What’s green and indestructible? No, we’re not talking about the Hulk.
We’re talking concrete! Specifically, concrete homes.
Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) are building materials for homes created using hollow foam insulated blocks that are stacked together like Legos then have concrete poured into the center. This produces buildings that are low maintenance and have a lifespan longer than traditional building methods. The concrete blocks out moisture, air infiltrations, and bug infestations. And, similar to Legos, ICF homes come in all shapes, styles, and sizes!
GREEN – Save the trees (and lots o’ cash) with this material that’s environmentally friendly and healthier for the occupants
How can a home be healthier for the inhabitants? Concrete’s solid-build blocks out noises from the outside world, ensuring a quiet night’s sleep and creating a peaceful living environment. It also eases up the financial stresses that can really put a hole in your pocket. This building material is energy efficient, insulating your home from outside heat and cold while insulating your pocket from monthly energy bills. Another money saving aspect is the resilience of the building from damages such as fire, inclement weather, termites, foundation issues, etc. And because of this superior grade construction, many insurance agencies offer discounts on homeowner’s insurance policies of up to 25%. That’s right: Twenty. Five. Percent. All because of insulated concrete forms (ICF).
INDESTRUCTIBLE – Disaster-resistant and insanely durable
ICF buildings are strong enough to withstand the devastation of wildfires, blizzards, hurricanes, earthquakes, alien invasions (okay we don’t have proof for that one), and tornadoes. This material is PERFECT for homes in any location where disastrous weather can strike.
Move over, Adam Savage! In this fun MythBusters-style video, ICF products are tested against more traditional building materials to see which is more durable. Watch how easily they can withstand projectiles hurled at 75 mph from hurricanes or tornadoes. Not convinced? Here’s proof from a real life disaster:
With careful attention to detail when building their Florida beachfront property, these homeowners describe how using concrete kept their home standing during hurricane Michael. Despite being bombarded with winds up to 250 mph and completely surrounded by demolished properties, the home they built with the intention of surviving “The Big One” sits unscathed.
Surviving “The Big One” PHOTO CREDIT
If you’re planning on building a new home or office, do yourself a favor and use ICF instead of traditional building materials. It will save you time, money, and give you peace of mind that you are helping the planet and that your new structure will stay intact for decades to come, no matter what the world throws at it.
