What is Passivhaus?

Izodom 2000 Polska are unrivalled in ICF construction products, which is one of the many reasons we at Econekt decided to partner with them exclusively in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Now with production and manufacturing facilities globally, Izodom produces one of the most advanced ICF construction systems available on the market. They have a range of over one hundred and forty individual system components; through three levels of energy performance, there is an Izodom product option for every project. Famed for their award-winning manufacturing, Izodom 2000 Polska offers insulated concrete formwork, specialist insulation panels and other key foam components for your exciting project. They are highly regarded for their seamless innovation and focus on energy efficiency.

Izodom currently offer three levels of walling systems for your self-build project, each with varying insulating properties and external wall thicknesses.

There are many benefits of using Insulated Concrete Formwork systems in your self-build. Here are the key advantages of using the system over other systems on the market. Thermal Insulation: You will often find that when using Insulated Concrete Formwork blocks for your self-build project, this can completely omit the requirement for other sources of insulation, such as more traditionally used means like fibreglass, mineral wool, cellulose or polyurethane foam. Acoustic Insulation: As well as thermal insulation, you will also find that ICF construction allows for a considerable reduction in acoustic insulation requirements in homes. This ensures that the insulation can reduce noise levels to a minimum between rooms. Perfect for homes to those with a particular musical talent or buildings that need to keep noise levels between themselves and neighbours to a minimum. Efficiency: A key advantage of using an ICF construction system is its use efficiency in the build process. This is mainly down to the ease of use and installation with ICF materials; this ensures less of a requirement for labour and materials, rendering your project far more economical in the long run. **Energy Benefits:** Depending on which type of walling system and other ICF construction products you decide on, your dream home could be enjoying little-to-no running costs in terms of heating. ICF’s insulation properties mean that your home’s energy can be generated from things like body heat and appliances, omitting the requirement for central heating systems in many cases. **Integrity:** ICF construction systems enjoy a wealth of benefits when considering the structure of your self-build project. You can enjoy peace of mind knowing that your materials are impenetrable to factors such as mould, rot, adverse weather and dampness. ICF systems have long been hailed as a better alternative to traditional materials such as wood when conducting a self-build project. **Air Tightness:** Airtightness is generally an area of concern or risk when building your home. However, when working with ICF construction, the structural concrete core provides the structural integrity of the house and the primary air barrier, reducing the risk of this tiresome process and allowing more time to be spent on the penetrations or window and door openings. ICF-constructed homes can achieve an air change rate of less than one change with no extra attention.

Another key product that Izodom 2000 Polska and Econekt offer is their foundation slab system. These slabs have been used in place of traditional continuous strip footings and foundation walls. Ground slabs are typically cast at the construction site and reinforced with steel mesh or steel fibre. Izodom ground slabs can achieve varied shapes due to the manufacturing process used to make them, unlike those offered by some other companies. The usual thickness of slab insulation is 250mm, but this can be increased by up to 150mm in some cases or reduced to only 150mm at the request of the project designer.

There are several key benefits to using Izodom foundation slabs in your self-build project. **Speed & Ease of Execution:** The straightforward structure of the foundation slabs ensures that they are easy to install and reduces the possibility of on-site mistakes or errors when laying them. You will also benefit from a reduced installation time of up to three days, mainly due to the specific components used in their construction. Each Izodom and Econekt foundation slab is delivered to the site pre-cut and formed, together with an installation guide. This ensures that no on-site modification is required and that the foundation components interlock across both their vertical and horizontal planes. **Damp & Thermal Protection:** Izodom foundation slabs remove the need to apply separate horizontal and vertical insulation, as required when constructing traditional foundation walls and continuous strip footings. This makes insulation much easier and provides your self-build project with improved protection against both thermal and damp elements. **Stability:** The Izodom foundation slab is a major structural component of your self-build project. It provides unrivalled stability compared with other conventional designs, such as foundation walls and continuous strip footings. **Slab Positioning:** As our slabs only need to be positioned at a depth of 0.5m, the time and depth required for excavation are significantly reduced for your self-build project.