PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Habitat for Humanity is well-known for developing affordable housing, but its design and construction volunteers are also finding job sites fun as they learn how to build more sustainably with insulated concrete forms (ICF). “One of the things I like with the product is our people enjoy their time on the job site,” said Habitat for Humanity of Seminole County’s Executive Director Penny Seater. “I just think there are so many plusses for our families and our volunteers,” she said. The reduced weight of the forms during assembly means, there are less fingers smashed compared with other construction materials, and a lot fewer sore muscles, as well as less overall volunteer safety concerns for Habitat Seminole. The two homes were built side by side each with 1,556 sq. ft. of Greenblock ICF wall, one to the Florida Green Building Coalition’s (FGBC) green building rating system and one to the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED rating system. The LEED Home is anticipated to achieve Gold certification. Greenblock 2-4-2/4 inch core product was installed. The designer was Baker Barrios Architects, Inc., and the structural engineer was JHR Consultants, Inc. In Florida, termites and hurricanes are also concerns but with Greenblock walls those worries are gone as well, she noted. A Greenblock ICF wall has a solid concrete core providing a hurricane, tornado, and seismic resistant home. Numerous savings were recognized with Greenblock ICF, including time of construction because it can be installed faster than concrete blocks or wood frame construction methods. The ease of fitting blocks together and factory produced pre-engineering means less construction site waste. Furthermore, furring strips are built-in from the inside and outside; the self-contained vapor barrier eliminates the need for a house wrap. You can even downsize the HVAC system for additional savings up front and for the long-term as less cooling cycles are required by the unit and that lowers utilities cost while providing less ongoing worn parts to replace and an overall longer life span for the heating and cooling units.
