# Insulated Concrete Forms & Bonding Cement Board



## JohnnyTK (May 4, 2020)

I have a foot of foundation coming out my garage floor that has foam that I would like to cover with cement board and looking for any suggestions on adhesive? As always your input is appreciated.


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## Janger (May 4, 2020)

I've glued plywood to foam and used the PL#XYZ product for foam. Worked fine but you use a hell of a lot of it. Buy the big tubes and don't be cheap on how much you use. I'd spread it out with a trowel too.


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## Brent H (May 4, 2020)

@JohnnyTK : Why the cement board?

For the ICF foundations my method of coverings is as follows : I have a board that is abrasive - basically 1/4" plywood with 5/8" staples shot through to make like a roughing board or wire brush.  You use this to rough up the styrofoam, remove the layer of UV affected stuff and to remove the lines from the ICF blocks so they are smooth.  Then I parge the surface with a ICF parge mix that contains fiberglass strands for a tougher surface.  After the parge application is setting up you can then smooth trowel or scrape it up a bit to give it tooth for applying culture stone or other surfaces like stucco etc.  The parge mix will be fairly durable and you can leave it at that.

My house is all parged and done with culture stone  - the shop I am working on (like 12 years (LOL).  My neighbour is all stucco and I took lessons from the crazy guy who was doing his house 15 years ago - thats where the scrapper comes from - he scrapped all the walls flat and even and then went at it with the over mixes - great job and no cracks.


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## JohnnyTK (May 5, 2020)

Here is what I have to cover for visual reference.


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## Bofobo (May 5, 2020)

pl400 and some (pressure treated) ply wood would likely last quite some time, if not permanently, the issue I would say is anchoring to foam. Can be forcefully removed should be avoided unless the boards should be screwed through the foam into the concrete with concrete specific screws, a typical battery hammer drill will work fine for this. Many, many options. Looks like the place where benches are supposed to be....  where are the benches?


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## Brent H (May 5, 2020)

If you just want to cover instead of parging - each ICF has a screw strip - typically 8 " on center and they will start about 2" down from the top.  They are embedded 1/4 to 1/2" inside the foam so you can affix drywall (required for interior walls fire proofing).  If you just wish to cover, then cut your 1/2" pressure treated ply wood to the correct height and screw it to the foam with coated deck screws into the plastic screw tabs.  Be sure to only screw in until it is tight and do not over torque or the plastic will yield and the screw will spin.  As @Bofobo says you can then add a topper of 2 x to make a ledge for sitting or putting things on.


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## Bofobo (May 5, 2020)

Brent H said:


> If you just want to cover instead of parging - each ICF has a screw strip - typically 8 " on center and they will start about 2" down from the top.  They are embedded 1/4 to 1/2" inside the foam so you can affix drywall (required for interior walls fire proofing).  If you just wish to cover, then cut your 1/2" pressure treated ply wood to the correct height and screw it to the foam with coated deck screws into the plastic screw tabs.  Be sure to only screw in until it is tight and do not over torque or the plastic will yield and the screw will spin.  As @Bofobo says you can then add a topper of 2 x to make a ledge for sitting or putting things on.


Ahhh answers provided!! I wondered about engineered load points in that stuff,


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## JohnnyTK (May 5, 2020)

I was concerned about sparks coming to rest on it when welding.


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## Brent H (May 5, 2020)

@JohnnyTK - you should see what a gas spill does or if the asphalt driveway guys push that stuff up against it - nasty!

You can screw cement board to it if you wish - might add some cost and will not be as impact resistant as the plywood.  If you have kids playing hockey still........LOL     @Bofobo 's suggestion to cap the top is a good one as well.  My shop arrangement is such that cabinets block the ledge (cut out reliefs in the cabinets so they sit back into the wall) and then I have a board on top of the open  ledge that keeps my steel off the cement floor.  Looks nice as well


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