A type of home design gaining popularity these days is ICF Insulated Concrete Form Home Design. These homes are energy-efficient, built of durable building material, easy to maintain, and quieter on the inside. You don’t necessarily have to construct a new house because you can quickly transform your home into an ICF home design.
If you hire the right certified passive home builder, you won’t even need to compromise on the aesthetics of your home. If you aren’t aware of the norms of ICF home designs, read ahead to understand better.
What are ICF Home designs?
ICF insulated concrete form home designs are made of a system of Insulated concrete form (ICF). This system is a polystyrene expansion of rigid insulation blocks. A concrete wall is poured through an integrated concrete form in this system instead of a traditional wood form. According to the soil, ICF walls are usually 6” to 12” inches thick.
Other essential features include large openings, curved walls, custom angles, etc. Other features like tall and large windows, open floors, asymmetrical shapes, multilevel roofs are also a part of ICF home designs.
How long do they last?
As the form is the main component of ICF home designs, they last as long as 100 years. The form is resilient and does not degrade quickly. They are good during times of disaster as they perform well during floods and bear seismic waves. A right passive home builder can make the house resilient against fire for up to 4 hours.
Remodeling is challenging in ICF homes due to durability factors, so if you plan on remodeling soon, you should go for more flexible home designs.
What are the benefits of ICF Home designs?
There are several reasons certified passive home builders choose to go for ICF home designs. They are energy-efficient, environment-friendly, safe, and so on. Here are some benefits listed for your reference.
- Energy Effective: An ICF wall has better energy performance due to better insulation value. Three main processes, including more insulation, less air filtration, and high-mass walls, take place in this part.
- Safety: As the outer walls have a steel-reinforced concrete core, they are safer than usual walls. They are around ten times stronger than framed structures and several times more potent than CMU construction.
- Sound Absorption: The EPS foam, which is the primary material of ICFs, has sound absorption quality. Due to this quality, the houses become more comfortable and quiet.
- Designs: You don’t necessarily have to make the house from the ground down. Necessary changes can be made in the already existing building or home but stretching walls a few inches.
- Costs: The cost of living is pretty less than a regular house. It might cost more when you buy one, but it’ll eventually equate or cost less due to savings in other areas like utility bills.
Takeaway
A certified passive home builder is the best choice to improve your home and make it an ICF home design to fit your needs. These home designs are beneficial on several levels of safety and budget. Not just that, they are highly durable, have the strength to withhold the ground in times of disaster, and much more.
