For your exterior wall construction, insulated concrete forms (ICFs) can give you this peace of mind and help meet all your safety, comfort, and energy objectives while staying within budget and achieving the curb appeal you desire.
Safety and Comfort
Whether you’re downsizing, expanding, or moving to a different city, constructing a new home is all about establishing and maintaining a good quality of life for you and your family. Constructing with ICFs is the first step towards this goal.
Once installed, ICFs create a wall of solid concrete with continuous insulation on both the interior and exterior of the building. The monolithic concrete core of the ICF walls are extremely strong and enables them to withstand winds up to 250 mph (402 kph). This extreme durability has led ICFs to be the go-to construction material to construct storm shelters and buildings in hurricane- and tornado- prone regions. Flying debris may cause minor defects to the outside foam of an ICF block, but it will not penetrate the concrete, keeping the structure stable and intact.
With the threat of fire, ICF walls are equipped with a 4+ hour fire rating, allowing occupants more time to get out safely. Wood-framed buildings, on the other hand, cannot compete, with a fire rating of only 45 minutes.
On top of the many safety features, ICFs also provide enhanced comfort through the sound dampening quality of the dual foam insulation. When building near highways, airports, or other loud areas, ICFs are a perfect fit to block out any outside noise.
No matter what the environment throws at you in the years to come, with ICF construction, you can feel confident that your home and everyone inside will be protected.
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