Polysteel-Selfbuild your house using ICF forms

ICF "INSULATED CONCRETE FORM"

American PolySteel began manufacturing insulating concrete forms in 1978, pioneering and leading an industry that now boasts 50 products and builds thousands of homes each year.

Our nationwide network of trained distributors and builders are recognized as the most professional group of industry representatives in the business. All of our distributors are committed to providing the best customer service and support anywhere.

Today our forms are manufactured using new high-speed presses and molds in state-of-the-art factories. We are recognized for the highest standards of quality control and our exceptional training and technical support methods.

PolySteel continues today, as it did over 25 years ago, to be a pioneer. We are always striving to develop new and more advanced techniques and materials to deliver only the best products and services to our customers.

Construction Overview

Recognized throughout the industry as the company
that set the standard for training and technical
support, American PolySteel is one of the most user-friendly building systems available. Your local distributor can provide you with the field training and support you need to complete almost any project successfully. PolySteel forms are very trade-friendly allowing easy installation of utilities and traditional interior and exterior finishes.

Below is a brief look at 10 of the basic steps to completing a successful project.

1. Footings Install standard (level) footings with rebar placed at the intervals required by your building design, as outlined in the PolySteel User Manual.
	2. Building the Walls Starting with the corners and working toward the middle of the wall, set forms on the footing (or slab) by applying a bead of foam adhesive, such as Enerfoam®, to the bottom of the form. Each subsequent course of forms should be stacked in a running bond (alternating vertical seams) and vertical rebar placed as needed. Horizontal rebar is usually placed every third course.

3. Window/Door Openings Forms are easily cut to accommodate any size and shape of window or door. Window/door "bucks" should be pre-made to rough opening size using dimensional lumber or, more preferably, the VBUCK II® block out system. Window bucks are installed at the proper wall height and forms should be stacked from the corners into the door/window openings and forms cut to size for a good fit. It is also important to remember to create the openings needed for utilities.

	4. Bracing Proper bracing will ensure straight walls. A variety of wood, steel and aluminum bracing systems and techniques are available. We recommend the Reechcraft Panel Jack Alignment System for builders who use PolySteel frequently. All window and door openings are braced and uninterrupted sections of wall are braced every 8 to 10 feet.

5. Placing Concrete After checking the walls and openings for plumb and straight, and proper bracing, concrete is placed in the PolySteel walls, which are fully reinforced with the horizontal and vertical rebar required. Concrete pumps are the preferred method for placement and your PolySteel distributor can help ensure that an experienced crew is on hand

	6. Finishing the Top of the Wall The top of the wall is leveled off (screeded) and anchor bolts are placed to secure the top plate. In high wind areas, anchor bolts would be replaced by hurricane straps placed directly in the concrete.

7. Install Floor/Roof System For intermediate floors, the rim joist is anchored to the PolySteel wall with anchor bolts, and joist hangars are attached in the typical fashion. Steel joist hangars that can be cast directly into the concrete are also available. Install roof trusses as you would in any other construction project.

8. Install Utilities Electrical and plumbing lines fit easily and in accordance with code requirements by simply cutting a channel into the foam and placing the wiring or piping into the wall. For plumbing lines larger than 1-1/2" O.D., you may need to set them in place prior to placing concrete.

	9. Interior/Exterior Finishes Plasterboard can be screwed directly into the PolySteel furring strips for all interior walls. Siding, board and batten, render and brick ties are attached to the strips on the outside which can accommodate any and all wall finishes.

10. Your Dream Come True Whatever you originally imagined, you have now built with PolySteel Forms. You can now be proud to have the most comfortable, most secure, most energy efficient home in the neighborhood!

Benefits

PolySteel's superior comfort and quality attracts buyers who are quality conscious and are interested in other quality upgrades, creating additional profit areas for the builder.More about quality and comfort

PolySteel forms are the most user friendly ICF on the market today. PolySteel's easy installation and superior construction advantages make your projects more profitable.
More about the construction advantages.

PolySteel forms can adapt to virtually any floor plan or architectural style. Bay or arched window openings are easily formed using PolySteel. Even radius or round walls can be created.More about design and flexibility

PolySteel Forms are friendly to the environment, containing no CFCs, HCFCs, formaldehyde, asbestos, or fiberglass and reducing the amount of lumber needed for structures. More about enviroment friendly

Tired of callbacks for sheetrock stress cracks and other settling problems? Due to PolySteel's superior structural strength and durability, homebuilders experience fewer callbacks.More about durability and strength