How are Fox Blocks green/environmentally friendly?
Fox Blocks contain a minimum of 40% recycled content by weight.
- Fox Blocks do not off-gas and are not manufactured using any gases that deplete the ozone or are harmful to the environment.
- Fox Blocks require low embodied energy to manufacture.
- Fox Blocks do not contain any materials, that promote mold or mildew growth.
- Fox Blocks are an efficient construction method thereby reducing the amount of construction waste, dust and air pollution in the building process.
- Building with Fox Blocks will save on heating and cooling costs because less air is exchanged between the outside and inside of your home. This also means a smaller more efficient HVAC unit is required for the home.
- Fox Blocks are sustainable. They will not rot or deteriorate for the life of your home.
- Fox Blocks provide a secure, durable, comfortable, long lasting building
Is the Fox Blocks ICF product ‘LEED’ rated or certified?
Products are not rated or certified under the LEED program. The overall building is evaluated and assigned a LEED rating. In the selection of building materials for a LEED design, Fox Blocks have many benefits that can enable, enhance or directly contribute toward LEED points for the project.
Is the Fox Blocks product rated by ‘Energy Star’?
Energy Star does not evaluate or rate insulation products. Every Fox Blocks home when tested by an Energy Rater, can meet and exceed the Energy Star home standards and achieve a 5 Star rating and a ‘HERS’ score well below the minimum Energy Star requirement of 85, or in Canada, higher than an EnerGuide rating of 80.
Does EPS ‘off gas’?
EPS does not off-gas. Fox Blocks forms do not and never have contained any CFC or HCFC products. The forms are made by a steam process that utilizes ‘pentene gas’ as a blowing agent. The blowing agent dissipates from the product within 48 hours of manufacturing. Fox Blocks forms are odorless, do not deteriorate, and do not off gas.
What do termites do to the foam?
EPS provides no nutrient value and is not a food source for termites. If left exposed, termites may tunnel into the foam in search of fibrous food. When building, in a heavy termite infestation area, care is required in the detailing and construction of the walls that will be in contact with ground, to prevent access to the foam for termites.
Glen's Contractor Tip Corner: Short Jogs
I had a call this week from a contractor who wanted to know if there was an easy way to build a two foot jog into a wall. This brought back flashbacks of when I used to attempt to interlock corners thinking the strength of the interlock was going to hold things together during concrete placement.
Is an ICF home quieter than a stick framed home?
Absolutely. The exterior walls are two layers of continuous insulation, the density of solid concrete and a layer of ½” gypsum board on the inside all contribute to superior sound suppression of STC 50 for the whole building envelope. Note: A wood frame system of equivalent STC rating would be 2 x 4 studs spaced 16˝ o/c, with 3½˝ absorptive material, 1 layer of 5 /8˝ Type X gypsum board on resilient channels spaced 16˝ o/c, and 2 layers of 5 /8˝ Type X gypsum board on the other side. (Courtesy of 1995 NBCC Section A9.10.3.1 Wall #W5a)
Does the Fox Blocks contain recycled materials?
The plastic webs in Fox Blocks forms are 100% recycled postindustrial polypropylene. The EPS insulation is virgin material. Recycled content for an ICF block is measured by weight. The recycled content by weight of a standard 6″ Fox Blocks form — 48%.
Is the Fox Blocks form recyclable?
Yes, every component of the Fox Blocks form itself plus the concrete and reinforcement bars are recyclable.
What is the R-Value?
The clear R‑Value of an Fox Blocks is R22, however current Energy codes recognize the lack of thermal bridging in an ICF and the contribution of the mass concrete on the influence of the thermal performance. Whole wall calculations indicate a Fox blocks wall assembly provides an R24 rating.
The continuous double layer (inside and outside) of insulation, the elimination of thermal bridging and minimal air infiltration through the mass concrete wall assembly, allows Fox Blocks walls to performance in the high performance wall assembly category. Completing the envelope with energy efficient windows and doors and roof insulation, Fox Blocks homes can easily meet and exceed energy code requirements and exceed the minimum requirements for Energy Star and EnerGuide. A Fox Blocks structure requires 44% less energy to heat and 32% less energy to cool.