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Builders LondonA standard means test report by the Insulated Concrete Form Association states that four inches of polystyrene foam - 2 inches on each side of the cement wall – encasing 5 inches of concrete has a rating well above R-17. If the walls are made thicker – 6 – 8” – this value could go over R-20. Cement, by its very nature, has a high thermal mass meaning that it takes a long time to heat up or cool down. With the insulating factor of the foam sheathing this advantage is increased. In standard wood-frame homes the settling of fiberglass insulation eventually makes way for small air leaks coming from the outside walls. These currents of air find their way into even the most airtight homes through fixtures and outlets. With a solid ICF wall there is none of this convection within wall as there are no cavities for it to get started. When you add up the advantages of high R-values, minimal air leakage and the high thermal mass this mean that ICF can give between 25% to 50% cut in energy consumption as compared with wood-framed homes. In addition, there is a huge saving in air conditioning costs. The Process of Building with ICF Building with insulated concrete forms starts much like any home – with the footings. Before the cement cures in the footings vertical rebar is placed in intervals of 2’ in the center of the footing to hold the walls onto the footings. The second course of block interlocks with the block next to the footing to provide the start to the sold wall. It is at this point that corrections are made for any uneven parts of the footings to make sure the wall goes up square. Rebar is now placed horizontally into the plastic webbing and the end pieces ar overlapped for strength. Cement can be poured at the 8 foot level but this requires special bracing scaffolding and wood strapping for support. If pouring at 4 feet the walls can be supported with strapping and lumber. The cement is now poured and settled with a vibrating rod. Special rebar is placed above the windows and doors for extra support the window and doors. When the wall is finished trusses can be placed on top and anchored with special fittings. For a two story home there is wider block that is placed at the top of the first level to brace the second one. The Cost From the records of a Nova Scotia builder who specializes in ICF the cost of building a house with this system was 10-15% more than a standard 2X6 wood frame home. However, with triple-pane, low E glass windows and infloor hydronic radiant heat the heating costs for this home were around 30-40% of a similar stick-built home with forced-air ductwork. So with energy costs rising might take almost 10-12 years to recoup the added cost. Another test was performed with a heat pump and the energy cost dropped even further allowing the homeowner a 7-8 year pay-back. Of course this study does not take into account the expected resale price which is always higher for an energy-efficient home 1. Somali UN peace force considered data: 19.03.08 The UN chief will recommend sending peacekeepers to Somalia if certain conditions are met, he says. 2. Fiona: Natasha Kaplinsky's news is good news! data: 07.04.08 Doesn't the reaction to Natasha Kaplinsky's pregnancy just say everything about how hideously family-unfriendly this country is? 3. What do you want to talk about? data: 19.03.08 What do you want the world to talk about? 4. In last meeting, Putin and Bush agree to disagree data: 07.04.08 But President George W. Bush and President Vladimir Putin did declare that the United States and Russia would seek to cooperate on a variety of other security and economic issues. 5. Prince discharged from hospital data: 07.04.08 The Duke of Edinburgh is discharged from a London hospital after being treated for a chest infection. 6. The promise of qualifying in Malaysia data: 27.03.08 7. Cricket: ICC to act over Hair data: 19.03.08 The International Cricket Council will act to prevent reinstated umpire Darrell Hair from standing in matches involving Pakistan. 8. Failure of new peace talks would be 'devastating,' president of Cyprus says data: 27.03.08 The comments by President Dimitris Christofias came two days before a meeting with the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mehmet Ali Talat. 9. Woman, 23, commits suicide in Bridgend data: 10.04.08 Police are investigating another suicide in Bridgend after a 23-year-old woman hanged herself. 10. Irish town takes lead on renewable energy data: 10.04.08 Dundalk's Sustainable Energy Zone is part of a European Union program encouraging small projects that can be expanded to the regional or national level. 11. French commandos are dispatched to help rescue crew of yacht data: 10.04.08 Elite French troops have been dispatched to East Africa to bolster an effort to free the crew of a yacht that was seized by pirates off Somalia, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Monday. 12. Open jail processes 'beefed up' data: 19.03.08 The prison service promises action after an offender raped a schoolgirl while on the run from an open jail. 13. Britain's financial regulator to hire more supervisors data: 27.03.08 The Financial Services Authority issued a report that found its supervision of Northern Rock was inadequate. 14. Slovakia rows over EU treaty data: 07.04.08 Slovakia's ratification of the Lisbon treaty reforming the European Union could be derailed by opponents of government attempts to push through a controversial media... 15. Top Stories: Liquid Bombs Trial: Court shown videos of hate made by fanatics data: 07.04.08 Hate-filled martyrdom videos threatening slaughter and urging fellow British Muslims to wage holy war were made by six fanatics plotting to blow up transatlantic planes, it was claimed yesterday. 16. 'Artificial colourings as harmful as leaded petrol for children' data: 07.04.08 Artificial colourings could be removed from hundreds of food products after researchers found that they may be almost as harmful to children's development as leaded petrol. 17. Smokestacks in a white wilderness divide Iceland data: 27.03.08 A new aluminum smelter owned by Alcoa, the world's largest aluminum company, has been the focus of the angriest and most divisive battle in recent Icelandic history. 18. 'Healthier hearts' for cat owners data: 19.03.08 Cat owners have a lower risk of a fatal heart attack than feline-spurning counterparts, a study suggests. 19. Barack Obama's key race speech in full data: 19.03.08 Barack Obama's key race speech in full 20. News: Sat-nav blunder hit tanks data: 19.03.08 Residents of a tiny village are regularly invaded by army tanks because of a sat-nav blunder. 21. IOC'S Rogge says "very concerned" after torch protests data: 07.04.08 International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge said on Monday he was "very concerned" after protests disrupted the Olympic torch relay in London. 22. McCanns call for EU child alerts data: 10.04.08 Madeleine McCann's parents travel to Brussels to support an EU-wide alert system for missing children. 23. Gurkha vets seek equal rights data: 19.03.08 Gurkha veterans are protesting at Parliament calling for the right to remain in the UK. 24. Yemen pushes Palestinian dialogue data: 19.03.08 Yemen holds separate talks with Fatah and Hamas in an effort to foster Palestinian national reconciliation. 25. Turning the tide data: 07.04.08 Olympics bring old London waterways back to life 26. Obama grabs the spotlight in Europe, too data: 27.03.08 The fact that a black man may become the Democratic presidential candidate has intrigued Europeans at a time when such a prospect still seems far off in most countries on the Continent. 27. Halle Berry names daughter Nahla Ariela Aubry data: 19.03.08 Halle Berry's newborn daughter is named Nahla Ariela Aubry, her publicist has announced. 28. Prince William and Kate Middleton on ski break data: 19.03.08 Prince William took his girlfriend Kate Middleton to the slopes of Klosters this week for a invigorating skiing holiday. 29. Nepal goes to polls to end 'dark times' data: 10.04.08 Nepal will elect an assembly today to write a new constitution putting an end to a decade of Maoist insurgency and possibly centuries of royal tradition. 30. Popular appeal... why did British PM show up on American Idol? data: 10.04.08 Gordon Brown appears on the US talent show American Idol to promise to buy 20 million mosquito nets for malaria-hit countries. --- --- --- -x- |