I'm in the process of having the design for my new house done and I was intending to use ICF for the basement. The basement will have a walkout the full length of the back of the house which means it will be stepped down starting from the middle of the side of the house. I want to have a brick exterior but I don't like the ICF brick ledge above grade. The attached document is the proposed solution for the sides of my house that are stepped down, has anyone used this approach or suggest an alternative? To me it seems complicated which means error prone.  Thanks

Problem with the attachment... here goes again

This is quite typical. The only concern is that your grade plan must be exact - the location cannot be changed after the fact. Here is an alternative - seems commercial but allows you to locate your grade/brick ledge after the fact and reduces a bit of thermal bridging. A simple chamfer strip below can make the transition back to your wall from an architectural point of view. Good luck. http://www.ferocorp.com/pages/fast/fast.html

We regularly do what you are proposing, because lets be honest, if that brickledge is exposed above grade for whatever reason...it's as ugly as sin.

Your detail drawing works, although I recommend waterproofing the brickledge first to just above grade, use CMU blocks from the brickledge to above grade and solid fill both the cavity in the CMU and the space behind, the brick should start 6" above grade. The exposed CMU face can be parged to clean it up to look clean.

If you ICF manufacturer/supplier has brickledge extensions and you can pin point your final grade you can snap a line and set them on an angle which looks really sharp and much nicer then steps in the wall finish

Here's an example of a 10" Taper Top transitioning to a standard 6" to create a brick ledge. Spends a couple $'s more on the concrete, but it's a more tasteful approach...

Pics don't seem to work

Thanks so much for the information and BrucePolycrete we liked your suggestion but in the end decided against because it would involve 2 pours. One more question about the process; would the brick layer lay the first course of concrete blocks to bring the ledge up to grade, let it set, then install the waterproof membrane (or would another trade install the membrane)?
 
Any other details that I should be aware of?

Thanks

That's actually done in just one pour....

Your brick layer will rarely do the waterproofing, and I would install the waterproofing first, behind the block that will get you above grade

Your planing is very good on basement.


General Contractor Virginia

You could also skip the brick-ledge and put CMUs on the footing, and set your brick on them, just below grade.

It seems unfortunate that the wall design involves so much thermal bridging of 1/2 of the insulation. Far less with the steel brackets or CMU.

Posted By ICFconstruction on 02 Aug 2011 10:14 AM
You could also skip the brick-ledge and put CMUs on the footing, and set your brick on them, just below grade.

That is what I am doing.  8"x8"x16" CMU are relatively cheap (<$1.40 ea. here) and the costs to lay them are roughly the same.  The hollow CMU will be capped with a 4" thick solid CMU at grade level, then the brick will be installed above that.  I will be installing Polyguard LowFlow Drainage Mat between the CMU and the waterproofing membrane.  The bottom course of CMU will have voids in the mortar joints and holes drilled in the cavities to allow any water that gets inside or behind the CMU to drain out to the french drain.