New ICF Product Announcement: Boost-R Panels
May 7th, 2012 | Product Announcement
Need More R-Value? Aiming for Net-Zero or
Passive House standards?
We created the Boost-R Panel to meet and exceed the higher R-Value demands for an industry where net-zero structures are becoming more prevalent.
Our patent-pending Boost-R Panels are designed to increase Reward insulating concrete form (ICF) R-Values to R-30 and above, while keeping all of the same benefits of Reward ICFs.
- 48″ x 16″ panels are made out of EPS foam
- 1 Panel for 1 Form- Simple and straight forward ordering and installation
- Special notches allow for panels to lock into place, eliminating movement after they are placed
- Tapered edges allow for the panel to glide smoothly over all 8 connecting ties
- Attachments strips remain fully accessible on ICF panels since the foam is being attached to the inside core of ICF
R-Value Table Matrix
Use the table below to find the “boosted” R-Value of the iForm insulated concrete form. Each Boost-R Panel is 2″ thick, so to achieve your desired concrete core width, the form size needed will increase to accommodate the 2″ increments.
Table is based on a standard* Boost-R Panel, which will increase the R-Value by R-8.34.
*Standard Boost-R Panels are based on a 2″ thick 1.5 pcf EPS panel
Custom Ordering
These panels are custom ordered so we can make them in varying foam densities, varying thicknesses as well as EPS with Neopor. Quantity discounts are available.
Your project and your R-Value boosting needs will determine the most cost-effective solution. Contact your regional Clients Services Manager or call into 800-468-6344 to inquire about pricing.
3D Insulating Concrete Form Wall “i-Compatible”
April 17th, 2012 | Marketing, Product Announcement
Insulated Concrete Form 3D Wall Viewable on Apple Devices
By now thousands have seen our interactive 3D ICF wall. We created this to showcase some ancillary ICF products and how they interact with an insulating concrete form wall. However until now, it hasn’t been viewable on the iPhone or iPad or i-anything. So, now the 3D Wall and our ICF Overview Flash objects have been converted to HTML5! For people that don’t know what that means- they are now converted so i-devices, such as the iPhone, iPad, iTouch can view!
We are seeing a lot of mobile users reading our blog and interacting with our tools and product manual online. If you ever see something you would want accessed easier from your mobile device, please let us know!
Click icon below to view the 3d Wall on your Apple device!
Please note it will run slower…HTML5 doesn’t seem to be as slick as Flash, so blame Apple.
Reward ICF Spring Newsletter
March 19th, 2012 | Lets Get Technical!, Marketing, Product Announcement, Project Showcase
Reward Insulating Concrete Forms Spring Newsletter
Spring is rapidly approaching, and March Madness is in full swing, and we have had some exciting developments at Reward Wall Systems- from shifting strategies to new employees, we’ve had a busy last few months. Below you will find a link to our Spring newsletter where you can read about all the news and happenings with Reward. What’s inside?
- Message from Our President
- Award-winning Projects
- Free Educational Report Website
- New Client Services Manager
- Termite Treated ICFs Now Available
- Top ICF Blog Posts of 2011
- Severe Weather Wreaking Havoc
The PDF has embedded links to click for further information on a particular topic, whether its highlighting another brochure or for further reading on a special project. If you have any questions or would like information on any of the articles please contact us!
A Better Envelope dot com!
February 24th, 2012 | Lets Get Technical!, Marketing
The building envelope is one of the most important systems of a building, and not just because insulated concrete forms are one of the best envelope systems, but because it will determine all other aspects of the building- windows, mechanical, resistance to weather, moisture management, etc. So as part of our master plan to try to reach and educate as many people as possible on the key components of a building and the risks associating with cutting corners of the building envelope we have created a venue to disperse that type of information.
Reward has launched a new subsidiary website called ABetterEnvelope.com. ABetterEnvenlope.com is a landing page for AEC professionals to request free reports on hot button issues. This simple website may be static and non-interactive, however, it will serve a purpose to educate and inform Architects, Engineers, and Construction professionals on key market trends and information in regards to the building envelope. This library of reports will continue to grow throughout the year, educating readers on a range of different topics. The reports are written from a research based background, and are short and to the point.
We invite you to checkout the website and read the summaries to the reports that are available now, and request the ones that would be the most beneficial to you! The reports that are/will be available are:
Design & Construction Lawsuit Blame Game:
Design Phase Putting Architects At Risk
Keeping Your Designs Afloat:
Moisture Mitigation Starts With The Enclosure
Sealed And Delivered: Putting Your Green In The Envelope
Top 10 Things You NEED to Know Before You Start Using Insulating Concrete Forms (Coming Soon)
Iowa Ready Mix Award-Winning Concrete Home
February 9th, 2012 | From the Field, Marketing
Congratulations to Dan Bush and Newcastle Home Builders for winning a 2011 Excellence in Concrete Award from the Iowa Reedy Mix Concrete Association! Dan has been a long-time customer of Reward for over 7 years and his quality work below, is why we value him as client!
Iowa ICF Home Project Details
Project: Taylor Residence- Urbandale, IA
Ready Mix Concrete Producer: Liberty Ready Mix
General Contractor: Newcastle Home Builders- Winterset, IA
Architect/Designer: Plum Building Systems, LLC
Engineer: Wenzel Engineering, Inc
This home’s floor plan suits its owner so perfectly that they have built the same home in multiple cities that they have lived in across the country. This time, however, the owners chose to focus on optimizing energy efficiency and sustainability throughout the entire home. The use of insulating concrete forms for all three stories of the homes exterior was a logical choice for fulfilling their mission. The clean and unimposing lines of this classic Prairie style home allow it to blend in beautifully with its surroundings. Situated on a sloping, wooded lot, its design takes full advantage of tranquil views. The patio just outside of the lower level walkout offers an inviting space that includes a water feature and a unique outdoor fireplace.
Congrats again to Newcastle Home Builders for a superb Iowa concrete home!
Do you have an award winning Reward ICF home?
Please share! Send pictures and information to Marketing via email at tgibson@rewardwalls.com
World of Concrete recap- Reward ICFs
February 1st, 2012 | Marketing
World of Concrete 2012
Another World of Concrete has finished up last week. One of the years biggest shows and the show where every ICF brand out there comes too, well the ones with money anyways. Nothing out of the ordinary this year, its a great time to catch up with some of our customers and hopefully snag a few new ones for the coming year.
All of our sales staff and upper management comes to the show, they even let me out of my marketing cage to travel to the show. Setup begins early on Monday, so it can turn into a long week if the show is slow. Luckily this year it was a bit more steady of traffic compared to last year, although overall it was about the same. Couple observations:
- Concrete paving area was crazy busy all the time,which is indicative of the times where there are large scale road projects and funding throughout the country.
- We are pretty confident in saying we truly did see the bottom of the downturn so going forward here’s to (raising my coffee cup) slow and steady growth. We understand it takes time, and nothing will get better overnight. It takes time and investments, and leaders to push innovation and to educate the marketplace.
- It’s very clear the folks are familiar with the concept of ICFs, well as far as the World of Concrete market goes. Just 3 years ago I was explaining the whole feature/benefit routine to people. It’s good to see the awareness and general education has increased to the point we can have more in depth conversation such as- thermal and dew point properties of an ICF assembly, or the most important things to consider when using ICFs on projects.
- I celebrated my 29th birthday in Vegas.
Below is a quick little clip I threw together of the show floor and out booth. If you couldn’t make it out this year we hope to see you guys next year hopefully with some big surprises. Until then we will be at the CinemaCon show in April and the AIA National show in May!
Year in Review: Top 5 ICF Blog Posts of 2011
December 29th, 2011 | Marketing, Unique Trends
As 2011 wraps up, and we are all thinking of how fast this last year has gone, I wanted to recap the top 5 blog posts of 2011. These blog posts had the most views and click through and have proven to be the most popular throughout the year.
Our search tool above has proven to be very useful for our readers in finding topics, projects and regional issues specific to the reader. If you ever want a topic/project covered or think there is something that everyone should know about insulating concrete forms, green building, premium envelopes etc feel free to contact me (Troy) directly by calling 800-468-6344. On to the list!
Flooring Options with ICFs Series
We reviewed different types of flooring, builders use in conjunction with ICFs, and listed the pros and cons of each one.
The Truth on Energy Efficiency and R-Value
This post has pulled its weight through the years, as it was one of the first posts I wrote when the blog started in 2009. Leads me to believe R-value is still misunderstood and companies that post misleading numbers are not helping the matter.
Getting Educated on ICF Building Science
Reward has made an effort throughout the years on consciously educating industry professionals on the SCIENCE behind why ICFs work. This post outlines the key courses we now offer, that are beyond the basic “using ICFs for commercial/residential/schools blah blah blah”. These educational presentations have exclusive information, some of it one of a kind in the industry. By this post being on this list (and the shear number of training presentations we do), its apparent AEC professionals are yearning for this type of information.
Insulated Concrete Form Wall Estimator
This post rolled out our new all-inclusive estimating program. We brag about it because WE wrote it with OUR 30+ years of insulating concrete form expertise and the info you get is thorough enough to confidently bid all components of an ICF job.
Concrete Placement Heights
One of the most common questions on ICFs and pouring concrete I the placement heights. Some people play it ultra-conservative, some go more “aggressively, however we go on record with our recommendations and go over what the ACI says as well about free falling concrete in regards to quality and compressive strength.
There you have it, and to cap it off the most recent popular post not on this list is the post on why
ICFs are Zombie proof
icf
Happy New Year
2012 with bring some exciting changes/additions to Reward and we are looking forward to continuing to grow the industry and creating better building envelopes, WORLDWIDE.
Reward Wall Systems wishes you a happy new year!
Hopeful Government Policy Changes Benefiting ICFs
November 11th, 2011 | Marketing, Unique Trends
Our Country is about as inept as passing legislation through, whether you agree with it or not, as we have ever been in our history. So am I wrong to read these positive bipartisan (whoa, whats that?) legislative bills that have recently been introduced and have a feeling they will just wither away as a good idea that doesn’t have enough money backing it to make i a real bill?These two bills while one is state specific, could definitely lead to actionable increases in the use and awareness of insulating concrete forms.
I am by no means up to speed on lingo of politics and the processes in order to take a proposed sponsored bill and turn it into a law(or Act, or Measure), so forgive me if i use the wrong words. The goal of this post is to share these news stories to you,so you can do you own research and maybe contact your local government official to make these initiatives pass.
Tax Credits for Insulated Concrete Forms
There are some generally basic tax credits for builders when using ICFs. You can read more about that per sq. ft. tax credit on our website, but those tax credits do nothing for the homeowner. While you get a tax credit for an Energy Star refrigerator or putting in low-e windows, there is nothing to give the homeowner a credit for building their home incredibly tight, energy efficient, and indestructible to forces of nature like ICF construction does.
Wisconsin Insulating Concrete Forms
Wisconsin is leading the way with a proposed bill that will give tax incentives for using insulated concrete forms in construction- home or commercial. My hope is this passes soon so other states, most notably Minnesota, would follow suit and give and extra incentive for folks to build. The link below links you to the .pdf of the official bill that was introduced. It has since been amended to only building with ICF, not manufacturing ( After all the amendments pass let’s see if this bill gets watered down anymore)
Energy Costs Affecting Appraisals
This article was recently reported by the Washington Post. In summary, there is a bipartisan bill, called SAVE Act (Sensible Accounting to Value Energy) on the table that would put energy costs and savings into underwriting equations. This bill would force lenders to take those factors into consideration for insurance and guarantees and would require appraisers to adjust property valuations accordingly.
While this is an indirect effect on the insulating concrete form industry, it is good for us as our product directly effect the energy consumption of a home. We see apprasiers across the country failing to give any credit to the homes value even if energy saving are topping over 60%!
Wouldn’t it be nice to say with certainty because its a law, your home is worth more because it saves energy. Makes sense to me…isn’t a Prius “worth” more because you save gas? I guarantee you couldn’t sell one of those cars if they had 20 mpg. So why wouldn’t that logic pertain to homes and buildings? Link below is to the Washington Post article
Mortgage lenders could soon take homes’ energy costs into account
Big things happening
These are two of the many things out there that are really pushing the envelope on getting true incentives for homeowners and building owners to use ICF as part of their next project. If you know of more things like this on a statewide basis or locally for your town, let us know in the comments below and we will add to this list. The more people that are aware of whats going on can motivate and inspire your local government…or heaven forbid the federal government to copy these types of incentives.
Official Building Product of Zombie Safe Houses
October 31st, 2011 | Holiday, Marketing, Unique Applications
Reward ICFs have become the building material of choice for families wishing to protect themselves from zombie attacks
You see Zombies everywhere- on TV, in magazines, in the news, online, walking the streets and in your home. It time to stand up and protect yourself from the imminent attack this season by fortifying your home with Reward insulating concrete forms. ICFs are the first line of defense separating you from the undead.
Many folks ask us, “How can foam blocks hold back thousands of hungry zombies, from tearing down the walls and dining on our flesh.”
Well it’s simple and very easy actually.
- ICFs are strong- If they can stand up to 200 MPH winds, they can withstand the incessant pounding of zombie fists. Also, with the superb blast resistance ratings, ICFs can limit the collateral damage, from say, your neighbor throwing a grenade in the street.
- ICFs are soundproof- Everybody knows zombies are attracted to loud noises. They have been conditioned to respond to noise as if there was food nearby- similar to how monkeys are conditioned to respond to the sound of a banana peeling. If the undead can’t hear you, they don’t know you’re there. Having a sound proof home allows for other benefits as well. Feel free to:
- practice chainsaw wielding attack moves in the basement
- sleep peacefully without the outdoor noises of moaning and gnashing teeth
- blare Alan Parson’s Project “Sirius” to get pumped up to stay alive every morning
- ICFs are airtight- The solid wall of concrete and foam ensures no unwanted air comes in, and air won’t leak out. Why is that important? Part of that air is scent. Zombie’s smell horrible, obviously, so Zombies can smell the unrotten scent of humans, and especially so if their “prey” (you) is wounded. The ICF walls will prevent your natural human scent from escaping the walls and building.
- ICFs are Energy Efficient- You wouldn’t think this would matter, but with the added stress on the power grid and the possible zombie intrusion on the power supply as a whole, you need to make sure your safe house operates while using the least amount of energy as possible. Eventually power will run out and you want to be able to use a generator to supply the needed heating and cooling to keep you alive and comfortable. Let’s be serious here, you don’t want to hole up in a safe house with 5 other people and be sweating and splashing water to cool down or having to “hug it out” with the same folks to stay warm.
Bottom Line: Zombies Hate ICFs
Stay inside your ICF home and you should be in good shape for awhile… well at least until power, water, and sanity complete run out and you think its time to find the 8 hour away “safe-zone” that’s being reported over the emergency channel. Reward ICFs can’t do anything for you then.
New 2012 IECC Code Requirements
October 26th, 2011 | Lets Get Technical!
The 2012 IECC is set to go into effect next year and there are some much improved code requirements. By improved I done mean easier and cheaper, but I mean better for the concept of energy efficiency, which in turn is better for Reward and the entire ICF Industry. Below are the most notable and relevant code changes as well as a climate zone map for reference.
- The new code is now going to require a building tightness test, otherwise known as a blower door test
- Blower door performance requirements changed for all climate zones
- Climate zones 1-2 reduced to 5 ACH (from 7 ACH)
- Climate zones 3-8 reduced to 3 ACH (from 7ACH)
- Wall insulation requirements increase
- Climate zones 3-4 now require R-20 (From R 13)
- Climate zones 6-8 now require an R-20 cavity insulation coupled with a R-5 foam exterior insulation
- Attic insulation requirement increase
- Climate zones 2 and 3 require R-38 (from R-30)
- Climate zones 4 and 5 require R-49 (from R-38)
- Basement and Crawl Space insulation increase
- Climate zone 5 requires R-15 (from R-10)
These highlights aren’t all encompassing, obviously, as there are more changes than that, but since you are reading from an insulated concrete form blog I figure I would point out the ones that insulated concrete forms can apply to directly!
These changes to the code, which may cost money on the front end for the consumer as well as the builders, will definitely be beneficial in the long term for the owners and builders alike. The key is to get your company ready for these code changes and implement them as soon as possible. By aligning yourself with companies that truly know what they are doing and can help you through the process, transitioning to the more stringent requirements should be painless.