Hi,
I am keen to get views from experienced persons e.g. professionals or people who have used ICF Insulated concrete foam products for new residential homes to answer:
1) How does ICF perform with regards to sound insulation when using it as a load bearing wall also when compared to brick veneer and 13mm sound check X 2 gyprock or equivalent?
2) How does ICF perform for thermal insulation vs brick veneer better quality insulation R 4/5?
3) My requirements are such that sound insulation and thermal insulation are important. Sound number 1. Yes windows are a major factor also... As such I am unclear which of the following vendors are best suited:
https://zego.com.au
http://www.durisol.com.au
https://www.eco-blockaustralia.com.au/product-specs.htm
http://www.thermacell.com.au/efficiency/sound-acoustics
From my reading eco-blockaustralian would be best suited.
I'm not an experienced in this field so any guidance would be appreciated. Building in Sydney,.
Thanks in advance.
BTW - wondering if this type of question is best answered by a structural engineer.,,,,
Choosing Insulated Concrete Foam (ICF) vendor
Page 1 of 1
Hi MrChelsea, I don't usually participate on these forums but are doing so now, because people who answer questions about icf usually have had no or little experience with it.
I am 65 and am building my own icf house. We are living in it as we finish off.
We have no air-con con, are totally off grid services wise.
It remains at 18 to 28 degrees c all year round. Even with 5 days above 43c in a row this summer. We do have double glazed windows which face west, as a consequence we have to shade these windows in the late afternoon or our temp goes to 32c
Our internal walls are icf and it is so quite we have to yell out to each other (though that could be because we are getting older lol)
We are slab on waffle pods, with 200mm bondor roof 3 to 3.5 ceilings with 12v solar ceiling fans.
Oh and our pantry never gets over 20deg c and that is 2 x 4 Mrs.
And yes there are a few things I would change but not much.
In my opinion if you don't build out of icf or is your crazy.
Brick anything don't go there, think about it your in Aussie, why would you put a big heat sink around your house?
I am 65 and am building my own icf house. We are living in it as we finish off.
We have no air-con con, are totally off grid services wise.
It remains at 18 to 28 degrees c all year round. Even with 5 days above 43c in a row this summer. We do have double glazed windows which face west, as a consequence we have to shade these windows in the late afternoon or our temp goes to 32c
Our internal walls are icf and it is so quite we have to yell out to each other (though that could be because we are getting older lol)
We are slab on waffle pods, with 200mm bondor roof 3 to 3.5 ceilings with 12v solar ceiling fans.
Oh and our pantry never gets over 20deg c and that is 2 x 4 Mrs.
And yes there are a few things I would change but not much.
In my opinion if you don't build out of icf or is your crazy.
Brick anything don't go there, think about it your in Aussie, why would you put a big heat sink around your house?
We have lined our internal walls with gyprock and that was glued with tile adhesive straight to the walls so easy, so flat and real easy to flush.
We also glued the tiles straight to the styrene and water proof membrane in shower etc. We did quite a bit of testing of different products before we found one that worked to our satisfaction as the glue manufacturers wouldn't gaurentee there products for the purpose. In short very happy!
We used insulbrick. They are all much the muchness, after all they are only a former for the concrete that stays in place and provides insulation. I like the Zego as they have a 100mm block for internal walls and have 50mm placement increment where most of the others are 100mm increments. But at the end of the day it doesn't matter really. Best thermal r value, best price ease of assembly is what matters.
Can you build a Lego house? If yes, then build a icf house.
I mean we are in our sixties and we have built the whole house except for the roof and only because I bought the extra man power required.
We also glued the tiles straight to the styrene and water proof membrane in shower etc. We did quite a bit of testing of different products before we found one that worked to our satisfaction as the glue manufacturers wouldn't gaurentee there products for the purpose. In short very happy!
We used insulbrick. They are all much the muchness, after all they are only a former for the concrete that stays in place and provides insulation. I like the Zego as they have a 100mm block for internal walls and have 50mm placement increment where most of the others are 100mm increments. But at the end of the day it doesn't matter really. Best thermal r value, best price ease of assembly is what matters.
Can you build a Lego house? If yes, then build a icf house.
I mean we are in our sixties and we have built the whole house except for the roof and only because I bought the extra man power required.
Have you seen Durisol Nexcem? I initially was considering Zego ICF build, but then found out about Durisol and never looked back since then.
http://durisol.com.au/
https://nexcembuild.com/
It is also ICF, but so much better and much more ecological alternative to poly-ICFs as it is made from the real pine wood.
Truly incredible material properties (by the way, USSR has built its "Molodyozhnaya" station in Antarctica out of solid Durisol blocks):
https://nexcembuild.com/wp-content/uplo ... erties.pdf
Main advantage that Durisol house is "breathable", while foams are barely breathable (as they are not vapour permeable and hygroscopic), and also some of them Australian supplied forms still contain cancerogenic HBCD in them, which is used in EPS as fire retarder (and this is why they were banned in Europe and US and is currently being phased out, https://chemicalwatch.com/16534/end-in- ... rdant-hbcd). The rule of the thumb, if you consider a foam house, strongly consider a mechanical ventilation system for your house.
Durisol provides superb indoor air quality which has been proven by the best academic researchers in this field:
https://nexcembuild.com/indoor-air-quality/
Also, Durisol itself is a "wood concrete", made out of pine, smells like a pine, meaning you can you can nail your pictures, etc. directly into it. In fact, you feel like you are living in a wooden house.
With regard to insulation, poly ICFs do not have much of internal thermal mass as the core is heavily insulated from both inside and outside, while Durisol material is not only an insulator itself, but also carries a decent amount of thermal mass itself, which, when working together with concrete core and insulated from outside (with Rockwool in 250 mm block), significantly multiplies your thermal conductivity properties.
Not even closely comparable to brick veneer with that regard, which also has a strong thermal bridging effect, meaning that real life values can be up to 2x lower from the calculated ones.
More on Durisol thermal performance properties here:
https://nexcembuild.com/Webdocs/Durisol ... rmance.pdf
As for acoustics, you use Durisol 250 mm insulated blocks on your external walls with their recommended renders, you can achieve STCs of up to 65, your only problem will be the choosing right windows to match (but ask Werner from Durisol, they also distribute triple glazed Internorm windows from Europe, with the best acoustics and thermal properties you can get on both Australian as well as global markets). I have seen those in action, e.g. I was literally standing behind a huge 2.4 m x 5.6 m stacker door built into Durisol 250 mm wall and shouting as much as I can and the person standing inside approx. 3 meter from the door couldn't here even a glimpse of the sound.
By the way, if you use 150 mm Durisol walls blocks for your internal walls, you will be getting STC of 52+ (vs STC 38 in a studded insulated wall) including all the insulation and breathability/moisture handling properties - you will barely see any moisture in your bathrooms, etc.
Well insulated brick veneer house will be delivering STC of around 55 through external walls, as far as I remember.
In fact, they use Durisol walls for noise cancelling in tunnels and between railroads and residential areas.
There are few dozens of Durisol houses in Australia already, the distributor can also help you with the designs, engineering and advice through all the stages of your build as they are promoting a "fully composite system" helping you out to design a house from your slab to your roof to perform in the high end range both thermally and acoustically. A really customised approach, feels like being in "best houses" club. You can also visit Durisol houses and talk to their owners. When it gets to BASIX, Durisol house with Internorm windows is generally rated at least 9 stars.
By far, they are building/helping to build the best houses you can build in Australia. And from the costs, it is only about 20% add on when comparable to traditional brick veneer with single glazing, etc. and mainly due to the increasing cost of concrete.
If interested, leave me PM and I will connect you directly with Werner who runs the Durisol distribution in Australia, extremely knowledgable gentlemen with old style German engineering background.
There will be several Durisol builds starting in Sydney this year (including my own house in the Upper North Shore), by the way, so you can always visit and talk to the owners, builders, etc.
Hope it helps.
http://durisol.com.au/
https://nexcembuild.com/
It is also ICF, but so much better and much more ecological alternative to poly-ICFs as it is made from the real pine wood.
Truly incredible material properties (by the way, USSR has built its "Molodyozhnaya" station in Antarctica out of solid Durisol blocks):
https://nexcembuild.com/wp-content/uplo ... erties.pdf
Main advantage that Durisol house is "breathable", while foams are barely breathable (as they are not vapour permeable and hygroscopic), and also some of them Australian supplied forms still contain cancerogenic HBCD in them, which is used in EPS as fire retarder (and this is why they were banned in Europe and US and is currently being phased out, https://chemicalwatch.com/16534/end-in- ... rdant-hbcd). The rule of the thumb, if you consider a foam house, strongly consider a mechanical ventilation system for your house.
Durisol provides superb indoor air quality which has been proven by the best academic researchers in this field:
https://nexcembuild.com/indoor-air-quality/
Also, Durisol itself is a "wood concrete", made out of pine, smells like a pine, meaning you can you can nail your pictures, etc. directly into it. In fact, you feel like you are living in a wooden house.
With regard to insulation, poly ICFs do not have much of internal thermal mass as the core is heavily insulated from both inside and outside, while Durisol material is not only an insulator itself, but also carries a decent amount of thermal mass itself, which, when working together with concrete core and insulated from outside (with Rockwool in 250 mm block), significantly multiplies your thermal conductivity properties.
Not even closely comparable to brick veneer with that regard, which also has a strong thermal bridging effect, meaning that real life values can be up to 2x lower from the calculated ones.
More on Durisol thermal performance properties here:
https://nexcembuild.com/Webdocs/Durisol ... rmance.pdf
As for acoustics, you use Durisol 250 mm insulated blocks on your external walls with their recommended renders, you can achieve STCs of up to 65, your only problem will be the choosing right windows to match (but ask Werner from Durisol, they also distribute triple glazed Internorm windows from Europe, with the best acoustics and thermal properties you can get on both Australian as well as global markets). I have seen those in action, e.g. I was literally standing behind a huge 2.4 m x 5.6 m stacker door built into Durisol 250 mm wall and shouting as much as I can and the person standing inside approx. 3 meter from the door couldn't here even a glimpse of the sound.
By the way, if you use 150 mm Durisol walls blocks for your internal walls, you will be getting STC of 52+ (vs STC 38 in a studded insulated wall) including all the insulation and breathability/moisture handling properties - you will barely see any moisture in your bathrooms, etc.
Well insulated brick veneer house will be delivering STC of around 55 through external walls, as far as I remember.
In fact, they use Durisol walls for noise cancelling in tunnels and between railroads and residential areas.
There are few dozens of Durisol houses in Australia already, the distributor can also help you with the designs, engineering and advice through all the stages of your build as they are promoting a "fully composite system" helping you out to design a house from your slab to your roof to perform in the high end range both thermally and acoustically. A really customised approach, feels like being in "best houses" club. You can also visit Durisol houses and talk to their owners. When it gets to BASIX, Durisol house with Internorm windows is generally rated at least 9 stars.
By far, they are building/helping to build the best houses you can build in Australia. And from the costs, it is only about 20% add on when comparable to traditional brick veneer with single glazing, etc. and mainly due to the increasing cost of concrete.
If interested, leave me PM and I will connect you directly with Werner who runs the Durisol distribution in Australia, extremely knowledgable gentlemen with old style German engineering background.
There will be several Durisol builds starting in Sydney this year (including my own house in the Upper North Shore), by the way, so you can always visit and talk to the owners, builders, etc.
Hope it helps.
Hi MrChelsea, I don't usually participate on these forums but are doing so now, because people who answer questions about icf usually have had no or little experience with it.
I am 65 and am building my own icf house. We are living in it as we finish off.
We have no air-con con, are totally off grid services wise.
It remains at 18 to 28 degrees c all year round. Even with 5 days above 43c in a row this summer. We do have double glazed windows which face west, as a consequence we have to shade these windows in the late afternoon or our temp goes to 32c
Our internal walls are icf and it is so quite we have to yell out to each other (though that could be because we are getting older lol)
We are slab on waffle pods, with 200mm bondor roof 3 to 3.5 ceilings with 12v solar ceiling fans.
Oh and our pantry never gets over 20deg c and that is 2 x 4 Mrs.
And yes there are a few things I would change but not much.
In my opinion if you don't build out of icf or is your crazy.
Brick anything don't go there, think about it your in Aussie, why would you put a big heat sink around your house?
I am 65 and am building my own icf house. We are living in it as we finish off.
We have no air-con con, are totally off grid services wise.
It remains at 18 to 28 degrees c all year round. Even with 5 days above 43c in a row this summer. We do have double glazed windows which face west, as a consequence we have to shade these windows in the late afternoon or our temp goes to 32c
Our internal walls are icf and it is so quite we have to yell out to each other (though that could be because we are getting older lol)
We are slab on waffle pods, with 200mm bondor roof 3 to 3.5 ceilings with 12v solar ceiling fans.
Oh and our pantry never gets over 20deg c and that is 2 x 4 Mrs.
And yes there are a few things I would change but not much.
In my opinion if you don't build out of icf or is your crazy.
Brick anything don't go there, think about it your in Aussie, why would you put a big heat sink around your house?
Hi Kezza icf,
May I ask:
1) What type of insulation you used in the roof?
2) What size blocks you used internally and externally?
3) Cost per sqm of the block sizes?
4) Learnings that you have come across. So if you was to do it again what would you do differently and what you would keep the same?
Thank you
Have you seen Durisol Nexcem? I initially was considering Zego ICF build, but then found out about Durisol and never looked back since then.
http://durisol.com.au/
https://nexcembuild.com/
It is also ICF, but so much better and much more ecological alternative to poly-ICFs as it is made from the real pine wood.
Truly incredible material properties (by the way, USSR has built its "Molodyozhnaya" station in Antarctica out of solid Durisol blocks):
https://nexcembuild.com/wp-content/uplo ... erties.pdf
Main advantage that Durisol house is "breathable", while foams are barely breathable (as they are not vapour permeable and hygroscopic), and also some of them Australian supplied forms still contain cancerogenic HBCD in them, which is used in EPS as fire retarder (and this is why they were banned in Europe and US and is currently being phased out, https://chemicalwatch.com/16534/end-in- ... rdant-hbcd). The rule of the thumb, if you consider a foam house, strongly consider a mechanical ventilation system for your house.
Durisol provides superb indoor air quality which has been proven by the best academic researchers in this field:
https://nexcembuild.com/indoor-air-quality/
Also, Durisol itself is a "wood concrete", made out of pine, smells like a pine, meaning you can you can nail your pictures, etc. directly into it. In fact, you feel like you are living in a wooden house.
With regard to insulation, poly ICFs do not have much of internal thermal mass as the core is heavily insulated from both inside and outside, while Durisol material is not only an insulator itself, but also carries a decent amount of thermal mass itself, which, when working together with concrete core and insulated from outside (with Rockwool in 250 mm block), significantly multiplies your thermal conductivity properties.
Not even closely comparable to brick veneer with that regard, which also has a strong thermal bridging effect, meaning that real life values can be up to 2x lower from the calculated ones.
More on Durisol thermal performance properties here:
https://nexcembuild.com/Webdocs/Durisol ... rmance.pdf
As for acoustics, you use Durisol 250 mm insulated blocks on your external walls with their recommended renders, you can achieve STCs of up to 65, your only problem will be the choosing right windows to match (but ask Werner from Durisol, they also distribute triple glazed Internorm windows from Europe, with the best acoustics and thermal properties you can get on both Australian as well as global markets). I have seen those in action, e.g. I was literally standing behind a huge 2.4 m x 5.6 m stacker door built into Durisol 250 mm wall and shouting as much as I can and the person standing inside approx. 3 meter from the door couldn't here even a glimpse of the sound.
By the way, if you use 150 mm Durisol walls blocks for your internal walls, you will be getting STC of 52+ (vs STC 38 in a studded insulated wall) including all the insulation and breathability/moisture handling properties - you will barely see any moisture in your bathrooms, etc.
Well insulated brick veneer house will be delivering STC of around 55 through external walls, as far as I remember.
In fact, they use Durisol walls for noise cancelling in tunnels and between railroads and residential areas.
There are few dozens of Durisol houses in Australia already, the distributor can also help you with the designs, engineering and advice through all the stages of your build as they are promoting a "fully composite system" helping you out to design a house from your slab to your roof to perform in the high end range both thermally and acoustically. A really customised approach, feels like being in "best houses" club. You can also visit Durisol houses and talk to their owners. When it gets to BASIX, Durisol house with Internorm windows is generally rated at least 9 stars.
By far, they are building/helping to build the best houses you can build in Australia. And from the costs, it is only about 20% add on when comparable to traditional brick veneer with single glazing, etc. and mainly due to the increasing cost of concrete.
If interested, leave me PM and I will connect you directly with Werner who runs the Durisol distribution in Australia, extremely knowledgable gentlemen with old style German engineering background.
There will be several Durisol builds starting in Sydney this year (including my own house in the Upper North Shore), by the way, so you can always visit and talk to the owners, builders, etc.
Hope it helps.
http://durisol.com.au/
https://nexcembuild.com/
It is also ICF, but so much better and much more ecological alternative to poly-ICFs as it is made from the real pine wood.
Truly incredible material properties (by the way, USSR has built its "Molodyozhnaya" station in Antarctica out of solid Durisol blocks):
https://nexcembuild.com/wp-content/uplo ... erties.pdf
Main advantage that Durisol house is "breathable", while foams are barely breathable (as they are not vapour permeable and hygroscopic), and also some of them Australian supplied forms still contain cancerogenic HBCD in them, which is used in EPS as fire retarder (and this is why they were banned in Europe and US and is currently being phased out, https://chemicalwatch.com/16534/end-in- ... rdant-hbcd). The rule of the thumb, if you consider a foam house, strongly consider a mechanical ventilation system for your house.
Durisol provides superb indoor air quality which has been proven by the best academic researchers in this field:
https://nexcembuild.com/indoor-air-quality/
Also, Durisol itself is a "wood concrete", made out of pine, smells like a pine, meaning you can you can nail your pictures, etc. directly into it. In fact, you feel like you are living in a wooden house.
With regard to insulation, poly ICFs do not have much of internal thermal mass as the core is heavily insulated from both inside and outside, while Durisol material is not only an insulator itself, but also carries a decent amount of thermal mass itself, which, when working together with concrete core and insulated from outside (with Rockwool in 250 mm block), significantly multiplies your thermal conductivity properties.
Not even closely comparable to brick veneer with that regard, which also has a strong thermal bridging effect, meaning that real life values can be up to 2x lower from the calculated ones.
More on Durisol thermal performance properties here:
https://nexcembuild.com/Webdocs/Durisol ... rmance.pdf
As for acoustics, you use Durisol 250 mm insulated blocks on your external walls with their recommended renders, you can achieve STCs of up to 65, your only problem will be the choosing right windows to match (but ask Werner from Durisol, they also distribute triple glazed Internorm windows from Europe, with the best acoustics and thermal properties you can get on both Australian as well as global markets). I have seen those in action, e.g. I was literally standing behind a huge 2.4 m x 5.6 m stacker door built into Durisol 250 mm wall and shouting as much as I can and the person standing inside approx. 3 meter from the door couldn't here even a glimpse of the sound.
By the way, if you use 150 mm Durisol walls blocks for your internal walls, you will be getting STC of 52+ (vs STC 38 in a studded insulated wall) including all the insulation and breathability/moisture handling properties - you will barely see any moisture in your bathrooms, etc.
Well insulated brick veneer house will be delivering STC of around 55 through external walls, as far as I remember.
In fact, they use Durisol walls for noise cancelling in tunnels and between railroads and residential areas.
There are few dozens of Durisol houses in Australia already, the distributor can also help you with the designs, engineering and advice through all the stages of your build as they are promoting a "fully composite system" helping you out to design a house from your slab to your roof to perform in the high end range both thermally and acoustically. A really customised approach, feels like being in "best houses" club. You can also visit Durisol houses and talk to their owners. When it gets to BASIX, Durisol house with Internorm windows is generally rated at least 9 stars.
By far, they are building/helping to build the best houses you can build in Australia. And from the costs, it is only about 20% add on when comparable to traditional brick veneer with single glazing, etc. and mainly due to the increasing cost of concrete.
If interested, leave me PM and I will connect you directly with Werner who runs the Durisol distribution in Australia, extremely knowledgable gentlemen with old style German engineering background.
There will be several Durisol builds starting in Sydney this year (including my own house in the Upper North Shore), by the way, so you can always visit and talk to the owners, builders, etc.
Hope it helps.
Thank you Alexp79. I'll direct PM you.
I don't usually participate on these forums but are doing so now, because people who answer questions about icf usually have had no or little experience with it.
Apart from experience you are also required to have Australian Qualifications & Certification
NSW To "Shake-up" High rise Laws After Opal Tower Saga
Mr ChelseaFC.
Sorry to take so long to reply, I am not a social media type of person, just an old buggy.
Our roof is 200mm thick solarspan that also forms our ceiling, and provides the ceiling insulation all in one go. I wanted the 300mm but they could not provide fixing screws at the time long enough. As solar span will spam 6 metres and we have a 3deg pitch no timber structural requirements. The building inspector wanted to inspect the structure before placing the roof, I think to inspect the trusses, which was very funny as when they got here there were only the outside walls and totally open to the sky and we are cyclone rated.
We used the 200mm block on both outside and inside walls, space did not matter to us we live on a farm and our design mentioned that we really only have two internal walls. Strength was our requirement as it is VERY windy here.
The cost of the blocks was 40 dollars per square metre plus get. I think the cost of the block is high considering what it is. But it is very comparable wit any other type of structure when you consider that there is no need for any other insulation, it is very easy to get an air tight envelope. Plus plus plus
Yes it is polystyrene, but it is 100 percent reyclable as is concrete and this type of structure will stay the distance as far as time goes.
You do not have to use it on internal walls, but the zego 100mm for such is great.
It is quick two people can build an average 3 Beaderbox in 2 weeks to before roof goes on, plus of course your finishing.
As far as your embedded concrete heat sink is concerned as it is encased in insulation it maintains a reasonable constant temp, as I said we are totally off grid, no air con, just 12v fans and no heating, just my woman. But the 3mtr plus ceilings certianlly help to keep it cool
What would I change? Well I got carried away with curved walls etc, so keep it simple for speed and no head aches.
I put in earth cooling tubes to the pantry, they work well, but I should have put them in for the main body of the house.
We are in SA so there was little BS ready building restrictions of what you can and can't do licence wise, but I did employ a building inspector to sign off on various stages purely to keep everyone happy.
But once again the so called experts called for things that were just not required with polystyrene, as an example the engineer we employed, well known but not used to styrene techniques called for expansion joints around the structure, as you would for brick or concrete, but as the the concrete is tottaly insulated, there is no expansion.
The tile supply, we did our own tiling easy, insisted that we have expansion joints but that is not a problem until you get over 12mtr runs, that's a big room and it is not a styrene problem but a tile problem and I feel that as the temp and humidity are reasonably stable it would not be a prob anyway, my call and choice.
If I knew how to provide my contact details without making them public, Elizabeth would be more than happy to help.
Sorry for the long post
Sorry to take so long to reply, I am not a social media type of person, just an old buggy.
Our roof is 200mm thick solarspan that also forms our ceiling, and provides the ceiling insulation all in one go. I wanted the 300mm but they could not provide fixing screws at the time long enough. As solar span will spam 6 metres and we have a 3deg pitch no timber structural requirements. The building inspector wanted to inspect the structure before placing the roof, I think to inspect the trusses, which was very funny as when they got here there were only the outside walls and totally open to the sky and we are cyclone rated.
We used the 200mm block on both outside and inside walls, space did not matter to us we live on a farm and our design mentioned that we really only have two internal walls. Strength was our requirement as it is VERY windy here.
The cost of the blocks was 40 dollars per square metre plus get. I think the cost of the block is high considering what it is. But it is very comparable wit any other type of structure when you consider that there is no need for any other insulation, it is very easy to get an air tight envelope. Plus plus plus
Yes it is polystyrene, but it is 100 percent reyclable as is concrete and this type of structure will stay the distance as far as time goes.
You do not have to use it on internal walls, but the zego 100mm for such is great.
It is quick two people can build an average 3 Beaderbox in 2 weeks to before roof goes on, plus of course your finishing.
As far as your embedded concrete heat sink is concerned as it is encased in insulation it maintains a reasonable constant temp, as I said we are totally off grid, no air con, just 12v fans and no heating, just my woman. But the 3mtr plus ceilings certianlly help to keep it cool
What would I change? Well I got carried away with curved walls etc, so keep it simple for speed and no head aches.
I put in earth cooling tubes to the pantry, they work well, but I should have put them in for the main body of the house.
We are in SA so there was little BS ready building restrictions of what you can and can't do licence wise, but I did employ a building inspector to sign off on various stages purely to keep everyone happy.
But once again the so called experts called for things that were just not required with polystyrene, as an example the engineer we employed, well known but not used to styrene techniques called for expansion joints around the structure, as you would for brick or concrete, but as the the concrete is tottaly insulated, there is no expansion.
The tile supply, we did our own tiling easy, insisted that we have expansion joints but that is not a problem until you get over 12mtr runs, that's a big room and it is not a styrene problem but a tile problem and I feel that as the temp and humidity are reasonably stable it would not be a prob anyway, my call and choice.
If I knew how to provide my contact details without making them public, Elizabeth would be more than happy to help.
Sorry for the long post
I hate auto spell correct. Haha
Mr ChelseaFC.
Sorry to take so long to reply, I am not a social media type of person, just an old buggy.
Our roof is 200mm thick solarspan that also forms our ceiling, and provides the ceiling insulation all in one go. I wanted the 300mm but they could not provide fixing screws at the time long enough. As solar span will spam 6 metres and we have a 3deg pitch no timber structural requirements. The building inspector wanted to inspect the structure before placing the roof, I think to inspect the trusses, which was very funny as when they got here there were only the outside walls and totally open to the sky and we are cyclone rated.
We used the 200mm block on both outside and inside walls, space did not matter to us we live on a farm and our design mentioned that we really only have two internal walls. Strength was our requirement as it is VERY windy here.
The cost of the blocks was 40 dollars per square metre plus get. I think the cost of the block is high considering what it is. But it is very comparable wit any other type of structure when you consider that there is no need for any other insulation, it is very easy to get an air tight envelope. Plus plus plus
Yes it is polystyrene, but it is 100 percent reyclable as is concrete and this type of structure will stay the distance as far as time goes.
You do not have to use it on internal walls, but the zego 100mm for such is great.
It is quick two people can build an average 3 Beaderbox in 2 weeks to before roof goes on, plus of course your finishing.
As far as your embedded concrete heat sink is concerned as it is encased in insulation it maintains a reasonable constant temp, as I said we are totally off grid, no air con, just 12v fans and no heating, just my woman. But the 3mtr plus ceilings certianlly help to keep it cool
What would I change? Well I got carried away with curved walls etc, so keep it simple for speed and no head aches.
I put in earth cooling tubes to the pantry, they work well, but I should have put them in for the main body of the house.
We are in SA so there was little BS ready building restrictions of what you can and can't do licence wise, but I did employ a building inspector to sign off on various stages purely to keep everyone happy.
But once again the so called experts called for things that were just not required with polystyrene, as an example the engineer we employed, well known but not used to styrene techniques called for expansion joints around the structure, as you would for brick or concrete, but as the the concrete is tottaly insulated, there is no expansion.
The tile supply, we did our own tiling easy, insisted that we have expansion joints but that is not a problem until you get over 12mtr runs, that's a big room and it is not a styrene problem but a tile problem and I feel that as the temp and humidity are reasonably stable it would not be a prob anyway, my call and choice.
If I knew how to provide my contact details without making them public, Elizabeth would be more than happy to help.
Sorry for the long post
Sorry to take so long to reply, I am not a social media type of person, just an old buggy.
Our roof is 200mm thick solarspan that also forms our ceiling, and provides the ceiling insulation all in one go. I wanted the 300mm but they could not provide fixing screws at the time long enough. As solar span will spam 6 metres and we have a 3deg pitch no timber structural requirements. The building inspector wanted to inspect the structure before placing the roof, I think to inspect the trusses, which was very funny as when they got here there were only the outside walls and totally open to the sky and we are cyclone rated.
We used the 200mm block on both outside and inside walls, space did not matter to us we live on a farm and our design mentioned that we really only have two internal walls. Strength was our requirement as it is VERY windy here.
The cost of the blocks was 40 dollars per square metre plus get. I think the cost of the block is high considering what it is. But it is very comparable wit any other type of structure when you consider that there is no need for any other insulation, it is very easy to get an air tight envelope. Plus plus plus
Yes it is polystyrene, but it is 100 percent reyclable as is concrete and this type of structure will stay the distance as far as time goes.
You do not have to use it on internal walls, but the zego 100mm for such is great.
It is quick two people can build an average 3 Beaderbox in 2 weeks to before roof goes on, plus of course your finishing.
As far as your embedded concrete heat sink is concerned as it is encased in insulation it maintains a reasonable constant temp, as I said we are totally off grid, no air con, just 12v fans and no heating, just my woman. But the 3mtr plus ceilings certianlly help to keep it cool
What would I change? Well I got carried away with curved walls etc, so keep it simple for speed and no head aches.
I put in earth cooling tubes to the pantry, they work well, but I should have put them in for the main body of the house.
We are in SA so there was little BS ready building restrictions of what you can and can't do licence wise, but I did employ a building inspector to sign off on various stages purely to keep everyone happy.
But once again the so called experts called for things that were just not required with polystyrene, as an example the engineer we employed, well known but not used to styrene techniques called for expansion joints around the structure, as you would for brick or concrete, but as the the concrete is tottaly insulated, there is no expansion.
The tile supply, we did our own tiling easy, insisted that we have expansion joints but that is not a problem until you get over 12mtr runs, that's a big room and it is not a styrene problem but a tile problem and I feel that as the temp and humidity are reasonably stable it would not be a prob anyway, my call and choice.
If I knew how to provide my contact details without making them public, Elizabeth would be more than happy to help.
Sorry for the long post
Thank you for your reply. Much appreciated
Mr ChelseaFC.
Sorry to take so long to reply, I am not a social media type of person, just an old buggy.
Our roof is 200mm thick solarspan that also forms our ceiling, and provides the ceiling insulation all in one go. I wanted the 300mm but they could not provide fixing screws at the time long enough. As solar span will spam 6 metres and we have a 3deg pitch no timber structural requirements. The building inspector wanted to inspect the structure before placing the roof, I think to inspect the trusses, which was very funny as when they got here there were only the outside walls and totally open to the sky and we are cyclone rated.
We used the 200mm block on both outside and inside walls, space did not matter to us we live on a farm and our design mentioned that we really only have two internal walls. Strength was our requirement as it is VERY windy here.
The cost of the blocks was 40 dollars per square metre plus get. I think the cost of the block is high considering what it is. But it is very comparable wit any other type of structure when you consider that there is no need for any other insulation, it is very easy to get an air tight envelope. Plus plus plus
Yes it is polystyrene, but it is 100 percent reyclable as is concrete and this type of structure will stay the distance as far as time goes.
You do not have to use it on internal walls, but the zego 100mm for such is great.
It is quick two people can build an average 3 Beaderbox in 2 weeks to before roof goes on, plus of course your finishing.
As far as your embedded concrete heat sink is concerned as it is encased in insulation it maintains a reasonable constant temp, as I said we are totally off grid, no air con, just 12v fans and no heating, just my woman. But the 3mtr plus ceilings certianlly help to keep it cool
What would I change? Well I got carried away with curved walls etc, so keep it simple for speed and no head aches.
I put in earth cooling tubes to the pantry, they work well, but I should have put them in for the main body of the house.
We are in SA so there was little BS ready building restrictions of what you can and can't do licence wise, but I did employ a building inspector to sign off on various stages purely to keep everyone happy.
But once again the so called experts called for things that were just not required with polystyrene, as an example the engineer we employed, well known but not used to styrene techniques called for expansion joints around the structure, as you would for brick or concrete, but as the the concrete is tottaly insulated, there is no expansion.
The tile supply, we did our own tiling easy, insisted that we have expansion joints but that is not a problem until you get over 12mtr runs, that's a big room and it is not a styrene problem but a tile problem and I feel that as the temp and humidity are reasonably stable it would not be a prob anyway, my call and choice.
If I knew how to provide my contact details without making them public, Elizabeth would be more than happy to help.
Sorry for the long post
Sorry to take so long to reply, I am not a social media type of person, just an old buggy.
Our roof is 200mm thick solarspan that also forms our ceiling, and provides the ceiling insulation all in one go. I wanted the 300mm but they could not provide fixing screws at the time long enough. As solar span will spam 6 metres and we have a 3deg pitch no timber structural requirements. The building inspector wanted to inspect the structure before placing the roof, I think to inspect the trusses, which was very funny as when they got here there were only the outside walls and totally open to the sky and we are cyclone rated.
We used the 200mm block on both outside and inside walls, space did not matter to us we live on a farm and our design mentioned that we really only have two internal walls. Strength was our requirement as it is VERY windy here.
The cost of the blocks was 40 dollars per square metre plus get. I think the cost of the block is high considering what it is. But it is very comparable wit any other type of structure when you consider that there is no need for any other insulation, it is very easy to get an air tight envelope. Plus plus plus
Yes it is polystyrene, but it is 100 percent reyclable as is concrete and this type of structure will stay the distance as far as time goes.
You do not have to use it on internal walls, but the zego 100mm for such is great.
It is quick two people can build an average 3 Beaderbox in 2 weeks to before roof goes on, plus of course your finishing.
As far as your embedded concrete heat sink is concerned as it is encased in insulation it maintains a reasonable constant temp, as I said we are totally off grid, no air con, just 12v fans and no heating, just my woman. But the 3mtr plus ceilings certianlly help to keep it cool
What would I change? Well I got carried away with curved walls etc, so keep it simple for speed and no head aches.
I put in earth cooling tubes to the pantry, they work well, but I should have put them in for the main body of the house.
We are in SA so there was little BS ready building restrictions of what you can and can't do licence wise, but I did employ a building inspector to sign off on various stages purely to keep everyone happy.
But once again the so called experts called for things that were just not required with polystyrene, as an example the engineer we employed, well known but not used to styrene techniques called for expansion joints around the structure, as you would for brick or concrete, but as the the concrete is tottaly insulated, there is no expansion.
The tile supply, we did our own tiling easy, insisted that we have expansion joints but that is not a problem until you get over 12mtr runs, that's a big room and it is not a styrene problem but a tile problem and I feel that as the temp and humidity are reasonably stable it would not be a prob anyway, my call and choice.
If I knew how to provide my contact details without making them public, Elizabeth would be more than happy to help.
Sorry for the long post
From your experience living in the house do you ever feel as it's dry, not enough air circulation? Reason I ask is that "some" people claim that ICF homes are like living in an eski. Would be good to hear from someone who as built and lived in such a home for a number of years.
Do you think the Battlers & Punters prioritise Thermal & Sound Insulation above Fire Safety?
Then Read This
"A Frankston South apartment block covered in flammable cladding is such a fire risk that a security guard has been posted out the front to prevent any arson attack."
Frankston South apartments caught up in Melbourne's cladding crisis
With Less than 150 Qualified Fire Engineers Throughout Australia, now all fully employed in high rise apartment refits & new developments.
Hundreds of thousands of Low rise apartments (less than 4 storeys) and residential homes owners need to fend for yourselves
Then Read This
"A Frankston South apartment block covered in flammable cladding is such a fire risk that a security guard has been posted out the front to prevent any arson attack."
Frankston South apartments caught up in Melbourne's cladding crisis
With Less than 150 Qualified Fire Engineers Throughout Australia, now all fully employed in high rise apartment refits & new developments.
Hundreds of thousands of Low rise apartments (less than 4 storeys) and residential homes owners need to fend for yourselves
Mr ChelseaFC.
Sorry to take so long to reply, I am not a social media type of person, just an old buggy.
Our roof is 200mm thick solarspan that also forms our ceiling, and provides the ceiling insulation all in one go. I wanted the 300mm but they could not provide fixing screws at the time long enough. As solar span will spam 6 metres and we have a 3deg pitch no timber structural requirements. The building inspector wanted to inspect the structure before placing the roof, I think to inspect the trusses, which was very funny as when they got here there were only the outside walls and totally open to the sky and we are cyclone rated.
We used the 200mm block on both outside and inside walls, space did not matter to us we live on a farm and our design mentioned that we really only have two internal walls. Strength was our requirement as it is VERY windy here.
The cost of the blocks was 40 dollars per square metre plus get. I think the cost of the block is high considering what it is. But it is very comparable wit any other type of structure when you consider that there is no need for any other insulation, it is very easy to get an air tight envelope. Plus plus plus
Yes it is polystyrene, but it is 100 percent reyclable as is concrete and this type of structure will stay the distance as far as time goes.
You do not have to use it on internal walls, but the zego 100mm for such is great.
It is quick two people can build an average 3 Beaderbox in 2 weeks to before roof goes on, plus of course your finishing.
As far as your embedded concrete heat sink is concerned as it is encased in insulation it maintains a reasonable constant temp, as I said we are totally off grid, no air con, just 12v fans and no heating, just my woman. But the 3mtr plus ceilings certianlly help to keep it cool
What would I change? Well I got carried away with curved walls etc, so keep it simple for speed and no head aches.
I put in earth cooling tubes to the pantry, they work well, but I should have put them in for the main body of the house.
We are in SA so there was little BS ready building restrictions of what you can and can't do licence wise, but I did employ a building inspector to sign off on various stages purely to keep everyone happy.
But once again the so called experts called for things that were just not required with polystyrene, as an example the engineer we employed, well known but not used to styrene techniques called for expansion joints around the structure, as you would for brick or concrete, but as the the concrete is tottaly insulated, there is no expansion.
The tile supply, we did our own tiling easy, insisted that we have expansion joints but that is not a problem until you get over 12mtr runs, that's a big room and it is not a styrene problem but a tile problem and I feel that as the temp and humidity are reasonably stable it would not be a prob anyway, my call and choice.
If I knew how to provide my contact details without making them public, Elizabeth would be more than happy to help.
Sorry for the long post
Sorry to take so long to reply, I am not a social media type of person, just an old buggy.
Our roof is 200mm thick solarspan that also forms our ceiling, and provides the ceiling insulation all in one go. I wanted the 300mm but they could not provide fixing screws at the time long enough. As solar span will spam 6 metres and we have a 3deg pitch no timber structural requirements. The building inspector wanted to inspect the structure before placing the roof, I think to inspect the trusses, which was very funny as when they got here there were only the outside walls and totally open to the sky and we are cyclone rated.
We used the 200mm block on both outside and inside walls, space did not matter to us we live on a farm and our design mentioned that we really only have two internal walls. Strength was our requirement as it is VERY windy here.
The cost of the blocks was 40 dollars per square metre plus get. I think the cost of the block is high considering what it is. But it is very comparable wit any other type of structure when you consider that there is no need for any other insulation, it is very easy to get an air tight envelope. Plus plus plus
Yes it is polystyrene, but it is 100 percent reyclable as is concrete and this type of structure will stay the distance as far as time goes.
You do not have to use it on internal walls, but the zego 100mm for such is great.
It is quick two people can build an average 3 Beaderbox in 2 weeks to before roof goes on, plus of course your finishing.
As far as your embedded concrete heat sink is concerned as it is encased in insulation it maintains a reasonable constant temp, as I said we are totally off grid, no air con, just 12v fans and no heating, just my woman. But the 3mtr plus ceilings certianlly help to keep it cool
What would I change? Well I got carried away with curved walls etc, so keep it simple for speed and no head aches.
I put in earth cooling tubes to the pantry, they work well, but I should have put them in for the main body of the house.
We are in SA so there was little BS ready building restrictions of what you can and can't do licence wise, but I did employ a building inspector to sign off on various stages purely to keep everyone happy.
But once again the so called experts called for things that were just not required with polystyrene, as an example the engineer we employed, well known but not used to styrene techniques called for expansion joints around the structure, as you would for brick or concrete, but as the the concrete is tottaly insulated, there is no expansion.
The tile supply, we did our own tiling easy, insisted that we have expansion joints but that is not a problem until you get over 12mtr runs, that's a big room and it is not a styrene problem but a tile problem and I feel that as the temp and humidity are reasonably stable it would not be a prob anyway, my call and choice.
If I knew how to provide my contact details without making them public, Elizabeth would be more than happy to help.
Sorry for the long post
From your experience living in the house do you ever feel as it's dry, not enough air circulation? Reason I ask is that "some" people claim that ICF homes are like living in an eski. Would be good to hear from someone who as built and lived in such a home for a number of years.
To add did you consider an HVR / EVR system ?
Mr ChelseaFC.
Sorry to take so long to reply, I am not a social media type of person, just an old buggy.
Our roof is 200mm thick solarspan that also forms our ceiling, and provides the ceiling insulation all in one go. I wanted the 300mm but they could not provide fixing screws at the time long enough. As solar span will spam 6 metres and we have a 3deg pitch no timber structural requirements. The building inspector wanted to inspect the structure before placing the roof, I think to inspect the trusses, which was very funny as when they got here there were only the outside walls and totally open to the sky and we are cyclone rated.
We used the 200mm block on both outside and inside walls, space did not matter to us we live on a farm and our design mentioned that we really only have two internal walls. Strength was our requirement as it is VERY windy here.
The cost of the blocks was 40 dollars per square metre plus get. I think the cost of the block is high considering what it is. But it is very comparable wit any other type of structure when you consider that there is no need for any other insulation, it is very easy to get an air tight envelope. Plus plus plus
Yes it is polystyrene, but it is 100 percent reyclable as is concrete and this type of structure will stay the distance as far as time goes.
You do not have to use it on internal walls, but the zego 100mm for such is great.
It is quick two people can build an average 3 Beaderbox in 2 weeks to before roof goes on, plus of course your finishing.
As far as your embedded concrete heat sink is concerned as it is encased in insulation it maintains a reasonable constant temp, as I said we are totally off grid, no air con, just 12v fans and no heating, just my woman. But the 3mtr plus ceilings certianlly help to keep it cool
What would I change? Well I got carried away with curved walls etc, so keep it simple for speed and no head aches.
I put in earth cooling tubes to the pantry, they work well, but I should have put them in for the main body of the house.
We are in SA so there was little BS ready building restrictions of what you can and can't do licence wise, but I did employ a building inspector to sign off on various stages purely to keep everyone happy.
But once again the so called experts called for things that were just not required with polystyrene, as an example the engineer we employed, well known but not used to styrene techniques called for expansion joints around the structure, as you would for brick or concrete, but as the the concrete is tottaly insulated, there is no expansion.
The tile supply, we did our own tiling easy, insisted that we have expansion joints but that is not a problem until you get over 12mtr runs, that's a big room and it is not a styrene problem but a tile problem and I feel that as the temp and humidity are reasonably stable it would not be a prob anyway, my call and choice.
If I knew how to provide my contact details without making them public, Elizabeth would be more than happy to help.
Sorry for the long post
Sorry to take so long to reply, I am not a social media type of person, just an old buggy.
Our roof is 200mm thick solarspan that also forms our ceiling, and provides the ceiling insulation all in one go. I wanted the 300mm but they could not provide fixing screws at the time long enough. As solar span will spam 6 metres and we have a 3deg pitch no timber structural requirements. The building inspector wanted to inspect the structure before placing the roof, I think to inspect the trusses, which was very funny as when they got here there were only the outside walls and totally open to the sky and we are cyclone rated.
We used the 200mm block on both outside and inside walls, space did not matter to us we live on a farm and our design mentioned that we really only have two internal walls. Strength was our requirement as it is VERY windy here.
The cost of the blocks was 40 dollars per square metre plus get. I think the cost of the block is high considering what it is. But it is very comparable wit any other type of structure when you consider that there is no need for any other insulation, it is very easy to get an air tight envelope. Plus plus plus
Yes it is polystyrene, but it is 100 percent reyclable as is concrete and this type of structure will stay the distance as far as time goes.
You do not have to use it on internal walls, but the zego 100mm for such is great.
It is quick two people can build an average 3 Beaderbox in 2 weeks to before roof goes on, plus of course your finishing.
As far as your embedded concrete heat sink is concerned as it is encased in insulation it maintains a reasonable constant temp, as I said we are totally off grid, no air con, just 12v fans and no heating, just my woman. But the 3mtr plus ceilings certianlly help to keep it cool
What would I change? Well I got carried away with curved walls etc, so keep it simple for speed and no head aches.
I put in earth cooling tubes to the pantry, they work well, but I should have put them in for the main body of the house.
We are in SA so there was little BS ready building restrictions of what you can and can't do licence wise, but I did employ a building inspector to sign off on various stages purely to keep everyone happy.
But once again the so called experts called for things that were just not required with polystyrene, as an example the engineer we employed, well known but not used to styrene techniques called for expansion joints around the structure, as you would for brick or concrete, but as the the concrete is tottaly insulated, there is no expansion.
The tile supply, we did our own tiling easy, insisted that we have expansion joints but that is not a problem until you get over 12mtr runs, that's a big room and it is not a styrene problem but a tile problem and I feel that as the temp and humidity are reasonably stable it would not be a prob anyway, my call and choice.
If I knew how to provide my contact details without making them public, Elizabeth would be more than happy to help.
Sorry for the long post
From your experience living in the house do you ever feel as it's dry, not enough air circulation? Reason I ask is that "some" people claim that ICF homes are like living in an eski. Would be good to hear from someone who as built and lived in such a home for a number of years.
To add did you consider an HVR / EVR system ?
Hi,
Um i dont know what you or they mean with the comment " its like living in an esky" but yes we tell people jokingly that we live in an esky. Is it like the old joke about eskies are really smart, as they keep things hot, and they keep things cold but how do they know when to do what?
In europe, they build their houses air tight but install fan venting sytems to ensure correct air turn over and ventalation. Which is designed to keep the cold air out, clever stuff, but quite simple really, look it up.
That would have been the best, but for us very hungery on electricity costs, when you are off grid.
So we went for a manual system. Using earth cooling tubes, auto venting in bathroom and ensuite plus we open all the windows, most in the winter, at night.
It is all about having an air tight seal and then creating a draft where and when you want.
Wehave no condensation problems and no mould problems.
As far as fire issues, no problem, do your research on the material you want and ask questions.
Our choosen product is bal rated to more than our area requires, check out the product firdt hand.
Don't belive every thing you read, including me lol.
Do your own research and ensure your choosen product meets all the building standards.
After all what more can you do, even bri cks have to meet standards.
Ps it is like living in a really comfortable house, that is quite from outside noises, it is pleasantly cool in the summer and pleasantly warm to wakeup into in the winter, we have no aircon (just ceiling fans) and no heating, people walk into our house in the summer and say "wow your air con works well, isn't it quite" that just makes me know we have done the right thing.
Kezza
Have you seen Durisol Nexcem? I initially was considering Zego ICF build, but then found out about Durisol and never looked back since then.
http://durisol.com.au/
https://nexcembuild.com/
It is also ICF, but so much better and much more ecological alternative to poly-ICFs as it is made from the real pine wood.
Truly incredible material properties (by the way, USSR has built its "Molodyozhnaya" station in Antarctica out of solid Durisol blocks):
https://nexcembuild.com/wp-content/uplo ... erties.pdf
Main advantage that Durisol house is "breathable", while foams are barely breathable (as they are not vapour permeable and hygroscopic), and also some of them Australian supplied forms still contain cancerogenic HBCD in them, which is used in EPS as fire retarder (and this is why they were banned in Europe and US and is currently being phased out, https://chemicalwatch.com/16534/end-in- ... rdant-hbcd). The rule of the thumb, if you consider a foam house, strongly consider a mechanical ventilation system for your house.
Durisol provides superb indoor air quality which has been proven by the best academic researchers in this field:
https://nexcembuild.com/indoor-air-quality/
Also, Durisol itself is a "wood concrete", made out of pine, smells like a pine, meaning you can you can nail your pictures, etc. directly into it. In fact, you feel like you are living in a wooden house.
With regard to insulation, poly ICFs do not have much of internal thermal mass as the core is heavily insulated from both inside and outside, while Durisol material is not only an insulator itself, but also carries a decent amount of thermal mass itself, which, when working together with concrete core and insulated from outside (with Rockwool in 250 mm block), significantly multiplies your thermal conductivity properties.
Not even closely comparable to brick veneer with that regard, which also has a strong thermal bridging effect, meaning that real life values can be up to 2x lower from the calculated ones.
More on Durisol thermal performance properties here:
https://nexcembuild.com/Webdocs/Durisol ... rmance.pdf
As for acoustics, you use Durisol 250 mm insulated blocks on your external walls with their recommended renders, you can achieve STCs of up to 65, your only problem will be the choosing right windows to match (but ask Werner from Durisol, they also distribute triple glazed Internorm windows from Europe, with the best acoustics and thermal properties you can get on both Australian as well as global markets). I have seen those in action, e.g. I was literally standing behind a huge 2.4 m x 5.6 m stacker door built into Durisol 250 mm wall and shouting as much as I can and the person standing inside approx. 3 meter from the door couldn't here even a glimpse of the sound.
By the way, if you use 150 mm Durisol walls blocks for your internal walls, you will be getting STC of 52+ (vs STC 38 in a studded insulated wall) including all the insulation and breathability/moisture handling properties - you will barely see any moisture in your bathrooms, etc.
Well insulated brick veneer house will be delivering STC of around 55 through external walls, as far as I remember.
In fact, they use Durisol walls for noise cancelling in tunnels and between railroads and residential areas.
There are few dozens of Durisol houses in Australia already, the distributor can also help you with the designs, engineering and advice through all the stages of your build as they are promoting a "fully composite system" helping you out to design a house from your slab to your roof to perform in the high end range both thermally and acoustically. A really customised approach, feels like being in "best houses" club. You can also visit Durisol houses and talk to their owners. When it gets to BASIX, Durisol house with Internorm windows is generally rated at least 9 stars.
By far, they are building/helping to build the best houses you can build in Australia. And from the costs, it is only about 20% add on when comparable to traditional brick veneer with single glazing, etc. and mainly due to the increasing cost of concrete.
If interested, leave me PM and I will connect you directly with Werner who runs the Durisol distribution in Australia, extremely knowledgable gentlemen with old style German engineering background.
There will be several Durisol builds starting in Sydney this year (including my own house in the Upper North Shore), by the way, so you can always visit and talk to the owners, builders, etc.
Hope it helps.
http://durisol.com.au/
https://nexcembuild.com/
It is also ICF, but so much better and much more ecological alternative to poly-ICFs as it is made from the real pine wood.
Truly incredible material properties (by the way, USSR has built its "Molodyozhnaya" station in Antarctica out of solid Durisol blocks):
https://nexcembuild.com/wp-content/uplo ... erties.pdf
Main advantage that Durisol house is "breathable", while foams are barely breathable (as they are not vapour permeable and hygroscopic), and also some of them Australian supplied forms still contain cancerogenic HBCD in them, which is used in EPS as fire retarder (and this is why they were banned in Europe and US and is currently being phased out, https://chemicalwatch.com/16534/end-in- ... rdant-hbcd). The rule of the thumb, if you consider a foam house, strongly consider a mechanical ventilation system for your house.
Durisol provides superb indoor air quality which has been proven by the best academic researchers in this field:
https://nexcembuild.com/indoor-air-quality/
Also, Durisol itself is a "wood concrete", made out of pine, smells like a pine, meaning you can you can nail your pictures, etc. directly into it. In fact, you feel like you are living in a wooden house.
With regard to insulation, poly ICFs do not have much of internal thermal mass as the core is heavily insulated from both inside and outside, while Durisol material is not only an insulator itself, but also carries a decent amount of thermal mass itself, which, when working together with concrete core and insulated from outside (with Rockwool in 250 mm block), significantly multiplies your thermal conductivity properties.
Not even closely comparable to brick veneer with that regard, which also has a strong thermal bridging effect, meaning that real life values can be up to 2x lower from the calculated ones.
More on Durisol thermal performance properties here:
https://nexcembuild.com/Webdocs/Durisol ... rmance.pdf
As for acoustics, you use Durisol 250 mm insulated blocks on your external walls with their recommended renders, you can achieve STCs of up to 65, your only problem will be the choosing right windows to match (but ask Werner from Durisol, they also distribute triple glazed Internorm windows from Europe, with the best acoustics and thermal properties you can get on both Australian as well as global markets). I have seen those in action, e.g. I was literally standing behind a huge 2.4 m x 5.6 m stacker door built into Durisol 250 mm wall and shouting as much as I can and the person standing inside approx. 3 meter from the door couldn't here even a glimpse of the sound.
By the way, if you use 150 mm Durisol walls blocks for your internal walls, you will be getting STC of 52+ (vs STC 38 in a studded insulated wall) including all the insulation and breathability/moisture handling properties - you will barely see any moisture in your bathrooms, etc.
Well insulated brick veneer house will be delivering STC of around 55 through external walls, as far as I remember.
In fact, they use Durisol walls for noise cancelling in tunnels and between railroads and residential areas.
There are few dozens of Durisol houses in Australia already, the distributor can also help you with the designs, engineering and advice through all the stages of your build as they are promoting a "fully composite system" helping you out to design a house from your slab to your roof to perform in the high end range both thermally and acoustically. A really customised approach, feels like being in "best houses" club. You can also visit Durisol houses and talk to their owners. When it gets to BASIX, Durisol house with Internorm windows is generally rated at least 9 stars.
By far, they are building/helping to build the best houses you can build in Australia. And from the costs, it is only about 20% add on when comparable to traditional brick veneer with single glazing, etc. and mainly due to the increasing cost of concrete.
If interested, leave me PM and I will connect you directly with Werner who runs the Durisol distribution in Australia, extremely knowledgable gentlemen with old style German engineering background.
There will be several Durisol builds starting in Sydney this year (including my own house in the Upper North Shore), by the way, so you can always visit and talk to the owners, builders, etc.
Hope it helps.
Hi Alex
I've just had a DA Approved for a knock-down and rebuild my home in Newcastle.
It's currently designed as a brick veneer (rendered) but I've been researching more energy efficient products and came across Durisol/Nexcem and have been speaking with Werner from Durisol in WA.
How did the building of your own home in Durisol go? I hope it went well.
I'd love to have a chat about your experiences if you are open to the idea and have time.
If you have time please shoot me a private message. (I tried to message you but for some reason there's no "send" button appearing).
regards
Harry
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