The Tidewater Classic Offers Concrete and Quiet Peace of Mind

If a Navy jet roared over Miars Plantation in Chesapeake during Homearama 2000, visitors inside The Tidewater Classic house would be protected from the deafening thunder.

That's because the walls of the 3,600-square-foot home are made of Polysteel insulated concrete forms.  This type of construction materials is know for its strength, moisture resistance and energy efficiency.  Its noise-reduction capability is the benefit that seems to bring the greatest surprise and delight, said T. Reid Pocock, the home's builder and president of Dominion Building Group Inc. of Virginia Beach.

"ICF homes are remarkably quiet," Pocock said.

ICF construction is a modern adaptation of a centuries-old technique using concrete.  ICF walls are created by inserting steel-reinforced bars into the core of insulating, stay-in-place forms and pouring concrete between them.  It effectively combines the qualities of the concrete with the added benefits of two built-in layers of foam insulation.

Visitors can actually feel a difference as soon as they walk inside The Tidewater Classic, said Pocock.

Award-winning Energy-Efficiency
It's the combination of four inches of polystyrene foam insulation with the six inches of concrete wall that makes The Tidewater Classic quieter and more energy efficient that a stick-built home.  The overall effect of the home's high R-30 insulation value, the low air infiltration and the thermal mass of the concrete accounts for a 25 to 50 percent energy savings, Pocock said.

Pocock and partner, Andrew A. Joseph, are proud of the national recognition Dominion Building Group received for the energy-efficient qualities of their homes.  In 1998 and 2000, the builder won the Gold Energy Value Housing Award, sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders Research Center, in the Innovative/Advanced category.  The firm also has won an award from E Seal, an Edison Electric Institute program operated through Virginia Power's EnergySaver Home Plus program.

Dominion Building increased the energy efficiency of The Tidewater Classic even more by building it on a crawl space that is not vented to the outside.  This eliminates any air leaking into or out of the house from the floor area, Pocock said.

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