This Pink Stuff is The Secret to ICF Waterproofing

Your best choice in waterproofing a foundation and ICF builds! poly-wall.com Matt talks about how to overcome the tricky details of waterproofing an Insulated Concrete Formed home.
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[@alec4672]

Just a quick tip something I noticed in the video. At 3:40 if you hold the 5 gallon bucket the other way so the spout is at the top it won't gurgle cause there will be an air gap in the spout to vent the bucket.

[@ericwotton2046]

I've found that logic works well for many things!!

[@seano1334]

That’s correct,

[@AndrewFrink]

there is a can of white gas for my camping stove that has directions on it just like that. This works on quarts of oil, gallons of antifreeze, etc.

[@jwo7777777]

You can also pour the carton of milk onto your Cheerios in this manner.

[@alec4672]

@@jwo7777777 That's where I learned it through trial and error. I use this trick pouring liquid all the time.

[@f3n1xplat3ad0]

I love your ICF series at this moment. Thank for your content.

[@grendelum]

3:20 The *_best_* tool for mechanically _”scraping”_ any kind of caulk-like material into a corner, without question, comes from the baking world and are called *_”metal ball fondant tools/stylus”._* Like it sounds, they’re literally just varied sizes of metal balls on metal _”sticks”_ and while you _can_ make your own, a professional set of varying sizes costs very little. They make *_perfect_* fillets of caulk while pushing any excess into *_distinct_* lines outside of the corner that peel off with ease. Give it a try and you’ll be amazed by the results !!

[@johnjacobjinglehimerschmid3555]

It's a computer man! :) add us a link to the tool or item you're talking about. www.amazon.com/s?k=metal+ball+fondant+tools%2Fstylus&ref=nb_sb_noss

[@miket8333]

The best tool (in my opinion) will always be an index finger lol

[@gregkump3639]

Plastic soupspoon!

[@kenr4540]

You did a excellent job of explaining crucial water proof concepts! Thanks so much for your wonderful sharing of house improvement ideas!

[@dlg5485]

Wow this is next level waterproofing! I will definitely look into using this system when I build my off grid dream home.

[@crcurran]

You delivered on more ICF. Thanks, Matt!

[@killerhz]

Would love to see a home inspection on an older home with this kind of product or similar application.

[@gusemery5475]

Water slowly gets behind it and undermines the whole thing 100%

[@Willsimp4tacos]

@@gusemery5475 This aint tyvek, waters not getting behind it. 😅

[@naya4607]

Brick?

[@sofiedog2001372]

Love this series on ICF!

[@4philipp]

Great video, very detailed. Now if you build in a flood zone or have a high water table, the waterproofing will be a life saver. But generally, I wouldn’t want water to get anywhere near my foundation. French drain and wraparound deck should be helpful. Would not want to skip on waterproofing though

[@bradleycole7259]

I live in upstate NY, whenever we do icf's we always use pour a concrete chamfer between the footer and the icf, a few inches up the ICF that tapers away from the building the width of the footer on the outside to help shed water.

[@FR-yt5ik]

Thanks for the video Mike!

[@WhatsHisFace2013]

Matt, keep this up and you'll have a cult following soon enough ONNnn the BUILD SHOW.

[@99beta]

In some parts of Canada it is code to build ICF walls with high strength concrete at 50MPa for improved waterproofing.

[@robertharker]

Great show. Keep up the good work!

[@davetaylor8614]

Another great video Matt even if Polywall promoted. I have used Polywall and another waterproofing that is liquid applied both above grade and down to 3'ft below grade and prefer liquid. That being said it fills all the cracks and seals critters out. Polywall does excellent especially in wetter climates than the SW for stopping critters, 6 legs hate the taste.

[@ek9772]

Wouldn’t best practice imply placing the PolyWall horizontally with shingle overlap between sheets? This way rainwater will not be able to get under the stick & peel sheets.

[@DJUwU]

Or I was literally thinking double layering it the Polywall....no chance of any leakage then.... Why not besides cost?

[@timbaxter681]

Love your videos! Keep it up

[@vincentkeith5259]

Matt, I really enjoy the show, but I'm hoping you can recommend a similar channel for a builder in the North West. I know you've visited a few jobs up north and you've mentioned the differences a few times, but I'd really appreciate the kind of coverage you give to building in the South.

[@ryanseleski21]

Good work, i really enjoy your video's

[@Lawman-196]

Excellent Vid!

[@1932cheytruck]

Matt could you do a video on concrete roofs in ICF, Quadlock and/or precast hollow core panel concrete roofs and how to waterproof and finish (shingle, metal, tile , Stamped???)

[@stevenjohnson931]

I would like to see more on the Drainage Material. I am thinking of doing this type of ICF home . But I would like to cover the entire home with birt.

[@TheVerrm]

In Poland we isolate foundations (normally brick foundations) with styrofoam blocks (for termic isolation) + mesh + plaster and then we paint 1-2 layers of tar-based isolator called "dysperbit". This gives more then enough waterproofing and you don't need special crew that knows how to stick correctly sheets of isolating paper. Basically even a kid would be able to paint it. At least this is enough if foundation do not reach underground water level. Horizontal izolation we do with tar paper 1-2 layers heated with a torch to melt nicely and stick. You should be able to do same/similar thing with ICF. If this is feasible this would make it far better solution then depending on crew's expertise on sticking poly-wall waterproofing paper. Far less probability of error

[@johnjuhl3121]

Would really like to see this installed in cold, windy and humid conditions, like here in Scandinavia 😄 - all products looks good on a summer day.....

[@mikebigelow9057]

Hey John - search in KZbin for homes built in Minnesota, N Dakota, Canada. You probably will find what house where to see it built.

[@shanegarratt9996]

it is colder here in Canada and it is the perfect place for this type of building.

[@ryanrichardson1169]

My prediction is coming true. Matt is moving closer and closer to being a full on ICF believer.

[@somaswodi8273]

Hi there ryan...please check out The Perfect Block...at theperfectblock.com......an advanced ICF product that is total fire safe and rated for 4 hours...all of the other ICF on the market will melt in 15 to 20 seconds....with a MAPP Propane torch....see the video at theperfectblock.com....and happy hunting

[@benwhittle7204]

I won't trust any company that spams KZbin comments with their product.

[@lightning9279]

The proven problem with that block is the air gap which occur on the horizontal portion of the block. The concrete has a hard time flowing into it.

[@paulcopeland9035]

Ben Whittle.....You can get a refund at the front desk.

[@Joshua79C]

The Perfect clock is concrete coated and glues together recycled polystyrene, and if you look at the solid concrete structure of lattice work it makes is not very efficient, its not creating a barrier and still creates a bridge for air temp to flow through. There is a reason forms like that are not used below grade or even above and mostly what you see being used is what Matt shows.

[@mmtruckingllc657]

Very good information.

[@ignusa749]

cool video!! question can you use a sprayer to put up the pink? then roll it in??? or can you use a power feed powered paint roller??? can the pink be used on any white foam??

[@stephenlacher587]

This is great, now I can sail my ICF house to Tahiti!!

[@Drwild75]

If the location of your project needs the waterproofing you are installing, I believe you should put in a floor drain that allows the water table to enter the inside of the house. The reason is if the water rises on the outside only; it will lift the building like a ball in a pool.

[@cdockter]

Could you use Blue Barrier Liquid Wrap 2300 all of the above grade exterior walls?

[@jakemouser2214]

I had the same question. Can't help but think that it would be a superior system, but my suspicion is that it would be cost prohibitive for most. But to add on, why can't you use the fluid applied on the entire foundation, above and below grade? Should still be able to apply their air gap as well.

[@marcus6425]

Is there any Fluid-applied WRB that works directly with the EPS surface?

[@CheekyMonkey888]

at all cold joints, pour your concrete on a slight slope towards outside same with all pipe penetrations, slight slope

[@Joshua79C]

pray tell how to do that on an Insulated FORM? when showing is plenty sufficient enough than having bare concrete coming out and it soaks up water as it is present in the soil at times of the year

[@CheekyMonkey888]

from floor to floor, every time you stop a pour, slope it, not the forms, just the concrete you can also use Quad Lock forms which have built in channels to remove water

[@andiarrohnds5163]

hi, how do you locate the fastener strips within the ICF block after you attach the waterproofing?

[@jamavo]

Hey Matt, I don't know much about building a house, but if you put the waterproofing outside of the insulation doesn't this cause condensation on the waterproofing layer? The insulation layer is part of the thermal envelope, and therefore warm, and the waterproofing layer isn't, and therefore cold. If there is any leak in the waterproofing envelope won't water get into the insulation and concrete without the ability to dry out?

[@nasam789]

I would like to know in the ICF construction is it possible for the foundation to waterproof by putting cement on the ICF and after putting Bitumin on top of the cement which is on the walls of the ICF .

[@rdmevX]

So glad to see you doing ICF Matt. I'm afraid that I have been an ICF fanboy for 10 plus years now. It's so rare to hear negative stuff about ICF other than the cost. Thanks for your honesty. I have probably watched every single video on KZbin about ICF as well as read every brochure from at least half the companies out there. Most of them are pretty identical in their process. The one that stands out for me is a British Columbia company called fabform Industries. I know you're a busy man Matt but I hope that you look into what they're doing there and also a company called Vancouver ICF. some of the key differences that this company does that I haven't seen the other ones do is that they have this monopour system where they do the footing and the ICF walls all in one go. They call it fast foot it's literally a waterproof fabric that they stapled to the bottom of the first row of ICF blocks with special adjustable feet. They also pour columns with the same fabric kind of material. It seems to me they're doing a great job at addressing the water wicking effect from the footing of the foundation. They're making a claim that they could build ICF at the same cost as stick frame simply because they're saving so much on labor and timber materials. Anywho thanks for being one of my favorite KZbin channels cheers

[@lightning9279]

Believe the only down side to that product is the extra bracing needed to keep movement of the wall and footer to a minimum. Pouring that first eight to ten foot of wall with footer would be loosy goosey . To work around that footer and wall movement problem, the first pour is kept to no more than a four foot wall height. After it hardens, it will provide the stability for the rest of the pour. Looks like one extra poor day is needed.

[@ElliesChaoticWorld]

@@lightning9279 thank you I needed that information.

[@joshualruby]

@@lightning9279 I have heard of people (beginners no less) pouring straight 8' walls with the FabForm monopour system. I have considered it for my next project but since I am framing in my floor trusses before the concrete is poured I need to have a solid footer to rest my temporary supporting braces upon, so monopour got set aside. Having poured ICF over decomposing cardboard forms for a helical pier installation, I will say you are right in that a floating ICF pour can be a bit finicky and loosy goosey. A few california corners slapped to the side opposite the typical bracing goes a long way to mitigate any of the funny business. Also, the Zont system's horizontal whaler method does a great job at reducing this as an issue. For standard ICF bracing, I could definitely see things going a bit more awkward on a monopour system, but that's why FabForm is really the only group I know of that works to that end. I am curious to try it, but I typically consult on a lot of owner builds so the labor is cheap so sometimes the extra ease isn't viable. If I were to go with a crew, I would most likely do monopours for everything (unless I found them too unwieldy after trying them out...).

[@Ivebeenaroundyouknow]

@@joshualruby I would love to do a monopour, but am pretty sure it is not allowed in San Diego County. Now we are both disappointed Joshua!

[@joshualruby]

@@Ivebeenaroundyouknow Are you in San Diego county, or a city as well? I doubt they are against the rules, but I could be wrong. But if you give me a location I will find their code and let you know.

[@d8niel77]

I use lite deck when I add concrete roof or decks to my icf houses I build

[@HermanMensen]

Perfect , i love it

[@rezolution6272]

How would that primer work in a bath shower? dry time sounds a lot faster is this something that I would waterproof the interior of a shower wall before I tile it?

[@llBanell]

Would love to know if primer could possibly be sprayed

[@thomasbroking7943]

I would think if you caulked all the joints, that would be 1 step, then that waterproofing paint you put on is 2nd, then those sheeting products i think is 3rd level ov water proofing.. Well done and i like that those sheets overlap 6" plus they're flexible. .. That's what i would want if there was serious water, depending on my property. . if I have a lake or pond maybe something extreme underground. .

[@BrianBriCurInTheOC]

Matt What if a person assembling an ICF system used SIP SEAL adhesive on the Exterior side of the forms to seal the seams between the block to help in sealing? Or maybe even the Blue PolyWall sealer?

[@mikebigelow9057]

Hey Brian, good question. The only reason for the block is to keep the cement in place when you pump it in. Once you let the concrete set - your 4, 6, 8 inch wall has no seams that leak air or water. Using the polywall is to get water off the wall and away from the foundation.

[@lovescamaros1]

IMO icf is where its at for building and floor to ceiling icf is one of two ways i would build a home.

[@griffincox39]

Hello Matt, do you have a video on building and flashing balconies?

[@trevordavis2760]

Matt , Can you spray the pink adhesive roll on ? Why not place a foam triangle wedge at the bottom next to the cold joint?

[@beachboardfan9544]

What did this waterproofing cost? I wonder if its cheaper to linex the foundation instead?

[@MD-lm7fj]

Matt can you do an update to this video utilizing their TERM underslab and ICF wall termite and waterproofing system? It looks like it came out shortly after this video.

[@deanconstantine4866]

Doing it on my home in black mountain NC.

[@thomasw.hutsoniv6002]

How do you know where the hard points and extra hard points are on your wall when the Polly wall wall is up

[@jb-rc9ku]

Could you use polywal on above grade walls to make them extra bulletproof?

[@MartyHuie]

Matt, left you another message on another video but for this one, if my home is 100% above grade actually probably 3 feet. And I will have an ICF foundation as well what kind of wall waterproofing would you suggest. It just seems the system in this video is more for below grade and or were grade made meet the wall. Just looking for some thoughts I will likely call poly wall directly as well

[@davetaylor8614]

I need to add that I would be cautious of stuccoing over poly wall without a air gap because freeze thaw in the coating could be very likely increased without faster drying from the air gap.

[@Joshua79C]

All of this waterproofing is below grade. Why stucco what is not going to be seen or touched after it is buried? Makes no sense, besides you need to fasten a wire mesh that the coating can adhere to or grab on rather.

[@MrSignSolutions]

Your videos are very informative an straight forward. Any thoughts on termites, bugs using the insulation for nesting? We have a house on well and septic as well as a pond very close and stream, streams. We don’t want to treat any soil because of these issues.

[@mikebigelow9057]

Termites and other bugs won't eat the styrofoam or nest they don't like it. Another reason the home insurance is cheaper. If you put wood trusses and roof, the termites will go to the roof and eat. Put a concrete roof on your house and bugs won't be a problem.

[@4philipp]

Mike Bigelow how do you build a 6/12 concrete roof?

[@MrTankilla]

Once the wall is covered with the membrane, how do you find your plastic anchor points when putting on the siding?

[@jjg1501]

you mark them before hand

[@465maltbie]

So what is the detail around the penetrations you showed earlier?

[@BrianMDPhD]

Can you airless spray the primer?

[@moveutahrealestate5259]

Does anyone know if you can do this inside? I have a storage room that is made from this foam project but it leaks into the storage room. The house was built in 1997. It's already been backfilled. Just wondering if I could do this inside the room to stop the water from coming in? Or if that defeats the purpose of waterproofing.

[@theroboticscodedepot7736]

When you are constructing the Styrofoam walls could you spray the pink stuff on before connecting the blocks for added water proofing? That would seal the "miles of cracks" on the wall before ever applying water proofing.

[@Joshua79C]

Pre-applying would interfere with the interlock design on the blocks that is built in, Matt is worrying too much about cracks despite the vast interlocking design still it does not hurt to apply membrane like shown to guard against the likeliness of water finding its way in eventually without the membrane. Its even recommended by the manufacturers to apply foam adhesive spray to each block much like block/brick masonry. But what they fail to do is add something like FabForm Fastfooting underside the footing to keep it from soaking up water that gets under the house.

[@portwolf2293]

Matt Risinger how would you run this on a wrap around concrete porch, as in slab with Icf roof? Planning on building a home in the future and me and the wife both agreed on a porch completely wrapped around the house.

[@SolarTechFL]

Look at my channel i built what you described

[@winallseason]

Awesome video, Matt! If a project calls for ICF on both the basement (9' height) and the 1st floor (10' height), how do you phase the work? Or, are both the basement and 1st floor assembled and poured at the same time?

[@frotobaggins7169]

there is a cold joint between the lower level and the first floor. Much like the cold joint at the footer. In theory you could pour them all at once but the weight of the liquid concrete may cause a blow out of the blocks, the relative high falling level of the concrete could cause separation of the aggregates and it would make vibration difficult. supporting the blocks during the pour would be difficult. so they would leave rebar sticking up 4 feet out of the lower level, then lay the blocks over them, tying them in to the rebar.

[@WildWonderfulOffGrid]

Is this pretty much ice and water shield?

[@danielk8926]

Yes, it is. Vycor makes same stuff only better. I believe this stuff has a HDPE layer on it to give it stability. It's a good system but this is not a commercial system. He skipped a few things.

[@elyjai7302]

What would be the exterior finish of this building?

[@DesertFox01]

So if you lived in a colder climate could you put something like the zip system osb with 2” attached foam insulation on the outside?

[@99beta]

Cold like Canada? Not recommended. The vapor point could be inside the wall and it needs to breath.

[@4philipp]

99beta then how would you go about adding more insulation to the outside? I’d prefer a good 6 inches. Zip-R9 has 1.5 inches of foam, there should be no condensation behind it. I’m also thinking that using the Zip-R would give a continuous surface for waterproofing and siding attachment points.

[@jakenabbott]

Matt, curious if you know anything about greenguard raindrop 4048p as a housewrap. I am having trouble finding most of the products you are using. I am in Utah

[@Joshua79C]

Tyvek is all one really needs on the above grade for a ICF. but make sure you mark out with black marker the fastening points and strips before applying the wrap so you can see where those points are through it once applied.

[@davidgrimes204]

Could you use spray on Red Guard instead of poly wall?

[@iamthemoss]

Lived in an ICF house for 12 years now, we'll never have another house other than ICF. 4300 square feet and our all electric house utility bill runs about $160 per month. Seeing this video reminds me why I will never have a basement. What a huge pain in the @$$

[@vylbird8014]

I'd be a bit nervous about living in the middle of something quite so flammable.

[@michaelwitt7984]

@@vylbird8014 this is a joke right? The entire structure of a traditional framed house is flammable. At least with ICF the concrete wall isn't flammable. So it will remain structurally sound longer in a fire.

[@audex]

You have a EIFS above grade ICF house?

[@brucewilliams5887]

iamthemoss Hello iamthemoss. We would like to build an ICF house. Difficult to find installers and architects in our area, south of Houston. Any recommendations?

[@OnlineWaterproofingShop]

@@michaelwitt7984 The smoke inhalation will be a little more toxic I would imagine

[@johnsmith-sn1bs]

How do see the marks on the forms to screw on your siding after you put it on? Mark the top and bottom then chalk line?

[@frotobaggins7169]

i'm sure they looked down from the top

[@d8niel77]

I use form a drain for my footers on my icf houses

[@AttilioDiMarco]

Can you please explain further?

[@dbscarlett13]

Can the primer be sprayed ?

[@manuelalinhares3830]

Matt, if i am gonna put a texture wall on top of the Polly wall , like that ecogranite thing , it Will Glue ?

[@williammackey7243]

Can you use this system on a pitched ICF roof?

[@zakiducky]

Had this video running while working from home (coronademic 2020) and was actually drawing the termination bar into a detail when he was discussing the term. bar on this project. Lol

[@harmonj3]

Is it not possible to spray the primer with a turbine gun or hvlp of some kind? It would save a lot of labor, and make it easier to get it into any little dips/bumps in the foam.

[@danielk8926]

Yes it is

[@Dhleeiv]

Planning on retiring to the Augusta GA area. Can anyone direct me to an architect and ICF builder that really knows their stuff?

[@manuelalinhares3830]

Hi Matt. Can you give the name of the pink primer ???? Please

[@naya4607]

Im in atlanta! Who was the builder? Who put the blocks up and who were the plumbers, hvac, and electrician ppl?

[@tjrooger1092]

Awesome.

[@rinkevichjm]

Could the primer be sprayed?

[@neckarsulme]

just curious why you placed the wrap in vertical vs horizontal?

[@4philipp]

Gravity. Seems much easier to I stall

[@bladesmith01]

How does ICF compare to Tilt-up? I'm wanting to build a live work loft out here in the desert and was wanting ICF for fire protection because the work space will be a bladesmithing shop forging knives.

[@Joshua79C]

tilt up is not monolithic as it requires fastening after tilting up to connect solidly, ICF blocks are as you see a single pour wall and you can even build it to be a monolithic floor to wall to even roof with insulated decking forms which also can be used to create a tilt up wall. Look at every manufaturer and each of their produsts, at leas four offer as i mention a floor form system and also mentioned can be used as tilt-up form. Since you say you are using it for a blacksmith shop and foam is not flammable but still melts into a homogenous ugly blob I would go with something like Build Block's (straight form only) concrete faced forms if you go that route, or if you do the more time consuming formwork you can use Quad Lock R-ETRO system on the outside covered with 2, 3 or 4 inch thick panels.

[@liviuholca6136]

I think ICFs will be fine if u cover them with 5/8 fiberglass reinforced drywall and keep the forge several feet away from the walls.

[@quangpham2281]

How many 1st steps are there?

[@aarontuplin]

It seems like if you can see the black strip on the poly wall home stretch it might be installed incorrectly

[@Joshua79C]

looks to me like this black strip is on both sides, so you can apply left to right or right to left and you still expose the uncovered to apply the blue stuff to from what I believe I had seen

[@Alphard_adventures]

Is this available in the uk ?

[@jscancella]

Hey Matt, love your videos. All the houses you seem to show are modern or contemporary. What about building a waterproof, air tight house that is modeled after older styles of houses like Victorian? Is that doable, and if so are there any extra precautions that need to be taken?

[@Joshua79C]

Any style of architecture is possible with ICF, just search "Victorian ICF" for pictures of past builds and available plans, though certain features will still require building out with some wood.

[@joshualruby]

Waterproofing and air-tighting a house is easy with ICF. It lends to any architectural design you can reasonably accomplish. I know guys who have done waves and curved walls (both directions) (for Dr. Seuss style architecture) with ICF... Use Xypex in the mix for the basement if you want full waterproofing. Go ICF up to truss line for full waterproof and air-tight. You weak point for energy will be your lid. One way people achieve decent results is polyethylene the underside of trusses, drywalling, and then boxing over the light and electrical penetrations to air tight them and then dumping tons of fluffy stuff on top, giving you a vented attic and air tight system. (I plan to go one step further and drywall the ceiling first, install electrical, then spray 1" open cell foam on the ceiling assembly to verify 99%+ airtight, then load the cellulose...) Works everywhere. (But for the sake of all things good and holy, don't dare put any mechanical anything in unconditioned spaces! The only thing that should be in a vented attic is air, (unless you build in storage ABOVE your fluffy stuff that has an access from a gable end; don't go punching doorways into your airtight ceiling system!)) For a tight house, use radiant floor heating (and cooling if needed like a heat sink) and eliminate all your ducting entirely. Put in a decent ERV or a few depending on your needs (don't over-ventilate; make them adjustable and turn them all off and slowly turn them on to a bare minimum of your preferred indoor air quality), it will likely be less than ASHRAE 62.2, but their number is admittedly a bit arbitrary. Ask Joe L. (My last few sentences are derived from his advice, I'm not just making it up.) And, if you are building right, do good windows. Alpen, Lux, Zola, Intus, etc. Or at least a triple glazed unit from someone decent. Do the building envelope one time and save 'future rehabilitations' or whatever for interior stuff. All exterior stuff should be one and done. If curious on making it 'cost effective', check out iowanest.com. Pretty neat what they did there, and I like their window details.

[@Bottleworksnet]

Your last episode caught us at just the right time. We are now ordering Buildblock this week. We'll probably use this waterproofing system too. It turns out, building your own house is hard (and I'm talking about really building it yourself - not hiring subs).

[@tjrooger1092]

I lol'd. I had the same thought when I got started. It seemed so simple, before I actually got started. 800 million details later...

[@BuildBlockICF]

Great to hear! We're excited to help with your project!

[@SolarTechFL]

Yeah i started my (buildblock)house 2 years ago and. Hired out the slab, drywall the roof pour (finishing only) , metal roof installation and granite installation and have done everything else which is a insane amount. I wanted to be that dad that built his house with his bare hands LOL. I have some videos of it on my channel

[@Bottleworksnet]

A little confused now. My order was setup by Ken and I had a total with shipping on Friday. With the money ready to be released, I call today to pay. There is now a different sales rep listed (Jaqulyn) and my total went up?! The person I called is checking into it, but this shouldn't be occurring in the first place. Not off in the right step so far and hesitant to proceed.

[@BuildBlockICF]

I talked to the team here and it sounds like they're taking care of you. Jaqulyn is a member of our customer service team and helps process orders. Ken is still your sales rep. Thanks!

[@kayceegreer4418]

Is that blue stuff polyurea?

[@johnlynch5167]

My question is termites. I've seen termites build channels through Styrofoam to get at wood several feet above. They stay moist and warm on their journey to lunch. Will the foam on these walls act as a conduit for termites ?

[@ScottTooley]

John Lynch I’ve read that the foam does not stop termites or ants, but I wonder if this poly wall is too much for termites to eat through?

[@johnlynch5167]

@@ScottTooley I had a neighbor who replaced some damaged siding. Under the siding was styrofoam sheets of insulation. The termites ate channels through the styrofoam. Looked like a multi tunnel subway system.

[@4philipp]

Termites is the biggest drawback of ICF. Be diligent in termite proofing

[@doomsdaybob3117]

This may be a stupid newbie question and I may have missed it but if you are covering the ICF w/ waterproofing how does one know where to place screws for your siding or stucco?

[@liviuholca6136]

The thick membrane is applied on basement walls which will be covered by dirt. Above the ground use only the liquid - the blocks have on their surface grooves which indicate were the plastic beam is located.

[@joshualruby]

There is no need to waterproof above ground level with anything, peel and stick, liquid applied, or otherwise. So they should all be readily visible. The ICF wall behaves as waterproofing (as far as driving water is concerned) and air seal intrinsically above grade. Good window and penetration details are important to consider, but the field is fine to be left alone.

[@ericadavenport2039]

Pause at 7:46. There is no way that entire structure with polywall will be covered by dirt.

[@alisheikh8182]

How would you add cladding without penetrating the waterproof membrane with screws?

[@naya4607]

Plaster

[@teaganroehl]

Can you add rockwool exterior insulation? I know insects like the foam and it catches fire easily Rockwool doesn't

[@Smokeyr67]

Insects don't like the foam, they only use it to reach any wood parts of the house. It also doesn't catch fire easily, no easier than timber.

[@Blkgoat]

But if you put a screw or nail through this doesn't that work against the waterproofing

[@tjam4229]

Seems like one would want to “spray” the pink primer on the wall. Would be more “even”, and “thicker” coat.

[@davidharju7894]

I used xypex as a admix to the concrete poured for the below grade portions of my ICF house 15 years ago. It's still doing very well . The nice thing about an ad mix is that it's permanent. It's not going to degrade. And, in the case of xypex, it will handle up to a .4 mm crack in the monolith. Personally, I have concerns about the relative Dynamic environment present here. But, I'm not a builder, except of my own house.

[@joshualruby]

Well played. Xypex is the best bet by far. If Matt were aware of Xypex, I think he would lose his concerns about 'watersealing the cracks of the ICF wall'. Unfortunately, they are adapting old systems to ICF when newer technology like Xypex solves all the issues upfront.

[@adamrichins1908]

@@joshualruby While I am a fan of Xypex, the placement of concrete would need to be flawless for it to work without additional waterproofing--no honeycomb, no cold joints, etc. Lithium crystalline additives mostly prevent moisture traveling through a porous medium by densifying or filling voids. It cannot overcome imperfect a.k.a. average concrete practices.

[@joshualruby]

@@adamrichins1908 I do agree that care would have to be employed to make it work, but a properly consolidated concrete placement should suffice. A stinger vibrator easily eliminates most of the full depth transfer hairlines/voids, and Xypex is rated for .4mm gap spacing. They also have a concentrate blend to apply for cold joints. I imagine other brands are similar. But monolithic footings in bags would be most ideal to avoid the cold joint. FabForm's monopour systems is pretty slick for that.

[@adamrichins1908]

I am also a proponent of Fabform monopour, ICF, & Xypex. Helix micro rebar is a neat component also, as is stegowrap when putting together a bulletproof project. Just saying the products aren't the weak link--the installers are.

[@joshuaruby401]

Adam Richins Indeed, but I would say the margin of error to screw up the products you just mentioned (all of which I recommend save the wrap, just because I haven’t heard of it before, so have no opinion of but will in about twenty minutes...)less susceptible to poor installation than most other options. The integral and monolithic options always seem to be more foolproof than the layers upon layers of peel and sticks. So, minding the installation is important, but so is every case, and I think, overall, the susceptibility of poor install in integral systems is less than the other options.

[@williamworkman131]

Went to poly-wall's website, they say this stuff will only work with 25 degrees or higher. I am planning to build a home in the UP in northern Michigan, were temperatures in winter go between 7 degrees and 37. What waterproofing method would you recommend for this?

[@canonicaltom]

That's the temperature for applying it. If you look at the data sheet, it passes a -15F flexibility test.

[@angetodac]

Price of that sticky membrane ??? Per role ?

[@roybdaman]

I was wondering cost in materials and labor just to have it sprayed with a closed cell polyurethane foam. You get higher R values per inch 6.5 vs open cell foam of 3.7 per inch as well as no penetration from water etc thus eliminating the extra labor and materials for the outside barrier.. I know the spray is more expensive but only needs 1 laborer to apply and can be done in 1 step. Thx.

[@marks6663]

spray foam is solvent based and will eat the styrofoam.

[@roybdaman]

@@marks6663 Thx Mark, good info to know.

[@1grandpappy684]

I'm in a part of Utah where we receive less than 6 inches of water in an entire year. This seems extremely excessive for where I am. Code on an ICF requires only a water-based sealant. are you going to this extreme because you get so much more water there in Georgia??

[@4philipp]

It’s a foundation. If it’s build well, with a bit of overkill, you’ll never have to worry about it in the future.

[@wretube]

How do you attach clading without puncturing this waterproof membrane?

[@fmaz1952]

This is the stuff below grade.

[@frotobaggins7169]

@@fmaz1952 at the end matt suggests using it above grade for the entire building.

[@scottfurlong5475]

Presumably like a good roofing membrane, it seals around the nails.

[@andrewells7441]

why cant you just paint the styrofoam with a couple of thick coats of redguard then put on the polywall? When that stuff sets up it drys into a very hard plastic waterproof barrier?

[@williamhoodtn]

I can't imagine how expensive this whole process will be. Hope it's worth it!

[@Joshua79C]

Worth the expense up front instead of with other traditional ways like form work when times comes you find out how cold it gets in winter and hot in summer and damp too if not all that is shown was not done during initial construction.

[@mikebigelow9057]

Your savings on heat and air, home insurance, and maintenance will more than pay for putting the poly wall on your home.

[@crosisofborg5524]

To cover the added expense of icf will take decades in hvac savings.