As you may have noticed, there is not that many of us left on this forum. You have to wonder why if you don't already know.
A couple of years ago we had a large number of professional installers, a couple of Structural Engineers and if I remember correctly at least a couple of Architects.

If you read the FAQ on this site, you will see that the policy you appear to be unhappy with is a spam-management effort and not a personal affront.

ooops, wrap on knuckles accepted....
still trying to find out how many icf PROS actually are icf DWELLERS....

Posted By insuldeckflorida on 25 Apr 2013 10:01 AM
ooops, wrap on knuckles accepted....
still trying to find out how many icf PROS actually are icf DWELLERS....

Insuldeck - my apologies in that I took you question to mean "how many of us on this forum actually work or live in ICF.
My house is a two storey c/w walkout all ICF to the trusses. But bear in mind there may be any number of good reasons why other professionals don't live in ICF. Old family home, renting etc.

i am just trying to get the icf industries blood flowing here....

my previous business experience is 20 years in the ski, tennis and windsurf industries.
there it was simply not possible to sell these products and be credible, unless you were actively participating in the sport yourself.

yet many/most of us icf industry players do shows, presentations etc, and preach the icf gospel, without the personal experience and conviction of living/working in an icf building.

now u can jump all over me...

As I recall there was a fair number of ICF builders living in ICF homes. But not as many as one would think.

We have been living in a ICF home with a concrete floor on the main level, since the year 2000.

We now specialize in TICF's Total ICF Structures, but don't live in one. I suspect this is similarly true with other ICF builders, that built wood homes before they started using ICF. I know I sure don't want to move for the sake of a ICF roof.

We got tired of the family huddled in a basement during tornado watches especially while I was hours away installing ICF's. Also got tired of people at home shows asking if we lived in an ICF structure or jsut "sold" them.

So we built to the roof with ICF's, including our shop.
Hambro roofs.
All roof areas spray foamed,
Geothermal,
Radiant floor in half the building, so people can telll the difference and decide.

I live in one, around 2 years now. Love it.

We bought our house before I got involved in the ICF Industry, just about stole it on short sale. Once the market rebounds we plan to sell this and build an ICF home on an acreage, I can not wait to get away from my HOA but will miss my neighbors dearly. It is painful to go work on all these beautiful energy efficient homes and come back to a Tract Built home that I have tried to air seal and insulate.

Some Day

hello icf industry...
got tornado? sad and sorry for the poor people, but...
need icf walls and concrete roofs...
time to lead by example and practice what we preach...
not do as i say, but do as i do...

Posted By BrianBaron on 06 May 2013 01:32 PM
We bought our house before I got involved in the ICF Industry, just about stole it on short sale. Once the market rebounds we plan to sell this and build an ICF home on an acreage, I can not wait to get away from my HOA but will miss my neighbors dearly. It is painful to go work on all these beautiful energy efficient homes and come back to a Tract Built home that I have tried to air seal and insulate.

Some Day

Hey Brian,

Sounds just like me...I HATED MY HOA - the worst nazi tactics I've ever seen.  So, we sold our house and bought 20 acres in the country and that is where we are planning our ICF project.  In the meantime we live in our investment property that we own in the area.  Now if I can just decide on Precast, tilt-up or ICF - if ICF then a manufacturer as well.

Mike

Posted By insuldeckflorida on 21 May 2013 05:22 PM
hello icf industry...
got tornado? sad and sorry for the poor people, but...
need icf walls and concrete roofs...
time to lead by example and practice what we preach...
not do as i say, but do as i do...

If I lived in Oklahoma,Kansas or any part of the hot bed of tornado alley, I would ONLY build with concrete walls and roof. I would add steel exterior roll-up window shutters like they do in the Florida hurricane zones. The main goal is to save my family's life and then secondly would be to ride out the storm with a home that will sustain cosmetic damage from the debris but remain sound structurally after the storm hits.

Sadly they rebuild with wood frame and a tornado like that levels a stick frame home. Even with the increased costs of a concrete home, they pale in comparison to the cost of losing a home and rebuilding it again, and again.

read some articles today from expert architects who said that the openings ie garage doors wont withstand what the structures can, if they are poured concrete. poor excuse, so if you loose an opening or two and get your cars sucked out, people inside still have a better chance to survive.

I have to agree that a garage header should be considered disposable, when compared to the well being of our family. But even a garage door header and even longer spans can be built so as to not fail during a tornado.

We live in Michigan with a concrete floor over the main floor level. It is designed just for peace of mind as a safe shelter during fires or storms. The small incremental cost of a TICFS is much better than an insurance policy any day, at least in my opinion.

Here is a You Tube link to one of our TICFS.

You tube video link. http://youtu.be/qqIDK6P2TXU

eldon
agree, i have a 175 mph rated garage door, if it is braced with the metal member in the center, before a hurricane.
but i also have 8" core icf walls between the garage doors and office, with fire rated steel doors, as a second line of defense.
dont know what their wind load rating is. but i take my chances.
anyway, my cars are never inside the garage, but all my tools and toys are :-)))))

I'd like to see the 175mph rated door after your neighbor's Mercedes from 3 blocks over smashes into it at speed (or even the 2x4s from his stick-built house.)

Wind load stresses are one thing, projectile impact loading is quite different.

But I'm sure it'll have a better chance of hanging in than the cheap vinyl box-store garage door.

Posted By Dana1 on 22 May 2013 12:23 PM
I'd like to see the 175mph rated door after your neighbor's Mercedes from 3 blocks over smashes into it at speed (or even the 2x4s from his stick-built house.)

Wind load stresses are one thing, projectile impact loading is quite different.

But I'm sure it'll have a better chance of hanging in than the cheap vinyl box-store garage door.

Dana,

Out of curiosity. Are you Dana Dorsett on GBA?

dana
i will actually sacrifice my mercedes sprinter camper by parking it in front of my garage door, as it does not fit inside anyway.
that way my wife's car and all my tools and toys inside will be protected...
btw all my neighbors have pick-ups, very redneck here in jensen beach....
more worried about their airborne trailers...
most of them have bought tickets to shelter at my house during the next hurricane, and they do bring their own beer... :-))))