American ConForm Industries
Makers of SmartBlock™
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SmartBlock™
Advantages
SmartBlock
Advantages for the Homeowner
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Greater Comfort & Lower Energy Bills - Energy savings and comfort are
built into every ICF system. ICF's start with a high R-Value. Four inches of
ASTM C 578 polystyrene foam insulation combine with a five-inch concrete
wall a typical ICF system - are rated above R-17 at 75o mean test
temperature. Other insulating form configurations and materials also exhibit
high R-values.
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The concrete walls of an ICF home have high thermal mass, which buffers the
interior of a home from the extremes of outdoor temperature during every
24-hour cycle. This reduces both peak and total heating and cooling loads.
This combination of high R-values, low air infiltration, and high
thermal mass is believed to account for the amazing 25% to 50% energy
savings of ICF versus wood or steel-framed homes.
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Solid & Lasting Security - The high-mass walls of an ICF home not only
give it a remarkably solid feel, but they also make it safer for the family.
Concrete homes have a proven track record of withstanding the ravages of
hurricanes, tornadoes and fires, when all the stick-build houses around them
are in ruins. In firewall tests, ICF's stood exposure to intense flame
without structural failure longer than did common frame walls.
Tests show that tendency to transmit an outside flame source for
polystyrene foam used in most ICF forms is less than that of most wood
products.
- Peace & Quiet - New ICF homeowners almost always
remark on how unbelievably quiet their new house is, compared with their old
stick-build home. They expect the new-found comfort and energy efficiency,
but the peace and quiet - the protection from outside noise - never fails to
surprise and delight them. In
sound transmission tests, ICF walls allowed less than one-third as much
sound to pass through, as do ordinary frame walls filled with fiberglass.
With double-glazed windows in ICF walls and beefed-up roof insulation, you
will rarely hear street noises or airport traffic.
- Less Repair & Maintenance - With ICF homes, the
equation is simple. No Rot = Less Repair and Maintenance. Neither
polystyrene nor concrete will ever rot or rust. Concrete can even be exposed
to the elements for centuries with few ill effects.
- A Healthier Home & Environment - Building with
ICF's is healthier for the environment in a number of ways: by minimizing
the number of different building products involved in construction, by
reducing the amount of waste generated on the construction site, and by
lowering energy requirements for heating and cooling.
ICF homes provide a healthy indoor environment, too. Nothing held
within or ordinarily emitted by an ICF wall is toxic. The measurement of the
air contents of actual ICF houses shows an almost complete absence of any
emissions.
SmartBlock
Advantages for the Builder (top)
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Versatile System – Flexible Designs - ICF homes can be designed in any
style, and will accept any traditional exterior finish including vinyl or
wood siding, stucco and brick. Because custom angles and curves are easily
created, it’s simple to build in bows, bays and radiuses. And ICF systems
accommodate any of today’s most popular design features, such as tall
walls, large openings, long floor spans, and cathedral ceilings.
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Internationally Proven & Code-Accepted - Originally developed in Europe
(where concrete home building is standard) ICF systems have been used
successfully around the world for more than 30 years. Thousands of ICF homes
have been built in recent years throughout the United States and Canada.
They have proven successful in every region and climate, from Orlando to
Calgary. ICF systems are accepted by all the major model codes in the U.S.,
and by the R-2000 program in Canada.
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Fast To Learn & Easy To Use - Although it looks new and different,
anyone with construction experience can quickly get up to speed with ICF's.
An ideal crew has a mix of concrete placement and carpentry experience. Once
the crew has some practice, each ICF-build home requires less skilled labor
and less total labor than a wood-framed home. And ICF's are very
lightweight, so crews stay fresh through the day.
Likewise, ICF's present no problem for the sub-contractors who come
after the walls are poured. Since holes, chases and rectangles are easily
cut into ICF's with a knife or saw, installation of mechanical systems is a
snap. The fastening of drywall and lap siding is just as fast and easy. And
mid-course corrections, such as moving an opening, are no big deal - just
saw it out and re-form. It's not more difficult to make changes to an ICF
wall - it's just different.
- Cost Competitive
- Over the last ten years, concrete prices have been remarkably
stable. Recent price increases in other materials have generated interest in
concrete building systems as never before. Labor savings and readily
available materials make ICF's, feature for feature, one of the most cost
competitive wall systems in the U.S. and Canadian housing markets.
Benefits of
SmartBlock for Architects
(top)
- SmartBlock combines the properties of desirable solid
concrete and the superior insulating value of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS).
- SmartBlock products are energy efficient -- the
excellent insulation values reduce heating/cooling costs and create a solid
air barrier, preventing both thermal loss and air and dust infiltration.
- SmartBlock walls work great for sound suppression by
allowing only 1/3 the noise of the regular stick framed walls.
Consequently, the interior is effectively shielded from all outside
noise.
- SmartBlock projects are constructed quicker then
houses build using conventional building techniques.
- SmartBlock walls are extremely strong -- walls are
"cast-in-place" monolithic, reinforced concrete.
- SmartBlock is versatile -- curves or angles can be
easily formed; any standard interior or exterior finish can be applied.
- SmartBlock is environmentally friendly - use of wood
products in construction and job-site waste is significantly reduced.
-
SmartBlock concrete walls give you a four-hour fire barrier for common
walls.
Benefits of
SmartBlock for Engineers
(top)
-
SmartBlock combines the properties of desirable solid concrete and the
superior insulating value of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS).
-
SmartBlock products are energy efficient -- the excellent insulation values
reduce heating/cooling costs and create a solid air barrier, preventing both
thermal loss and air and dust infiltration.
-
SmartBlock walls work great for sound suppression by allowing only 1/3 the
noise of the regular stick framed walls.
Consequently, the interior is effectively shielded from all outside
noise.
- SmartBlock projects are constructed quicker then
houses build using conventional building techniques.
- SmartBlock walls are extremely strong -- walls are
"cast-in-place" monolithic, reinforced concrete.
- SmartBlock is versatile -- curves or angles can be
easily formed; any standard interior or exterior finish can be applied.
- SmartBlock is environmentally friendly - use of wood
products in construction and job-site waste is significantly reduced.
- SmartBlock concrete walls give you a four-hour fire
barrier for common walls.
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©1989-2004 American ConForm
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