Morris Home- Superior, Colorado USA

When the Marshall Fire came through Boulder County, Colorado in December 2021, the Morris family had only a few minutes to escape before their home and all of its contents were destroyed. Overnight, the entire subdivision with over 100 homes was enveloped by what would become the most destructive wildfire the state had ever experienced. In the aftermath, the family sought to rebuild their home on the same plot of land in Superior, Colorado but with greater resiliency in mind.

Moving forward, it was feared that wood framing would leave the family vulnerable again to the spread of flames. Therefore, they looked to fire-resistant insulated concrete forms as an alternative building method to traditional stick-built construction. They ultimately decided on Nudura and attended one of their ICF trainings to better understand the build process and the products’ benefits.

Even more important to the homeowners was the fact that Nudura ICFs would provide a 4-hour fire rating, compared to 45 minutes for typical wood structures. This feature reassured the family that in case of another fire, they would have more time to safely evacuate. Combined with an insulated concrete joist flooring system from Insul-Deck that integrates with the Nudura ICF walls, they now have a fire-resistant home.

Wood-framing has its risks that this homeowner was not willing to take. After having already gone through one catastrophe, the Morris family needed peace of mind that they’d be protected in the event of another. While you cannot predict the path of a natural disaster, insulated concrete forms are a proactive building choice to shield occupants from the “what ifs” of Mother Nature.