If you’re wondering what the best method to construct your home is, you should consider the use of ICF building materials, from custom concrete forms to breathable walls. ICF products have actually been around for quite some time now, more than a full 60 years ( (considerably more than a half of a century) but will likely only continue to grow more and more important as time keeps passing every onward. After all, the ICF product has grown quite a bit since the first custom concrete forms were patented and put into use by Werner Gregori, a Canadian contractor, back in the year of 1966. And there are certainly a great many benefits to using ICF construction methods in creation of the custom concrete forms.
For one thing, the use of custom concrete forms that have been created through the use of an ICF product or even a number of ICF products can help to cut costs quite dramatically. As a matter fact, costs can be cut by nearly $1 per square foot when ICF methods are directly compared to the methods of more traditional construction ventures. The use custom concrete forms and other such ICF building blocks can end up saving you a considerable amount of money in the long run as well, there is simply no doubt about it. This can be done through the use of ICF custom concrete forms in the form of an ICF decking system, as type of insulated concrete will be up to 40% better at providing insulation than even regular concrete flooring. The ICF version is considerably more lightweight as well, giving it yet another point.
But thought ICF custom concrete systems and other ICF products might provide light construction materials that are easy to use, they are also incredibly strong and durable – something that many people might not expect or suspect. In fact, ICF building blocks and custom concrete forms and other such important materials have even been recommended for use in areas that are particularly prone to any type of natural disaster, ranging from hurricane to tornado or even both (as hurricanes can actually all too easily spawn tornadoes, a fact that too many people are not particularly aware of.
After all, ICF forms have been found to be able to withstand incredibly high winds, sometimes even those that reach up to 402 kilometers per hour. These winds can have a truly immense impact on the world as we know it, on our homes and the buildings all around us. The use of ICF construction methods like custom concrete forms can go a long, long way in keeping us – and our properties – safe from such deadly and wholly destructive natural forces, to say the very least. As a matter of fact, it has even been found that ICF construction methods create building that can be as many times as nine times stronger than the buildings that have been constructed through the use of more traditional construction methods and traditional construction materials. Even in cases where the building made through ICF construction is not quite a full nine times stronger, it is still more likely than not to be at least six times stronger, if not even more so (of course).
And ICF methods of construction are quite environmentally friendly as well, something that we really all need to be keeping in mind. After all, the ICF methods of construction and the materials used are specifically designed to reduce as much waste as is possible. Ultimately, the blocks used in ICF construction and in the creation of ICF custom concrete forms can be cut down as they are laid out, and this is a great way to reduce waste. The blocks themselves are also quite lightweight, meaning that they actually use a good deal less material than other types of construction materials. For many people, environmental friendliness is a huge sticking point when it comes to things like construction. Therefore, ICF construction methods are growing more and more popular as time passes on and the importance of caring for our planet as a whole becomes only more pronounced.