BuildBlock Projects Recognized at the 2018 ICF Builder Awards

On February 2, 2018   /   BuildBlock News, BuildBlock Projects  
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Each year, dozens of ICF projects from all over the country are submitted to the ICF Builder Awards. This year was extremely competitive and BuildBlock is proud to have 3 projects recognized at the 2018 ceremony. These homes go above and beyond the already high standards of ICF construction. They are complicated builds that maximize the benefits of ICFs and are constructed with precision and great attention to detail.  The Drew Castle – 1st Runner-Up – Unlimited Residential The Drew Castle is a project that we’ve actively followed for several years. Located in eastern Michigan, this massive home is over 10,000 square

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BuildBlock Installation Video Series: Plan Review

On August 8, 2016   /   Video  
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Plan Review

The BuildBlock ICF Plan Review gives you a great start in preparing for your ICF project. In the third installment of our Installation Video Series we’ll cover the plan review process. This video lays out much of the information you’ll need to consider before you start stacking blocks. When reviewing your plan for ICF construction you’ll need to keep several things in mind. We’ll discuss wall placement best practices, how to adjust openings, reinforcement requirements,  planning for service penetrations, and much more.  This video is intended to help you have a basic understanding of the steps you need to consider before building your

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BuildBlock Installation Video Series: Site Review

On August 8, 2016   /   Video  
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Site Review

The BuildBlock ICF Site Review gives you a great start in preparing for your ICF project. In this episode of our Installation Video Series we’ll cover one of the most important first steps for your project; site review.  This video talks about the building site and things you need to consider before building your ICF home. Topics include solar gain, aesthetics, water runoff and drainage, elevation footings and more. Knowing how much solar gain you will have on your structure is important when planning where to put your home. The amount of heat from the sun on your structure will help

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BuildBlock Installation Video Series: ICF Construction Overview

On August 8, 2016   /   Video  
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Construction Overview

The BuildBlock ICF Construction Overview gives you a great start in preparing for your ICF project. Welcome to the BuildBlock Installation Video Series ICF Construction Overview. The videos in this series are intended to cover the entire ICF construction process with important topics, tips, and techniques. This video covers many of the important steps you need to be aware of before beginning your BuildBlock ICF project. These steps include site review, solar gain, drainage, aesthetics, elevation and prevailing winds. These videos will hopefully make your project easier. Stay tuned as we’ll be publishing more steps in the building process in the coming weeks. The

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Building a BuildBlock ICF Basement

On August 8, 2016   /   Video  
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Basement

BuildBlock ICF forms are ideal for building a solid, dry, energy efficient ICF basement. This video in the BuildBlock Insulating Concrete Forms Installer Series takes you through a pre-prour review of an ICF basement. We’ll demonstrate wall stacking strategies for your basement and/or first floor walls. See each step with tips and suggestions for your project. . Basements built with ICFs are not just inexpensive space for heating systems, water heaters and laundry tubs but can also become recreation areas, Hobby rooms, offices or extra bedrooms. Because of the high efficiency of the thermal mass your basement will feel warm in

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Introduction to BuildBlock ICFs

On August 8, 2016   /   BuildBlock Products, Video  
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Product Overview

The BuildBlock ICFs Product Family is perfect for your project. Get to know the amazing products that BuildBlock ICFs has to offer in this comprehensive video. ICFs are simply an insulated form for concrete that stays in place after pouring. They provide superior insulation and stand up incredibly well to natural disasters. This video starts with a general overview of how BuildBlocks’ forms work and then takes a look at our versatile catalog of products. BuildBlock offers forms in a variety of shapes and sizes to accommodate any design. And with an array of accessories for bracing, waterproofing, flooring and more, BuildBlock is

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Mannan Home achieves a HERS Rating of 39

On June 27, 2016   /   BuildBlock News, BuildBlock Projects  
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The Mannan Home was built to be energy efficient with the use of BuildBlock ICFs. The Mannan Home was built using three rating systems:  The local utility’s REMC Touchstone Energy standard, The Energy Star Five Star + standard and the NAHB Gold Standard. The home achieved a HERS rating of 39 and was the most efficient structure built in Indiana under the Touchstone program in 2008. About the Project This project was designed and constructed with the mainstreaming of ICF technology in mind. The realization that the use of ICFs would not interfere with interior or exterior finishes and can be integrated

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Energy Efficient BuildBlock Vineyard House Project

On June 27, 2016   /   BuildBlock News, BuildBlock Projects  
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The Energy Efficient BuildBlock Vineyard House in Paw Paw, Michigan has caught the attention of many around the country and has improved the opinion of ICFs in the state. This attention came from the low cost, the design, and the sheer beauty of this sustainable home. All of these features are not the usual factors that someone might think of when considering a home with this extraordinary level of sustainability. You can’t tell by looking at it but this house is made of ICFs, with 4kw of Photovoltaics, geothermal units, concrete flooring, and much more. The design of this home is one that the

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White Paper: Cement Fiber Board Installation

On May 12, 2016   /   BuildBlock News, White Papers & Research  
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“Lap siding is a popular exterior finish for both residential and commercial ICF jobs.  Cement-board siding is particularly popular, due to its durability, ease of installation and fire-resistant qualities. “ Clark Ricks, ICF Builder Magazine (http://www.icfmag.com/how-to/ht_exterior_finishes.html) Installing Cement Fiber Board siding over an ICF is becoming more prevalent. There is little instruction from the siding or backer board manufacturers, due to the variations among ICF blocks. BuildBlock Building Systems offers three different block styles. BuildBlock and BuildLock are similar and will be treated together. GlobalBlock has a much different attachment system and will be described separately. The starting point for

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Footing to Wall Connections

On May 6, 2016   /   Asked & Answered, BuildBlock News, White Papers & Research  
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Footing to Wall Connections The connection between the footing and an ICF wall is very important. Too often, this connection is omitted from the discussion about reinforcing an ICF wall. There are a number of factors that have to be taken into account. These include the wind loads, exposure categories and seismic zones. The typical connections between the footing and the ICF wall are either a keyway or dowels. Keyways are made by setting a 2×4 into the top of the footing when it is being poured, and floating the concrete flush with the top of the board. When this is removed, it leaves

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