A. Over the past few years, some design/build professionals and architects have designed homes around a specific ICF. However, in reality, virtually any home design can effectively use the PHOENIX ICF for the exterior walls with very little if any alteration in the blueprints.

Q. Will I know that I'm living in a concrete house?

A. Absolutely! Not because of the way it looks, since it will look like any other home, but because of the way it feels - very little sound entering from the outside, constant temperatures and continuously filtered air. And, when your utility bills arrive, you'll be dancing for joy!

Q. How can I find a good builder for my new PHOENIX ICF home?

A. Call us or E-mail us. We'll give you the name of a local, trained and licensed builder that is certified to build with the PHOENIX ICF. If for some reason there is nobody in your area, we will do our best to select a reputable builder and offer appropriate training in a timely manner.

Q. Since all ICF's are basically the same, two panels of polystyrene filled with concrete and rebar, what sets PHOENIX apart from the rest?

A. Our management and staff have a long history in the ICF industry, dating back to 1988. We've designed several forms over those years- we're not newcomers to the industry. We have the only 72% Energy Savings Warranty and 30 Year Dry Basement Wall Warranty (link to warranty page)in the industry. It's more cost effective for your builder to use our product than most other ICF's, or traditional 2 x 4 stick construction. We also have Energy Efficiency Mortgage (EEM)(link to financing page) financing set in place for those building from the footings to the eaves with the PHOENIX ICF. This could mean a realistic stretch in your debt to income ratio to enable you to afford to get into the housing market in the first place, or to afford a larger house, or one with more options based on your income.

Q. If I change my mind after construction has begun, and want an additional window or door, can that be done?

A. Absolutely. It will cost a bit, as it does with any construction change, but is nearly as easy as when working with wood construction.

Q. If ICF construction is so much better than conventional stick construction, why don't I hear more about it - and why isn't everybody requesting it?

A. For two reasons.

1. Until PHOENIX SYSTEMS, the cost of building with ICF's was higher than conventional construction. Now that is no longer an issue and in most cases, the cost of a Phoenix ICF home will be the same or lower than stick construction.

2. The housing industry has been relatively slow to react to this rather significant change in construction techniques. It's a lot easier for them to continue to do things the way they've always been done - as long as they're making money at it - even though they aren't doing any favors for homebuyers. This is all changing with our involvement in public relations, aggressive marketing and extensive education programs throughout the country.

Q. Why is mold becoming such a problem throughout the country - even in new construction?

A. Even though mold has always been a bit of a problem, particularly in damper climates, it has been exacerbated in new construction because of building techniques. In traditional stick-built homes, the desire to become as energy efficient as possible has dominated outside wall building techniques. Not only are the walls insulated, generally with fiberglass bat insulation but they are also wrapped with plastic - on the inside as well as the outside. This has a tendency to create a "terrarium effect" inside the wall, trapping moisture - a perfect breeding place for mold growth. With an ICF wall, there is absolutely no room or opportunity for mold to develop.

Q. Will my home look like an air-raid shelter?

A. Heavens no. There are virtually no design barriers when it applies to ICF construction. In fact, when ICF homes started to be built from the footings to the eaves in the early 90's, the typical ICF house was at the most expensive end of the housing scale - mostly because those owners could afford the largest homes and the best technology, regardless of cost - but although they certainly wanted all the benefits of ICF construction, they were absolutely not willing to give up aesthetic value.

Q. Since most of the ICF is Polystyrene, what happens if I have a fire and it burns? Doesn't plastic give off toxic fumes when it burns?

A. The PHOENIX ICF is constructed of Expanded Polystyrene, which is produced with a heat and steam process, with no hydroflorocarbons (HFC's or HCFC's) being released into the ozone layer. Also, there is a borate encapsulated into the polystyrene "bead" during production. Borate is a flame retardant and as a result, the ICF will not burn on its own. It must have an external flame source in order to burn. However, when it does burn, it actually gives out fewer toxins than burning pine. This is one of the reasons the American Lung Association has selected ICF's for use in building many of the "Health Houses" throughout the country.

Q. Will I be able to save money on my homeowners insurance if I build with the PHOENIX ICF?

A. There are significant discounts offered by most insurance companies to ICF homeowners. This is due to the fact that ICF construction is rated as masonry construction, and qualifies for discounts of 10% - 22%, depending on the insurance company and location of the home. Ask your insurance advisor for details.

Q. I was told I could save money on my air conditioning and heating units. How is this accomplished?

A. Because of the energy efficient nature of an ICF structure itself, a smaller (and therefore less expensive) heating/air conditioning system can be installed to produce the level of comfort desired. As a rule of thumb, you can reduce the size of both air conditioning and heating units by 50%. That alone saves quite a bit of money, but you should also take into account the huge reduction in monthly energy costs afforded by ICF homes, compared to traditional construction.

Q. Doesn't a house 'need to breathe'? Isn't a tight house is a sick house…unable to breath? With ICF construction being so tight, I would imagine this is a problem. Is it?

A. A house doesn't need to breathe, - people need to breathe. A tight house is actually good. Tight construction has been incorporated in commercial buildings for years, with air-to-air exchangers controlling the venting and bringing in of air to keep fresh air circulating throughout the building. The same is true in ICF housing. An air-to-air exchanger is incorporated into the HVAC units with appropriate filtration in order to reduce pollens, dust and molds, typically by 96 to 98 percent. Obviously, this unit will cost an additional amount, but the cost savings attributed to the reduction in size of the HVAC units, and the lower energy costs for the life of the home more than make up for this expense.

Q. Will I really save 72% on my heating and cooling bills if I build with the PHOENIX ICF?

A. A recent national survey conducted on homeowners who built with ICF's from the footings to the eaves revealed that their average saving was actually 83% over typical, traditional stick frame housing. By comparing our PHOENIX ICF house with a comparably sized 2 x 4 stick-frame house with minimum HUD insulation standards, we have absolutely no doubt that a 72% savings will be a reality. A model house in Omaha, Nebraska, built in 1991 with 4707 sq. ft. has experienced an average monthly heating and cooling bill of $49.55 over the last 10 years. This is the only 10-year study in existence. What has your average been in the home you currently occupy?

Q. My current basement is concrete, but it's cold and damp. Why is an ICF basement different?

A. ICF's are different in that the concrete is not exposed to the interior, or exterior of the basement wall. It is surrounded by polystyrene, which will not allow any moisture to penetrate into the living space. Plus, there is no room for moisture to support mold within the ICF itself. Thus, you will have a perfectly dry basement. Actually, we don't make references to "basements" any more in ICF constructed homes. Since they are totally inhabitable, they are now called "lower levels".

Q. How will the construction time of a home built with the PHOENIX ICF compare to that of other construction types?

A. There are so many variables involved in construction: the size of the home, how many levels, how many corners/angles, what type of finish is used, etc. As a rule of thumb, based on many years of experience, construction time for the exterior walls by a properly trained, experienced work crew can be reduced by a minimum of 20% using the PHOENIX ICF. The variable is the experience of the construction crew, and that is the main reason we insist on only licensed builders who are certified in building with ICF's.