The King’s Bay Point project is a small home with a big impact. At just under 3,000 square feet, the home was built with 100% ICF exterior walls in order to offer protection against any storms that might hit the Crystal River, Florida, area. The total project construction time was 60 weeks, with ICF installation time clocking only 35 days. The builders estimate that they saved 12 weeks by using ICFs with no additional construction costs. “This property is located on a 3.83-acre peninsula on King’s Bay,” says Czyrelle Talento, marketing specialist for Alleguard, the manufacturer of Amvic ICF blocks. “The homeowner and contractor wanted to build a home that could withstand the hurricanes of the Gulf Coast.”

This two-story project has oversized windows as well as beam spans up to 22 feet. Additional details in this custom home are an elevator shaft with tight tolerances for wall heights of 24 feet and 26 feet — wall heights were necessary to accommodate the oversized windows to maximize the views. The home used 8-inch core Amvic blocks on the first level and 6-inch core blocks on the second level. Flat Powers Steel lintels were used between the wood header and ICF header to add shore strength. Top chord-bearing floor trusses set on offset of 8 inches were used to carry more floor load. Tall wall bracing by Plumbwall ensured plumb and straight walls. An Amdeck Pro Floor System was used to eliminate shoring so work could continue on the first floor while starting on the second floor at the same time.

“Coastal soil conditions called for 52 pilings under slab,” says Talento. “The ICF walls allowed for less concentrated load PSI on footings. So, we were able to use a 7-foot over-dig and replace soil with clean fill, thus eliminating the need for pilings which allowed for the use of footing-grade beams only. This resulted in an estimated savings of $30,000.”

Beautiful & Sustainable
This home is set on a parcel overlooking a spring-fed bay leading to the Gulf of Mexico. The home was designed with large windows placed perfectly to take advantage of the beautiful views. Due to this home’s strength, it was unscathed by Category 4 Hurricane Idalia, which hit the area in late August 2023. This home has low-maintenance finishes including stucco and a lifetime-warrantied metal roof, although the design appears to have multiple finishes, giving it the desired modern look. A boathouse was also constructed using 4-inch Amvic ICF with the same design features as the house.

This home’s electricity bills average $200 per month. “The extremely tight design allowed for the blower test to come in at 332, which is minimal,” says Talento. “Windows and doors are Low E impact resistant and all lighting is LED. Icynene spray foam R-30 open cell was used for insulation while low-volume flush toilets and water saver shower heads were installed to reduce water use.”

Significance & Visibility
The contractor, Barry Dickemann of the Dickemann Group in Crystal River, Florida, was familiar with ICF construction, but this was his first build using ICF. Dickemann is now planning an ICF development in Southwest Missouri using ICF homes to offer strength during tornado season.

This home is adjacent to the Plantation Inn Resort on King’s Bay and has become the backdrop of weddings at the resort year-round. The home was a center of conversation during the entire build and after completion, remarks Talento. “This home is one of the most photographed homes on King’s Bay and was featured on The Weather Channel during Hurricane Idalia,” she says. “The Weather Channel spotlighted it as the ‘right’ way to build a home to withstand hurricane-force winds and flooding. The home was built to withstand Cat 5 Hurricane winds and proved its strength during Isabelle. This home is a testament to the strength of an ICF-built home. The high sustained winds during Hurricane Isabelle were barely noticed or heard from inside. When the water receded, this home appeared exactly the same as the day before.”

Talento says the homeowners, who made the decision to build with ICFs, are “100% satisfied” with the final result. Despite the Covid slowdowns and closures, this home was completed on time and on budget. “For insurance purposes, this home is considered an ‘extreme build’ which has resulted in lower insurance costs of $2,400 for $1,000,000 of coverage per year,” says Talento. “The adjacent resort has a much-improved view as a result of this build and includes mention of the home regularly during scenic tours.”