A concrete home is structurally designed to be ten to twenty times stronger than a stick framed home. An ICF can weather a tornado, earthquake or hurricane virtually un-scathed. Standard wood frame homes consist of thousands of independent components, fastened together by mechanical means, creating hinge points of weakness throughout the building. Cast-in-place concrete designs, like ICF, creates continuous and unbroken structural shells which are far stronger than any wood structure. What is that deadbolt doing for you? Chances are it simply provides you with a false sense of security.
A wood frame home can be breached in under 60 seconds with:
- A Chainsaw
- A Reciprocating Saw
- An Axe
- A Sledge Hammer
- and just about anything larger than a steak knife.
In some high-security residential areas, statistics show that a burglar will enter a house through a wall – usually the wall between the garage and the home – to avoid setting off glass break alarm. Adding to the structural integrity of the concrete home is the very nature of its components. The basic components of an ICF home don’t rot or rust. You can expect your concrete home to remain structurally sound for 200 years or more.
How much can I save on my utility bills with Imagine, Inc. services? Energy savings and comfort are built into every ICF system. ICFs start with a high R-Value. Four inches of polystyrene foam insulation, combine with a six inch concrete wall make up a typical ICF system. This combination is rated above R-17 at 75 degree mean test temperature. Other insulating form configurations and materials also exhibit high R-values.
But that’s not all! Air infiltration in an ICF Home is minimal due to the continuous air barriers provided by the foam insulation and the concrete. Likewise, there are no convection currents within wall cavities. The concrete walls of an ICF home have high thermal mass, which buffers the interior of a home from the extremes of outdoor temperature during every 24-hour cycle. This reduces both peak and total heating and cooling loads. This combination of high R-values, low air infiltration, and high thermal mass is believed to account for the amazing 25% to 50% energy savings of ICF versus wood or steel-framed homes.
Specifically with ICF, nothing blows through reinforced concrete. There will be absolutely no drafts or cold spots. ICF homeowners have commented on how constant temperatures stay within their homes. Because of the tremendous thermal mass of the exterior wall envelope, temperature peaks are smoothed, and therefore homes are noticeably warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. There are no CFCs, HCFCs, or formaldehydes, and also no wood to rot and mold. ICFs are the answer for allergy and asthma sufferers. They have a two-hour fire rating and are termite and pest resistant. But most importantly, these structures can withstand a severe storm hit.
With Truseal foam insulation in a wood frame structure, the walls are completely sealed. The foam fills all voids, seams, and conforms to the structural design, prevents condensation in walls due to air transfer, and inhibits support mold growth. Foam insulation also creates a more stable climate in the home/building so there are no cold/hot spots . The insulation seals the walls so that there is no air transfer which leads to dust, poor air quality, and keeps pests from entering the home.
You are invited to contact Imagine, Inc. at:
- for Stonecraft: danesh@uimagineit.com – 256.509.3800
- for Truseal:navid@uimagineit.com – 256.679.1981
For Real Estate Assistance contact dianaforoughi@kw.com -256.679.1000
You may also email Imagine, Inc. at imagine@uimagineit.com In addition, please feel free to browse the information contained on this website, as well as the web sites of our partners.
