Concrete Homes Save Energy!
Building a concrete home with insulating concrete forms (ICFs) saves energy and money.  The greater insulation, tighter construction, and temperature-smoothing mass of the walls conserve heating and cooling energy much better than conventional wood-frame walls.  Studies have shown that the combination of all of these factors can reduce heating and cooling costs by upwards of 40%!  An ICF home delivers an ambiance you can't live without- perfect indoor weather everday.

Concrete Homes Are Quiet!

Studies have shown that concrete homes are quiet.  ICF homeowners almost always comment on how unbelievably quiet their new house is.  The usual noise is muffled in the thick, insulated concrete walls.  In sound transmission tests, ICF walls allowed less than one-third as much sound to pass through, as compared to wood-framed walls with fiberglass insulation.  With double-glazed windows and increased roof insulation, you will rarely hear street or airport traffic, all of which disappears behind your ICF curtain of tranquility.

Built according to good practices, concrete homes can be among the safest and most durable types of structures during an earthquake. Homes built with reinforced concrete walls have a record of surviving earthquakes intact, structurally sound and largely unblemished.

In reinforced concrete construction, the combination of concrete and steel provides the three most important properties for earthquake resistance: stiffness, strength, and ductility.

Scientists study damage from earthquakes to determine what types of buildings best withstand seismic forces.

 Studies of earthquake damage consistently show well-anchored shear walls are a key to earth-quake resistance in low-rise buildings.

Concrete Homes are Fire Resistant!
Of all construction materials, concrete is one of the most resistant to heat and fire.  That fire resistance gives houses built with insulating concrete forms (ICFs) certain safety advantages.  Experience shows that concrete structures are more likely to remain standing through fire than are structures of other materials.  Unlike wood, concrete does not burn.  This has been confirmed in fire-wall tests.  In these tests ICF walls were subjected to continuous gas flames and temperatures of up to 2000¡F for as long as 4 hours.  None of the ICF walls ever failed structurally.  All of the ICFs tested were of the "flat" or "uninterrupted grid" type, having no significant breaks in the concrete layer.  In contrast, wood frame walls typically collapse in an hour or less.

Summary
Buying a home is probably the single largest investment you'll ever make.  Invest wisely.  A beautiful concrete home will pay you back many times over in terms of operating costs, resale value, and quality of living.  Over the long run, benefits like energy efficiency, disaster resistance, and durability reduce the cost of owning a home.  Reduced noise and evenness of temperature throughout the house means indoor comfort
 that you can enjoy year round.