Combs Construction Company
offers ICF Block construction because it’s committed
to providing state of the art technology to its clients. ICF
construction is an environmentally responsible method of
construction due to the decreased use of wood products, high thermal efficiency, and durability.
ICF Home Benefits
Energy savings and comfort are built into every ICF home.
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. The 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.
Peace
& Quiet
New ICF homeowners almost always remark on how unbelievably
quiet their new house is, compared with their old stick-built
home. They expect the new-found comfort and energy efficiency,
but the peace and quiet -the protection from outside noise
- never fails to surprise and delight them. In sound transmission
tests, ICF walls allowed less than one-third as much sound
to pass through as do ordinary frame walls filled with fiberglass.
With double-glazed windows in ICF walls and beefed-up roof
insulation, you will rarely hear street noises or airport
traffic.
Solid
& Lasting Security
The high-mass walls of an ICF home not only give it a remarkably
solid feel, but they also make it safer for the family.
And make it a remarkably solid and secure investment, too.
Concrete homes have a proven track record of withstanding
the ravages of hurricanes, tornadoes and fires, when all
the stick-built houses around them are in ruins.
In fire wall tests, ICF's stood exposure to intense flame
without structural failure longer than did common frame
walls. The polystyrene foam used in most ICF forms is treated
so it will not support combustion. Also, tests show that
its tendency to transmit an outside flame source is less
than that of most wood products. (Many insurance carriers
are now offering a discount on a home owner's policy for
an ICF home.)
Less Repair & Maintenance
With ICF homes, the equation is simple. No Rot equals Less
Repair and Maintenance. Neither polystyrene nor concrete will
ever rot or rust. Concrete can even be exposed to the elements
for centuries with few ill effects. Reinforcing steel, buried
deep inside and protected by concrete's alkalinity, does not
corrode.
A
Healthier Home and Environment
Building with ICF's is healthier for environment in a number
of way minimizing the number of different building products
involved in construction, by reducing the amount of waste generated
on the construction sit' by lowering energy requirements heating
and cooling. ICF homes provide a healthy indoor environment,
too. Nothing held within or ordinarily emitted by an ICF wall
is toxic. The measurement of the air contents of actual ICF
houses shows an almost complete absence of any emissions.
Versatile
System allows for Flexible Design
ICF homes can be designed in any style, and will accept any
traditional exterior finish including vinyl or wood siding,
stucco and brick. Because custom angles and curves are easily
created, it's simple to build in bows, bays and radiuses.
And ICF systems accommodate any of today's most popular design
features, such as tall walls, large openings, long floor spans,
and cathedral ceilings.
Cost
Competitive
Over the last ten years, concrete prices have been remarkably
stable. Recent price increases in other materials have generated
interest in concrete building systems as never before. Labor
savings and readily available materials make ICF's, feature
for feature, one of the most cost competitive wall systems
in U.S. and Canadian housing markets.
Combs Construction Company is a member of the Insulating
Concrete Form Association. |