Page 43 - Green Builder Sept-Oct 2020 Issue

DOE Annual Building Science Roundup A BETTER WAY

A HAPPY HOLDUP Mortar, move over. The Sanctuary’s base is comprised of
Charis used -inch-thick, R-

ICFs to form insulated concrete form (ICF) blocks stacked like bricks,
the full wall height from footing to roof line reinforced with rebar, and filled with concrete to form a
for the one-story plus full basement home. sturdy, nature-resistant structure.
The ICF basement walls insulate the sides CREDIT: COURTESY OF CHARIS HOMES
of the basement slab.
Footers were poured into a stay-in-place
form product that has built-in channels to
provide interior and exterior drainage of
the foundation. The -foot-tall basement
exterior walls were covered with a dimpled
plastic polyethylene membrane that relieves
hydrostatic pressure against the wall by
providing a pathway for liquid water to ow
down to the footing drains.
The first-floor ceiling drywall forms
the air barrier between the house and the
vented attic. To prevent air leakage, all

A complete package. Clean air,
energy-efficient appliances and a
weather-resistant exterior are only
a few reasons this home’s owners
consider it to be their “Sanctuary.”
CREDIT: COURTESY OF CHARIS HOMES

Housewarming.
Radiant floor heating
in the basement
supplements the
heating supplied by
the high-velocity,
small-diameter
ducting system.
CREDIT: COURTESY OF CHARIS HOMES

www.greenbuildermedia.com September/October 2020 GREEN BUILDER 41

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