The Now Newspaper discusses Fastfoot®

FINE FORM ... Fastfoot's Rick Fearn doesn't have to tell client Danny Epp about the benefits of Fastfoot. Photo: Brian Howell

Nov 10th 2004

FASTFOOT® SEEKS FOOTHOLD

By Ted Colley
Staff Reporter

Sometimes Surrey businessman Rick Fearn feels like he's beating his head against a concrete wall, a wall formed with lumber.

Fearn's company, Fab-Form Industries, develops and markets a fabric-forming system called Fastfoot that he says is cheaper and easier to use than the traditional lumber forms utilized by the construction industry.

Lumber is expensive and conventional concrete forms are labour-intensive; a lot of time is needed to build them, strip them once the concrete is poured and set and clean the lumber after stripping. Add to that the cost of transporting the heavy lumber from job to job and the lightweight, compact and comparatively inexpensive fabric forming material produced by Fab-Form would appear to be a winner.

The fabric forms are secured along the edge with 2x4 "kickers" and supported by reusable steel yokes. After the concrete has set, the 2x4s and yokes are removed, leaving the fabric in place between the ground and the footing, adding yet another advantage to the Fab-Form system - waterproofing.

With conventional forms, the footings rest on earth. Any water that collects around them is wicked up into the concrete, resulting in damp basements. The Fastfoot poly fabric is coated to prevent water penetration.

"Once the footings are poured, the fabric stays in place and provides a membrane against water penetration, or rising damp," Fearn explained.

The Fastfoot system has found a place in commercial construction but, despite its obvious advantages, residential builders have been slow to adopt it.

"There's been a lot of resistance from residential contractors. It's a conservative industry and they're saying their forming contractors don't want to change," Fearn said.

Fearn concedes the cost savings are greater on commercial projects, compared to residential construction, but notes there's still the quality advantage of waterproof footings to consider.

"It prevents dampness in basements and crawl spaces and the problems that go with that like mildew and mold."

Another Fab-Form innovation is getting plenty of notice from the construction industry, however. Fast-Tube is fabric tubing used to pour concrete pillars. It, too, has significant advantages over the conventional material - cardboard tubing.

"With cardboard, they can't install it until the day of the pour. If they set it up beforehand and it rains, it turns to mush. It doesn't have any strength," Fearn said.

Fast-Tube is a similar material to Fastfoot, only stronger. It comes in 120 foot rolls, allowing contractors to cut the precise length they need and reducing waste. Cardboard tubing comes in standard lengths and there's often significant waste if the job doesn't call for columns matching those standards.

Fast-Tube is easy to install and, because of the fluid dynamics of concrete, forms a perfect cylinder with every pour.

"This has really good market acceptance. We're finally making money with this one," Fearn said.

Fearn spent years as a residential contractor, so he knows the business. He's visibly frustrated at Fastfoot's lack of acceptance so far, but he's confident its day will come.

"I have a background in construction and I know this is simply a better product."

Fab-Form's website can be found at www.fab-form.com.