Responsible building decisions deserve benefits, too
Beauty, spaciousness and interior design are all important when building a personal dream home. Today, however, with the reality of energy and environmental concerns, homeowners also insist their forever home must be as eco-responsible as possible. And it turns out many decisions initially based on being environmentally friendly can deliver unexpected aesthetic results, too.
“Sometimes the least glamorous decisions can be the ones that give your lifestyle far more quality and value — and a good case in point is the use of concrete to build the walls, instead of traditional wood framing,” says Natalie Rodgers of Nudura, a leading name in this field.
“Our technology has advanced the development of the insulated concrete form, a system that interlocks like Lego to erect a building. For the occupants, the benefits of improved comfort, energy efficiency, safety and interior air quality are delivered immediately with ICF construction.
For the homeowner-investor, all those benefits assure top resale value.”
In addition, an ICF structure can be finished on the exterior just like traditional wood frame structures. Stone, stucco, brick or whatever material is envisioned can be used with the insulated concrete forms.
Building the walls with concrete needs to be decided early in the planning, Rodgers explains. The method discards wood framing in favor of pre-assembled, interlocking concrete forms filled with concrete. Take a look at a few more of the benefits of concrete:
Fuel savings. Compared to wooden walls, solid concrete walls vastly reduce air infiltration, optimizing energy performance and reducing the carbon footprint.
Comfort. Outside cold easily travels through wood-framed walls, causing thermal bridging and creating uncomfortable chilly spots inside your home. Walls with a solid concrete core address and prevent thermal bridging to deliver even temperatures throughout the house.
Quiet. Solid concrete is an effective sound barrier. It dampens sound vibrations from outside noise such as traffic, trains and neighborhood parties.
Safety. ICF has a fire protection rating of up to four hours. If high wind in your community is a concern, data shows that Nudura homes demonstrate impact resistance up to 250 miles per hour.
Improved value. A stronger, safer, greener home that is more cost-efficient and needs less maintenance and repair is generally expected to build and hold its value.