Thank you for sharing these “simpler” steps to working with ICF. These are exactly what I’m looking for to build and finish my own cabin. Looking forward to the siding video. Thanks again Aaron!
Aaron thank you for the details for the DIY's. I was nervous in thinking of building my retirement home in ICF but this has opened my eyes and blow my mind with how easy it is. Looking forward to the next videos and to your Angel Fire build!
I was literally just researching the 'how not to hit a wire' when this video came out. perfect timing and the video showed the process perfectly. Than you. next on my list is the same question with not hitting the pex pipe with screws ... :)
Same answer regarding pex although it would be a little bit more possible…. Generally though pex will deflect screws only pulling through drywall, meaning they usually need to be pulling through wood or plastic to have enough pull to grab the pex and pierce! But if you managed to hit one dead center I suppose it could occur albeit unlikely, you can also take not of where the pex is and consciously avoid the area, there’s usually only a few pex lines running in the icf walls themselves
The electrician that wired my home had different bars with holes he drilled in them for different thickness Styrofoam for the ICFs. He mounted a roller skate wheel with a bolt to the chainsaw bar. He zipped out the cuts for the wire in no time.
Metal conduit IS allowed and it would be great for extra protection. But anyone out there doing the labor isn’t going to readily want to run conduit through ICF primarily because of cost and effort. So yes, you can and may see it done, it’s convenient later on but it’s tough to get rough in for ICF
Great content. What are the bracket looking things that look like they're coming out of the bedroom floor and going up the ICF block every 4-6 feet? Are these to aid in block installation (secure blocks before concrete core is poured and/or concrete floor? Do these get cut off/out later-they look like they would protrude from the drywall. Thanks!
By far the best way to run wireing ICF is to run smurf tubing in the cavity with Plastilock boxes. Easy to pull any wiring or replace it. Total protection and so much cleaner and quicker
Please be sure you include the core drilling of the hole for the electric service to your circuit breaker box in the follow up to this video. I definitely want to see how that works. I like the idea of using the chainsaw to cut a channel for the wiring. Do you think it would be better and more cost effective to cut a much larger channel and include plumbing in the same area where it makes sense, or is this against code? Really looking foward to the next video of installing exterior panels. I am considering using steel panels for longevity and fire resistance.
Thx for the fir out the wall in a mechanical room tip. I've got that situation and wondered. Amazed you can get the cans in that deck, guess it's just a matter of how much foam is available to cut out. Confused why you didn't screw the outlet boxes into the concrete. Do you level/rough sand the wall before you sheetrock? just looks like a lot of "stuff" protruding.
provided you shimmed up level a quick squirt of foam is solid and quick, plus satisfies securing the wire within 6 inches from the box. Loctite 3xl also works.
Does removing foam, significantly affect the R value? Thanks, loving these videos. I am in the early stages of planning an extension to my house in Scotland and would like to use ICF. good to see these hints and tips.
your local inspector must be nice, mine made me staple the romex with in 12 inches of every box including into the concrete. (NEC 336-18) He also mentioned that the boxes I used were wrong because I was using them in a way that the manufacture didn't specify in their install instructions. (370-23(a) through (h)) he wanted me to use metal surface mount boxes and screw them into the concrete. Not that I agreed with him but I had to do what they wanted.
That’s just silly…. Inspectors can be the best friend or worst enemy of innovation…. Our inspectors, especially the one known to be the toughest and most anal, love icf and are generally enthusiastic to see what we are doing! They’ve been helpful regarding great areas such as pool bonding too
Mounting metal boxes to concrete is less than Ideal. Forcing you to staple wiring into concrete is nuts. If you lock the wiring in with spray foam it is 100% secured along the entire run. Can't get better than that.
@@all3pools there is a need for building inspectors to view inspector educational videos ( that are building inspector approved)showing approved procedures involving ICF for Home construction: electrical, HVAC, plumbing and framing.
I am glad someone brought up the need to secure wires near boxes. This is technically correct for traditional builds and unfortunately building inspectors can be ignorant of anything they are unfamiliar with. I have pushed back on building inspectors and appealed to the state, I am a homeowner not a contractor, so I have less to lose since I don’t need to have an ongoing relationship with the inspectors. The last building inspector I dealt with was a complete a-hole and was eventually fired. He certainly did not understand the law and tried to prevent me from installing my own solar thinking he had absolute authority over everything, his ego got the better of him. Anyway before building I would definitely sit down with the building inspector and explain exactly what you plan to do and make sure he/she/they/them approves of how you intend to install everything then get that in writing on your permits. Even if you have ten pages of attachments explaining the details it is well worth it when they forget what they approved several months earlier.
Hi there and Thank you for all of your video!) How do you protect electric and plumbing from accident nails etc?! Very important topic but no one talks about it.
So if plumbing is close to the surface for some reason mail plates are generally used, electrical it’s rarely necessary because we typically embed the wires 2” deep, which is the same as the center of a stud, with the beautiful added detail that once we cut through the web there’s no meat for a mail or screw to bite into to pul it into the wire like it can in a wood stud, if u inadvertently put a drywall screw on top of the wire channel(won’t reach typically) but it will simply strip out the drywall because there’s no longer a web their to but!
Vacuum at the end of your chainsaw bar may help with the mess but your method is better than hot knife when trying to cut through webs it would take too long with hot knife.
Are you not concerned about the foam sucking the plasticiser out of the cable sheathing, making it super brittle, and then having short risks if the cable ever moves (around the box or something)? I thought you were supposed to have conduit or something to protect the cables from this.
@@all3pools 😂 😂 for sure you can just break out all of the knock outs for wire, put in romax connectors, strip the wire, connect to the neutral and ground terminal, and connect to the breaker.
@@all3pools Modern LED's don't need a huge ceiling box like the ones in the video. 1.5" deep boxes are sufficient. Just use 2" furring strips on the ceiling to run the wires and the boxes, that way you don't have to dig into the ICF at all.
@@RS-lt2ue what email are you sending to? Support@icfguru.com or aaron.cuttingedgehomes@gmail.com? I don’t see a new message but perhaps it hasn’t come through, if it was days ago try resending, sorry I get a lot of emails and it may be buried
Heh, found you via the og version of this vid way back. Hope to make it out to AF next summer, learn more, & talk about some wild ideas I've got for nearly PassivHaus on the slimmest budget.
That’s awesome! Ya angel fire is going to be legit, hopefully putting the finishing touches on numbers at world of concrete…. Assuming interest rates don’t do anything more than what’s expected and materials stay stable I’m pretty fired up about it!
Your the Absolutely best Hand talker I’ve ever witnessed!! I’m envious!
😊 thank you!
Thank you for sharing these “simpler” steps to working with ICF. These are exactly what I’m looking for to build and finish my own cabin. Looking forward to the siding video. Thanks again Aaron!
Thanks!
Aaron thank you for the details for the DIY's. I was nervous in thinking of building my retirement home in ICF but this has opened my eyes and blow my mind with how easy it is. Looking forward to the next videos and to your Angel Fire build!
Great video+explanation! Thank you for sharing your knowledge! Well done mate 🙏🏻
I was literally just researching the 'how not to hit a wire' when this video came out. perfect timing and the video showed the process perfectly. Than you. next on my list is the same question with not hitting the pex pipe with screws ... :)
Same answer regarding pex although it would be a little bit more possible…. Generally though pex will deflect screws only pulling through drywall, meaning they usually need to be pulling through wood or plastic to have enough pull to grab the pex and pierce! But if you managed to hit one dead center I suppose it could occur albeit unlikely, you can also take not of where the pex is and consciously avoid the area, there’s usually only a few pex lines running in the icf walls themselves
So awesome! This is gold. I plan on building in 2024 so I am soaking all this in
Thanks!
Siding will be cool, love these videos.
Thanks!
The electrician that wired my home had different bars with holes he drilled in them for different thickness Styrofoam for the ICFs. He mounted a roller skate wheel with a bolt to the chainsaw bar. He zipped out the cuts for the wire in no time.
Do you ever use conduit in the foam for extra wire protection?
Metal conduit IS allowed and it would be great for extra protection. But anyone out there doing the labor isn’t going to readily want to run conduit through ICF primarily because of cost and effort. So yes, you can and may see it done, it’s convenient later on but it’s tough to get rough in for ICF
Great content. What are the bracket looking things that look like they're coming out of the bedroom floor and going up the ICF block every 4-6 feet? Are these to aid in block installation (secure blocks before concrete core is poured and/or concrete floor? Do these get cut off/out later-they look like they would protrude from the drywall. Thanks!
Some great tips here. Thanks.
You’re welcome!
By far the best way to run wireing ICF is to run smurf tubing in the cavity with Plastilock boxes.
Easy to pull any wiring or replace it.
Total protection and so much cleaner and quicker
For sure not quicker…. Are you saying to place them before the pour???
Yes,run the smurf in the cavity,either 1/2 " or 3/4" tie to web either side of a join. Done it 100s of times and never had a failure.
Please be sure you include the core drilling of the hole for the electric service to your circuit breaker box in the follow up to this video. I definitely want to see how that works. I like the idea of using the chainsaw to cut a channel for the wiring. Do you think it would be better and more cost effective to cut a much larger channel and include plumbing in the same area where it makes sense, or is this against code? Really looking foward to the next video of installing exterior panels. I am considering using steel panels for longevity and fire resistance.
I am guessing all the pvc pipes were done before concrete pour, so no coring would be needed
Thx for the fir out the wall in a mechanical room tip. I've got that situation and wondered. Amazed you can get the cans in that deck, guess it's just a matter of how much foam is available to cut out. Confused why you didn't screw the outlet boxes into the concrete. Do you level/rough sand the wall before you sheetrock? just looks like a lot of "stuff" protruding.
provided you shimmed up level a quick squirt of foam is solid and quick, plus satisfies securing the wire within 6 inches from the box. Loctite 3xl also works.
Cool
AMVIC ICF it easiest to make horizontal chainsaw cuts for wire at the seem between two blocks because there is no web there
Does removing foam, significantly affect the R value? Thanks, loving these videos. I am in the early stages of planning an extension to my house in Scotland and would like to use ICF. good to see these hints and tips.
No
your local inspector must be nice, mine made me staple the romex with in 12 inches of every box including into the concrete. (NEC 336-18) He also mentioned that the boxes I used were wrong because I was using them in a way that the manufacture didn't specify in their install instructions. (370-23(a) through (h)) he wanted me to use metal surface mount boxes and screw them into the concrete.
Not that I agreed with him but I had to do what they wanted.
That’s just silly…. Inspectors can be the best friend or worst enemy of innovation…. Our inspectors, especially the one known to be the toughest and most anal, love icf and are generally enthusiastic to see what we are doing! They’ve been helpful regarding great areas such as pool bonding too
Mounting metal boxes to concrete is less than Ideal.
Forcing you to staple wiring into concrete is nuts.
If you lock the wiring in with spray foam it is 100% secured along the entire run. Can't get better than that.
@@all3pools there is a need for building inspectors to view inspector educational videos ( that are building inspector approved)showing approved procedures involving ICF for
Home construction: electrical, HVAC, plumbing and framing.
I am glad someone brought up the need to secure wires near boxes. This is technically correct for traditional builds and unfortunately building inspectors can be ignorant of anything they are unfamiliar with. I have pushed back on building inspectors and appealed to the state, I am a homeowner not a contractor, so I have less to lose since I don’t need to have an ongoing relationship with the inspectors. The last building inspector I dealt with was a complete a-hole and was eventually fired. He certainly did not understand the law and tried to prevent me from installing my own solar thinking he had absolute authority over everything, his ego got the better of him.
Anyway before building I would definitely sit down with the building inspector and explain exactly what you plan to do and make sure he/she/they/them approves of how you intend to install everything then get that in writing on your permits. Even if you have ten pages of attachments explaining the details it is well worth it when they forget what they approved several months earlier.
Id suggest creating a melter by using nichrome wire and a 12/24v DC power supply. No mess. Little fumes but mask and open air is fine.
hot knife... amazon or ebay. No need to reinvent
Correction fox block foam thickness is 2-5/8”
Thank you for straightening that out for me;)
Hi there and Thank you for all of your video!) How do you protect electric and plumbing from accident nails etc?! Very important topic but no one talks about it.
So if plumbing is close to the surface for some reason mail plates are generally used, electrical it’s rarely necessary because we typically embed the wires 2” deep, which is the same as the center of a stud, with the beautiful added detail that once we cut through the web there’s no meat for a mail or screw to bite into to pul it into the wire like it can in a wood stud, if u inadvertently put a drywall screw on top of the wire channel(won’t reach typically) but it will simply strip out the drywall because there’s no longer a web their to but!
Why not build a simple plywood chase over the panel for the wires?
I would like to introduce a new ICF WALLS Equipment that will change your life on ICF construction
Email me support@icfguru.com
Wouldn't using a hot knife a lot less messy? These foam beads stick to everything.
Way slower and not great in the webs, but yes, less messy
Vacuum at the end of your chainsaw bar may help with the mess but your method is better than hot knife when trying to cut through webs it would take too long with hot knife.
Are you not concerned about the foam sucking the plasticiser out of the cable sheathing, making it super brittle, and then having short risks if the cable ever moves (around the box or something)?
I thought you were supposed to have conduit or something to protect the cables from this.
No, you actually aren’t suppose to run romex in conduit…
Much simpler to just run a piece of 2 inch pvc to drop the wires into the top of panel.
No it’s not…
@@all3pools 😂 😂 for sure you can just break out all of the knock outs for wire, put in romax connectors, strip the wire, connect to the neutral and ground terminal, and connect to the breaker.
Crack kills
Thanks for watching
Why not just fur out the ceiling and install thin profile LED lights, should be much easier and you only lose 1-2 inches of height.
Huh?
@@all3pools Modern LED's don't need a huge ceiling box like the ones in the video. 1.5" deep boxes are sufficient. Just use 2" furring strips on the ceiling to run the wires and the boxes, that way you don't have to dig into the ICF at all.
Just get a propane torch instead to cut the styrofoam.
Lol how bout the webs???
Please don’t take this short cut. Run conduit.
You have no idea what you are talking about…
This is one of the reasons you use ICF’s.
Looks Great keep up the good work!
Seems like it would have been easier to run wire before filling it
Not remotely
Aaron, take a look at the email I sent you several days ago, if you would, please.
What’s your address? I can only see your initials here
@@all3pools Just reply to your email address.
@@RS-lt2ue what email are you sending to? Support@icfguru.com or aaron.cuttingedgehomes@gmail.com? I don’t see a new message but perhaps it hasn’t come through, if it was days ago try resending, sorry I get a lot of emails and it may be buried
butcher
?
Heh, found you via the og version of this vid way back.
Hope to make it out to AF next summer, learn more, & talk about some wild ideas I've got for nearly PassivHaus on the slimmest budget.
That’s awesome! Ya angel fire is going to be legit, hopefully putting the finishing touches on numbers at world of concrete…. Assuming interest rates don’t do anything more than what’s expected and materials stay stable I’m pretty fired up about it!