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October 20, 1999
For Immediate Release
For more information, contact Jennifer Grover or Bruce McIntosh at PCA (847) 966-6200.
Concrete Concepts Show Homes Open During 2000 Builders Show
Interest in concrete homebuilding surges; Portland Cement Association and Marshall Bobbitt Homes team up to present the latest in concrete homes
Marshall Bobbitt Homes and the Portland Cement Association will open the doors of their concrete homes to attendees during the annual International Builders’ Show, sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders January 14–17 in Dallas. Located adjacent to a golf course in the Buffalo Creek subdivision, the 3,474-square-foot home is one of several to be built in the development using insulating concrete forms (ICFs) for the exterior walls.
ICFs are hollow foam blocks or panels, which are stacked into the shape of the walls of a building. The forms are filled with reinforced concrete to form a solid structure, sandwiching a heavy, high-strength material between two layers of light, high-insulation foam. The resulting walls offer a long list of benefits: air tightness, strength, sound attenuation, insulation, pest and fire resistance, and more.
Homebuyer interest in concrete homes has surged in recent years: almost 125,000 homes were built in 1998 using concrete systems (including ICFs and concrete masonry). Concrete’s market share rose to more than 10%, a remarkable 350% increase since 1993. PCA market research also shows that most builders believe homebuyers are willing to pay 2% to 5% more than wood framing for the quality of a concrete home.
Marshall Bobbitt is one of those builders. "There are a lot of advantages to having a concrete home," says Bobbitt, president of Marshall Bobbitt Homes. He believes that in addition to benefits like pest resistance and soundproofing, "energy efficiency, balanced with the strength of concrete walls for safety, add to the value of the house." Bobbitt has built upscale homes in the Dallas metro area for 36 years, and says he plans to continue building with concrete.
The finished and furnished model home will be open for tours during the Builders’ Show floor hours. Free shuttle buses will leave the convention center throughout the day to bring visitors to the homes. Two concrete homes under construction nearby will also be open for viewing. Builders Show attendees may pick up tour information at the Portland Cement Association Booth #3221, located in the Concrete Pavilion.
Marshall Bobbitt Homes will open the model home both before and after the Builders Show for consumer tours. The Concrete Concepts show homes are sponsored by the Portland Cement Association, the Cement and Concrete Promotion Council of Texas, and Owens Corning. For more details on the Concrete Concepts show homes, including photographs and directions to the site, visit www.concretehomes.com.
Contacts
Marshall Bobbitt, Marshall Bobbitt Homes: (972) 772-9498
Robb Baumann, Cement and Concrete Promotion Council of Texas: (817) 540-4437
Fred Wynn, Architect: (972) 907-0080
Jim Niehoff, Residential Promotion Manager, PCA: (847) 966-6200
Based in Skokie, Illinois, the Portland Cement Association represents cement companies in the U.S. and Canada. It conducts market development, engineering, research, education, and public affairs programs.
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