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So far Natalie Rodgers has created 61 blog entries.

Optimizing ICF Wall Construction in Cold Weather: Ensuring Optimal Concrete Curing

Are you working with Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) and facing a concrete pour on a cold day? Don’t worry! ICFs provide a significant advantage in maintaining ideal concrete curing temperatures, even in chilly conditions. This guide will take you through the best practices for pouring ICF walls in sub-zero temperatures, ensuring a smooth and successful process.Ensuring Proper Curing of Concrete in Cold Weather The key to successful concrete curing, especially in cold weather, is maintaining the right temperature. Standard practice requires maintaining a concrete mix at a minimum of 10°C (50°F) for at least 3 days or until it reaches 40% of its design strength. ICF walls naturally create an ideal curing environment by insulating the concrete and retaining heat from the hydration process. However, the top of the ICF wall remains exposed and vulnerable to cold weather, which can affect the curing process. Therefore, the primary focus when pouring concrete into ICF walls in cold weather should be on insulating the top of the wall.   Concrete poured into Logix ICF wall on a winter day Effective Insulation Methods for ICF Walls in Cold Weather Thermal Blankets: Utilize high R-Value thermal blankets to cover the top of the wall, [...]

By |2024-03-06T09:05:04-06:00March 6, 2024|Featured, Technical|

Beyond Foundations: Eco-friendly Projects That Benefit from ICFs

Building houses with insulated concrete forms is becoming increasingly popular, as demand for eco-friendly materials rises. Contractors are also realizing the many benefits of ICFs, which are faster to install and take up less space on the jobsite than wood, driving down the cost of labor and other expenses.But did you know that ICFs can also be used for much more than home foundations? The highly versatile material can be custom cut to the shape or radius you specify, making it ideal for a variety of residential, commercial, and industrial projects. Here are just a few of the many innovative examples: Swimming Pools More homeowners are choosing Nudura ICFs for outdoor living projects. Swimming pools are often built in conjunction with custom homes, so it is a natural fit to use ICFs for both. An article posted by ICF Builder Magazine suggested that swimming pools can lose up to 80% of their temperature through the sides and bottom, so building with ICFs will greatly reduce this heat loss due to their continuous insulation. Homeowners can reduce energy costs if they build with ICFs, which provide superior insulation and strength. ICF pools can also be custom made to accommodate any design, making them a great [...]

By |2024-03-06T09:05:35-06:00March 6, 2024|Featured, ICF Projects|

Building Hope and Homes with Quad-Lock ICF: Habitat for Humanity in Gig Harbor WA

In the coastal town of Gig Harbor, Washington, a remarkable project is underway—one that combines the power of community, innovation, and compassion. Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing affordable housing to local families in need, has partnered with Airfoam, among many other groups, to make dreams come true for deserving families. Building Foundations, Building Lives Habitat for Humanity has been a beacon of hope for countless families across the United States and around the world. Founded on the principle that everyone deserves a decent place to live, this organization has been working tirelessly for decades to break the cycle of poverty and provide affordable housing solutions. Airfoam is a company known for its cutting-edge insulating construction technology. Their Quad-Lock Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) provide superior insulation and strength, making them ideal for sustainable and energy-efficient buildings. By teaming up with Habitat for Humanity and leveraging the expertise of Airfoam’s Quad-Lock ICF brings innovation to the forefront of the affordable housing movement. Gig Harbor: A Community of Compassion Gig Harbor, nestled along the Puget Sound, is a place known for its natural beauty and tight-knit community. It’s also a region where the rising cost of living has made it increasingly difficult for [...]

By |2024-03-06T09:06:12-06:00March 6, 2024|Featured, ICF Projects|

Future-Proof Your New Home with ICFs

If you’re building a new home, safety and comfort are typically the top priorities. From there, aesthetics, energy-efficiency, and cost are secondary factors. Therefore, it is critical that your architect and contractor are prioritizing building beyond code and utilizing materials that will ensure the longevity and durability of the structure in any and all weather conditions, making it “future-proof”.For your exterior wall construction, insulated concrete forms (ICFs) can give you this peace of mind and help meet all your safety, comfort, and energy objectives while staying within budget and achieving the curb appeal you desire. Safety and Comfort Whether you’re downsizing, expanding, or moving to a different city, constructing a new home is all about establishing and maintaining a good quality of life for you and your family. Constructing with ICFs is the first step towards this goal. Once installed, ICFs create a wall of solid concrete with continuous insulation on both the interior and exterior of the building. The monolithic concrete core of the ICF walls are extremely strong and enables them to withstand winds up to 250 mph (402 kph). This extreme durability has led ICFs to be the go-to construction material to construct storm shelters and buildings in hurricane- and [...]

By |2024-03-06T09:06:45-06:00March 6, 2024|Featured|

3 Reasons to Build a Disaster-Proof Home

With the severe weather events occurring across North America, it is more important now than ever that you have a house that can stand up to nature’s worst. Whether it’s tornados, wildfires, floods, hurricanes or earthquakes, you want to know that you and your family are safe and protected in your own home.This means making sure your home is built with quality products that can withstand wind, hail, fire, and flying debris. One of the best disaster-resilient building materials on the market are insulated concrete forms (ICFs) from Nudura. ICFs are used instead of traditional wood or steel framing for a structure’s exterior walls to provide superior strength, safety, and durability against extreme weather conditions. It also offers lower utility costs over the lifespan of your home. Here are just some of the reasons to consider building your next home with disaster-resilient ICFs: Fire ProtectionConcrete is tougher and less flammable than wood. Nudura ICF walls, with a concrete core and non-toxic, fire retardant expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam provides a fire protection rating of up to four hours, whereas wood framing is only rated for 45 minutes. So in the event of a fire, you and your family will have more time to safely [...]

By |2024-03-06T09:08:23-06:00March 6, 2024|Featured|
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