Project Showcase: Belews Lake
July 30th, 2009 | Project Showcase
In North Carolina, Brickstone Enterprises is in the process of constructing a massive 22,000 sqft under- roof house on Belews Lake. The entire shell of the structure, as well as all retaining walls and pools, is being built with Reward Insulated Concrete Forms. All exterior patios are being constructed using a product called Insul-Deck which is an insulated concrete decking system. There is 3,000 sq ft of Insul-Deck on this job.
The owners were originally going to build their home out of structural steel and 2×6 framing with a poured wall foundation. What they found when doing the cost analysis between the steel with wood frame and ICF construction, was that building with Reward ICF’s, all the way to the roof, significantly lowered their stucco and electrical installation costs. They were also able to eliminate $25,000 of structural steel out of their budget.
They determined that it would be less expensive to build their home almost entirely out of concrete. This was all determined before factoring in the energy savings for heating and cooling the interior of the house. Ultimately it comes down to the fact that they are getting an extremely high quality home for less than if they had followed through with their original plans.
Keep checking back throughout this year as this enormous project gets completed.
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5 in 1 Construction- Why Reward Insulating Concrete Forms Can Be Built so Efficiently
July 28th, 2009 | From the Field
5-in-1 Wall Assembly
Sounds like a sale as it sounds too good to be true. Sorry we are not running a buy 5 get 1 free or anything like that. Instead, we are trying to get out to the world the efficiencies of building with insulated concrete forms. Usually we talk about the owner benefits of green building, energy efficiency, added strength, etc. However, the inherent 5-in-1 properties of ICFs can really affect the builder or general contractor or trades involved in erecting a building, which ultimately will trickle down to the building owner by saving construction time, labor, or by affecting the bottom line of the building by reducing extra steps and materials!
The inherent five properties of a Reward ICF wall is that it encapsulates 5 different trades or processes or functions of a wall, all into one product – the Insulating Concrete Form. By building with an ICF you are completing the 1) Structural Wall, 2) Insulation, 3) Air Barrier, 4) Vapor Retarder, and 5) Furring – all in one step.
Structural Wall
This is the main core component of ICF walls. By stacking the forms, placing rebar to code, and filling with concrete, it serves as the Structural Wall and can be designed for any structural wall as needed.
Insulation
This is the Main “glamor” feature of Reward Insulating Concrete Forms. This is where it’s easiest to see the benefits of the insulated properties by energy savings alone. But as far as construction steps, NO ADDITIONAL insulation is needed for the wall, this is included as part of the formwork and stays in place. This also reduces labor steps by not having to take away any of the formwork. There is plenty of info out there on this – “Insulate” is in the name of our product!
Vapor Barrier
Let’s be clear here as some folks ignore this inherent benefit of building with insulating concrete forms, yet this can save you substantial amounts of costs- both on product and on labor. In fact, I’m going to bold it, center it, slap a different color on it, and put it on its own line.
NO VAPOR RETARDER IS NEEDED
The building codes require a vapor retarder if the permeance rating is 1.0 or greater, to prevent condensation within the walls. The water vapor permeance of the Reward iForm wall system with 1/2-in. gypsum wallboard varies from 0.2 to 0.3 perms depending on the wall thickness, substantially below the 1.0 requirement. This eliminates the need of applying another layer of material after the ICF wall is constructed.
See our research done on the permeance of Reward’s ICFs (product manual login required). FYI this info is owned and copyrighted by Reward Wall Systems, conducted by a third party research group.
Air Barrier
The solid monolithic concrete wall is the air barrier. By eliminating the need for an air barrier, again you eliminate extra materials, more layers and further costs. Once again we tested the air leakage by a third party, and it showed Reward ICF or solid concrete wall has no measurable leakage of air. (login required)
Now you see why in our R-Value discussion we stressed the importance of caulking and sealing, as you don’t have to worry about the wall itself to achieve an excellent air changes an hour rating. Did you get to read the post on the Reward house in the Parade of Homes in Lancaster County? Measured and recorded .03 ACH.
Furring
- Look at all that wood…poor trees
Furring is long thin strips of material (usually wood or metal) used to make backing surfaces to support the finished surfaces in a room. Furring refers to the backing surface, the process of installing it, and may also refer to the strips themselves. This is where saving our trees comes into play, as 2×4’s won’t be needed!
Reward Insulating Concrete Forms have embedded 1-1/4″ furring strips 1/2″ recessed in the foam every 6″, PLUS our double bridging H-corner bracket allows for tighter finish connections all the way to the edge of the corner and in more places for better attachment. Screw drywall or attach any exterior finishes directly to the ICF
- Notice furring strips embedded 1/2″ deep- 6 in on center
Smarter Way to Build
Hopefully I was able to elaborate enough to see how the 5-in-1 assembly will save you time and money. It makes the most (dollars) and sense to build with insulating concrete forms. It will increase your bottom line and the long term benefit of any building. Any of these claims Reward can prove. WE have done the research which is why we are the leading Insulating Concrete Form Manufacturer.
Sign up or log in to our product manual section to see our full array of research papers conducted for Reward ICF’s.
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Insulating Concrete Forms and Energy Tax Credits
July 21st, 2009 | From the Field
We field numerous questions everyday on the array of benefits by building an Insulating Concrete Form house or building. Besides the tangible benefits of the building owner- like the 50%- 80% energy savings, protection from natural disasters, etc -there are some other benefits to building green. There are a lot of misconceptions on the government’s ARRA program and how it applies to ICFs. We reference numerous documents and articles when responding to direct inquiries, also which has been determined by our Insulating Concrete Form Association and a lot has been written on it as well. aBlog will just highlight some key things we hear everyday and see if some of the confusion can be lifted. Feel free to stop me and ask questions.
There are different types of tax benefits for building green, including building with Insulating Concrete Forms. I’ll break them down for two sets of people: the owner (homeowner) and the builder. The key is to have a measurable green standard for your building, such as the Energy Star for Homes. Having that rating will open up the possibilities for discounts, rebates, and tax incentives.
- Reward Wall Systems can help your new home earn the ENERGY STAR rating by providing solid monolithic insulated concrete exterior walls that have a high steady state R-22 R-value, thermal mass that moderates the temperatures from the exterior and interior, and a virtually air tight wall that keeps hot and cold air from entering your home. Our insulating concrete form (ICF) walls will help contribute to significant reduction of heating and cooling loads leading to an energy efficient Energy Star home.
Builder: For an Energy Star rated home, the builder is eligible for $2,000 tax credit for building the home.
Homeowner: There isn’t a clear cut answer for the homeowner as some states will offer an incentive or tax credit for the homeowner, but generally there isn’t a large program in place to do so yet.
Also depending on where you live, look into your local utility company for programs to entice owners and builders to build green and more energy efficient buildings. It has been reported of rebates of $150- $1,500 to the homeowner and/or builder for hitting the energy savings requirement set in place by the utility company.
Trade associations also may have incentives to building green. An article from BuilderOnline.com states an example of the PCA giving $1,000 for one home and $20,000 for 10 homes built to a specific standard using concrete for your sustainable structure (Progressive Incentive Program).
Probably the most common question we receive is if insulating concrete forms can qualify for the energy tax credits from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Regretfully, the answer is no- for now. That primary focus is based on existing residential home with upgrades and additions to roofing and insulation, HVAC units, Geothermal Heat pumps, water heaters, photovoltaic (Solar power), wind turbines, and fuel cells. Those credits will be most common this year, filed under form 5695 with the IRS.
Now directly dealing with insulated concrete forms, there are some specifics we should pass along as there are benefits for owners and builders. Our ICFA was so kind to compile this info into a document for us, which we have published on our website. Feel free to read Energy Tax Provisions for ICFs in full, otherwise proceed reading for a super quick summary.
Residential contractors can earn a $2,000 tax credit for homes built to save 50% energy over code.
“Residential contractors may earn a federal tax credit of $2,000 for homes that reduce energy use for heating and cooling only (hot water excluded) by 50 percent compared to the stated national model energy code, the 2004 Supplement to the 2003 International Energy Conservation Code. A further stipulation is a minimum performance level for SEER-13 for air conditioners and heat pumps. Furthermore, improvements to the building envelope must account for at least 1/5 of such 50 percent, which is clearly achievable with ICF construction.”
Commercial property owners can earn a $1.80 / ft² tax deduction for a 50% energy cost reduction
“Business taxpayers (ie the building owner) can earn a deduction of $1.80 per square foot for commercial buildings that achieve a 50 percent reduction in annual energy costs, compared to a base building defined by the industry standard ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1-2001. Energy costs refer only to heating, cooling, lighting and water heating, since only these uses are within the control of the building designer.”
So this aspect of green building and tax credits etc is still in a development stage, as we would hope and expect that broader ranges of benefits will be able to be passed along to the owner and building of the superior building envelope.
Expect more on this topic in the near future as more benefits become available and be sure either as a builder or homeowner continue to do research on how building with Reward Insulating Concrete Forms can increase your bottom line.
The New Standard of Sustainability. Tell the World.
For more resources go to Energy Tax Incentives official Website
Energy Star Rated Parade of Homes
July 16th, 2009 | Project Showcase
In June Reward Wall Systems had a couple houses featured in the Lancaster County Parade of Homes, built by Providence Homes and Neighborhoods and supplied by Construction Supply Centers of New Holland. One of the homes was built for Mr. Gerhart, near Denver, PA. The house was built with a superior “envelope” by using Reward insulating concrete form walls and a closed attic system, using spray foam to complete the enclosure. What the owner, as well as the attendees of the Parade of Homes, got was an incredibly “tight”, energy efficient home which could easily become a model for all future custom homes built in the future. In fact the home won the Best in Show Prize for their Category, among other awards for the Parade as well.
Providence Homes was referred to Reward and our unique in-person training, from their spray-in insulation company, Foam-Tech who is an avid proponent of our Insulating Concrete Forms. Scott, seeing the knowledge and commitment our company dedicated to his project, he was able to present the idea to Mr. Gerhart, who is a professional contractor himself, and was instantly sold on the idea.
Over the next months of building and pouring concrete, what unfolded for the public to see was a custom home that was designed around the principle of securing the building envelope, and experiencing the efficiencies of doing so.
The house is 4,458 square foot ranch style sitting on a 3.5 acre lot, with a slope that affords a lower walkout level. The main floor is 2,548 sq ft of finished space and features a side load 3-car garage and a hexagonal shaped library as well. Windows on each floor are southern facing window groupings, which will absorb the sun in the winter months, and the thermal mass of the ICF walls and footings will keep the interior temperatures even through the year.
The rear covered deck has tile flooring and a handsome wood burning fireplace finished with Eldorado Stone. The lower level has 1,910 sq. ft. of finished space and is accessed by stairs and an elevator. It has in-law quarters with a full handicapped bath on one end and a kitchen in the middle living area, as well as an additional two bedrooms and a full bath on the other end of the basement. It also walks out onto a spacious patio.
Here’s the cool part of it. By now if you’ve read aBlog by Reward HOPEFULLY you’ve read a little on our product. One key measurement of the building envelope is the air change per hour, or ACH- the number of times the home’s air is replaced by outside air in an hour. Normally in the ICF industry you’ll see numbers from .04 to .09 advertised which is extremely good. By comparison from Wikipedia, the average ACH for an average American home is 1.0 and 2.0 per hour, and newly constructed “tight” homes are around .35 – .25 ACH.
However, they were able to test the home to certify through Energy Star, and Mr. Gerhart’s house came in at 0.04 and 0.03 ACH for heating and cooling respectively. That is TEN times more tight than the average “tight” American home.
What does this mean? It means we don’t lie.
It means:
Reward ICFs can get an ACH rating of .03
Less air infiltration gives you control on the outside air coming in, thus being able to reduce allergens
Comfortable even temperatures- there aren’t cold or hot spots in the house
Less Warm air leaks out when you want your house cozy, reducing energy use of your furnace
Less Warm air leaks in when you want your house cool, reducing energy use from your A/C
Energy Use
Speaking of less energy use, here’s the finale for Mr. Gerhart’s home. By using Reward Insulating Concrete Forms and partnering with Foam-Tech for the spray-in attic insulation and sealing window openings to secure a tight envelope the Gerhart house will:
1. Use 55 mmBTU/year vs. 204 mmBTU/year for the average American home
2. Cost an average of $53 a month on Heating and Cooling costs- that’s 1.2 cents a square foot!
3. Use 62% less energy for heating and 36% less energy for cooling than a similar home
4. Reduce CO2 consumption by a total of 55% LESS pounds per year than a similar home
These numbers are staggering.
We want to congratulate Mr. Gerhart, Providence Homes, Construction Supply Center of New Holland, and Foam-Tech on your Energy Star Rated home and being able to show Lancaster County Parade of Homes The New Standard of Sustainability.
Tall Walls Applications with ICFs
July 14th, 2009 | Lets Get Technical!
One of the most common inquiries we get is about the proper types of bracing best suited for Tall Wall ICF Construction. As we can go as high as you need, I swear. Darryl U was able to give me his insight on recommended uses and types when constructing tall walls.
Tall wall applications work well with ICF construction if scaffolding and bracing systems are incorporated together. There can be different types of scaffolding systems that will work. First you need to determine the height of wall that is to be constructed as there are two types of tall wall that will figure into your bracing mechanisms. There is the 12’ to 24’ and the 24’ and beyond.
The 12’ to 24’ can be built with the standard bracing systems that are on the market. The standard bracing systems offer extensions for their systems. The extensions would include the extended strong back that splices to the lower strong back. Also there is tall wall turnbuckle longer in length for the upper adjustment of the upper pour. The first pour of the wall will just require the standard 10’ to 12’ bracing system. The extension kit for the bracing system will be added for the second pour. The issue with this type of scheme is the transition from walking platform to second walking platform. There is that area where you can’t reach the height of wall on first walkway and it is too low for the second walkway. This area, without moving the first walkway up, can be stacked using a man lift. The man lift could also be used for the setup of the second walkway bracket and turnbuckle. The first turnbuckle will stay in place while the second section of wall is being stacked and poured. This system will work for walls in these height ranges.
The method I like best is using masonry frame type or tower type scaffolding that in most instances is readily available. This type of scaffolding can be used from the ground up to the top of wall. This method of scaffolding & bracing will accommodate walls from ground floor to at least 54’ in height… which is the tallest wall in the industry so far, courtesy of Reward Wall Systems and our Largest ICF structure to date, in the U.S.
The mason’s frame is easier to add to the wall as it is coming up. The working platform can be added to as each section as each are being constructed. This type of scaffolding is something that most construction companies are familiar with. Also large construction companies usually already own their own. Or the scaffolding can be rented local. This type of scaffolding can be adapted to also brace the wall as it is being constructed. The system is OSA compliant if constructed properly. Also, material can be stocked in place as the walls are being constructed much like CMU type construction. By using our standoff bracket and strong back the walls can be braced and adjusted off of the scaffolding. The system will work best using side bracket for the walkway.
Reward recommends using pipe & clamp that will attach to the frame for the standoff attachment. The pipe & clamp will allow the standoff bracket to be attached where it is needed instead of where the frame is located.
One of the benefits to using this type of bracing/ scaffolding is that you can have multiple people working on the walls at once. This method of tall wall ICF construction will give you the ease of access to different areas of the wall at once. For instance to inspect the forms for any missing reinforcement or special embed applications. Also if there are areas that might need bracing added while pouring or if problem might arise while pouring you can get to the area. We also like the fact that it allows you to adjust the walls with better precision. The main focus is that the walls turn out straight, plum, level and flat. Using this method you can accomplish just that.
There are, of course, other methods of bracing tall wall that might have been used. But from Darryl’s experience, this method has proven itself to work and work very well.
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BIM Design with Reward Insulated Concrete Forms
July 9th, 2009 | Unique Trends
From paper and pencil to AutoCAD to BIM, this is the evolution of building design community. BIM (Building Information Modeling) is quickly becoming the design tool of choice. The building is designed in 3D and is a virtual design. Not only is BIM useful for creating drawings of the building and its components, but also for embedding information, simulation and visualization of the building. That is the core difference: “I” stands for “Information.”
While there are a few different software packages that can design to BIM, Revit is by far the leading software available for designing parametric BIM objects. All the building components, from the steel supports to the windows units to the grain of the wood trim, are drawn using Revit software. Also you can place cranes and pumps in the drawing when coordinating work schedules etc. Once the BIM objects are created, building plans and drawings are quickly and efficiently drawn. And of COURSE our wall sections and insulating concrete forms are now part of the BIM world! (Product Manual Login required)
For walls designed with BIM, a wall segment is an object whose length, height, thickness, location, orientation, and material composition are included in the model, and have repeating details, so you can take and drag the wall the length you need, and will collate all the information automatically. It is also easy to conduct take-offs with BIM.
The companies that have embraced BIM have benefited in the design, construction and operation of the project. BIM is an integrated design solution. BIM integrates the building components in 3D along with associated data.
Each BIM object can have data attributed to it. By having the data for each building component at the finger tips of the designer, it saves them valuable research time. Examples of this may include R-value, CSI specifications, LEED information, costing data, and design notes.
The ideal situation is to have both the design (architect and structural engineer) and construction entities using BIM. If the companies are able to accurately control costs, quality and schedule, they can use their resources more effectively.
Some use the term designing to 4D with BIM. The 4D element is time –the length of time of construction process – including the sequence and timeliness of each element of the building. For example, if a building design had duct work designed in a certain location that would interfere with another building component, BIM would avoid the time and expense by having to re-construct something to make the duct-work work. Instead this issue could be found prior to construction.
Some jurisdictions are starting to require BIM design for their building projects. A couple examples include the state of Wisconsin and GSA.
BIM is new to us and our industry, which is why we were first in offering our products as. BIM models. We are continuing to learn about the technology and especially how it applies to making buildings energy efficient and more sustainable.
Take advantage of and access Reward’s free parametric ICF BIM objects
Reward Wall Systems has prepared and provided BIM objects in Revit. By providing the objects to the architect or designer, it saves them valuable design time as the wall sections and product details are already drawn. The designer can then just choose which wall section or product detail and begin creating plan, elevation and detail section drawings of the building.
Along with the objects, data associated with the Reward ICF wall is made available with each object…obviously or it wouldn’t be Building INFORMATION Modeling, it would be just Building Modeling.
The Reward BIM Revit objects can be found at the following locations.
- Reward BIM Object Library > Will have to register or sign in to view
- SmartBIM Library
- SmartBuilding Index
- Autodesk Seek
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Common Misconceptions of 1st Time ICF Builders
July 7th, 2009 | Common Troubleshooting
There are a lot of misconceptions that continue to float around about how “easy” ICFs are to build with. This creates the misconception that you don’t need any training or construction skill sets to build with ICFs.
Sounds simple, you just pick up these 5.5 lb giant “Legos”, stack them together, slap down some rebar, start filling them with concrete and Waa Laa…you have yourself the perfect structural wall for your building envelope, right?
WRONG!
This notion has caused more incorrect and costly mistakes during ICF installations than is necessary. Most if not all of these problems are avoidable if you have the necessary information and support from the ICF manufacturer, or are working with an ICF distributor that has a good reputation and support structure in place. Whether you are building a single family residential project or a large scale commercial building such as a theater or multistory building, when incorporating ICFs many of the same considerations need to be taken into account. Here are the main areas of consideration.
Capabilities and Skill Sets
As with any other construction trade, having the necessary skills such as carpentry skills, concrete forming skills and general overall knowledge of the construction process are critical to the success of the project. Do you need to be an expert..no. But one would need to have the understanding of the reasons for doing proper methods of things like bracing, alignment, rebar placements, windows and doors bucks, concrete slump etc.
Pre-Planning
Making sure the appropriate materials, equipment and crew size are coordinated and in place is one of the biggest factors in the successful completion of an ICF project. If you do a good job of pre-construction planning and anticipating the sequence and preparing for it, your project will go much smoother. Too often the advice of the ICF professional is ignored causing mistakes and inefficiency.
Some of the most common mistakes made in pre-planning are:
1. Not building rough opening bucks in advance
2. Not having the correct tools and equipment coordinated and available prior to the start of the project
a. Adequate Number of cordless drills
b. Glue, hooks, starter tracks
c. Rebar should be pre-ordered for proper lengths and fabricated for corners, etc OR Proper rebar cutting and bending tools should be on-site
d. Embed plates need to be determined and fabricated
e. Using the correct type of screw fasteners for bracing and temporary forming elements.
“It is best to use torx, star, or driver head screws-they don’t strip out like Phillips head. If the bracing system will attach to the slab you will need 3/16” x 1 ¾ tap con,” Darryl recommends…see below to meet Darryl
3. Not developing and implementing an efficient bracing strategy-Some of the first time installers will use lumber to brace with.
It should be noted many first time installers will use lumber to brace with. The amount of lumber and time to construct with lumber can and will take more time and material than expected and it is not recommended.
Using a Trained Installer or On-site Trainer
Darryl
While the perception is that this adds to the cost, in actuality the money spent for this support mechanism is well spent as a trainer help you to avoid costly mistakes. They will teach you a successful method for constructing high quality insulating concrete form walls helping you to avoid trial and error, which ultimately leads to a shorter learning curve. Once a qualified contractor has been trained they are usually very well positioned for future projects and will be much more efficient as they go forward without picking up bad habits from not knowing any better.
A combination of skill sets such as layout, carpentry and concrete forming/placement experience are ideal but not necessary if you take the advice and direction of a qualified ICF professional– we’ll bring Darryl U. to you (Short for Ulrich or University, whichever you prefer) Plus, once yo are flying solo on a project, you’re still not alone as our phone lines are always open for any questions.
So hopefully it’s apparent, building with insulated concrete forms is not for a hobbyist looking for something new to do. Nor the weekend builder wanting to expand their skill set. Sure the hobbyist and weekend warrior could both be trained into being a fine installer, however we are one of the few companies that will refuse selling direct to a customer, that has never had any experience before and is refusing training.
REMEMBER we are looking out for our customers’ best interests, as well as their clients, and we are trying to do our best to manage expectations of the customer. As in all other building products, the maximum benefits will not be realized if not installed properly. By working through the pre-planning we assure you every structure will meet your expectations of building a sustainable, green, energy-efficient residential or commercial structure.
Happy Fourth of July
July 2nd, 2009 | Holiday
Finally a holiday. All of us here at Reward are grateful to be part of the greatest (though sometimes confused) country in the world. From the battles overseas, to personal battles in the home, the last year or so has been tough on so many. We see it in the news, and in the industry reports, through YouTube and Facebook. However, I personally feel we are all going to experience the greatest holiday ever that will change the rest of 2009. Call it the All-Star break, giving us the momentum we all need heading into the end of the year and into 2010.
It’s the midway point, the celebration and honoring of our country, of our fallen heroes big and small, as well as the future of our children and the freedoms we have come to appreciate, a bit more than before.
We would like to thank all of our customers, many who have served our fine military, from flying B-2 bombers to cooking at the base camps, and to their family and friends who have paid a sacrifice for all of us. We will think of you as those shells burst high in the sky Saturday evening, all around the country.
Reward Wall Systems wishes you a wonderful and SAFE Independence Day.
Photo Courtesy of DarbiG.com