Home: Sustainable Construction Trends For Custom Home Owners

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When it comes to saving money in your home, your energy consumption is a huge expense. How do you lower that power consumption while helping to reduce your carbon footprint? By choosing sustainable construction methods from the start of your building process!

You’re going to find a large variety of these type of construction methods available to help you build a home that is not only cozy and comfortable but also an energy-efficient home. Learning about the different methods available to you, such as ICF construction, is important to help you make wise decisions on your home improvements or building projects. Take a look below at some of these benefits of ICF construction and other methods you can choose from.

What is ICF Construction?

ICF stands for insulated concrete forms. This is similar to placing LEGO blocks together when you were a child. These walls are formed with insulation on the inside and outside and pieced to fit perfectly together when constructing your home or building. Then concrete is poured into the walls that are reinforced with rebar. These walls are laced together so well that it helps to eliminate any outside air infiltration. That means better insulation and energy efficiency for you.

Benefits You Gain from ICF Construction

Why would you want to choose ICF over other building trends for your custom home? There are many reasons this is a better option. One of the first reasons to consider is lowering your energy bills. People who use this type of construction find it takes over 40% less to heat their homes and over 30% less energy to cool their homes.

You also are bringing a healthier environment to your family with this type of construction. The foam used in this construction is non-toxic and because of the tight fit of the walls, you’re reducing air infiltration that brings in harmful irritants from outside. These buildings are also fire resistant and can stand up to hurricane and tornado building standards. ICF has been shown to resist damage when winds reach upwards of 250-mph.

Another huge benefit that homeowners enjoy with this trend is the reduced maintenance and repair. With the type of material used in building these walls, they do not grow mold, mildew, or rot like typical wood built homes can.

Other Energy Efficient Trends to Consider

ICF construction is just one of the many options available to you when you want to build a net zero building. You can choose to install solar panels on your home to harness the energy of the sun instead of drawing on the local energy plant. Consider the lighting that is used in your building as it can be a huge draw on power. Install energy-efficient light fixtures and bulbs to help you reduce your usage.

Don’t forget to consider your roof as well. When it is time to replace your current roof, talk with your installation technician on the best roof materials to reduce the heat being drawn into your and give you better insulation.

You can also invest in an energy-efficient HVAC system that will help to reduce your energy consumption in heating and cooling your home. Your air duct system is another way you can help to be more conservative with your energy use. Have your air ducts cleaned and checked for leaks to improve airflow and efficiency.

There are many ways you can help to reduce your energy consumption and use sustainable construction in your home. While some of these methods may cost a bit more upfront, the savings and comfort outweigh that in the long run. Be sure to check these methods out when you’re in the market to build a new home or do home improvements and upgrades on your current one.

Matt Lee is the owner of the Innovative Construction and Building Materials blog and a content writer for the building materials industry. He is focused on helping fellow homeowners, contractors, and architects discover materials and methods of construction that save money, improve energy efficiency, and increase property value.


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28 Comments

  1. Oh, I heard about these types of wall construction. This is awesome. Would love to install solar panels for when we build our home someday.

  2. I’ve been seeing ICF materials used in some of the shows I’ve watched before. If I’m not mistaken, it was the same materials used to rebuild a community that was destroyed by hurricane Katrina a long time ago. I really do hope these are available in the Philippines as I haven’t seen or heard of it here yet.

  3. I’m leaning more towards the solar panels thing after reading this. I mean I saw my sister in law’s house in australia that had installed these gigantic solar panels for their new home and i agree that it is one great way to conserve energy. ang laki ng natipid nilaaaa

    1. Yes, solar panels are also an excellent choice. I just hope they will make them more affordable locally so more people will be encouraged to use and try them.

  4. I love this idea, na modular na lang ang pagconstruct ng bahay. That’s what they do in Japan since earthquake-prone sila. That is why they tend to build their buildings and houses faster than usual because of this technology. I hope we can use it here in the Philippines.

  5. I like this topic because it will help in managing our expenses. I would like to share this article with my husband so he can answer me if this is something doable in our case.

    1. Not really makes the house easier to build but it is a more eco-friendly option because it will provide better insulation and energy efficiency for your home.

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