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Q: What are
Insulating Concrete Forms?
Q: How does the homeowner benefit from this
type of construction?
Q: What are the design possibilities and/or
limitations with ECO-Block?
Q: Does it cost more to build this way?
Q: Is ECO-Block a difficult system for a builder
to learn?
Q: How much money can I expect to save on my
utility bills?
Q: How well do ECO-Block walls hold up in a
fire?
Q: What is the average R-value of ICF walls?
Q: Won’t the foam burn or give off harmful
emissions?
Q: What about comfort?
Q: How do ECO-Block homes resist tornado and
hurricane-force winds?
Q: How popular is this building technique?
Q: Who can build ECO-Block homes in my area?
Q: Is this building technique approved by code
organizations?
Q: Can ECO-Block homes be built in earthquake
areas?
Q: Why is ECO-Block considered an environmentally
friendly method of building?
Q: Is it difficult for subcontractors to work
with this material?
Q: Can ECO-Block be used for tilt-up applications?
Q: Can termites eat through the foam in an
ECO-Block wall?
Q: Will it take longer to build my home with
ECO-Block?
Q: Do I need an engineer to review my building
plans?
Q: Can radius and angled walls be constructed
with ECO-Block ICFs?
Q: Can I leave ECO-Block exposed to ultraviolet
rays for extended periods of time?
Q: When building with ECO-Block, will mold
and mildew in my new building be a problem?
Q: How can I obtain more information on the
ECO-Block ICF building system?
Q: What are Insulating Concrete
Forms?
A: Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs) are hollow blocks or panels
made of EPS (expanded polystyrene) plastic foam that construction crews
stack into the shape of the exterior walls of a residential or commercial
building. Workers then add reinforcing steel and fill the gap (typically
4” to 8”) between the two layers of foam with concrete,
which cures and hardens into a monolithic core. The foam panel stays
in place. This combination of concrete, steel and foam creates
an incredibly strong and energy-efficient structure.
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Q: How does the homeowner benefit from
this type of construction?
A: Homes built with ICFs offer resistance to natural disasters
such as tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, fires and floods. An ECO-Block
home can dramatically reduce heating and cooling bills, plus provide
an exceptionally comfortable and quiet indoor environment.
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Q: What are the design possibilities and/or
limitations with ECO-Block?
A: Today’s concrete homes can be created with virtually
any design or architectural feature. ECO-Block has furring strips every
8” imbedded in the panel to allow attachment of any finish —
such as wood or aluminum siding, brick, stucco and stone on the exterior,
and drywall or plaster on the interior. The result is a home that looks
like any other structure in the neighborhood but has all the benefits
of solid concrete construction.
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Q: Does it cost more to build this way?
A: Typically, a home built with ICFs will cost slightly more than
a comparable wood-frame home. However, much or all of this cost can
be recouped through significantly lower utility and energy bills, insurance
savings and downsizing of heating and cooling equipment. An experienced
ICF contractor may be able to further reduce the costs of construction.
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Q: Is ECO-Block a difficult system for
a builder to learn?
A: Conventional homebuilding crews adapt easily to ICF construction.
Most of the work involved draws on standard carpentry skills and tools. The
foam forms are lightweight, and power equipment moves the concrete.
Learn about tax incentives in the Energy
Policy Act of 2005 >>
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Q: How much money can I expect to save
on my utility bills?
A: A study commissioned by the Portland Cement Association concluded
that homes built with ICF exterior walls offer up to a 50 percent savings
for heating and cooling costs over comparable wood-frame houses. This
means that a typical 2,450-square-foot home in the United States can
save approximately $200 in heating costs and $65 in air conditioning
each year. The larger the house, the larger the potential savings. Some
homes are realizing $1,000s per year in savings!
Read customer testimony >>
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Q: How well do ECO-Block walls hold up
in a fire?
A: Experience shows that concrete structures are far more likely
to remain standing through fire than are structures built of other materials.
Concrete does not break down until it is exposed to thousands of degrees
Fahrenheit — far hotter than a typical house fire. In “firewall”
tests, ECO-Block walls were subjected to continuous gas flames and temperatures
of up to 2,000°F for as long as four hours. None of the ICF walls
ever failed structurally, in contrast to wood-frame walls, which typically
collapse in one hour or less.
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Q: What is the average R-value of ICF walls?
A: Walls made of ICFs perform, on average, like a wood-frame wall
constructed with R-30 insulation. But that’s not the whole story.
The equivalent R-value performance of ICFs consists of three factors.
First is the R-value of the expanded polystyrene. Second, the thermal
stability of massive concrete walls reduces the temperature fluctuations
and, consequently, the heat load requirements that are images to wood-frame
buildings. Finally, air leakage (infiltration) can account for 20 to
40 percent of the heat load requirements of a wood-frame building. ICFs
eliminate this air infiltration through the wall assembly. As a result,
with the combined performance of the R-value of the expanded polystyrene,
the stabilizing effects of the thermal mass of the concrete, and the
reduced air infiltration, ICF walls actually perform as high as R-40
— or more in some areas of the country.
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Q: Won’t the foam burn or give off
harmful emissions?
A: The foams in ICFs are manufactured with flame-retardant additives.
The National Research Council reviewed the numerous existing studies
of fire emissions and concluded that the emissions from polystyrene
foams are no more toxic than those of typical softwoods used in home
construction.
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Q: What about comfort?
A: Concrete walls built with ICFs effectively buffer a house’s
interior from the outdoors. The thick ICF sandwich of a massive material
(concrete) with a light one (foam) sharply cuts fluctuations in temperature,
air infiltration and noise. ICFs keep the inside more comfortable and
less drafty than ordinary wood-frame walls. With regard to noise, studies
have shown that compared to a typical wood-frame house, only about one-third
as much sound penetrates an ICF wall.
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Q: How do ECO-Block homes resist
tornado and hurricane-force winds?
A: Debris driven by high winds presents the greatest hazard to homeowners and their property during tornadoes and hurricanes. Recent laboratory testing at Texas Tech University compared the impact resistance of residential concrete wall construction to conventionally framed walls.
Only concrete wall systems, such as ICFs and concrete masonry, successfully
demonstrated the strength and mass to resist the impact of wind-driven
debris. The wood-frame walls failed to stop the penetration of airborne
hazards.
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Q: How popular is this building technique?
A: ICF construction continues to grow at an impressive rate. It
is estimated that in 1998, nearly 20,000 homes in the U.S. were constructed
with ICFs. It is anticipated that soon more than 100,000 homes will
be built annually with ICF exterior walls.
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Q: Who can build ECO-Block homes in my
area?
A: Virtually every part of the country now boasts ICF homebuilders.
For information on finding a contractor in your area, contact your ECO-Block
Regional Manager, the ECO-Block corporate office at 1-800-595-0820,
or your local concrete promotion association.
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Q: Is this building technique approved
by code organizations?
A: Yes. Every major code organization in the United States and
Canada has accepted this construction technique. ICF homebuilding has
proven successful in every region and climate. The 2000 and 2003 International
Residential Codes have a section on ICF construction.
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Q: Can ECO-Block homes be built in earthquake
areas?
A: Yes. If properly reinforced, an ICF home can provide significant
protection during earthquakes. If you live in an earthquake zone, you
should consult a structural engineer to determine what the reinforcement
requirements are in your area.
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Q: Why is ECO-Block considered an environmentally
friendly method of building?
A: In a building’s life cycle (from construction to demolition),
the greatest ecological impact is the amount of fuel needed to heat
and cool the home. Insulating Concrete Homes are a preferred environmental
choice because of significant savings in natural resources needed to
maintain a comfortable temperature.
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Q: Is it difficult for subcontractors
to work with this material?
A: No. Subcontractors — such as electricians, plumbers and
drywallers — can easily adapt to working in a house with ICF walls.
Once they are familiar with the product, many tradespeople actually
find it easier than working on a wood-frame home.
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Q: Can ECO-Block be used for tilt-up applications?
A: Yes. The ECO-Block system for insulating tilt-up concrete
panels offers the speed of tilt-up construction with the benefits of
an ICF wall. After setting the panels in the form, you install
reinforcement and embeds, and place the concrete. Once the concrete
achieves the specified strength, the wall is lifted in place and screw-ties
directly to the web system on the panel. For each additional inch
of concrete penetration, attach 1” extensions to the web.
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Q: Can termites eat through the foam in
an ECO-Block wall?
A: Expanded polystyrene (EPS) has no nutritive value to insects, including termites. If left exposed and untreated, they may attempt to nest in the EPS foam. Foam is approved for use below grade, as well as above grade, by all building codes as long as “an approved method” of protecting the foam plastic and structure from termite damage is provided. Deciding what constitutes an approved method, however, is left to local code officials.
One measure agreed upon by all parties is the need for a minimum 6” bare concrete inspection strip at grade level. This is required if foam is used below grade or only above grade. This is extremely easy to accomplish with ECO-Block, since it is a panelized system. A 6” horizontal strip of EPS is cut out to allow the formation of a solid concrete barrier at grade. This creates a solid concrete barrier, forcing the termite to the outside of the foam where it is visible.
Additional steps, together or separately, may meet the “approved method” requirements:
- Protect the foam with a termite barrier made from stainless steel mesh.
- Install “bait systems” on exposed concrete strips or treat the soil as usual.
- Treat footings and backfill with termiticides.
- Eliminate as much wood in the structure as possible by using steel and plastic replacements.
Remember, in a solid concrete home there is little to eat. The concrete
also acts as a solid barrier to termite infestation inside the home.
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Q: Will it take longer to build my home
with ECO-Block?
A: Experienced ICF crews report that building ICF homes can actually
take less time than using wood-frame construction. The ICF construction
method eliminates several steps — such as sheathing and insulating
the exterior walls — that are necessary with wood-frame construction.
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Q: Do I need an engineer to review my
building plans?
A: Residential steel reinforcement for Insulating Concrete Forms
is covered in Sections R611 of the IRC 2000, 2003 codes. A contractor
can use the prescriptive charts to determine the requirements for most
residential construction in Seismic Zones A&B, with some additional
parameters in C&D. Home designs that fall outside of the parameters
(e.g. extra-tall walls, large openings) require an engineer to
review the plans. They will ensure that your construction project meets
local code requirements as well as ensure proper design loads for hurricanes,
earthquakes and other natural environmental conditions. Commercial
buildings generally require engineering.
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Q: Can radius and angled walls be constructed
with ECO-Block ICFs?
A: Pre-formed 90 and 45-degree corners are available to speed
construction since they are the most imagesly used corner angles. Radius
walls are easily constructed by miter-cutting the form at the proper
angle and using foam to join the edges. See the installation
manual for more information.
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Q: Can I leave ECO-Block exposed to ultraviolet
rays for extended periods of time?
A: Exposure of up to a year should not pose a serious problem. However,
a light oxidation layer will develop on the surface of the forms after
extended periods of exposure. This oxidation does not indicate
any detrimental effects to the wall form. However, if the proposed finish
is to be stucco (or another hard-coat material), it requires the oxidized
layer to be brushed away to provide a clean bonding surface.
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Q: When building with ECO-Block, will
mold and mildew in my new building be a problem?
A: ECO-Block ICFs can significantly contribute to a mold-free
environment due to the inorganic nature of the material. They also create
a very tight building envelope, reducing unintentional air infiltration.
In high-humidity environments, interior moisture should then be controlled
through the use of spot removal (e.g., bathroom fans) and properly sized
air conditioning units that will cycle on long enough to dehumidify
the air.
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Q: How can I obtain more information on
the ECO-Block ICF building system?
A: Simply call us at our toll-free number, 1-800-503-0901x 210 (in
the United States), 1-800-479-1066 (in Canada), or e-mail us at info@eco-block.com. You
can also submit a question via our contact
page.
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