I have a wooden house in Puerto Rico and just recently moved back to the island. I have many skill sets that lend well to construction. I am planning a major renovation. I quickly found that many items for construction a unavailable in Puerto Rico, insulation is one of them. Now if you are at al familiar with construction here you would know that houses aren't designed with air exchange or insulation in mind. My plan is to live in my downstairs apartment while constructing the upstairs. I have many obstacles to overcome, such as new entry points for lights and water, as well as building around an existing wood house to make it cement. I have been unable to locate ICF supplies or pricing information. I have no need for a contractor, but time is an issue with traditional construction technics here. I like the idea of using icf's for the exterior walls of the living space. Time needed to construct being a big factor as well as the need for insulation as the price per kilowatt hr is among the highest in the States. Any information relevant to PR would be greatly appreciated.

Ummmm....Puerto Rico is considered tropical, isn't it? Tropical construction usually means lightweight for breeze pass-through ventilation and little or no need for heating. That might explain the difficulty in finding insulation or ICF. Put your money in solar panels and solar hot water.

There's a Quad-lock dealer in Puerto Rico. I will PM you with details.

I think we are allowed to post links here, give this a try. http://www.quadlockbahamas.com/

We ship into the Bahamas frequently. The sales manager's name is Douglas. you can email him... his first name at Quadlock dot com. <- typing out emails gets deleted.. we'll see how long this lasts.

ICF would work well, as would SCIPs. IMO, if you can use A/C only part of the time, you are better off minimizing interior thermal mass. If you run A/C 24x7 or not at all, then it doesn't matter and helps, respectively. Exterior thermal mass, insulation, shade trees and a white roof are always helpful.

I would be interested to see the difference in a SCIP's house vs an ICF house after a hurricane goes through an area. The SCIP's are a big step above a stick built house in these disasters I'm sure, but shotcrete vs a 6" concrete wall would be an interesting comparison.

Depending on how thick you apply the shotcrete, I would expect similar performance. ICF may have more more steel in it but SCIPs are more often built with a continuous concrete layer extending under/over the roof.

I am building a Quad Lock and InsulDeck house in St Thomas. Insuldeckflorida, a regular poster here, is my supplier. He is also an ICF contractor and is very generous with his knowledge. The insulation from tropical heat gain is a big big plus.

Cal Fernando Martinez at Caribbean ICF Solutions. XXX-XXX-XXXX (Phone #'s and email addresses are not allowed in forum posts)

He is in the San Juan Puerto Rico area.
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Hi, I’m considering ICF construction on some up coming builds and would like to see how your build weathered the 2 recent cat 5 hurricanes. I’m a Saint Thomas local.

No damage worth talking about.

Is it possible I could see a few pictures or ride by?

I will be there all day tomorrow.
End of Red Rock Rd in Peterborg

Hello Rick, I am Fernando Martinez from Caribbean ICF Solutions (CICFS, LLC). We are home based in Puerto Rico and have been a long-time dealer/Partner representing Quad-Lock & Sider-Crete for over 9 years and is currently responsible for servicing the Caribbean Region as well. Hurricanes Irma and Maria has been a learning and growing experience for all of us and now more than ever is when we need to encourage the use of ICF to be ready for the next catastrophic event in the Caribbean Region. All our ICF Projects that we have serviced in the Caribbean region (St. John, St. Croix, Puerto Rico, BVI and the Bahamas) are up and standing with no damages to the structures after Hurricanes Irma and Maria. This system really works which has proven to be hurricane proof capable to withholding winds over 220 miles per hour. You are definitely making the right choice if you are considering using the Quad-Lock ICF building System. If you are planning to build and ICF house, please contact us via our website (look for CICFS, LLC in Google) or via the Quad-Lock home page. We can definitely help you not only with the Quad-Lock ICF Materials but also with the Design work for your project, ICF Finishing Materials, onsite Installation Training for your contractor and on-site installation support to assure that your project stays on track with the Installation plan that we will also create for you. As you can see, we are more than an ICF supplier since we will provide you with a one stop total ICF solution for your project. We will help you from the planning stage of your project all the way until you complete your ICF installation. We currently service St. Thomas as well so please contact us as soon as you can. We can definitely help you with all your ICF needs. We look forward to hear from you soon! Best regards, Fernando Martinez CICFS, LLC