Building with Insulated Concrete Forms

Consumers and home builders alike are consistently looking for new building strategies that are cost-effective and deliver high-quality results. A popular choice in many climates, insulated concrete forms (ICF's) provide tight building prospects and continuous insulation. Outperforming many other building techniques, ICF homes are well-insulated and energy-efficient.

What Are the Benefits of Building an Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) House?

There are several benefits to building or choosing an ICF home. ICF houses are versatile structures and can display a variety of architectural styles on both the inside and outside. Traditional and non-traditional sidings, such as wood, brick, etc., can be applied to exterior and interior faces. In addition to versatile design, ICF's surpass other building techniques in numerous ways.

Sound

Five times quieter than a traditional wood-frame home, insulated concrete form houses provide an impressive quality of soundproof walls and rooms. Insulated concrete form walls offer unparalleled peace and quiet for homeowners and residents. Outside noise is almost completely diminished. According to various sound transmission testing, insulated concrete form walls allow one-third or less as much sound to travel through than regular frame walls.

Better Air Quality

Reducing air infiltration by 75%, insulated concrete form walls are highly beneficial to asthma sufferers, hay fever sufferers, and all others who suffer from various airborne allergies. Alleviating allergies and reducing leakage of outside air, ICF walls prevent dust, pollen, and other pollutants from traveling into the home. Additionally, insulated concrete form walls are non-toxic. Measurements taken from actual ICF homes have shown air contents are almost completely absent of any notable emissions.

Energy-Efficient

Effective insulation, tighter construction, and temperature-moderating walls conserve heating and cooling energy. Both wood-frame and CMU structures are not as energy-efficient as ICF structures. Reducing your monthly bills and fuel usage, ICF structures require small heating and cooling units. These small units save money and reduce emissions. Smaller equipment also cuts initial construction costs by an estimated $500 to $2,000.

ICF walls require about 44% less energy to heat and 32% less energy to cool than similar frame houses. Depending on the size of the house, savings can be more or less. In hotter areas, such as Florida, heating savings will be less and cooling savings significantly more.

In addition to cutting down on energy loss, ICF walls boast a heat-absorbing property called thermal mass. This ability allows them to resist swings in temperature. Keeping the walls cooler when the outdoor temperature is hot keeps you and your family comfortable. Due to thermal mass, estimating the size of HVAC equipment for ICF homes is complicated. Simulated prior to construction, HVAC sizing is carefully calculated to produce the most cost and energy-savings.

Safety

With monolithic concrete walls, ICF homes are 10 times stronger than wood-framed structures and 4 times stronger than CMU structures. Built with powerful materials, ICF homes are among the safest and most durable modern structures. Resistant to fire, high winds, earthquakes, tornadoes, and hurricanes, ICF houses often create a safe room that offers protection from winds as high as 250 mph.

Earthquakes

Structurally sound, ICF walls have been consistently shown to withstand earthquakes. The strength of materials used is unmatched. Reinforced to handle disastrous weather conditions, ICF walls are built to last in areas that suffer from earthquakes.

Fires

ICF walls have been shown to tolerate exposure to fire for an unprecedented amount of time. Compared to other wall frames, ICF walls last longer without structural failure. ICF walls also consistently prevent high flame spread and smoke development.

High Winds

High winds result in debris. Debris can destroy homes. When comparing the impact resistance of concrete walls to conventionally framed walls, concrete walls are more effective at stopping debris. Demonstrating their strength, ICF walls easily resist wind-driven debris.

Tornados

ICF homes are far superior to other homes in areas that suffer from tornadoes. A devastating weather condition, tornadoes can instantly destroy homes. Offering the most protection for you and your family, an ICF home can withstand the intense winds accompanied by a tornado.

Hurricanes

Coastal areas suffer from regular hurricanes or hurricane seasons. ICF homes are highly effective in these areas. Built with the strongest possible materials, insulated concrete forms are proven to hold up when met with projectiles from a hurricane.

Insurance Discount

Supplying protection from severe weather events, fire resistance, and enhanced air quality, ICF homes are considered higher quality than other homes. Mold and mildew do not grow in ICF walls. Pests, rodents, and insects don't penetrate insulated concrete form walls. ICF walls don't trap moisture within the wall cavity. Offering a lengthy list of benefits, ICF homes are considered safer to insure than other types of homes.

Strong, durable construction has helped insulated concrete form structures build a positive reputation. Energy savings benefits associated with ICF are well-known. As its popularity grows, ICF construction continues to result in reduced insurance rates for homeowners who choose to buy or build this type of house.

Aware of the value of an ICF structure in hurricane prone areas of Florida, insurance companies increasingly encourage these types of homes by offering rate reductions. Credits attributed to ICF construction, general liability insurance savings, and wind insurance savings are all noticeably high compared to wood-frame homes located in the same areas. Surviving natural disasters, an ICF home will help protect your family and your belongings at a reasonable price.

Maintenance

Concrete is a strong and low-maintenance building material. The construction involved with building ICF walls is meant to create a long-lasting product. Resistant to mold, mildew, rust, rot, etc. equals less repair and maintenance fees. Further cost-savings is experienced from the minimal long-term maintenance requirements of an ICF home.