Project
Edwards Residence

Designer/Builder
Kevin Edwards/Edwards Design Group
480-563-7774
edg@contractor.net

The Challenge
Building a “green” home

The Solution
E-Crete’s Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC)
Kevin and Doug Edwards, brothers and partners in the Scottsdale based Edwards Design Group, built a 2000 square foot home out of E-Crete that they hope will be the springboard to a project building a mainstream, eco-friendly subdivision.

The exterior walls of the home are constructed with E-Crete’s AAC block. The home also features interior metal framing, solar heating, shade structures and desert landscaping.

“Thanks to versatile materials like E-Crete’s AAC, it’s easy to construct environmentally friendly homes that are affordably priced, aesthetically appealing and comfortable,” said Kevin Edwards, co-owner of Edwards Design Group.

Project
Adobe style residence

General Contractor
Siteworks, Inc. Santa Fe, NM

The Challenge
Siteworks, Inc.’s president Ray Gee had a client that wanted a home that really captured the look and feel of the Southwest. Details such as rounded walls, thick door and window openings, a beehive fireplace, and multiple niches had to be included. In addition to these architectural features, the home also had to be energy efficient and built with quality products. Mr. Gee turned to E-Crete for the solution to building a home for his discriminating client.

The Solution
By building with E-Crete, Siteworks, Inc. was able to meet the clients’ demand for a home with a masonry-like feel, but priced more competitively than a conventional, thick-walled wood frame system. Siteworks chose E-Crete blocks to achieve the look, feel and workability of adobe. The client also benefitted from other E-Crete block characteristics such as superior thermal and acoustic insulation. In the end, both client and builder were very satisfied with the results of this E-Crete home.

Project
Custom Home

General Contractor
Novak Construction

The Challenge
When Mark Novak of Novak Construction received the building plans for a custom home for one of his clients, he didn’t know what to think. A product that he was only vaguely familiar with was specified in the plans. It was E-Crete building blocks and he wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“I didn’t know how this product was going to be to work with,” said Novak. “I wasn’t sure if it would be accepted by my trades.”

The Solution
As it turned out, Novak’s tradesmen had heard of E-Crete and were eager to work with it, and some already had.

“Working with E-Crete blocks wasn’t any more complicated than ordinary masonry blocks,” Novak said. “In fact, working with E-Crete was easier because you use thinbed mortar resulting in a much more even wall with tighter seams.

One of the driving forces behind E-Crete being specified was the owner of the home. Mr. Gerd Zimmerman is originally from Germany where Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) has been used for decades in the construction of all types of structures. He was accustomed to the many benefits of building and living with AAC.

“I wanted my home to be as energy efficient and soundproof as possible,” comments Mr. Zimmerman. “My house is located near a bus route and I didn’t want to hear the engines of the buses while I was inside my home.”

Once the exterior walls were constructed of E-Crete, Novak found the interior finishing was easier because of the use of E-Crete.

“Hanging the sheetrock was easier and faster because we didn’t have to spend time hunting for studs to hang the boards on, and we didn’t have to patch any routers for the electrical work. Hanging drywall on E-Crete was very efficient,” observes Novak.

Another benefit of using E-Crete that convinced Mr. Novak of its superiority over conventional masonry products is its thermal insulation properties.“We built the yard perimeter walls from CMU and compared them to the E-Crete walls that the house was built with. The CMU wall was very hot to the touch. In comparison, the E-Crete walls did not feel warm at all. It was pretty amazing.”

Novak said he looks forward to building more homes with E-Crete and will recommend E-Crete to his future customers. “I feel as though I can offer something innovative to my clients by offering them an E-Crete home.”