Concrete Home Building Council - 05/25/2007 (Plain Text Version)CHBC Chairman View Graphical Version | Subscribe
to NAHB Publications | Email our
Editor... In this issue: Why Concrete Works, by CHBC Member Kyle SmithBy Kyle Smith, CHBC Member There has never been a better time to step back and pay a little more attention to consumer wants than when the market is challenging. If you are a residential home builder, you may already know that your client has become savvy, educated and is demanding a better built home. Green, energy efficient, healthy and maintenance free seem to go hand in hand with granite, slate roof tiles and steam baths. Those who aspire to build with new and innovative systems, know, that the market for hybrid homes is moving towards them and that alone is exciting. Building homes with concrete wall systems was a tough sell in the past and now has become a fast paced, growing industry as the consumer moves towards energy efficiency, resource management and anything green. There is nothing more rewarding than to watch clients proudly pat their concrete walls and smile with total satisfaction and are fast to offer a detailed explanation on why they built with concrete. Consumers clearly understand the benefits of concrete construction as mold, construction defect litigation, water intrusion and faulty basements are now forefront in the media. Nothing is more dramatic than memories of that last home standing on the beach head in Pass Christian, MO. after Katrina and the incredible story of how that concrete home survived. The home is a testament that concrete homes will prevail under the worst weather conditions. My first exposure to ICF wall systems was a commercial project where the frost footing required an ICF form. I was over taken by plain fact that concrete wall systems simply made sense. Why would we do it in any other way. Our company went on to a passionate mission designing and building concrete homes which center on a integrated energy efficient shell to include cutting edge heating and cooling systems like ground source geo thermal and advanced spray foam insulation. The result is a structure that surpasses the most stringent criteria for energy efficiency, environment and long term structural reliability. E3 Homes is just one of many concrete home builders supported by NAHB' s Concrete Home Building Council. This council creates a sense of credibility to the consumer and supply an incredible amount of data and marketing to the industry. Additional information on the concrete home can be obtained through the Concrete Home Builders Council or by contacting another CHBC council member in your area. E3 Homes is a design build firm located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. E3 designs and builds custom homes from the 250’s to 3M. For even more inspiring information on concrete homes, visit www.e3homes.biz Kyle Smith's ICF Home was one of the featured tour stops on the 2007 Concrete Technologies Tour.
For more information or to contact us directly, please visit www.NAHB.org | ©2005, National Association of Home Builders |