Beaver-Vu Construction of Beavercreek is going green by building environmentally friendly, energy efficient homes located south of Xenia, Ohio in the Wright Cycle Estates community.
The company is building the houses using insulated concrete forms technology in its foundation and walls, making it more energy efficient and resistant to high winds up to 250 miles per hour. The home is all set to open up for users by end of March and open for tours in April.
Located at 2230 Schwinn Ave., the project is making use of Insulated Concrete Forms, or ICF, which combines polystyrene foam with reinforced concrete. ICF has been the center of attraction offering greater energy efficiency (equivalent to R 22 insulation), as well as increased fire and storm resistance and can also be used in the walls of slab foundations, crawl spaces, basements and the living area creating a healthier living environment by reducing excess noise and eliminating moisture problems common to traditional construction techniques, said the company officials.
Marty Walling, the vice president of Beaver-Vu Construction, based in Beavercreek, Ohio recently became one of a select group of professional builders nationwide to earn the Certified Green Professional (CGP) designation and is an authority in the new, continuously insulating technology.“An ICF home is extremely energy efficient because it is air-tight,” Walling said. “No joints exist in the exterior wall envelope, or between walls and floors. This prevents conditioned air leaking from the interior to the exterior of the home. Energy savings from reduced air infiltration are obvious when compared to the large amount of heating and cooling losses experienced in traditionally built houses.”
Walling said that he chose Xenia because of his long history with the Wright Cycle Estates development and to help promote one of the benefits of ICF construction: its inherent resistance to high winds, up to 250 miles per hour. “We own building lots at Wright Cycle Estates and over the years we’ve heard endless comments regarding Xenia’s tornadic history,” Walling said. “Sometimes serious questions were raised regarding safe rooms within slab construction. So, if we were going to build this project anyway, why not make the most logical choice for the location.”
As one might expect, increased energy efficiency and structural integrity comes with a higher price tag (News - Alert), the company added.
Jyothi Shanbhag is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Jyothi's articles, please visit her columnist page.
Edited by
Janice McDuffee
