Miscellaneous

Host of HGTV's Fixer to Fabulous, Dave Marrs, and his family are based in Bentonville, Arkansas, an area prone to tornado activity. They have lived through two tornadoes in just the last five years and have experienced first-hand the fear that sets in when winds pick up, the tornado sirens sound and phone alerts go off. In that period, the Marrs family was spared with only some roof and vehicle damage, but others in their community were not so lucky. In talking with Dave about how to protect homes from tornadoes, he shared with us how he recommends building with Insulated Concrete Forms, or ICFs, to keep families safe from these dangerous storms. Learn more about Dave’s experiences with ICFs here and keep reading for a look at our Q&A with Dave Marrs. Q. Having kids, why is it important that a home can withstand extreme weather? Marrs: From my personal experience, it is absolutely necessary to create structures that can withstand extreme weather for anyone you love, especially your kids. Our youngest son, Luke, is still terrified of storms after enduring a tornado. As a dad, I never want my kids to experience that again. Continue reading full blog post here.

Insulated concrete form (ICF) construction enables incredible design versatility, with the blocks available in a variety of shapes and sizes, making them suitable for framing any style of building, from classic to contemporary, commercial to residential, and then finished with any cladding material.But buildings constructed with ICFs are also some of the most energy-efficient structures. With two layers of insulation on either side of the solid concrete wall, a standard-thickness ICF assembly is rated at R-23.59, with options available to achieve up to R-50. The continuous insulation creates an air-tight building envelope that eliminates the thermal bridging commonly associated with wood framing. This insulating power, combined with the thermal mass of the concrete, helps ICF walls regulate the interior temperature and reduce hot and cold drafts.It all adds up to a building that consumes almost 60 percent less energy for heating and cooling than wood-framed structures. This makes ICF construction the perfect solution for net-zero, zero-energy and passive house projects, while also earning LEED credits for energy performance, recycled components and indoor air quality.   Continue reading more here.

Hello, builders, contractors and building officials! In some municipalities there is some question as to if an ICF installer requires a certification (sometimes referred to as a Wallet Card). Well, here’s some good news: according to the key standards for ICFs like ASTM E2634, CAN-ULC 717.1, and even the national building codes, there's no requirement for ICF installers to be certified. That’s right – whether you're working under the guidelines of the IBC for commercial buildings or the NBC and IRC for residential projects, having a certificate in your pocket isn’t required. Let’s explore why this is the case and what it means for your day-to-day work. The Lowdown on ICF Standards and Building Codes First things first, the formal regulations – the prevailing standards that govern ICF construction, and the engineering specs derived under PCA 100, don’t require or even reference certified ICF installers. Even in situations where the IBC calls for special inspections, it’s not exclusive to ICF projects, and these inspections can be carried out by anyone deemed competent, certification or not. Why the Lack of Certification Requirement Makes Sense Keeping Costs in Check Mandatory certifications can drive up expenses and limit the pool of available skilled [...]