Consider Working with Your Local Concrete Supplier to Make the Most of Your Next Sustainable Concrete Project
Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs) are the new, efficient, and sustainable material for building homes. Unlike wood frames, ICFs provide homes with exceptional energy efficiency and safety and do not rely on trees as a building material.
To create ICFs, hollow foam (Expanded Polystyrene) blocks are stacked into walls that will become the exterior walls of the building. Homebuilders then reinforce the walls with steel rebar and fill them with concrete. Once the ICFs are completed, contractors will run plumbing and wiring through the foam. They will then install drywall on the interior side of the ICFs, and siding, brick, rock, or stucco on the exterior. The result is a durable, well-insulated wall that will last a lifetime or longer.
For you next home-building project, consider these benefits of using Insulating Concrete Forms, and contact a concrete supplier for all of your concrete pouring needs.
Energy Efficient
ICFs provide extra insulation to homes, making them more energy efficient than typical wood-framed homes. The combination of foam blocks and concrete add significantly more insulation, keeping home temperatures comfortable and keeping energy costs down for both heating and cooling year-round.
Environmentally Friendly
To build just one wood-frame home, homebuilders require the wood from about 10 trees. And while wood frames are the typical home building material, they don’t have to be any more. Innovative building products, like ICFs, make home building more environmentally friendly by relying less on trees. This is crucial for the future of the environment, especially when the global population is only getting larger, and the demand for more homes will only increase with time.
Sound Proof
The insulating qualities of ICFs also provide a strong sound barrier, so outdoor noise won’t enter homes as easily. This reduction in noise is especially useful in urban areas with plenty of traffic. The ICF structure is also airtight, so outdoor dust and allergens won’t compromise indoor air quality. For any allergy sufferers, or those with respiratory problems, improved indoor air quality is essential for an improved quality of life.
Durable
ICFs are strong enough to withstand some dangerous weather and natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tornadoes, and even hurricane-force winds. The concrete also prevents fires from spreading quickly throughout a home. Unlike wood frames that burn rather quickly, concrete walls can resist fire for several hours.
To reap these many benefits of building with ICFs, contact your local concrete supplier for help choosing the right concrete for the job, getting it delivered onsite, and having the concrete poured professionally. Insulating Concrete Forms are the innovative and responsible way to build homes today, improving homes, saving on energy costs, and also saving plenty of trees.
