Questions and Answers (FAQ) about building with VOBB blocks
QUESTIONS
(FAQ):
1.
How do you hang a picture?
(This question has been
asked over and over by people who have "fear" of living
in a quality VOBB construction project but who have the misconception
that a concrete block home can not be pretty. Once a person sees a
VOBB home, this question is never asked again as it is so simple.)
2. Where can VOBB be purchased?
(This is the number two
question asked by people who want quality construction.)
3. What kind of insulation should be used?
4. Can you build a custom home with any size room?
5. Can you add electrical, computer, telecommunication,
electronics or other wires in the future?
6. How fast can you install VOBB blocks?
7. How to keep a wall straight during construction?
8. What size do VOBB blocks come in?
9. What is the weight of a VOBB block?
10. Can you use a nail gun to hang sheet rock?
11. How much concrete is used to fill the cavities?
12. Have the VOBB blocks been tested for industry quality
standards?
13. Are skilled masons needed to lay VOBB blocks?
14. Are there patents for VOBB blocks?
15. Are IPIX files available to see the high quality
interior of a VOBB home?
16. Are there detail block pictures available to see
the high quality interior of a VOBB block?
17. Is there a covering/sealer which can be applied
directly to the VOBB block wall to prevent water penetration?
18. Have industry trade journals written articles about
VOBB?
19. Why are VOBB concrete blocks better than regular
8 * 16 CMU's?
20. Why should homes be built with VOBB concrete blocks
instead of wood?
21. What about expansion gaps?
22. What is needed to get started building?
23. How much stronger is a concrete block-built home
compared to a wood-built home?
24. Where can you buy custom-sized doors for VOBB construction
and what is the cost?
25. Where can you buy custom-sized windows for VOBB
construction?
26. Are there maps to the Verot Oaks subdivision?
27. How do you build stairs with VOBB?
28. What is the Sound Transmission Class (STC) of VOBB?
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:
1. How do you hang
a picture? Hang pictures or other decorations with a Tapcon screw or
even a hardened nail. Tapcon screws are especially made for concrete.
A drill bit is used to properly drill a hole for ease of installation.
A Tapcon screw costs about the same as a molly bolt, or approximately
20 cents. Also, a box of 200 screws and inserts with a drill bit can
be purchased from Lowe's, Home Depot or other hardware for approximately
$6 for a cost of 3 cents each. (This is the number one question most
people (not familiar with concrete block construction) ask before they
see a quality VOBB home.)
Click
here for a picture of a Tapcon screw.
|
Some examples of homes built with VOBB concrete blocks with pictures hung on the wall. |
 |
Steve & Cheryl - 3,800 sq. ft. one-story home |
 |
Will & Marlene - 3,100 sq. ft. one-story home |
 |
RCA Construction |
2. Where can VOBB
be purchased? See the Distributors list
VOBB are currently are being made in Texas and Louisiana. VOBB are available
to be shipped to surrounding states. We have a block producer
in Pennsylvania who has made VOBB and is ready to produce more with
a firm order. We expect to soon be making VOBB in FL and other various states. We have also
discussed with numerous block producers in various states who are very
interested in VOBB. Please let us know what your requirements are so
that we can discuss the production of VOBB with a block plant on a local
basis based on your actual requirements.
3. What kind of insulation should be used? This depends on the climate. Consult with a local air condition/heating expert. Note, special one and one half inch thick insulation board has been used with very good results for both ease of installation and excellent insulating properties.
4. Can you build a custom home with any size room? Custom homes are a specialty of VOBB. However, walls, doors and windows must be made in increments of six inches. This allows for very cost efficient installation, thus eliminating waste of materials and labor.
5. Can you add electrical, computer, telecommunication, electronics or other wires in the future? VOBB construction is made purposely for future expansion and running of wires, plumbing, etc. due to alternating cavities which are left unfilled with grout. (Grout is used in the corner cavities and all adjoining sides of the corner VOBB, and in the cavities on both sides of the doors and windows.)
6. How fast can you install VOBB blocks? For the novice do-it-yourselfer not familiar with VOBB blocks, we estimate one block per minute. We estimate the experienced person can stack 1,000 to 1,500 VOBB blocks per day. (The average mason lays from 240 to 360 regular 8" * 16" CMU's per day.)
7. How to keep a wall straight during construction? The simplicity of the VOBB block, uniformly sized and squared at the factory, allows the blocks to stack evenly during construction. Intersecting walls and intermediate pours of cement further assure construction of level walls. Please see further instructions on the VOBB Directions web page.
8. What size do VOBB blocks come in? All VOBB blocks are six inches in height and width and come in lengths of six, twelve and eighteen inches.
9. What is the weight
of a VOBB block? A VOBB block, made of lightweight concrete, weighs
approximately as per the follows:
18"
VOBB 21 pounds
12"
VOBB 17 pounds
6"
VOBB 7 pounds
10. Can you use
a nail gun to hang sheet rock? Yes. An excellent nail gun is the TrakFast,
Model NO. TF1100. This can be purchased from Western Fasteners in Austin
and Houston, Texas.
For the address, please see http://www.vobb.com/manufacturers/index.html
11. How much concrete is used to fill the cavities? One sack of concrete (40 lbs.) will fill twelve dry stacked VOBB block (one cavity/side), which will measure six feet in height.
12 Have the VOBB blocks been tested for industry quality standards? Yes. VOBB blocks have met the ASTM-C-90 requirements for Grade N - hollow concrete masonry units (general purpose units for below and above grade for interior and exterior walls).
13. Are skilled masons needed to lay VOBB blocks? No. For more complex commercial or residential construction, it is recommended to have at least one skilled mason (with one or more assistants) depending on the complexity and size of the job. Based on actual experience, the learning time to install VOBB concrete blocks is very quick. However, a skilled mason will generally stack VOBB much quicker than a DIY person.
For do-it-yourself projects, VOBB blocks offer a cost effective method of quality construction which (depending on the skill level/common sense) for which a mason is not required based on actual jobs completed.
14. Are there patents for VOBB blocks? Yes. They are Patent No. 5,901,521, 5,934,039 and 5,970,674.
15. Are IPIX files
available to see the high quality interior of a VOBB home? Yes. Please
see below.
(Click on the Links below to download the file)
Bedroom(394K)
Living Room (289K)
Sunroom(281K)
16. Are there detail block pictures available to see the high quality interior of a VOBB block? Yes. Please go to www.vobb.com/block-pictures.
17. Is there a wall covering/sealer which can be applied directly to the VOBB block wall to prevent water penetration? Yes. Example ONE: is Thoroseal or Thorlastic which many people have had very good results with CMU. For more details, please go to http://www.vobb.com/manufacturers.htm
or go to http://www.internetfm.com/product/thoro.htm
or go to http://www.chemrex.com/
Example TWO: Stuc-O-Flex which is for exterior wall covering with an elastomeric acrylic finish. This is stretchable which allows for expansion and contraction in the wall, which is normal with changes in temperature from hot to cold.
Some examples of where Stuc-O-Flex
can be purchased:
Stuc-O-Flex International
McCown Paint & Supply, Inc.
For the address, please see http://www.vobb.com/manufacturers.htm
18. Have industry trade journals written articles about VOBB? Yes. The Portland Cement Association ("PCA") wrote about VOBB in the May 1999 monthly newsletter called Concrete Homes. The PCA's phone number is 847-966-6200. Their e-mail address is http://www.portcement.org.
The National Concrete Masonry Association ("NCMA") had an article in their CM News. The NCMA's phone number is 703-713-1900. Their e-mail address is http://www.ncma.org.
VOBB has been introduced in both the Masonry Construction and the Concrete Producer magazines. As a result, there has been a tremendous number of requests for information by architects, builders, government building managers, etc. (Thanks a million to Jim Camillo.)
William D. Palmer, Jr., editor, wrote a straight to the point summary about VOBB in the Masonry Construction magazine, January 2001 issue (page 38, 39 and 40) in regards to "innovative CMUs". It was noted in the article that it is estimated for the cost of labor to be 20 cents using VOBB vs. $3 using standard CMUs. With over 38,000 readers there has been a tremendous response. We have had a very positive desire by architects, building contractors, masons and block plant owners who want VOBB. Most of this desire is for commercial work, but there is a lot of interest by residential building contractors. These people have been from AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, NE, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, WI and WY.
19. Why are VOBB
concrete blocks better than regular 8 * 16 CMU's? - This is best answered
by two other questions.
A. What is the weakest part of a regular CMU 8" * 16" wall?
- The mortar joint! Normally a regular CMU wall will always break/crack
at the mortar joint. VOBB walls eliminate the mortar joint by filling
the cavity with pea gravel concrete and rebar. As such, this is much,
much stronger than a regular CMU wall affixed with a little mortar between
the blocks.
B. What is the most expensive part of a CMU 8" * 16" wall?
- The labor! With VOBB blocks we believe that the cost of labor can
be substantially reduced due to eliminating waste and the time to cut-and-fit.
With VOBB, the building specs are designed to eliminate waste in material
and time so that the VOBB blocks fit together on a cost effective basis.
20. Why should homes be built with VOBB concrete blocks instead of wood? How important is your family to you?
Comparatively would Winn-Dixie put their lettuce in a wood building? Would K-Mart put their toothpaste in a wood building? Would Target put their toilet paper in a wood building? Then why would a person put their family in a wood built home subject to yearly tornado/hurricane damage, fires, termites and wood rot??????
21. What about expansion gaps? This is one of the greatest advantages of VOBB as compared to regular CMU which are joined by mortar vs. the mortar being inside the cavities. With VOBB, the blocks are a little less than 6", 12" or 18". As such, there is a built-in expansion gap. All concrete expands and contracts with the heat or cold. With VOBB, each block moves in its own space rather than the whole wall. Therefore, we believe that vertical linear expansion gaps are not needed (as is used for walls made with regular CMU's) and that a VOBB wall will out last a regular CMU wall. (Of course, this is subject to your engineer's test as he deems necessary.) It should be noted that in a wall made with regular CMU's that a vertical linear expansion gap substantially weakens the wall. Likewise, with the built-in expansion gaps of a VOBB wall, intersecting walls can be used to provide a much stronger building/wall from off-setting pressures/winds.
22. What is needed to get started building? Here (to be downloaded) is a checklist of items to assist in construction on a cost efficient basis. Checklist-for-VOBB-a.xls (This is an Excel file. For a free download of the viewer for Excel, please see http://office.microsoft.com/downloads/2000/xlviewer.aspx) This is in a worksheet form to easily add up the square footage, the estimated cost, etc., etc.
23. How much stronger is a concrete block-built home compared to a wood-built home? Based on industry standards, a concrete block-built home (using regular CMU'S) is 500% stronger than a wood-built home. However, we believe that a VOBB home is much stronger as a result of the interlocking walls and the cavities which are filled with concrete and rebar. (Engineering tests will be completed as needed.)
24. Where can you
buy custom-sized doors for VOBB construction and what is the cost? Based
on a recent quote (which is subject to change), custom wood doors to
be used in VOBB construction can be purchased at:
Interior Doors Direct
http://www.interiordoors.com/styles.html
or call them at 1-888-891-7912
Actual Width Rough Opening Actual
Height Rough Opening Cost
27" 30" 82 1/2" 84" $293
33" 36" 82 1/2" 84" $314
39" 42" 82 1/2" 84" $350
(The above measurements are based on using a 2 * 8 cut to an actual 1 1/2" * 6" to make the door frame. The price is subject to change and depends on the type of material, thickness, etc.)
25. Where can you
buy custom-sized windows for VOBB construction? Quality VOBB construction
is greatly enhanced with quality windows that are made to fit with no
waste in labor or materials.
Quality cost efficient VOBB construction is based on all parts fitting together with a minimum amount of cutting and waste. As such, doors and windows are made to fit a rough opening with a grid of six inches the same as a wall is a function of six inches, such as three feet or three feet and six inches.
There are numerous window manufacturers for vinyl, wood, aluminum. The choice is yours. However, there was a great article in the Journal of light Construction on vinyl windows in the August 2002 edition.
This article states as follows:
"Choosing Vinyl Windows Vinyl windows are inexpensive, durable,
and never need paint David Frane Vinyl windows first showed up in the
U.S. in the 1960s, but they didn't gain widespread acceptance until
the 1980s. Recently, vinyl overtook wood as the most common window material
in the U.S. Vinyl windows now account for about 40% of total window
sales and around 60% of the replacement market. . . "
Please see the following for the full details.
http://www.jlconline.com/cgi-
bin/jlconline.storefront/3d695a1401385d75271b
401e1d2905db/Product/View/0208choo
Vinyl windows can be easily ordered to fit a grid of six-inches.
26. Are there maps
to the Verot Oaks subdivision?
Yes, click here. http://www.vobb.com/maps.htm
27. How do you
build stairs with VOBB?
Very simple! As VOBB blocks are a function of mathematically correct
sizes, the tread should be twelve inches wide and the height of each
stair should be six inches. Have a you ever fell on set of stairs? It
is very painful and many times cause bones to break. The reason many
people fall is that the width of the tread is only eight or nine inches.
This does not give enough room to "PROPERLY" set down the
shoe for the next motion to begin. Many men's shoe are twelve inches
and some are bigger. Likewise, have you watched how children have a
difficult time climbing stairs. This is because of the stair height.
Therefore, as an example, to build
up ten feet, you will need twenty stairs steps each six inches high.
This is very simple and will allow for quality construction and a safe
home/building.
28. What is the sound transmission of VOBB block?
Based on the tables from Portland Cement, six inch plain concrete masonry units have a "44" rating. However, we have not tested VOBB which has a wall thickness of one and a half inches of exterior wall. For more details, see; http://www.cement.org/tech/faq_stc.asp
