Featured Project: Stid Hill House

On February 13, 2020   /   BuildBlock Projects  
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ICFs in the Finger Lakes: Maximum Energy Savings, Minimum Maintenance, and Extra Protection Completed in May of 2019, this featured project is the Stid Hill House. Built by Victor Logan in the heart of the New York Finger Lakes region, and has been recognized at the 2020 ICF Builder Awards in the category of Small Residential. Designed by Logan’s wife and daughter, this house serves as a retirement home for his mother. The goal of this project was to build a house that can offer maximum energy savings with minimal maintenance and extra protection from the often-harsh environment. With energy

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Strength in the Storm: The Florida Beach House

On March 1, 2019   /   BuildBlock Projects  
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Florida Beach House

The Florida Beach House Proves How Strong, Efficient, and Beautiful an ICF Home Can Be The ICF industry hangs its hat on a few defining benefits; energy efficiency, ease of construction, and disaster resistance. While we never hope that your home comes in contact with any kind of disaster (natural or otherwise) it is always encouraging to see our structures live up to the benefits we so proudly proclaim. The Florida Beach House is a shining example of just how strong and resilient ICF structures are as it survived a direct hit from Hurricane Irma. The design and strength of

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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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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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BuildBlock IRC-IBC Code Compliance Research Report Updated

On March 3, 2016   /   BuildBlock News, Technical  
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BuildBlock's Compliance Codes

BuildBlock IRC-IBC code compliance research report updated from Intertek Research Report (IRR-1003) to the new Code Compliance Research Report CCRR-1003. After Intertek and ATI completed their corporate merger, the IRR and CCRR reports were also merged.  BuildBlock IRC-IBC Code Compliance Research Report updated to reflect compliance with new codes and standards. BuildBlock’s new code compliance research report number is CCRR-1003 and will now be displayed on all products labels. This new verification is one of the most trusted ETL marks in North America. The Code Compliance Research Report ensures that BuildBlock products comply with the 2015 International Residential Code and the International Building Code product standards. Currently BuildBlock has

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White Paper- ICFs Offer Shelter From the Storm

On February 22, 2016   /   Asked & Answered, BuildBlock News, White Papers & Research  
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ICFs Offer Shelter From the Storm News of natural disasters appear almost daily in the media. While some events, such as floods and earthquakes, are restricted within certain geographic regions, wind storms respect no such bounds. Some areas of the country are more prone to tornadoes or hurricanes, but high wind gusts can hit anywhere. The potential for hurricane damage increases as more and more people willingly accept or ignore the associated risk of living in coastal areas. Yet, year after year, houses are demolished, and people lose their lives. The challenge is to rebuild in a way that will

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Asked & Answered: ICF Myths, Half-Truths, and Misconceptions

On October 7, 2015   /   Asked & Answered  
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Asked-&-Answered

  Separate fact from fiction and dispel ICF Myths, Half-Truths, and Misconceptions. ICFs are too expensive… ICFs cost 3%-7% more on average compared to using traditional wood construction. This difference can be reduced by smaller HVAC requirements, energy-efficiency tax breaks, and lower utility bills. ICFs are too complicated to use… Building with ICFs is like any other technology. Make sure your ICF installer is well trained and is familiar with the product. ICFs, in general, are simple enough for DIY and even simpler than building with wood. I can get the same efficiency with wood… Wood structures can be built

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White Paper: The ICF Effect

On October 1, 2015   /   BuildBlock News, White Papers & Research  
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Continuous R-Value, reduced air infiltration and thermal mass all make up the ICF Effect New energy codes, higher fuel prices, and colder winters have all contributed to an increased awareness of energy efficient construction. For consumers and builders, this means a stronger focus on increased “R-value” of the building envelope. Understanding the history of code prescribed R-value will give perspective of this measurement as it is used today. Prior to the oil crisis in the 1970’s, energy was cheap and little focus was placed on insulation, as evidenced by the lack of any insulation in “midcentury” homes. The skyrocketing fuel prices triggered a

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