With the cost of energy rising every year, homeowners and businesses are facing increasing demands to consider incorporating super-efficiency into their building structures to lower energy costs, and produce structures that are more durable and promote better health for the family and workforce.
Tempe-based Dan Chouinard and his wife Sue have made it their life’s mission to revitalize the green building movement with a visionary product that is now set to ride the coming wave of demand for green, eco-friendly buildings.
Apart from their main plant in Tempe, AZ, and their subsidiary in La Paz, Baja California Sur that services the Mexico market, Dan and Sue have just proudly opened their third facility near Kingman, AZ. This is a ground breaking 110-mold plant that will increased production efficiencies and competitive block pricing. Plans are already in the works to increase the Kingman plant to 220-molds.
They are now fielding enquiries for plant facilities all over the country, and are in negotiation to open plants in the Portland Oregon, Texas, The Philippines, Costa Rica and Africa, as more and more are discovering the ease with which it can be produced, and the many benefits of EF Block™.
Using a proprietary cementious material blend called “EF Admix” and unique compression technology, they have created a distinctive ICF (Insulated Concrete Form) called EF Block™, “EF” being short for “Earth Friendly”. ICFs are lightweight building blocks; planks or panels used to form the building’s skeleton into which steel re-bars are inserted and concrete poured, so as to provide strength and solidity.
The two processes go hand in hand, and while there are many choices in the market, EF Block™ is special in that it is shreds stabilized, post-consumer EPS into tiny bubbles, then blends in the Admix and, under high compression, forms a 10”wide x 12”high x 60” long block that comprises 87% post consumer EPS and weighs less than 50 pounds, apiece.
The positive impact that this product continues to have on our urban landfills and recycling programs is enormous, this product is nothing short of remarkable in its application:
- EF Block™ will insulate at a thermal rating of R-40+ with no further spray foam insulation required to the inner walls. The insulation is IN the block.
- Those attributes supplying thermal insulation also deliver high soundproofing.
- This is the only ICF product we know of where each and every block produced is made of post consumer EPS making not just a safer product but a truly green one. By taking EPS out of landfills, EF Block™ manufacturers can form “official recycler” trade partnerships with government, municipal, and commercial associations and can, where applicable, can qualify for green tax credit and funding.
- Because it uses stabilized, post-consumer shredded EPS, EF Block™ will not “off-gas” i.e. not produce dangerous gasses associated with ICF structures made with stay-in-place virgin EPS or traditional spray-foam; this makes EF Block™ the best choice for a healthy family and workforce. For this reason EF Block™ is approved by the American Lung Association
- EF Block™ holds a fire rating in excess of 4 hours.
- EF Block™ is mold, fungus and termite resistant compared to traditional stick fame buildings.
- EF Block™ is 700% stronger than traditional timber frame structures, and is resistant to hurricane force winds
- The unique pliability of EF Block™ makes this building form more resistant to minor earthquake tremors than traditional CMU
- Nothing is wasted in the EF Block™ facility. The cement and EPS dust that settles on the floor is vacuumed up at the end of the day and can be mixed back into the process the following day.
EF Block™ is versatile and easy to use. In fact, experienced builders who have considered available options and have found EF Block™ to be superior in so many ways that it has won them over, and by word of mouth, more and more in the industry are incorporating the benefits of the block into their builds.
EF Block™ is a 12” on center screen grid molded ICF, and conforms to the Prescriptive Method – US Dept. of HUD in Plane Shear Resistance- US Dept. of HUD, IRC 2006, 2009 & 2012 requirements. It can be made into permanent formwork for retaining walls, sound and basement walls, foundation, stem and load bearing walls, as well as backyard planters, landscaping and BBQ areas.
It is lightweight enough to allow one person to lift and stack it in place but heavy enough to stay in place with little to no bracing necessary when grouting; every time one block is laid it covers 5 square feet of wall. Because the block is pre-insulated it cuts out entire trades and dramatically reduces build completion time thereby enhancing cost savings.
It also makes electrical and plumbing duct work a breeze by allowing a high degree of flexibility of channeling into the walls, thereby further cutting down on labor. When all this is taken into account, EF Block™ is cheaper than traditional insulated CMU and insulated timber – the two most common forms of construction.
If you are fascinated by EF Block™ and are considering owning your own plant or simply purchasing EF Block™ for your own build, call Dan at (480) 830-5393 or send him an email on, dan1@efbm.com
“EF Block: Building the future, one block at a time!”