Benefits of Greenlion Homes’ buildings built with ICF:
Flexible in design
Very strong & durable
Comfortable and economic to run – 30 to 70% savings in heating and/or cooling costs
Very quiet
Very safe – ICF buildings have a superior fire rating & can withstand hurricane & tornado strength winds & are earthquake resistant.
‘Green’ building material – ICFs contain no HCFC, formaldehyde, asbestos or fibreglass. No harmful CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) are used in their manufacture, nor is there any degree of “off-gassing” of VOCs. Because of their durability their life span can be more than double that of traditional construction methods, and therefore landfill construction waste created by removal and replacement is reduced. There is also less waste in the construction of these buildings and the ICF is part recyclable and the other part is reusable.
Constant research and improvements by ICF producers over the years now means it is a very attractive building material and with today’s climate of unusual weather patterns and high fuel bills it has never been more important to choose a building material that is energy-efficient and durable. It is now also a very economical building material to buy and will match any building material in terms of value for money.
Energy Efficient Certificates and the ‘building energy rating’ (BER)
From January 2009 the owners of existing buildings will have to provide a BER when selling their home.
In 2010 the building regulations will be improved again so that new houses must meet an energy efficient standard 60% better than at present.
ICF has a low U-value, approx. 0.25 W/mk on average but can be lower (a u-value is simply a measure of the rate of heat loss through a material and the lower the better). To compare, the current building regulations for walls is 0.45 so ICF more than meets this and so can easily stay ahead of any increased regulations in the future.
Also it has been shown that owners of homes built with ICF can enjoy 30 to 70% savings in heating and/or cooling costs depending on the climate and at a time when energy sources are increasing in price it surely makes more sense to spend money on a safer, longer lasting, and more energy efficient home than to spend it on fuel bills. By investing in energy efficiency your home will score a high BER and this should positively affect its market value.
Greenlion Homes Vision
It is for all of the above reasons that the principle director of Greenlion Homes Jim Kavanagh decided to use ICF in the construction of his buildings. Jim has over 20 years experience building with concrete and steel in an industrial setting and was constantly searching for a method of construction which would combine the two and work well for residential and commercial buildings.
He was introduced to ICF and started building with it over 6 years ago and Greenlion Homes was incorporated in 2006. Guided by Jim’s vision Greenlion Homes take the concept a step further to provide customers with a total building experience which includes every detail of the build from the excavation and foundation stages to render application and roof completion. Jim has perfected this form of building and is now one of the leaders in his field. All of his team work to Jim’s same high standards.
Greenlion is constantly searching for new construction methods and materials which are energy efficient and complement the ICF. We also seek sub-contractors who are experienced in working with ICF and are committed to this form of build. We are flexible and will consider projects of any size and type and anywhere in the world.
Most important of all Jim and his team will listen to you the customer and your vision of how you want your project to turn out. Jim can also advise from the planning stage as he has gathered invaluable experience working with ICF on various types of buildings both in Ireland and abroad. Led by Jim, Greenlion also constantly strives to keep up to date by visiting trade shows and sites all over the world and by speaking to the industry leaders.
We at Greenlion take pride in what we do because we want you the customer to be proud of your building when completed. Your vision for your home or building and how it fits into the world and the environment becomes our vision. This is not just a building choice but a lifestyle choice. We at Greenlion look forward to creating this for you and making your dream a reality.
|
