Five town homes going up at the corner of Millwood Rd. and Rumsey Rd. reveal an alternative form of construction that has had many area residents asking questions. The Towns of Rumsey are being built by the Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) method. As explained by Don MacDonald of South Hill Homes here in Toronto this concept provides extra solidity to the home plus considerable improvement in heating and acoustical insulation. ICF building features pre-formed interlocking wall sections which create a cavity between them into which concrete is then poured. In the above pictures, we can see concrete being poured into the wall forms extending to the upper floors of the town homes. The concrete cures but the forms stay in place. On the outside they typically receive a layer of bricks to create the finished exterior. Inside, the forms are cut and shaped as needed to accept electrical and plumbing lines. When the utilities are fully installed, the interior walls are finished in the normal fashion and decorated. This alternative method of home construction found its beginning in post-war Europe as a quick way of re-building the vast areas of bombed-out housing. Mr. MacDonald told the South Bayview Bulldog that the Towns of Rumsey will be showing a model home by March or April with homes being sold shortly after that.
