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Troy Emerson, president of W.E. Pour Walls out of Buffalo, Minn., has found a lot of success for his foundation business after adding insulated options. He offers the Thermomass system by Composite Technologies Corp., an extruded polystyrene insulation panel sandwiched between two wythes of concrete. The system is compatible with cast-in-place concrete, tilt-up and precast walls.

Emerson started using this insulation system mainly because it integrated well with his aluminum forms without thermal bridging. "I saw how ICF was growing and how other systems out there were competing with the poured wall, and I figured if I didn't get into something now my company wouldn't be around in the future," Emerson explains. "Thermomass has allowed my company to be out in the forefront, allowed me to be different than my competition. It has given me a huge edge."

In 2005, the first year Emerson offered Thermomass walls, 5 percent of the walls he built were insulated. The second year that number jumped to 15 percent, and this year he predicts he'll perform 60,000 to 80,000 sq. ft. of insulated walls, or about 25 percent of his foundation business. Next year he hopes half his foundations will be insulated.

Emerson works hard to market his insulated wall options. He goes to home shows and has created a 40-page booklet about his insulated wall system that he goes through with clients. "I've found that my competitors can do insulated poured walls too, but they don't know how the system works, how it's put together. My marketing allows me to be in the forefront," Emerson explains. "The marketing is key for a successful business in construction. Everyone is so oriented on the lowest price, but this allows people who are marketing-oriented to get into another market. I'm a poured wall contractor, but I'm also an energy efficient poured wall contractor."

ICFs
Concrete contractors can choose from dozens of ICF manufacturers. The systems generally consist of two pieces of polystyrene foam connected by a plastic or steel tie. Some systems come pre-assembled, others are assembled in the field. Corner blocks, bucks and deck forms are available with many of the systems.