As we blogged about in an earlier post on achieving great success with Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) homes, we know that when detailed by an expert contractor, ICF homes can be VERY air tight. A tight home is a highly desirable feature if heat recovery ventilation systems are installed. There’s lot to like about method of construction, but it should be noted there are a few significant drawbacks.
First and foremost, there is nothing sustainable about using tons of concrete and foam. As Paul Hawken would say there’s a lot of Heat, Beat and Treat that goes into producing and shipping these materials. Both are an order of magnitude more energy intensive to make than say recycled cellulose insulation per m3 material.
Ted Kesik’s nightmare: The best intentions in using highly efficient ICF will be negated on this project due to the continuous concrete floor slabs running from inside to outside the unit. Luckily, you will see the HVAC duct work installed up front to valiantly ease the condensation and curtain of cold air that will stream from these lovely south facing windows come winter time.
Another issue with ICF – and with Stucco application for that matter – is the waste created and widely deistributed. The forms used in ICF are usually made of expanded polystyrene, the same material used as a substrate in stucco application. Again, both these products perform very well, but its not uncommon to see small clouds of tiny foam beads pushed off a construction site and into the neighbourhood and down municipal drains.
ICF Dandruff: The photo of the building above had a sea of foam bits at its feet.
Can we build better and pollute less both in the production and construction side of the equation: YES!