SANFORD — When Chris Genest was building his Comfort Block home, folks in his Kennebunkport neighborhood weren’t sure just what was in the offing.

As the building progressed, they saw a masonry block wall structure going up, and when the stucco was applied and other features emerged, it became clear that the new building was a home.

When he used Comfort Block, Genest built with a product developed and produced at the family concrete business on Wilson Street. Genest Concrete has been part of the Sanford landscape since 1927.

Genest, the general manager of the company, said the new insulated block system is energy efficient  — R-30 — and environmentally-friendly. He said it gives off no gases, no toxins, and unlike other building materials, cannot mold.

“It creates a healthy home,” said Genest. “The expanded polystyrene (used as an insulator) is the most green of the Styrofoam products available.”

The insulated concrete block produced by the company evolved over time for residential use, said Genest, and is in its second generation, thanks in part to Paul Brigham, who joined Genest Concrete three years ago. A mason, Brigham used to have his own business, but as the demand for traditional masonry dropped off, he decided to make a change.

Brigham came along when Genest was building his house from the first evolution of  the residential building system.

“He was good at telling me what needed to be done, and now we’re on the second generation of Comfort Block,” said Genest.

Brigham is using the product to build his own new home in Alfred.

A mason since he started helping his uncle in Ipswich, Massachusetts, as a lad of 13, Brigham, on the scene of his building project on Tuesday, said folks who use it will see “no mold, no mildew, no rot and no bugs.”

There are other advantages. Brigham said the 16-inch-thick walls muffle any sounds, like road noise.

“And it’s very simple to put together,” Brigham said.

Genest said the use of insulated masonry block in home construction originated in Europe. The block is ground  to precise measurements. Once the first course is level, the  insulated concrete blocks that contain utility channels  are stacked and held together with an adhesive glue produced in Germany — no mortar required. Then they’re stuccoed on the outside — or, if the homeowner prefers, finished with strapping and siding. Inside, plaster is typically applied.

He said the company offers training to existing masons and builders.

Genest Concrete is a 90-year-old company, started by Chris Genest’s great-grandfather, Hermangilde Genest, who emigrated from Quebec and opened a gravel business in Sanford. He then began making hand-pressed concrete blocks. The business has expanded and changed over time to include  production of a variety of concrete and masonry products. These days, the company specializes in blocks, pavers, landscaping products, natural stone, architectural masonry and the like. 

Comfort Block has been on the market for a year in the 16-inch thick size. Genest said the company is developing 8 inch-thick insulated block, which is planned to debut in the fall.

He acknowledged that building with insulated concrete block costs “a bit more” than other building methods, but pointed out that the insulating qualities mean heating costs are less. He estimated a homeowner would use about a third of the amount of oil for heating than homes constructed from other building products. He said with installation of solar panels, a home can get to “net zero,” generating as much energy as is required to operate the home.

“It has tremendous potential,” said Ashley Richards, executive officer of the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Maine, whose members build with a variety of methods, from traditional stick-built to panelized homes. Richards said he met Genest and saw samples of the Comfort Block at a recent indoor air quality conference. 

“My impression is that it is a good product,” Richards said.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.