BuildBlock News

The Benefits of ICF Bucking. If you’ve spent any time researching Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs) you probably know a few things. They create walls that are incredibly strong They provide a high R-Value (Check out this story to learn more) They create “tight” structures with low air infiltration They make homes that nearly soundproof As an ICF manufacturer, we tend to focus on all of the benefits. I mean, why not, right? There are so many! And while we believe (and science is proving (https://buildblock.com/performance/) that ICFs are the best way to build, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t challenging

A Small Space Yields Big Results in Idaho  The Wrinkler Residence in Boise, Idaho is described as a high-performance piece of art. Constructed with BuildBlock ICFs and coupled with passive solar capturing devices, this is one of the most energy efficient, comfortable, healthy homes in Boise!  The Project 3,800 square foot home in Idaho 4,500 square footage of ICF used 30 days of ICF installation time Total construction time was 20 weeks Designed by Flynner Homes in Boise, Idaho Project utilizes Reachcraft bracing, vinal bucking, Tufcoat and Mira drain waterproofing, TJI’s floor joists, and Stucco and Hardboard exterior finishes Preparing for Challenges

The BuildBlock Corporate Office, located in Oklahoma City, has relocated to a new office space. Just a mile north of our previous location, BuildBlock is now located in the Boldt Builds Building at 101 West Hefner Road. We are excited to share space with Boldt, an industry leader in construction. 2017 was the most successful year to date for BuildBlock and as we grow, our needs will grow with us. This new office space meets many of the needs our growing company has and will provide us with a beautiful and functional workspace for the coming years, allowing us to

The 2018 Trade Show Season is Here! BuildBlock is excited to once again be represented at these 2018 trade shows; the International Builders Show in Orlando, Florida, and World of Concrete in Las Vegas, Nevada. We will have samples of our extensive product line on display, as well as informational literature and demonstrations. Members of the BuildBlock team will be available to answer any questions and set you on the path to a successful build that is quicker, cleaner, stronger, and more efficient. Learn more about ICFs and see for yourself why BuildBlock is the premier building material for new construction. NAHB

Part Four: Is More Insulation Better? In the previous sections of our deep dive into insulation, we’ve covered the basic types of insulation, discussed the properties of ICFs, and talked about the difference between actual and performance R-value. Now let’s take a look at the wizard behind the curtain, the secret sauce, the ICF MVP… concrete.  Concrete doesn’t really add any R-Value, but what it does is resist changing temperature. It requires a lot of energy to change the temperature of concrete. Think about a concrete sidewalk after a hot summer day. That concrete will radiate heat and is still warm

Part Three: Fun with Foam In the last article, we mentioned that BuildBlock ICFs and most others use about 2.5” of EPS (expanded polystyrene) foam on each side of a concrete core. The concrete core provides the strength and is designed to generally match the construction of standard reinforced concrete wall thicknesses (ACI 318 to be exact). So that explains the concrete, but why 2.5” foam panels? Honestly, there are two reasons. First ICF forms must be able to withstand the pressures created when rebar is added and concrete is first poured into the forms. Most ICFs are 16” tall and