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Concrete Homes Newsletter
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Concrete Homes Newsletter > 2007 > September/October
September/October 2007
The New American "Concrete" Home 2008
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The New American "Concrete" Home,
under construction. |
In the exclusive Lake Nona golf course community, adjacent to the eastern
boundary of Orlando International Airport, the 2008 New American Home is
taking shape. The home, which serves as the official Show Home of the National
Association of Home Builders (NAHB) during the International Builders’ Show,
is for the 5th consecutive year relying on concrete for its structural elements.
The exterior walls of the home make extensive use of autoclaved aerated concrete
(AAC) blocks provided by Aercon Industries. AAC consists of lightweight,
air-entrained concrete blocks or panels that can be cut to fit any dimension.
AAC provides superior energy efficiency, resistance to fires, termites and
mold, and enhanced sound attenuation. In addition to AAC, the New American
Home has several hundred yards of poured concrete for additional structural
support. Other concrete products used in the home will include a portland
cement–based stucco finish, and concrete roof tiles from Monier LifeTile.
Builder Charles Robertson of Robertson Homes broke ground in February and
expects the 6,725 square foot home to be completed in late October 2007 to
allow for magazine photo shoots prior to the February 2008 International
Builders' Show. The home will be on display during the Show, which runs February
13–16 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. The home is
also expected to be available for public tours for several weeks following
the show.
Concrete Homes Across Maryland
Over the course of the summer and early fall, concrete homes have been on
display throughout the state of Maryland. The multi-city home show, promoted
by the Maryland Ready Mix Concrete Association and local media, has stoked
interest across the entire construction industry. What started in Denton
on June 23 will wrap up near the end of October in Ocean City.
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A 2-story ICF home in Denton, MD. |
The Denton home is a 2-story ICF home with decorative exterior flatwork.
The driveway, patio and walkway are all colored and stamped concrete. The
open house produced a variety of visitors, from neighbors and prospective
homebuyers to builders and realtors. The primary realtor in the development
brought several clients to the house, and other potential buyers scheduled
private tours after attending the open house. The builder of the ICF home
has seen an increase in his decorative flatwork business, as well as the
number of requests for ICF bids.
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Two ICF homes under construction
in Annapolis. |
In July, Annapolis was the location for the next open house, but instead
of just one there were five. All were in the construction phase. This attracted
more tradespeople than buyers, and the Annapolis Capital newspaper ran
a timely and informative article that included ICFs because of the open
house.
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A home near completion in Annapolis, MD. |
The August open house, in Frederick, highlighted a 14,000 square foot
ICF house that was still under construction. Concrete was chosen for both
the walls and floor system. Nearly 100 people, including builders, architects,
engineers, trades, and potential buyers, toured the home, spending on average
20–30 minutes per visit. The builder of this home has also received
a request to bid a couple of future projects. The Frederick News Post ran
an article in the Business section and plans to run another feature in
their Fall Home section later in the year.
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Clockwise from top:
The 1st
floor of a 14,000 square foot home in Frederick.
Open house
attendees mill about the ICF home.
Attendees view the concrete
floor deck above them.
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This is the first year for the multi-city concrete open house event,
but apparently not the last. Tom Evans, Promotion Director for
the Maryland Ready Mix Concrete Association and Promotion Council,
says, “I think
this has gone pretty well so far, and I look forward to doing something
similar next year.” There are two more open houses yet to come: October
11 in Cumberland and October 13 in Ocean City.
Maryland Development Utilizes Decorative Concrete
When a prime piece of real estate came on the market in one of the fastest
growing areas in Waldorf, Maryland, Chaney Enterprises immediately realized
that such opportunities don’t occur often. While remaining environmentally
conscious, they have earned a well deserved reputation for purchasing land
and mining it for material before reclamation for possible development or
use by the community.
When it became clear that the parcel of land did not contain enough material
to mine economically, building North Pointe, a profitable concrete-centered
community, was the next prime consideration. In addition to the foundations,
all of the approximately 100 North Pointe homes feature stamped and decorative
concrete sidewalks and driveways. Many buyers have to be convinced the flatwork
is not brick or traditional paving stones. The project ensures a steady stream
of onlookers and provides a superior show-and-tell opportunity for the world’s
most versatile building material.
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The beautiful stone pattern extends
beyond the driveway
to a flagstone pattern on the public sidewalks. |
“When giving facility tours, we try to end the tour at North Pointe” Steve
Tripp, Marketing Manager of Chaney Enterprises says. “It’s a
great thing to show people that what starts with a grain of sand ends up
looking like this. People are very impressed.”
Chaney Enterprises is a construction materials supplier servicing the entire
Mid-Atlantic region with concrete, sand, gravel and stone, and construction
materials and supplies. The company operates seven ready-mix concrete plants,
four sand and gravel facilities, and a 19,000 square foot contractor-grade
construction materials supply store throughout Maryland.
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The private sidewalks use the same
pattern as the driveways. |
For more information, contact Jessica Pinkey at (301) 932-5665 or
e-mail jpinkey@ChaneyEnterprises.com.
Heller Named ICFA Executive Director
Stephen V. (Steve) Heller has joined the Insulating Concrete Form Association
(ICFA), Glenview, Illinois, as its new Executive Director, effective August
1, 2007. Steve comes to the ICFA as a career professional in the management
of non-profit organizations that serve businesses. Previously, he filled
key positions at a large, industry-specific regional trade association, a
national business policy advocacy organization and a manufacturing workforce
development intermediary.
His primary assignment at the ICFA will be to provide entrepreneurial leadership
to take the association to the next level of success for its members and
the industry.
Thanks to the ICFA for this article.
Get Free Admission to World of Concrete and Discount on Seminars
As a co-sponsor, PCA offers free advance registration to the World of Concrete,
in Las Vegas, January 22–25, 2008. You can also get a discount on the
many seminars starting on January 21.
Register Online
Download Registration Form
More Information
Upcoming Events
- ICPI Summer Meeting, Montreal, Quebec, September 12–15, 2007 More
- ICFA Annual Meeting and Expo, St. Louis,
Missouri, September 24–26, 2007 More
- EEBA Excellence in Building Conference and Expo, St. Paul,
Minnesota, October 9–11, 2007 More
- MRMCA's Parade of Green-Built Homes, Cumberland, Maryland, October 11,
2007 More
- MRMCA's Parade of Green-Built Homes, Ocean City,
Maryland, October 13, 2007 More
- The Concrete Countertop Industry Conference,
Charlotte,
North Carolina, October 25-27, 2007 More
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