Green Dream Home in England |
An architect in Norfolk, England has constructed his own eco-friendly, earth-sheltered dream home with Quad-Lock Insulating Concrete Forms. This unique and super insulated building, commonly referred to as Sedam House, is causing quite a stir in the area for its trailblazing characteristics and design.
"We have a massive waiting list for people wanting to see these houses," says the director of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE). "They are hugely popular because many people would like to be more environmentally aware in their homes or build eco-houses, and it is hard to find the information."
Read the complete Project Summary.
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Great Resource on YouTube for Quad-Lock Videos |
If you are looking for the how-to library on building with Quad-Lock, check us out on YouTube.
This has a collection of videos from planning and estimating, to footings, to building corners. It also includes the Time Lapse video of a crew building a basement and garage in one day as well as the incredible Car vs. ICF Home video.
Check out the Quad-Lock Videos.
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Atlanta Training "Bowls" Them Over! |
March 9th through 12th saw Quad-Lock's New Dealers and Advanced Installers gathered at our Atlanta manufacturing facility. This year's agenda focused heavily on ICF building skills, and culminated with a two-day Advanced Installer session covering Quad-Lock, Quad-Deck, and the R-ETRO System.
The training was intense, but very enjoyable, according to user evaluations. To have fun after all the learning, two afternoons saw participants in a contest of "Irish Road Bowling". This delightfully simple game dates from the 1600's in Ireland and is a cross between golf and bowling. Players roll a 28 oz steel cannon ball down back country roads to see who can take the fewest shots from Point A to Point B, usually about a 2 mile course.
Here is a look at the various styles displayed by our players.
 
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And the Winner Is ..... Quad-Lock! |
 We are proud to announce that two of Quad-Lock's Projects were prize winners at the recent World of Concrete trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada in February. The honors were presented as part of the ICF Builder Awards, an international competition designed to showcase the advantages of building with Insulating Concrete Forms.
 The Hegdahl Home in Colorado was named First Runner-Up in the Unlimited Residential division. "The judges cited the complexity of the design, the striking architecture and the challenges the construction team overcame to set a new standard for the entire ICF industry," stated Clark Ricks, editor of ICF Builder magazine and organizer of the competition. The home was constructed on the edge of a massive cliff and blasting the rock to prepare for construction was not an option. The builder had to become extremely creative to get this project completed on this unyielding and remote mountain location. "This project demonstrates the adaptability of the Quad-Lock ICF system to extreme conditions and the can-do attitude of the contractor," said the owner, Mike Hegdahl.
 Recipients of the Hegdahl Home award include from left, Mark Benjamin from Crown Jade Design (structural engineer), Mike Hegdahl (owner, architect and GC), Keith Bleeker of Advantage Exteriors (ICF installer), John Hatfield of Energywise Sustainable Projects (ICF distributor) and Georg Kustermann (Quad-Lock director).
Read the complete Project Profile.
 Casa Del Sol in Massachusetts was the big winner of the night, garnering top spot in the Small Residential category. Casa Del Sol was honored for the unique architectural features including over half the home being radius walls (with some of those being radius walls with arched doors as well). The home is a net-zero passive solar home that fits unobtrusively in the old apple orchard and meadow surrounding it. Barry Oberpriller, the owner and builder, states, "I sincerely believe that the best, maybe the only way, to build an 'energy-plus' home is with Quad-Lock, because of its Plus-Panels and flexibility of design."
 Clark Ricks of ICF Builder Magazine (far left) presents the award for Casa Del Sol to Marty Baron (Quad-Lock regional sales Manager), Barry Oberpriller (owner, GC and ICF installer) and Georg Kustermann (Quad-Lock director).
Read the complete Project Profile.
With two new R-ETRO Ties and Metal Tracks, you can now add R-10, R-18 or R-26 insulation value to your new or existing building.
One of the most exciting prospects for all of us in the Quad-Lock family is the growing recognition of the new R-ETRO Insulation System. By far, the major "attention-getters" in our World of Concrete booth in Las Vegas this past February were the full-scale R-ETRO displays, featuring interior and exterior installation and finish. In addition, builders were able to watch a live demonstration of R-ETRO panels installed on a wood structure at the outdoor "hands-on" booth, and took away what may become an important part of their businesses: Deep energy retrofits of homes and commercial buildings.
Since R-ETRO's introduction in June 2008, the initial R-18 offering (4¼" [108mm]) has been joined by R-10 (2¼" [57mm]) and R-26 (6¼" [158mm]) variations, giving customers more flexibility in insulation values for a wide range of climate and job-specific conditions.
Federal, regional, and local initiatives for energy conservation in the US and Canada should make the R-ETRO system an important part of the strategy for many Quad-Lock customers. Watch for new developments scheduled for 2010, like a new R-ETRO installation video and code compliance engineering study for designers, builders and code officials. Don't forget that a summary of tax incentives and supporting documentation is available on our web-site.
Douglas Bennion
Sr. Training Consultant
See the complete details on Quad-Lock's R-ETRO High Performance Insulation System
New R-ETRO Benefits Summary Sheet
 You may have missed it, but the first day of Spring in North America was March 20th. Many of you in the southern hemisphere are spoiled by mild weather in the winter months. This is in sharp contrast to parts of the US, which had some severe weather anomalies with much snow, wind, and ice. And you folks way up in the northern hemisphere, its winter 10 months of the year, right?
Spring is often characterized by warmth, flowers, and renewal. The brown-gray of winter yields green, color, and outdoor activity. Who can't be excited about that? Well, it is exciting to see as the construction industry kicks into gear for 2010. It seems many areas in the world that are affected by cold, snow and frozen earth are coming to life.
There has been much discussion in the news regarding the economy, unemployment, and the poor housing market. Sure, there are some challenges ahead, but let's be optimistic. There will still be thousands of new homes built in 2010. There will still be thousands of commercial projects started in 2010. The population is still increasing and yes, they ultimately require housing. I ask you, "Is the glass half full for you or is it half empty?" These challenges in the construction and housing market are helping improve our industry. The construction market has become more value-conscious and buyers are more discerning. The buying public's attitude in the past was "build my structure for my needs as cheaply as possible". Now, with the help of the GREEN movement, advancements in technology and of course the Internet, buyers are deciding to build better performing buildings. Don't forget, the Quad-Lock team can help you build a better performing building or re-insulate your new or existing building with R-ETRO.
As spring continues in 2010, I challenge you to renew your attitude and focus on the positive things in the construction industry. Whether you are selling or building, the time is ripe with opportunity. And please don't forget to smell the flowers along the way.
Sincerely,
D.J. Ketelhut
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