The ICF model home in Kimberling City, MO was constructed in 2006, and as discussed in the Energy Savings section of our site, the use of Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) played a critical role in achieving the energy efficiency for this home.
ICF structures are known for tremendous reduction in air infiltration by creating such a tight envelope, or exterior shell. When combined with quality windows, doors, and roof structure to create the total envelope, the ICF structure performs extremely well which is proven in the Manual J Load Calculation. In fact, in many instances the reduction of air infiltration oftentimes reduces the heat loss and heat gain of the structure by up to 50% which in turn decreases the HVAC system size required to maintain indoor comfort levels more efficiently. In the case of HTH’s ICF model home, the reduction in HVAC was nearly half that of the same design built of traditional 2”x6”stick construction, and as you can see from the photo on our home page, this home has several windows, and is west facing – which contributes to solar gain factors.
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Illustration courtesy of Reward Wall Systems |
A load calculation was performed on the home as a stick built structure first and determined the HVAC system size to be approximately 7.5 tons based on heat loss/heat gain.But when we repeated the load calculation with the ICF materials plugged in, the heat loss/heat gain dropped significantly which resulted in a total of only 2-tons required. Although this is a fairly predictable result, care must be taken to prove this data by running a thorough Manual J Load Calculation as other construction materials and factors such as windows, doors, attic insulation, other materials, and climate also impact the load calculation. But for the purposes of this application, HTH was very pleased that the inclusion of ICF in this project allowed us to install a much smaller HVAC system in the home, and the savings gained on the smaller HVAC system helped offset the cost of the ICF shell.
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Photo by HTH |
Working with ICF is also a very straight-forward process. The key to constructing with ICF is to contract with a well-skilled, well-experienced contractor to erect the ICF walls. In addition, you’ll want to research the ICF product thoroughly.
HTH’s ICF model home caught the attention of Popular Mechanics magazine about midway through construction, and is the subject of a feature story scheduled to appear, we’re told, in the next few months. So if you’re not already a subscriber to Popular Mechanics, be sure to subscribe now by going to popularmechanics.com and receive your copy for more information on this incredible home!
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