Tried to access the InsulDeck website and the site is no longer available. I've been trying for the past few days and it shows the site to be taken off-line.

Has anyone heard anything? I wonder if the company is no longer? I guess there's always QuadDeck.

InsulDeck

What type of EPS does InsulDeck and QuadDeck use? Is it Type 1 or Type 2?

Posted By Lbear on 04 Nov 2012 12:45 AM
Tried to access the InsulDeck website and the site is no longer available. I've been trying for the past few days and it shows the site to be taken off-line.

Has anyone heard anything? I wonder if the company is no longer? I guess there's always QuadDeck.

InsulDeck

What type of EPS does InsulDeck and QuadDeck use? Is it Type 1 or Type 2?

Their server may be in a server farm that got clobbered or lost power because of Sandy. Give'em a call.

Posted By Lbear on 04 Nov 2012 12:45 AM
Tried to access the InsulDeck website and the site is no longer available. I've been trying for the past few days and it shows the site to be taken off-line.

Has anyone heard anything? I wonder if the company is no longer? I guess there's always QuadDeck.

InsulDeck

What type of EPS does InsulDeck and QuadDeck use? Is it Type 1 or Type 2?

A quick internet search found the following:  "Insul-Deck is the manufacturer to Quad-Lock for their Quad-Deck branded product, it is identical to Insul-Deck."

Another option is LiteDeck.  We poured a LiteForm ICF basement including a saferoom with LiteDeck on the top of the saferoom this past Friday.

Posted By arkie6 on 04 Nov 2012 10:01 AM

A quick internet search found the following:  "Insul-Deck is the manufacturer to Quad-Lock for their Quad-Deck branded product, it is identical to Insul-Deck."

Another option is LiteDeck.  We poured a LiteForm ICF basement including a saferoom with LiteDeck on the top of the saferoom this past Friday.

What is the gauge of the steel within LiteDeck?

What type of EPS does LiteDeck use? Is it Type 1 or Type 2?

The one thing that kind of concerns me with LiteDeck is that it's spanning capabilities are much lower than QuadDeck and Lite Deck uses recycled EPS, not virgin EPS like QuadDeck does.

I think Insul-Deck has been Quad-Deck for awhile now.

Have you considered other concrete floor/roofing systems (e.g., K-Joists + steel pan)? What is the minimum insulation required? Hard to get to R-49 with the ICF systems and R-49 is now required in some areas.

Posted By Lbear on 04 Nov 2012 04:23 PM

Posted By arkie6 on 04 Nov 2012 10:01 AM

A quick internet search found the following:  "Insul-Deck is the manufacturer to Quad-Lock for their Quad-Deck branded product, it is identical to Insul-Deck."

Another option is LiteDeck.  We poured a LiteForm ICF basement including a saferoom with LiteDeck on the top of the saferoom this past Friday.

What is the gauge of the steel within LiteDeck?

What type of EPS does LiteDeck use? Is it Type 1 or Type 2?

The one thing that kind of concerns me with LiteDeck is that it's spanning capabilities are much lower than QuadDeck and Lite Deck uses recycled EPS, not virgin EPS like QuadDeck does.

18 gauge steel C channels.

The main part of LiteDeck foam where the steel channels are installed is Type VIII (1.25# nominal density) which is halfway between Type 1 and Type 2.  The EPS tophats which are used to make the concrete ribs deeper for longer spans is Type XI (0.8# nominal density).  The main part of LiteDeck is virgin EPS.  The tophats are recycled EPS.

Posted By arkie6 on 04 Nov 2012 11:40 PM

18 gauge steel C channels.

The main part of LiteDeck foam where the steel channels are installed is Type VIII (1.25# nominal density) which is halfway between Type 1 and Type 2.  The EPS tophats which are used to make the concrete ribs deeper for longer spans is Type XI (0.8# nominal density).  The main part of LiteDeck is virgin EPS.  The tophats are recycled EPS.

Have you ever used QuadDeck or are you exclusively LiteDeck?

Do you vibrate the LiteDeck pour?

What is the longest span you have done for a 2nd story floor area?

The basement and with safe room that I helped pour was the first time I had ever seen LiteDeck or any similar product firsthand. It was only ~8' span across the top of the safe room.

Lbear, why are you considering insulated floor forms for floors inside the building with both sides exposed to conditioned air? Seems like a huge waste of foam. If you just want a concrete floor, why not just build the floor with steel bar joists and metal decking or something like Speedfloor?

LBear, we just completed 29-2" span, 12" form with a 3" topping of concrete and several flush concrete beams throughout, yes you must vibrate

Posted By arkie6 on 05 Nov 2012 07:10 AM

Lbear, why are you considering insulated floor forms for floors inside the building with both sides exposed to conditioned air? Seems like a huge waste of foam. If you just want a concrete floor, why not just build the floor with steel bar joists and metal decking or something like Speedfloor?

The floors are actually exposed to the exterior in many spots, with balconies and overhangs. In addition the flooring then traverses into the wall assembly and then must support the 2nd floor wall in some areas. InsulDeck/QuadDeck is better suited for this application for its insulating properties, spanning, and higher strength. It becomes a monolithic pour that ties into the ICF wall and the strength of a T-Beam design of InsulDeck would work best.

Just found out that InsulDeck is just updating its website so that is the reason why the site is down. So it looks like that all is OK and hopefully the site goes live shortly.

Here are some of the data for Quad-Deck:
EPS Density is 1.25 PCF making it Type VIII
Longest spans are around 33' for 40 psf Live Loads with 4000psi concrete and 2 - #7 rebar bottom and 1 - #6 rebar top; spans can be even higher with stirrups/ post-tension or similar (structural engineering by a licensed engineer is always required)
The Z-shaped Metal is molded into the EPS during manufacture making it very sturdy and allowing spacing of shoring between 6-8 feet (per engineered shoring design); most other EPS slab systems add those metal joists as a secondary step and are much looser.
Each panel is truly continuously molded (even those 33' pieces) with no seams (unlike all other systems)

News: The Standard Estimating Guide for standard reinforcing has been updated with re-calculated spans and an easier format. The span and reinforcing charts are now combined and a 4 inch slab and higher PSI concrete were added to the choices. The live load choices are now limited to those that are most typically used. New master sheets contain all relevant information for each panel thickness: spans, R-Value, concrete coverage, and overall floor weight. ACI norms were used as the basis for calculation by a Professional Engineer. Please remember that a licensed engineer is of course still required for final structural and shoring engineering but the proper panel size and reinforcing for the initial estimating phase of a project can now be more accurately determined. See www.quadlock.com/technical_library/manual/

anyone needing information about insuldeck in the southeast and caribbean just contact me
just like in the past 15 years....
[email protected]
[email protected]

Is it possible to utilize the cutouts in the InsulDeck form as "ductwork" for the HVAC system? Could the round hollowed out tubing within the forms be used as ducts?

HVAC ductwork needs to be non-combustible.

Posted By arkie6 on 17 Dec 2012 11:17 PM
HVAC ductwork needs to be non-combustible.

I see them using flexible ductwork all the time, usually some type of plastic with foil insulation. Couldn't one just run that through the open channels within the InsulDeck?

How big are the channels in the foam? Could you slip round metal duct down the foam channels? It generally comes in 4", 5", 6", etc. size increments. Flex duct is generally a poor excuse for duct work.

What about if you have wiring or a plumbing supply or drain line that needs to run perpendicular to the chases? How do you deal with that?  Especially if you have a HVAC duct completely filling the chase.  I guess it doesn't really matter about the duct though because you have those concrete ribs every few feet nearly filling the foam space.

Also remember with plumbing drain lines that they need to fall at 1/4" per foot of run, so while the bottom of a 3" PVC waste line from a toilet may be within ~4" below the floor at the start, 10' down the run it will need to be ~6.5" from the floor.

These are some of the issues I've had to deal with running utilities through my 18" open web floor trusses.  I can't imagine the headache trying to cram all of that in the foam.

Do you have your plumbing and electrical layout on your drawings?

Arkie, here are the dimensions of a Quad-Deck / InsulDeck cross section. The height of the deck does not affect the chase sizes. Hope this helps.

Posted By arkie6 on 18 Dec 2012 07:43 AM
How big are the channels in the foam? Could you slip round metal duct down the foam channels? It generally comes in 4", 5", 6", etc. size increments. Flex duct is generally a poor excuse for duct work.

What about if you have wiring or a plumbing supply or drain line that needs to run perpendicular to the chases? How do you deal with that?  Especially if you have a HVAC duct completely filling the chase.  I guess it doesn't really matter about the duct though because you have those concrete ribs every few feet nearly filling the foam space.

Also remember with plumbing drain lines that they need to fall at 1/4" per foot of run, so while the bottom of a 3" PVC waste line from a toilet may be within ~4" below the floor at the start, 10' down the run it will need to be ~6.5" from the floor.

These are some of the issues I've had to deal with running utilities through my 18" open web floor trusses.  I can't imagine the headache trying to cram all of that in the foam.

Do you have your plumbing and electrical layout on your drawings?

No plumbing or electrical as of yet. We are starting on that now. I am not worried about electrical runs, those are pretty basic. It's the HVAC and plumbing that will be harder to do. It sure does take more planning with InsulDeck/concrete flooring.

Running perpendicular is NOT allowed/recommended. Worst cast scenario, if we can't do a run on a certain 2nd floor room, I might have to do a mini-split in that room.

Posted By BrianBaron on 18 Dec 2012 11:35 AM
Arkie, here are the dimensions of a Quad-Deck / InsulDeck cross section. The height of the deck does not affect the chase sizes. Hope this helps.

How much foam can be removed AFTER the concrete is cured?

In other words, is the foam structural at all after the concrete cures?