Benefits

BuildBlock ICF Forms install quickly and easily with no need for special tools. Here's a comprehensive list of our features and benefits.

Here are the many advantages BuildBlock forms have over other manufacturers’ products:

1. Fully Reversible

BUILDBLOCK insulated concrete forms are 100% reversible while the vast majority of all ICFs are non-reversible or only partly reversible. This means when you pick up a BuildBlock ICF block you don’t waste your time determining if the ICF needs to be turned up or down or left or right to be installed. With a reversible block like BuildBlock, it always fits no matter which way you turn it. When it comes to corners, one BuildBlock corner is the same for right or left applications. Non-reversible forms come in left and right hand corners which create several disadvantages. First, there will be times when you have picked up the wrong corner and will have to put it down and search for the right one. This can waste valuable time and be quite frustrating. Our distributors tell us they can’t count the times when they’ve picked up the wrong corner with other manufacturers' forms and marched to the far end of an installation only to find they needed the other hand corner. This happens time and time again during most installations. Second, when you get to the last course there is a good chance you will have the wrong corners (left or right) remaining. The waste factor for a fully reversible form can be as little as 1 or 2%, while waste factors of 5% or more are common with non-reversible forms. When using products other than BuildBlock, you must take this into account as well as the extra cost for the extra product needed to do the job.


2. Corner Blocks

BUILDBLOCK 90° and 45° corner insulated concrete forms are 6" longer on each leg than the industry standard. One of the many advantages this gives to our product is shorter offsets that get you past the crucial short offset. This eliminates many hours of extra corner bracing, and extra strapping. The longer corner blocks prevent corner pullout and head joints from opening up leaving you with a wall that isn’t plumb or straight. When corners pull out this can typically lead to blowouts which are common in the industry among other forms. The extended corner form significantly reduces corner shifting and enhances the overall stability of every pour. Our customers have commented time and again the time savings this one feature has benefited them. On a 4 to 5 day job this can amount to a full day’s savings in labor costs. Until you experience it you will never know how good it gets.


3. Numbered and Marked Cut Lines

BUILDBLOCK insulated concrete forms have horizontal and vertical cut lines on both sides of the block which allow for much faster and more efficient installation times. The ability to pick a horizontal line for your window and door headers saves countless time in the field. No need for a level to mark a level line to cut on. There is no longer a need to measure your vertical cuts. Simply note the measurement number on the block and cut on its line for a custom cut piece that fits every time. It just gets better and better.


4. Horizontal Connections

BUILDBLOCK is not a tongue-and-groove or shiplap-style insulated concrete form. There are a few brands of insulated concrete forms on the market that still use the "old school" technology. They are much inferior to modern forms since tongue-and-groove blocks don’t have interlocking nubs. This causes other forms to be more material and labor intensive (including using excessive amounts of glue, strapping tape, zip-ties, form lock, bracing and crew training). BuildBlock’s 1-inch repeating pattern and its molded cut lines pre-align the installation of our blocks and eliminate block alignment issues that other forms create. This eliminates block misalignment and the built in furring strips from not lining up. Giving you a better job every time. Just wait till you have to explain to your sheet rockers why the furring strips don’t line up with the use of older style forms. This self alignment of BuildBlock forms solves all these headaches and many more. And as a bonus this reduces the need for glue and other methods of holding the blocks together. Waste on every project is further reduced to the bare minimum.


5. Half Height Cutting

BUILDBLOCK insulated concrete forms are easily cut in half to make half height blocks. With BuildBlock's unique web design, the half height form needs no additional bracing. This allows for special height walls without wasting half a block or more on each cut. Use both halves thus eliminating the waste and the extra cuts needed with other forms. This also eliminates the need to order special height forms with other systems (if they make them). Also, the built-in rebar scallops on the inside of the web will hold your rebar in place.


6. Block Bonding

BUILDBLOCK insulated concrete forms bond out to even and odd inches from outside to outside and inside to outside corners. They also have a minimum bump factor of ½-inch when necessary. Of all ICFs in the industry today that have interlocking nubs, most of them have a bump factor of 1 inch or more. (Some forms have up to a 6-inch bump factor.) BuildBlock's ½-inch bump factor transforms into less waste on every project as well as walls that match the floor plans of your designs. Another great benefit of BuildBlock’s interlocking connections is the self-draining nature of the design. When it rains water doesn’t stay in the connections like it can with other forms. And in freezing weather, there’s no water to freeze keeping you from stacking the next day until everything thaws.


7. Tie Web Spacing/Attach Points

BUILDBLOCK insulated concrete forms have web spacing on 6-inch centers. This is so very important to you, the owner and/or installer. Most products come with 8 to 12 inch spacing on the webs. This is a cost-cutting feature and as a result reduces the over all performance and quality of the project. BuildBlock's 6-inch spacing eliminates the scallop effect of the concrete pressure distorting the blocks on the outside during the pour. It reduces the chance of any blowouts as well. Having two extra furring strips per block per side (which are part of each web) give sheet rockers more attachment points to fasten to. Webs are expensive and having two more webs in our forms give you the most value-added product on the market. All furring strips are 15" tall by 1½" wide per 16" course and have two distinctive marked (sweet) spots on each furring strip at 8 inch centers vertically and 6 inch centers horizontally. Marked with a "BB," these spots have a screw pull out strength that is roughly equivalent to wood or structural steel studs (close to 500lbs). Deeper “snap-in” re-bar saddles accommodate two #5 re-bar and the patented corner tie is 6" x 6" wide and 2.5” tall for simplified corner attachments. All ties or furring strips are recessed ½-inch to allow stucco or EFIS applications as approved by the manufacturers.