When my husband and I decided to build our new home, I wanted two things: I wanted my home to be energy efficient and to be a safe house for my family from any type of storm. So we decided to build our 5500 sq. foot dream home out of Insulated Concrete Forms.
If you have no idea what an insulated concrete form is, think about it this way: ICF forms look a lot like a big Lego block made of Expanded Polystyrene. There are several form manufacturers who offer different brands and sizes. I used Tritex products for my house. The form I built with was 9.25” wide, 5.5” deep, and 48” long, and 16” high. Although all forms are unique, I chose a Tritex form because it’s a good product and less expensive than other brands, but still has all of the advantages of the more expensive forms. “Tritex forms are a cost competitive, energy efficient, storm resistant material that is contractor friendly and beneficial to the consumer. It delivers performance, efficiency, and durability at a lower cost,” says Thad Tobaben, General Manager of Tritex.
Energy Efficient:
According to the Insulating Concrete Form Association, houses built with concrete forms require 44% less energy to heat and 32% less energy to cool than a conventional stick frame home. ICF homes also use smaller heating and cooling equipment because they are so energy efficient. So where does the savings come from? Well, ICF walls are R-32+. Conventional wood frame homes are usually R-9 to R-15. R-value is the resistance to thermal mass and the higher the r-value the higher resistance to thermal mass. Thermal mass of a space refers to the materials in the space which absorb the heat from the air then return it to the air as the space cools.
ICF walls use polystyrene foam, which helps cut the conduction losses through the foundation and the above grade walls by 50%. The 6-10” concrete center also takes up to 6 hours to change temperatures, so heating and cooling equipment doesn’t run as much as in a conventional wood frame home.
We have only been in our new home for about 4 months, but my husband and I have been amazed at how much we are saving on utility bills in our new ICF home. Our previous home was around 3500 sq. feet. Our bills now are running close to 40% lower in a home that is almost twice the size of our previous home. By building with Insulated Concrete Forms it’s possible to save hundreds of dollars per year in energy costs.
Safety First:
I would have never thought living in Alabama, over 300 miles from the coast that I would need to be prepared for hurricane force winds. Hurricane Ivan proved me wrong. Some members of my community lost their homes and all of their memorable belongings. Then, recently, America watched as Tornados hit Enterprise High School. My heart broke for the families that lost their children in the storm. We need to be prepared no matter where we live.
Any building constructed with ICF’s are a safe house during a storm. With proper reinforcements, concrete construction cuts shifting and vibrations and is superior to wood frames during high force winds. When it comes to hurricanes and tornados, ICF homes can withstand up to 225 mile an hour winds: that’s a category 5 hurricane or an F5 tornado.
Concrete is also fire and heat resistant.
Economical:
The blocks are easy to put together and lightweight, reducing the labor requirement but materials can cost more due to the amount of concrete used in the construction process. “Building with ICF can cost up to 10-15% more than building a stick frame house, but because of the increased energy efficiency you get with ICF, those costs can be recouped in only 2 to 4 years,” says Tobaben.
Finding a Contractor:
The hard part wasn’t deciding to build with ICF, but finding a contractor in Fort Deposit. I called and wrote several organizations and everyone seemed eager to lend a hand. After weeks on the telephone and meeting with several block companies, Tritex stepped up to the plate and worked with a local builder to make my dream home become a reality. Tritex brought in a crew from north Alabama, built my walls and trained my contractor. It took about 11 months to build but my house but it was worth the wait. I am deeply appreciative for Tritex without them going above and beyond the call of duty I would not have my concrete home. You can visit their website to find out more about the construction process at www.tritexicf.com.
Plus:
Did I mention that I have two teenage sons? My 18 year old, Cory, plays the electric guitar and my 15 year old, Aaron, plays the drums. We decided to put ICF walls around their music room, because concrete walls act as a noise buffer, as well as providing wonderful peace and quiet inside my home! ICF is soundproof, so they can play all night long and we can enjoy our peace.
Here’s the bottom line: if you are considering building a new home, look into building with ICF’s. Your dream home will not only become a reality, but it will be there for an eternity and you can afford to pay your energy bills even after retirement. My husband says he built me “my castle,” and that’s exactly what it is, a fortress that will withstand the test of time.
cool house
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