15 Final
RANCH HOUSE POOL
This own­er-builder want­ed an attrac­tive, afford­able relax­ation spa that he could build him­self on week­ends. He designed the project to repli­cate a wine bar­rel pro­trud­ing from the ground, invit­ing one and all to enjoy a glass and stay awhile.
Flexible Construction 3
Flexible Construction: Can ICFs be Poured in Multiple Stages?
Decoding Net Zero Homes 2
Decoding Net-Zero Homes: Understanding the Concept and How to Build
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Understanding the ENERGY STAR Rating System for Better Efficiency
What fasteners are recommended for ICFs?

Fox Blocks has con­duct­ed numer­ous fas­ten­er tests for pull-out strength and shear capac­i­ty for var­i­ous fas­ten­ers – screws, ring shank nails and sta­ples into the plas­tic webs. The rec­om­men­da­tion for inte­ri­or and exte­ri­or appli­ca­tions of fin­ish mate­ri­als is for the use of screws which pro­vide the best hold­ing capac­i­ty into the plas­tic webs or fas­ten­ing strips in the forms which are iden­ti­fied on each block.

The EPS insu­la­tion does not pro­vide any hold­ing capac­i­ty for fas­ten­ers.

Does the EPS provide support for a wood sill plate?
No, the EPS has no struc­tur­al capac­i­ty to sup­port any loads. Wood sill plates must achieve the required bear­ing from the con­crete with­in the ICF. A wood plate that can­tilevers 13 over the EPS and bears 23 on the con­crete is allow­able. This can be done with a min­i­mum 2 x 6 plate. If a 24 plate is required, a taper top form should be used to extend the con­crete under the plate.
1
Build a Mold-Resistant Home That Protects from the Inside Out
Water does­n’t need a flood to cause dam­age — high humid­i­ty and poor ven­ti­la­tion are often enough to com­pro­mise a struc­ture from with­in.
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What is the Concrete Temperature Limit?
Con­crete is a ver­sa­tile and durable con­struc­tion mate­r­i­al that is pre­dom­i­nant­ly used in both com­mer­cial and res­i­den­tial struc­tures. It’s essen­tial to under­stand con­crete’s ther­mal prop­er­ties, specif­i­cal­ly its tem­per­a­ture lim­its, to opti­mize its strength and dura­bil­i­ty.