EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
HGTV had a show called Dream House where a guy built his house from concrete. Before they started, he researched all the ways to build and what would be the most energy efficient, strongets and cost effective. He went with concrete. What made the show so interesting was all the problems they had in building it, and then turning that frame into a house. It was basically one disaster after another, every little thing that had to be changed, or added because a huge deal.
Just like Log Homes, they tell you that the mass creates a thermal barrier and it holds it's own energy. It sounds great in theory, but in reality, it's just not there. The foam on inside and ouside of the concrete is where you get your insulation. Once you have it built, will you have to stick frame the interior walls anyway? Will you remove the foam and use the concrete as the interior wall?
Have you read through Sam Walton's thread on his concrete house? It's an amazing project, but his cost for square foot isn't even close to what you could do it for stick built.
Just my opinion, but I think that it's going to cost twice as much to build a house with ICF's to the finished, livable, all done home that you will live in then it would using standard lumber and building to code.
The new Florida Code for Hurricanes is very impressive. From what I've read, they have really improved it. Same with CA and LA. Not all homes are built the same, and in some parts of the country, there is some real engineering that goes into these new construction houses!!!!
I'm not against building with concrete, and think it's a great method for a variety of reasons. What I'm against is the added cost that I feel makes it cost prohibitive for anybody with a budget. I also don't have any experince with it. I work with wood, and have a good idea what that costs. Before doing anything, I would talk to at least ten people with ICF homes who built them theirselves or with contractors, but are the original owners to find out what they say about the cost of building it was. Not just the frame, but to completely finish it and to be able to live in it.
Eddie
Just like Log Homes, they tell you that the mass creates a thermal barrier and it holds it's own energy. It sounds great in theory, but in reality, it's just not there. The foam on inside and ouside of the concrete is where you get your insulation. Once you have it built, will you have to stick frame the interior walls anyway? Will you remove the foam and use the concrete as the interior wall?
Have you read through Sam Walton's thread on his concrete house? It's an amazing project, but his cost for square foot isn't even close to what you could do it for stick built.
Just my opinion, but I think that it's going to cost twice as much to build a house with ICF's to the finished, livable, all done home that you will live in then it would using standard lumber and building to code.
The new Florida Code for Hurricanes is very impressive. From what I've read, they have really improved it. Same with CA and LA. Not all homes are built the same, and in some parts of the country, there is some real engineering that goes into these new construction houses!!!!
I'm not against building with concrete, and think it's a great method for a variety of reasons. What I'm against is the added cost that I feel makes it cost prohibitive for anybody with a budget. I also don't have any experince with it. I work with wood, and have a good idea what that costs. Before doing anything, I would talk to at least ten people with ICF homes who built them theirselves or with contractors, but are the original owners to find out what they say about the cost of building it was. Not just the frame, but to completely finish it and to be able to live in it.
Eddie