![]() A contractor that has already built four or five homes with ICF will have the knowledge and crew capable of getting your home built swiftly and economically. If the contractor you use has never worked with ICF before, Fox Blocks offers free primary installer training classes and a wealth of technical documentation and videos. One of the keys to keeping an ICF home cost reasonable is to partner with a professional that knows how to build with ICF. When you couple that with lower maintenance costs and often lower insurance premiums, ICF homes start to make a lot of economical sense. This results in cheaper HVAC equipment and lower energy bills for the entirety of the home’s life. ICF homes are so energy-efficient that the HVAC system has to run less often and can actually be downsized. ![]() Solid, lasting construction requires superior quality, and that is exactly what ICFs do. ICF concrete forms do a better job than their outdated counterparts. You can purchase ICF concrete forms online or directly from a construction warehouse or manufacturer. While the larger amount of higher grade materials adds to the cost, ICF blocks are so easy to work with that the labor savings are substantial and will help offset the material cost.Īn ICF home may cost a bit more, but you’ll end up with a much stronger structure that costs substantially less to operate. In the North American market, ICFs usually cost around 6 per square foot. ICF homes actually use more and better materials when building the home. In today's cost fluctuating building material marketing, an ICF home built by an experienced ICF contractor typically may cost about 3% to 5% more than a conventionally built wood framed home to meet the new energy codes. How does a better constructed home and a high percentage reduction in energy bills sound to you?īuilding with ICFs creates a high-performance home and cost wise should not be compared to a minimum code built home with 2x4 wood-framing. On average, the monthly utility cost for a wood-frame house is $0.10 per square foot, whereas the average ICF home costs only $0.03 per square foot. With the thermal mass, airtightness, and high R-value of the ICF blocks, these homes cost significantly less to operate. Because of their resilience, many insurance providers give discounts for ICF homes.Īrguably the biggest benefit of ICF construction is the energy efficiency that ICF construction provides to a home. ICF homes are also naturally termite-resistant. ![]() ICF homes are more resilient to natural disasters including hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, and any other extreme weather events. Steel-reinforced concrete is incredibly strong and reliable. Some of the most impressive structures in the world are built from steel-reinforced concrete, and that’s no coincidence. In an ICF home, you’ll find a lot less noise making its way inside. All of that concrete and foam helps to dampen any sounds from outside. The steel-reinforced concrete inside the ICF blocks adds a lot of mass to your home’s exterior walls. ICF construction helps moderate swings in temperature in order to keep the entire home at a more constant, comfortable temperature. ![]() You might also have to constantly adjust the thermostat to keep your house comfortable. With other methods of construction that lack the thermal mass and high insulation properties of ICF, exterior rooms might feel hot or cold depending on the weather outside. ICF homes are so well insulated or “tight”, that they maintain a much more comfortable temperature and level of humidity. Here are some of the most prominent attributes of an ICF home: Upon closer inspection, you’ll see where ICF really shines through. Fox Blocks is a User friendly product, easy to install, flexible in design and reduces on-site waste.At first glance, an ICF home may look identical to a conventionally built wood-frame home.For waterproofing and termite protection, Fox Blocks recommends Polyguard Products, Inc. Fox Blocks lacks organic materials (food of choice of termites), which makes them less prone to termite damage.Fire-resistant Fox Blocks produce a fire-resistance rating (ASTM E119) of 4 hours for the 6-inch blocks and 2 hours for the 4-inch blocks.Fox Blocks achieve a Sound Transmission Classification (ASTM E90) of 4-inch=STC 46, 6- and 8-inch = STC 50+.Disaster-resistant Fox Blocks with steel-reinforced concrete can withstand tornado and hurricane winds of over 200 MPH, and projectile debris moving over 100 MPH.Fox Blocks' solid continuous monolithic concrete wall and perm rating of less than 1.0, controls moisture accumulation in the wall system and stops the growth of mold, mildew, and rot.Energy-efficient Fox Blocks, with high thermal mass and an R-value of 23, surpass ASHRAE/ANSI 90.1 energy code requirements.
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