Fully Self-Sufficient Building in the Deserts of Abu Dhabi |
Saying this building is out in the middle of nowhere is an understatement! Situated in the middle of the desert, this ICF Guard House project in Abu Dhabi had to be easy to construct with no delays and entirely self-sufficient once complete. See how they did it with Quad-Lock...
Read the complete Project Summary. |
Quad-Lock Project Featured in Living Spaces Magazine |
Barry Oberpriller's innovative and award winning Net Zero Energy home "Casa del Sol" is featured in the latest issue of Living Spaces Magazine.
Read the complete article (starts on page 12)
Casa del Sol also recently won a top prize at the ICF Builder Awards. Read the project profile.
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Quad-Lock Dealers Pull Together to Get the Job Done |
At the last moment, clients of our French ICF distributor had decided to build their entire 4-home project with Quad-Lock, including the garage and basement area - and the product needed to be delivered that week! The additionally quantities were more than they had in stock, and unfortunately the European manufacturing facility was closed for a short summer break. How could they get the product they needed to ensure the customer was not let down?
In only a few phone calls the problem was solved! Quad-Lock Dealer Miha Merlak of ICF Slovenija came to the rescue by not only providing the additional panels & ties from his stock but as his staff was busy on job-sites, personally drove his truck 900km from Slovenija to central France.
Proof that our Quad-Lock Dealers are the best in the business and will go that extra mile for the customer (or 560 to be exact)! A huge thank you to Miha for his outstanding assistance.
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Building Information Modeling (BIM) for Quad-Lock ICF Walls, Floors and Roofs |
Quad-Lock is pleased to introduce a comprehensive library of BIM objects for our Insulated Concrete Form products. Building Information Modeling lets design professionals analyze & optimize new buildings and their impact on the environment and the occupants. Adoption of BIM has increased steadily to meet the demand for buildings that perform much better than conventional buildings.
Fully parametric BIM objects for Quad-Lock ICF walls, floors and roofs can now be accessed from one convenient Revit® library. Repeating Details for wall ties and concrete beams are also available.
To download the new BIM Library, please visit our Building Information Modeling page (registration is required, if you haven't done so already). For more information on Revit® please visit Autodesk.com.
Sales Corner - "Foundations First" |
 This may come as a surprise as we discuss insulating basements in the middle of summer. But really, this is more of a wake-up call for conserving energy and building the right way. It has been shown that approximately 25%-30% of a typical home's heat loss can be attributed to an uninsulated foundation. And while some of you reading this are from warmer climates and others may not have foundations, the same applies to slabs on grade and above grade construction. My whole point is to start with the basics and at a minimum insulate your basement foundation. "Can Insulating Concrete Forms (ICF) be used above grade?" Absolutely, but let's start with the foundation first!
Historically, the basement has been relegated to storage, laundry room, and some other non-appealing space. Basements have a bad reputation for being cold, damp, and dark. This does not have to be the case as ICF technology can transform the basement into warm, dry, comfortable living space. Can you say theater room, exercise room, office, even playrooms for that matter? Transform your new home and your basement by insulating your basement foundation!
Many building codes are now requiring insulating the foundation and it is mainly based on Heating Degree Days (HDD) zones. If you live in a very warm climate, then you may not be required to insulate your foundation, but many jurisdictions require R-10 to R-20 and more in some cases. The conventional methods contractors use are to place rigid insulation on the outside of the foundation walls and/or add framing to the interior (rot-and-mildew prone) and insert batt insulation (often poorly installed and sagging). Why not combine all these seperate steps into one and start using ICF's in the first place?
What about the cost to build the foundation out of Insulated Concrete Forms? While there are many variables, the total cost is often similar or less for an ICF foundation compared to a fully finished conventional foundation! You also get a better basement:
- Higher Energy Savings due to uninterrupted insulation of R-22+
- Lower risks of rot, mold and mildew
- More comfortable space
- One contractor instead of 2 or 3
Some of you may be thinking, "I wish I would have done it right the first time and used ICFs to insulate my basement, but it's too late, my home is built." There is good news, Quad-Lock being the innovator in the insulation marketplace has created a retrofit insulation system called R-ETRO (www.r-etro.com). This is a systems approach to finish the interior of your foundation or basement. It comes in three R-Values of R-10, R-18, and R-26 and gives you similar benefits as building your foundation with ICFs.
The Quad-Lock team can help you create your desired basement living space by building the foundation first out of Insulating Concrete Forms. Create that warm, dry, and desirable space you have always wanted. Whether you are building new or renovating your home, Quad-Lock is always here to help.
D.J. Ketelhut, North America Sales Director
Also:
- Blog on Better Basements with Insulation
- Video A Full Basement Ready to Pour in a Day
- Project Profile: A Better Way to Build Basements
Training Corner: ICF Training Courses in September |
Quad-Lock distributors are coordinating Quad-Lock ICF Training Seminars in Barre, VT on Sep. 23, and in Grand Junction, CO on Sep. 24.
Please register today!
Quad-Lock's Advanced ICF Training Course, scheduled for September 16-17, 2010 in Vancouver, BC, is a perfect way to get in-depth and highly technical with the Quad-Lock Pros.
 The Advanced Training provides invaluable insights and techniques for contractors, installers, and distribution partners. Some of the course highlights include:
- Building "Net Zero" Energy Structures
- Tall Walls and Multi-Storey
- Radius Wall Construction
- Concrete Wall to Floor Connection De-mystified
- Got LEED?
- Self-Bracing Corners and Angles
- Exterior Finish Applications and much more...
Learn more and register today!
In conjuntion with the Advanced Training Course in Vancouver, BC, our New Dealer Training is scheduled for September 14-17, 2010. This event is perfect for any New Quad-Lock Dealers as well as existing Dealers who would like to get a refresher course. The New Dealer Training covers Sales Strategies, Marketing, Dealer Resources, Estimating, and Hands On.
Contact us for more information or if you are interested in attending this event coming up on September 14th.
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