Mikey Block: Easy To Build. Tough To Beat. Insulated Concrete Forms.

Soudabond Easy

Far and away the finest adhesive I've ever used.
24 oz container. Pictured is applicator I use every day.

Case of 12-24oz containers - $168.00
Singles - $15.00
Applicator - $45.00

'New Product'

Not really new, I came up with this system about 3 years ago.

1 1',2',or 3' high. Both inside and outside corners. [Outside on the right]. 3/3/3 = 9' - 3/3/2/2 {no reference to ballet} = 10'. After track is in place, set and glue all corners.

A 3' section has 12 ft2 of wall, 2' 6 ft2. We still have the molded 3x2x1 corners, but some of our customers prefer this alternative.

I'm just trying to take some more bumps out of the road.

Dave

Additional Products

Diversity is Mikey Block's middle name and we've got the products to prove it:

Mini Reefer

Hi folks. The mini has been running for several days. Hi daytime temp, mid 80's. The little step will have pretend grass on it. Platform is 6 ft x 10 ft. Reefer is 6 x 8 ft. With siding and trim, about 75 inches wide. Most of the popular small trailers are 77 inches between rails. Nice snug fit. We will use a 14 ft long trailer. 2 ft space in front, and 2 ft in the back. Plenty of room for tables, generator, etc.

We have been maintaining 38°F with < 2 kwh/day.

Beans and Rice

Simple food. When things are bad --it's good. When things are good --it's still good. Simple. That's the philosophy that we at Mikey Block embrace. Plan your work and work your plan. Unfortunately, simple doesn't always work that way.

Two recent examples: Two architectural firms, each designed homes using Mikey Block.

Customer #1 consulted with us and told the designer the methods we recommended. The architect drew it her way --then passed the buck to a structural engineer. Finally resolved through customer insistence. Right or wrong, "they" got paid.

Customer #2's designers and engineers did not consult us. Had they done so, lots of time and money would have been saved. Why would "professionals" seek advice from "blue collar" types that are dirty by 9AM each day? Just one detail of #2's house: 30' of very high patio wall. Their way required 8.5 yards of concrete in the footing, plus 1850 pounds of reinforcing steel. Our way needed 2.3 yards of concrete and 320 pounds of steel. Sad. Cost #2 a bunch and "they" got paid.

Sample test: Who should you ask about purchasing a dependable and affordable toilet?

Someone at Home Depot
An architect
An engineer
A plumber

Remember - beans and rice, and that we at Mikey Block know a lot about our product.

We invented it.

Website Update

We've updated the home page of MikeyBlock.com to present news and information as it becomes available. After several years of trying to look professional we've figured out that just isn't who we are, so we've decided to go back to just being ourselves. What a relief for us. Just use the menubar above to access everything you never wanted to know about Mikey Block and on this page we'll provide content from real humans that we hope you'll find useful. Thanks for visiting!

And now, another disgruntled customer review

Dave, I have built (4) stick framed houses in my life. Mikey block is the best ICF block out there and I would not build another house any other way. The 2 stem wall on 2 x1 footings with rebar 2 on center took me 4 hours to install by myself. Lightly backfilled then grouted. Finished slab rough then poured slab. 6 wall constructed then grouted rebar vertical 2 centers 3 centers horizontal, grouted. 4 wall grouted with anchor bolts for top plate u supplied me with anchor bolt life preservers not one bolt was in conflict with any trusses. The footprint of the house Mikey Block perimeter is 108 x40 . Bucked all openings with 2 x 6 treated and recessed anchor bolts. Mikey Block assembly with rebar and bucking took 4 days for my wife and myself only. The 1x2 tongue and groove 1 centers the insulation factor is a solid sealed well insulated envelope. The labor and insulation savings were 30% less than if I framed with wood which I would never do again. Mikey block is the only way to go in any climate but especially where I m located in SE Arizona. The prefabbed lintels and the packed trailers were another huge savings, and this was our first and could probably cut a day off the 2nd Mikey Block construction (learning curve). Also, the built in thermal break will be fantastic with slab radiant heat. See pics of the Creatherm panels, another phenomenal product. Thx for your help, guidance, advice, and fantastic product.

Keep Is Simple: Make It Mikey Block

We just received the following testemonial from another satisfied Mikey Block homeowner, Bryce Reichardt. In fact, Bryce was also the home builder and he conveys some words of wisdom about building a comfortable, quiet and energy efficient home:

After living in an adobe home for 20 years, I knew I didn t want another high-thermal-mass house. I investigated ICF s and found Mikey Block. It was the best choice because of a higher foam/lower concrete content, which meant better insulating value and lower cost. And it was the only ICF product that one individual could build by himself no special bracing or tools required and the blocks were a lightweight, manageable size. So I built my house with Mikey Block and designed it with just a few key features to make it energy efficient:

Mikey Block for the exterior walls
A Mikey Block stem wall, which gives me an insulated slab. My concrete floor never gets cold in the winter, and heat doesn t escape through the sides of the slab.
Quality tight fitting windows and doors.
An unvented attic, which is the most energy efficient method in our southwest climate. The insulation is sprayed foam on the underside of the roof deck, rather than fiberglass sitting on top of the ceiling. This makes the attic semi-conditioned space, which keeps ductwork and plumbing from temperature extremes.

My house is always comfortable: no hot or cold rooms, no walls that you have to stay away from because they re too hot or too cold. We live south of Tucson at 5100 elevation. Temperatures here have ranged from 4 degrees to 98 degrees. Our heat pump almost never runs during the day in winter. Our heating and cooling costs are so low that we were at first shocked. In our last house, in a warmer climate, the furnace came on and off, on and off, on and off. In this house it s off from around 9am and doesn t come back on until maybe 9pm on a typical winter day.

During the winter of 2012-2013 we had at least 12 snow storms of 1-4". During the month of November, our electric bill was $68. In December it was $122, followed by $93 in January and $90 in February. The house is 2800 sq. ft, with 11' ceilings, so there's lots of space to heat. We do use our wood stove when we have the time, but the majority of the heating is from a heat pump. This is an all electric home that includes a well. The 3.5 hp pump must pump the water from a 360' depth to the surface, then another 500' to the house with 75' of elevation lift.

Add to this a house that is very quiet and very solid, and Mikey Block was the obvious choice for me.

-Bryce Reichardt

A Tale of Two Cities

This came in from Dave awhile ago. It's really kind of charming the way he writes, so we left it as is, but added notations you can mouse over for translation or clarification.

Comfort revolves around heating and cooling degree days. Safe to assume, Phoenix is dramatically different than Duluth. Phx. June, July, Aug avg. temp = 92 d f. Duluth Dec, Jan, Feb avg temp = 22 d f. Comfort zone, anywhere, is between 65 d to 75 d. We'll use 70 d.
Phx is hotter than comfort for 3 months by 22 d. Duluth is colder than comfort by 48 d for 3 months. @ 92 d, with water and shade, you can survive. @ 22 d, without appropriate clothing, you are history. My point? Thermal mass is significant. 90 days of extremes, and that magic thermal mass the rep from brand x tried to explain, goes the way of break dancing. Brand x flat panel wears for external armor a 2.5 in x 1.5 d eps jacket. R value of 2.5 x 4.1 = 10.25 +- Sooner or later, that concrete interior will be affected by the outside avg. temp. Now, the next barrier is the int panel of the same. Total collective R = 10.25 x 2 = 20.5 R. Never forget the high dollar ice chest your family takes to the lake. Mikey Block has a static R value of 28. In some areas, same as brand x, in others, 10.5 in x 4.1 = R43. Perhaps 27% better. In cold climates, 30% better. My next e mail will involve value, vs a vs cost in place and cost per R value.

A Tale of Two Cities Continued

Assumptions. Re bar same for both. Grout @ $135.00/yd3. Wall is 100 ft x 10 ft = 1,000 sq ft. All fob.

6 in brand x panel @ $3.30/ft2 1,000 x 3.30 = $3,300.00
grout = 1,000/ 55 = 18.5 yd3 x $135.00 = $2,500.00
total $5,800.00

MB panels . @ $3.75/sq ft = $3,750.00
grout = 1,000/ 91 = 11 yd3 x $135.00 = $1,500.00
total $5,250.00

Cost per R value/ in place
Brand x 1 R = 27.6 cents
MB x 1 R = 18.75 cents

Pretend 7th grade was good..

Finally, Dave Morse

Dave Morse is an excellent builder who is highly respected by those that know his work. He's also a Mikey Block proponent and has been for many years. We just got this testemonial from him:

To: Mr. Dave Taggett
Mikey Block

I am sending you this note regarding your product. I have built 3 large custom homes in the past using your product. Not only is it an easy method of construction, its thermal qualities are incredible. I built my own 4100+ sq. ft. home, with an additional 1000 sq. ft. wood shop. I am all electric. My last year's electric bills averaged out to $276 per month. I used to own a 2000 sq. ft. house built of masonry. The power bills were about the same as my 4100 sq. ft. Mikey Block house. I will always recommend your product to my clients. If I ever sell my home, I will build another Mikey Block house.

David Morse

Blast! We Have a Complaint

Very rare --we thought we'd share. This is from Rosecrants Construction in Tennesee.

Dear Mikey Block, We had to write you a letter after we had our first complaint about your product. Yes, that's right we actually have a huge complaint! Our house was too warm for our guests this Christmas Holiday! When it was below 27?F outside, inside was a balmy 80?F with the heat off, we had a few friends over for our annual holiday celebration and we actually had to open some windows and the sliding glass door because your product is fantastic! Now how about that for a complaint? We are over the top impressed with Mikey Block and couldn't recommend a better product. We also happen to be custom home builders in Tennessee and have some pretty picky clients. Our customers are extremely pleased with Mikey Block and how energy efficient it is, keeping them warm and saving them money. Not only is your product great, your staff is friendly, helpful and always available if you have a question. Thank you again for giving us something to complain about, being too warm in our Mikey Block house this Winter!

Warmest Regards,

Tom and Kristin Rosecrants
Owners of Rosecrants Construction

Enlightenment

Here are links to two very informative articles that may surprise you. The first takes you to a study conducted by the ICFA that measured the point of failure by several different methods of walls constructed of each of the three types of ICFs as well as one constructed of wood frame. As expected, all of the ICFs blow away the frame construction. What we really found satisfying is the similairity in performance between the screen grid (Mikey Block) and the solid panel ICFs.

ICFA Strength & Durability Study

The second link takes you to a study conducted to compare the moisture absorbtion of EPS and XPS foam. It is commonly thought that the more expenisive XPS has superior insulating properties to EPS. Quoted R-Values for one pound density foam are typically 3.6 for EPS and 5.0 for XPS, giving it an apparent 39% advantage. This study, however, measured a 15-year real world side-by-side application of the two. What the researchers found was for long term exposure, XPS is prone to much higher moisture absorbtion rates. Moisture absorbtion is the kiss of death for insulation and the study found that after 15 years in the ground, the XPS had lost 48% of its R-value (2.6), while the EPS lost just 6% (3.3). Thus, when used below grade or other environments exposed to moisture, it looks like good old EPS is the better choice. And an even better choice is Mikey Block, which is made from 1.5 pound density foam, having an R-value of 4.1 per inch.

EPS/XPS Foam Face-off

Another Recent Mikey Block House

"We recently finished our Mikey Block house and we LOVE it."
--Matt Docis, Owner
--Architect, Richard Jost

CHOOSING AN ICF: MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION

When it comes to choosing an ICF, you have dozens to select from. How do you know if you are making the right choice? There are a number of factors you'll want to look for:

1. Insulating Value: If your ICF home doesn't insulate the way you had hoped, you'll be disappointed in the whole process. Remember, R-value is achieved through the use of EPS Foam. Concrete adds thermal mass and has an effect on R-value, but excess concrete can actually make your home perform less well. More foam means more insulation and Mikey Block has more foam than any other ICF

2. Labor Cost:Most ICF systems require specialized equipment, trained crews, and extensive bracing equipment. Not so with Mikey Block. We've had customers install all of their Mikey Block walls themselves, with help only at grouting time!

3.Being Really Green: If you want to have as little effect on the environment as possible, choose an ICF that uses less concrete. The manufacture of portland cement and the production of concrete are extremely energy-intensive processes. Mikey Block uses half the concrete of most flat panel systems.

4. Factory Support: When you call us with a question, you'll talk to Mikey Block people---the ones who've designed the system and have built with it. We know the product and have the answers. We're available 5 days a week, and you can even email us on weekends. Questions don't go unanswered at Mikey Block.