How to make your home disaster resilient

Advancements in construction and design mean that if the 'Wizard of Oz' was set In 2016, chances are Dorothy may not have left Kansas at all. Disaster-resilient homes made with the latest building technology are new more capable of withstanding tornadoes, hurricanes and fires. 'A huge step forward is to replace the traditional wood framing of your house with what we call ICFs—insulated concrete forms,' says Keven Rector at Nudura, a leading name in this technology. With insulated concrete wall systems, you can be sure that your home will endure some of Mother Nature's worst. Their ability to provide greater impact-resistance comes from the steel-reinforced solid concrete core. When compared to traditional wood frame walls that offer only soft batt insulation and a wood frame, the strength and safety you get with insulated concrete wall systems is far superior 'Our advanced design combines two panels of tick (EPS) foam with the structural strength and thermal mass of concrete, "Rector explains. 'The resulting envelope immediately gives your house hurricane wind-resistance up to 250 miles per hour." Insulated concrete wall systems have proven resilient in real-life situations. In 2004, an ICF home featuring this technology survived the storms in Florida when other homes in the neighborhood built with wood did not. ICFs are also fire-resistant, with a non-toxic fire retardant expended polystyrene foam ensuring maximum safety and offering a fire protection rating of up to four hours. Importantly, homes built with this concrete system are also more environmentally friendly, can be built faster and reduce energy bills. If you want your builder to use ICFs, be sure to discuss it eary in the plans. Find more information online at nudura.com.