Hi,
My name is Michael Summers, and I’ve spent the last 25 years working as an ICF contractor. Like most contractors, I didn’t start out looking to reinvent anything—I was just trying to build better, faster, and smarter.
Around year five of my career, I came across a product that immediately stood out: the Watkins Hanger. At the time, installing floor trusses inside the ICF envelope was one of the most frustrating and inconsistent parts of an ICF build. Beam pockets, field-built ledgers, and jobsite workarounds were common—but none of them felt like the right solution.
The Watkins Hanger changed that.
It provided a clean, structural, repeatable way to support floor trusses without compromising the integrity of the ICF wall. Before long, I was also using it for exterior decks, and seeing its potential for replacing traditional beam pockets and single-piece wood ledger connections altogether.
Meeting Bob Watkins — and Seeing the Bigger Picture
That discovery led me to Bob Watkins, the inventor behind the hanger. I began ordering his products and using them consistently in my own builds. What started as a tool quickly became a system—and I realized this wasn’t just a clever bracket, but a fundamentally better way to approach structural connections in ICF construction.
When Bob announced his retirement from ICF contracting, the future of the product was uncertain. But the demand wasn’t going away. Builders were asking for it. Inspectors were recognizing its advantages. And the industry still needed a better solution.
That’s when things shifted from customer to partner.
From Partnership to RP Watkins
Over time, the business evolved—through partnership, growth, and eventually a buyout. Today, I am the sole owner of RP Watkins, and the focus is clear: design and manufacture structural connection products specifically engineered for ICF construction.
RP Watkins products are now available nationwide in the U.S. and throughout Canada, with international expansion underway.
But this isn’t about scale for the sake of scale. It’s about solving problems that ICF builders have dealt with for decades.
Why Traditional ICF Connections Fall Short
ICF construction offers incredible advantages in strength, efficiency, and energy performance—but many of the connection details have lagged behind.
Common challenges include:
-
Beam pockets that interrupt the thermal envelope
-
Wood ledgers embedded in concrete with questionable longevity
-
Jobsite-built solutions that vary from crew to crew
-
Engineering details that are difficult to inspect or repeat
These methods often work—but they’re not optimized for modern ICF design.
A Better Approach to Trusses, Decks, and Floors
RP Watkins products are designed to address these challenges directly. Whether you’re building:
-
Multi-floor residential or commercial structures
-
Interior floor truss systems
-
Exterior decks attached to ICF walls
-
Roof trusses bearing on concrete cores
…the goal is the same: structural clarity, repeatability, and performance.
By eliminating unnecessary penetrations, simplifying load paths, and keeping connections inside the concrete core where they belong, these systems help builders:
-
Build faster
-
Reduce coordination issues
-
Improve long-term durability
-
Pass inspections with confidence
What This Blog Will Cover Going Forward
This blog isn’t just about products—it’s about better ICF construction.
In future posts, I’ll be sharing:
-
Real-world installation examples
-
Engineering concepts behind various RP Watkins connections
-
Comparisons to traditional beam pockets and ledgers
-
Best practices for multi-story ICF buildings
-
Lessons learned from decades in the field
If you’re an ICF contractor, engineer, architect, or builder looking to push beyond “the way it’s always been done,” you’re in the right place.
