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Conwall™ Building Systems
are easier on the environment! |
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Less deforestation as fewer trees
are harvested for construction. |
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ICF constructed homes use less
energy to heat and cool,
lessening the impact on global warming. |
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| Click here
to download a spec sheet (PDF file) on Conwall™
Building Systems ICF products. |
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| Call 1-877-CONROCK
(266-7625) or email
us for more information on Conwall™ Building
Systems! |
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 Conwall™ Building Systems
High performance Insulated
Concrete Form (ICF) building systems offer
advantages over traditional construction methods for both residential
and commercial structures. Overall, buildings constructed with ICFs
are more energy efficient, stronger, quieter and even healthier!
Our sister company Construction Management Group offers our own Conwall™ Building
Systems - a complete concrete
forming system.
To learn more about Conwall Building Systems, please contact
Greg Miller: toll free
(866) 30 BUILD (866-302-8453).
To see examples of ICF construction, visit our Projects page.
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What is an ICF?
 ICFs
are lightweight, interlocking foam panels that remain in place as
a functional part of the wall after the concrete is poured.
The insulating qualities of the foam panels, against noise and
weather, combine with the strength and stability of the reinforced
concrete, resulting in an exceptional wall. |
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Why Use ICFs?
The advantages of using ICFs over traditional
construction are in energy efficiency, strength and safety, and construction
efficiency.
Insurance Discounts (Texas)
A new Texas law went into effect January 1, 2004
that guarantees owners of homes constructed with an insulating concrete
form
(ICF) system
a discount in their homeowner's insurance.
Cement and Concrete Promotion
Council residential manager Adrian King has worked with the Texas Department
of Insurance (TDI) for several years in an attempt
to gain recognition for ICF construction as a superior way to build homes.
The
bill Texas Governor Rick Perry signed into law requires the TDI to establish
the amount of the discount, and TDI is currently working to determine the
amount."
(Source: CONCRETE MONTHLY, January 2004)
Escalating Cost
of Plywood
According to recent news, another plus in the choice of using I.C.F. construction
is the escalating costs of plywood.
"Weyerhaeuser Co., Georgia-Pacific Corp. and other forest-product makers
will report increases in third-quarter revenue because a surge in
homebuilding has as much as tripled prices for some types of wood, analysts
said. Last quarter the average price of the plywood most commonly used in
homes rose 53 percent, and prices for its more popular substitute, oriented-strand
board, almost tripled." (source:The Richmond Times-Dispatch, 10/20/03)
"Stronger-than-expected demand, low inventories at mills and shipments overseas
for reconstruction in Iraq have spawned increases in the price of plywood and
other wood panel materials not seen since the early 1990s." (source: The Hartford
Courant, 9/4/2003)
"In the Roanoke [Virginia] region, the price spike adds about $1,200 to a 2,000-square-foot
home priced at $185,000, one builder
said." (source: The
Roanoke Times, 8/29/03)
"One builder told me they couldn't even give me a quote because prices were changing
so much," said Gilbert Nolasco, a 30 year old Virginia state employee, when
trying to get quotes on the price of building a new home. Gopal Ahluwalia, chief
researcher for the National Association of Home Builders, says that higher prices
for structural wood paneling could add from $1,500 to $2,000 to the cost of the
average $250,000 home.
(source: The Washington Post, 9/13/2003)
Energy Efficiency
The foam panels surrounding poured concrete prevent air infiltration
and avoid energy loss through spaced studs. ICF walls also prevent
basement energy loss through uninsulated walls. Equivalent to R-50,
ICF construction will give owners ongoing savings in heating and cooling
costs. ICF buildings can be as much as 44% cheaper to heat, and 32%
cheaper to cool. Savings incurred with lower energy bills will soon
cover the installation costs.
Strength and Safety
An ICF building constructed with reinforced concrete will stand up
to storm winds better than a traditionally constructed building. In
addition, Conwall™ ICF panels are more fire retardent, than wood
frame construction, with a fire rating of 3 hours.
 Construction
Efficiency
Conwall's™ ICF building system is simple and flexible, speeding
up construction time. With the foam panels remaining as part of the
finished wall, the cost of hauling wood for forms, building and removing
them at each job site is eliminated.
Additional Benefits
Sound insulation - ICF construction reduces
the amount of external noise that gets into a building. The solid
concrete and foam panels combine as an effective barrier to noise,
allowing quiet comfort inside.
Health factors - CFCs and HCFCs are not used in the production
of Conwall™ Building System's ICFs, so no toxic fumes will seep from
the ICF construction into your home. |
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ICF Construction
 After
site preparation is complete and footings are marked, the ICF units
are placed along the perimeter of the building. The form units are
layed in courses, with webs added on each course. The webs allow for
placement of additional horizontal and vertical reinforcements.
Vertical bracing provides support and alignment as subsequent courses
are placed. After the concrete is poured and cured, this bracing is
removed leaving a true vertical ICF wall.
To place electrical and plumbing, races are cut into the foam using
a hot knife or other tool.
A variety of exterior finishes like siding or stucco
can be used on an ICF building. ConRock offers stone
veneer and brick to
meet your exterior finish needs. |
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Conwall™ Building Systems
Our complete concrete forming
system provides an efficient cost-effective alternative
to traditional construction methods.
Email us
or call 1-877-CONROCK
(266-7625) to speak with our staff about your
next ICF construction project.
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Stronger
and Safer |
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High
Energy Efficiency |
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Lower
Insurance Rates |
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Weatherproof |
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Environmentally
Friendly |
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Quieter
and Healthier |
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