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Energy Efficiency, Durability, and Resale Value Add Up to Big Savings
Savings That Adding Up Year After Year
Buying a home is probably the single largest investment you'll ever make. Invest wisely. A beautiful concrete home will pay you back in terms of operating cost, resale value, and quality of living. Over the long run, benefits like energy efficiency, disaster and fire resistance, and durability reduce the cost of owning a home. Reduced noise and more even temperatures mean quiet comfort that you can enjoy year round.
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A concrete home is a solid investment for your family in terms of value and safety.
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Lower Utility Bills
Concrete homes save energy in two ways. The mass of the concrete slows down the passage of heat or cold moving through the wall. With the same insulation, a concrete home stays warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Also, concrete walls are more air-tight than wood-frame walls. Since leaks account for a large percentage of energy loss in the home, concrete homes enjoy savings in energy consumption. That adds up to lower utility bills. A survey, conducted by Dr. Peter VanderWerf at Boston University, found that using insulating concrete forms (ICFs) reduces energy used for heating by about 44% and for cooling by about 32%.
Reduced Insurance Premiums
Concrete homes resist fire. They're stronger than wood frame homes and safer during tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes. Insurance for concrete homes is often 15% to 25% lower. One insurance agent in St. Louis, Missouri, offers discounts on homeowners insurance policies of up to 25% for ICF homes. No one, however, can put a price on the peace of mind that comes with owning a concrete home.
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Concrete homes are comfortable, secure, and energy efficient.
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Quiet Comfort
Concrete homes make the world go away - a haven from traffic and the neighbor's leaf blower. The mass of a concrete wall makes it an effective barrier to sound. Although some sound will penetrate the windows, a concrete home is often two-thirds quieter than a wood-frame home.
The Quality Payback
Concrete homes cost a little more than wood-frame homes. But lower energy bills and insurance premiums can offset the slightly higher mortgage payment. The real payback is in quality...the intangible benefits of a quieter and more comfortable home.
| A Dollar a Month for Safety, Quiet, and Comfort
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| A homebuyer pays 4% more for an energy efficient concrete home. He secures a mortgage with a 7.5% interest rate and makes a 20% down payment on the home. He would pay $44 more on principal and interest and $12 more on property taxes but saves $12 per month on homeowners insurance and $43 per month on energy bills. The total monthly cost for the concrete home is only $1 more than the standard home - a small price to pay for the added security, quiet, and comfort.
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| Standard Home | Concrete Home | Comments |
| Purchase Price | $200,000 | $208,000 | 4% more |
| Principal and Int. | $1,119 | $1,163 | 7.5% interest |
| Taxes | $300 | $312 | .15% tax rate |
| Insurance | $60 | $48 | 20% savings |
| Energy | $145 | $102 | 30% savings |
| Housing Costs | $1,624 | $1,625 | Only $1 more |
That's The Beauty Of Today's Concrete
There's more than one way to build your concrete home. Insulating concrete forms. Concrete masonry. Aerated concrete. Tilt-up concrete. Precast concrete. With volatile wood prices, logging's high environmental price tag, and a growing shortage of high quality lumber, concrete offers a variety of products and construction techniques to provide cost effective, quality alternatives to wood-frame home construction.
All of these systems share the same basic virtues of concrete - beauty, strength, durability, low maintenance, energy efficiency, environmental friendliness, and peace and quiet. Which concrete building technique is right for you depends on the labor force and predominant building practices in your area. Whatever your choice, you can rest assured that your beautiful concrete home is built to last.
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