Ryan Mahoney

John C Daley wrote:Is this the product you mentioned , Ryan?
https://www.icfmag.com/2021/07/intro-to-icfs-and-alternative-icfs/

No, those are foam based ICF forms which in my opinion and research are made out of very toxic materials and are not good for health. Just look up Polystyrene foam and think about the potential side effects of being in contact with that type of material for decades.

Here are a couple links to the alternative materials I am talking about:
https://nexcembuild.com/ (this is the one I am using - they are a Canadian company and a larger operation and use what I think is better wood material in their mix)
https://faswall.com/ (this is a US based company and would also be a good option but have longer lead times and have in the past used pallet wood)

Check out this book by George Swanson called "Breathing Walls" (who I am working with) if you want to learn more. The group that is aligned with this type of building is "Bau-Biologie"

https://www.breathingwalls.com/drupal/drupal-5.14/

Have you looked into Nexcem or Faswall blocks which is a type of concrete insulated form made out of fossilized wood mixed with concrete? People build foundations out of these materials. I am actually building my house out of them.

Have you considered Nexcem or Faswall which is a type of insulated concrete form made out of fossilized wood/concrete mix. Its "breathable" and resistant to mold. This is a bit of a hybrid solution in that its not entirely what one would think of natural (straw, cob, etc.), but it does have great thermal mass and health properties which is why I am pursuing. I am building my house in Tennessee right now and just designed my house with this material (Nexcem) with my architect George Swanson who wrote a book called "Breathing Walls" about this style of building. Still a newer material in this area, but there is a high-end architect near Asheville that builds with this material to much success (https://alicedodsonarchitect.com/). This is also DIY friendly material.

Hi Brian, from my understanding there are several down sides to metal in general. One is the condensation issue. If the metal is a different temp than the outdoor/indoor air, condensation can form and that in contact with foam insulation can cause mold if not dried out properly. I have heard that this is an issue with Barndominiums. The second issue is with EMF (electro-magnetic) issues. Some people who are sensitive to electrical would prefer not to be in a metal building where it could somehow have current flowing through it if not properly grounded. However, some people who are electrically sensitive actually do really well in metal buildings (because it can block certain waves). So the primary issue is the condensation issue.

Have you ever considered Nexcem or Faswall bricks. I am actually designing my house right now with an architect named George Swanson, who has a book called "Breathing Walls". He has been discussed in other posts on this forum. These blocks are a type of concrete form that are essentially blocks made up of fossilized wood and concrete and then in the middle you have Rockwool insulation and then you fill it with concrete and reinforce with rebar. This can be a DIY friendly material and has the added benefit of a high-R Value along with being "Breathable". This tends to help greatly with mold issues especially. Also for interior walls you may consider magnesium oxide board instead of traditional drywall, also for mold prevention and a better material.

Happy to discuss more if any of this is of interest to you.