The owners of this Sandy Hook A-frame wanted to enjoy the pristine views of Lake County in a custom home that was affordable to build and maintain. The design includes a very complex raked wall filled with multiple custom windows, entirely built with Fox Blocks. Building the entire building envelope with ICF, including this intricate wall, helps ensure that the home will stand strong for generations. The front window wall looks very difficult to build but was done with ease using ICF. The team marked the layout out on the floor with chalk lines as a template. This process was captured in a YouTube video called “ICF Gable Window” to provide insights that others in the ICF community can use and apply to other projects.

This project also contended with the challenge of building in cold Manitoba, Canada. Building in this region required a large footing at a very shallow depth, a significant construction difficulty. Winters are as cold as -40°F for weeks at a time, with frost into the ground presenting regular high risk and concern. The owners tented the project with 4” of EPS up to 15’ away from the home to keep the frost from affecting the footings during the build.

The end result is a great example of the true benefits of building with Fox Blocks ICF. Every design element of this home was well thought out to make this a comfortable, maintenance-free, and low-energy home that will surpass energy codes into the next generation.

Project Stats

Location: Sandy Hook, MB
Industry: Small Residential
Size: 2,130 sq. ft. (Floor)
ICF Use: 3,114 sq. ft.
Cost: $340,000
Total Construction: 12 weeks
ICF Installation Time: 19 days

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