Hi :
   I'm planning on building with ICF,I'm a very inquisitive guy,when trying finding economical ways to do things,I want to keep wood out as buck material (I'm even steel framing the interior) ,every body's other option is v-buck,but what about no buck at all , just wood forming by capping the windows and door rough openings  as you would in a regular concrete wall, that way you would get exposed concrete when the wood is removed and just add foam after the windows and doors are installed and wheater proofed,am I wrong??

                                                                              Thanks!

Leaving out buck material results in leaving out critical attachment points necessary to properly mount the windows to and the exterior and interior trim (not to mention drywall and siding). I can' t justify your method/idea given the amount of labor and material that you would put into capping off the rough openings given that you would have to remove all the form work in the end to leave the concrete exposed. Like others have said, if your not into using wood then v-buck is definitely a viable alternative.  - Peter

Thanks for your prompt response,Peter,ok! my idea came about when I realize that they don't use bucks in the high rises built here in Florida ,we attach windows to concrete at all time,there's nothing better strengh wise. I haven't gone as far as feasibility but the prices I've heard for the v-buck material (around $10 lf) scared the hell out of me.I'm planning on using stucco for the exterior so there would be no problem just with gluing down some foam back that could even be contourned as a trim (just a thought there) and stuccoed wich reminds me that ICF stucco and the viny-buck, kind of...don't mix.As for the interior ,I'm a steel framer (glad I wouldn't have to pay for this) and I deal with solving this issue all the time, more dificult to explain than to do anyways, but hey!, I have no eperience on the Icf matter if you are telling me that v-buck is less expensive than my "method" I listen to you ,but is it?

I don't know what v-buck is going for in Florida, but out here in Colorado the material itself goes between $5-6 a lf. depending on the width. It is a little pricey, however it is fast to work with and isn't warped or cupped and gives a nice clean finish as well as many other advantages.

Dave

We are an icf and concrete company in St. Petersburg, FL. V-Buck is between $5-6 per ft. All above advice is good. You need a form liner in place for window installl, and finishing. You will have a tough time otherwise. GR

so FLAICF ,the other guys were just trying to reap me off, eh? where's your company name and exact location,I'm in Tampa,what ICF brand are you carring?

BuildBlock. Carroll's Building Materials, St. Petersburg, FL

Hey FlaICF:
I just received a quote from Buck Walz today (pretty cool) guy ,so I was already dealing with you ,and your ICF is actually sheaper than the one I "WAS" going to use,I wanna go by your site to see it first hand!

Well in Mexico we install either steel/iron/or now aluminum window frames that hooyahs that stickout about 6 inches from each of the 4 corners of the window frame. Concrete is cutout/chiselled out/whatever, the frame is put in and more cement or you could use epoxy is put back in to secure the frame to the cement wall. No buck, no wood.

Leira 35,

We use Vbuck but we also will go down to the local sheet metal shop and have them break us some 18ga or 16ga sheet metal to cap the inside of the opening. The metal is bent in a u-shape. Side A-B is 2" side B-C is the width of your block side C-D is 2". We then will put two rows of self driller self tapper screws in the center to give you anchorage in to the concrete. It is cheaper than Vbuck, is stonger and holds better than Vbuck, and since you are a steel guy you already know how to attach to it. The great thing about it is that in the foam space you have ample room to screw,drill, or do what ever you wish for an attachment. I will post some pictures later, I need to search through some photos to find some.

ICF Contractor

Done many dwellings with nothing but IntegraSpect's Integra Buck system.  No wood no vinyl no thermal brake at all.  Works slick. 

Only my opinion.