Florida homes built with Fox Blocks insulated concrete forms (ICF) protect against severe wind events and are energy-efficient and durable. In Florida, these features are essential due to the hot and humid climate, the frequent hurricanes, and the threat of damage from termites.

Key Elements of Florida Home Design and Construction

Home design and construction in Florida must protect against the tropical and subtropical conditions throughout the entire State. The hot, humid, and rainy conditions make energy-efficiency and moisture control vital components of Florida home design.

Also, the constant threats of tropical storms make wind-resistance a critical element of Florida home design. Energy-efficiency, moisture-, storm- are all essential design elements of a comfortable, cost-saving, healthy, and durable Florida home.

Energy-Efficient New Home Construction in Florida

Building an ICF home in humid, hot, and wet Florida ensures a tight building envelope that is energy-efficient and controls the moisture infiltration and accumulation within the wall system. Moisture-resistance and energy-efficiency are vital components of a Florida home where the average annual relative humidity in the morning is 86.4 percent and an average high temperature in July is above 90°F.

Furthermore, Florida’s wet climate results in an average annual precipitation of between 39.8 and 70.4 inches, which often leads to dangerous flooding. The design of a Florida house should include energy-efficient and durable features. An energy-efficient and durable home is also healthy, and comfortable and will lessen a homeowner’s maintenance, repair, and energy costs.

Disaster-Resistant New Home Construction in Florida

Between 1995 and 2017, Florida experienced 42 hurricanes, tropical storms, and tropical depressions. Florida has more hurricanes, tropical storms and tropical depressions than any other State in the United States (U.S.). Of concern, because of climate change and coastal development, nationwide damage from hurricanes is expected to increase significantly in the coming decades. Of concern, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) predicts an estimated increase in federal aid for hurricane damage from $28 billion in 2017 to $39 billion by 2075. Notably, the CBO predicts that Florida is the State with the most increase in hurricane damage.

New Home Construction in Florida

Building a home in Florida with insulated concrete forms (ICFs) produces a house that is energy-efficient, and moisture-, wind-. A superb ICF product for home construction in Florida is Fox Blocks ICF. The Fox Blocks ICF wall system is energy-efficient, and moisture-, wind-resistant.

ICF - An Ideal Product for a Florida Home

Energy-Efficiency

• Energy-efficient Fox Blocks have an R-value of 23 and exceed ASHRAE/ANSI 90.1 energy code requirements. Homes constructed with ICF exterior walls use 32 percent less energy to cool and 44 percent less energy to heat than wood-framed houses.
• The high thermal mass of Fox Blocks generates a high-performing, energy-efficient structure. High thermal mass building products absorb and store heat energy, which stabilizes temperature shifts within the house by slowing the rate of heat transfer.

Moisture-Resistance

• Fox Blocks create a solid continuous monolithic concrete wall with a perm rating of less than 1.0. The low perm rating controls moisture intrusion and prevents the growth of mold, which is unhealthy and can degrade the home’s integrity.

Wind-Resistance

• Fox Blocks are wind-resistant: Fox Blocks, with steel reinforced concrete, are disaster-resistant and can resist strong winds exceeding 200 MPH, and projectile debris flying at over 100 MPH.

Termite Resistance

• Fox Blocks are less prone to termites because they lack the organic material termites eat. However, for waterproofing and termite protection, Fox Blocks recommends Polyguard Products, Inc. 650 XTM or 650 XTP membranes.

Additional Features of Fox Blocks ICF

Fox Blocks are Easy to Install

• Fox Blocks combines five building steps into one, including structure, insulation, air barrier, vapor retarder, and attachment. The all in one wall assembly of Fox Blocks greatly accelerates project delivery time by eliminating the need to coordinate multiple trades.

Fox Blocks are Soundproof

• Sound transmission tests proved that less than a third of sound passes through ICF walls compared to wood- frame walls filled with fiberglass insulation. Fox Blocks achieve a Sound Transmission Classification (ASTM E90) of 4-inch=STC 46, 6- and 8-inch =STC 50+.

Fox Blocks are Non-Toxic

• Fox Blocks contain little to no VOC.

Choose ICF for Your Florida Home

Fox Blocks ICFs create Florida homes that are energy-efficient, and moisture-, wind-, and pest-resistant. In Florida, these features are essential to protecting a home against the hot and humid climate, termites, and the ever-increasing hurricanes, tornadoes and rain events. Florida homes built with ICF are comfortable, cost-saving, safe, and durable.