutshell - I took Jim's advice above and measured the length of the offending wall.  I observed the top off the wall (where the corner was most out of plumb) was 3/4" longer than the bottom of the wall, which matched the dimension of the blueprint.

I have a large 6' x 6' window buck roughly 3' from the end corner.  I chose to use an inside mount on my window bucks.  I also noticed near the bottom of this buck (between the buck and the end corner) that one of the blocks had lifted up and was not completely seated.  I also checked for plumb on the vertical cut lines in the block before the window buck, and after (between the buck and the corner).  The cut lines were not plumb on the side of the buck near the corner, but were plumb on the other side.  This led me to believe the wall was growing after the buck and towards the end corner.

Thankfully, I only had 1 course stacked above the buck.  I made a cut and we gently tapped the wall back into plumb, then foamed and patched the cut with plywood.  The corner now is spot on.

Great observation. You're learning quickly.

Thanks for the explanation MatD ... so now you can more on to ...

I couldn't edit my previous post -- but I did want to say THANKS to James Eggert for his insight on MatD's problem which led to MatD resolving the problem to his satisfaction.