Energy Saving Buildings ...
Using Insulating Concrete Forms
By Marlene Zweigle

The building material you choose for your next project will impact the value of your investment for its lifetime. Whether it is your home, office, or a public institution, you want a structure that is safe and comfortable, yet built at a competitive price with minimal long-term maintenance and service cost.
Building with insulating concrete forms (ICF) will provide all of the above. ENERGY EFFICIENCY. A structure built with ICF will reduce your heating and cooling up to 2x greater than a typical wood-framed home or office. FIRE RESISTANCE. ICF¹s are 4xs more fire resistant than wood structures; ICF walls are built with steel reinforced concrete and fire retardant-treated expanded polystyrene foam. DURABILITY. ICF designed walls have up to 9 times more axial load resistance than a typical wood-framed wall and also enhanced protection for your home, especially in high-wind areas, and during tornadoes and hurricanes. SOUND RESISTANCE. ICF foam insulated concrete core acts as an effective sound barrier, dampening sound and vibrations and ensuring a serene comfortable ambience within the home. COMFORT. Outside cold can easily travel through a typical wood-frame wall (thermal bridging) to create uncomfortable cold spots inside you home. ICF walls offer superior performance when it comes to thermal bridging and air infiltration. The end result is even temperatures throughout your home or office with reduced drafts and no cold spots, dampness or mustiness. COST EFFICIENCY. Because of the innovative design of ICF, it is faster and easier to build with and has much fewer post construction problems to deal with.
Insulating concrete forms offer strength, energy efficiency, fire resistance, durability, sound insulation, comfort and cost efficiency. See a wide variety of Insulating Concrete Forms at the Truckee Home & Building Show. ×
Ed Zweigle Enterprises represents Nudura Insulating Concrete Forms. For information you can contact Ed and Marlene at (530) 587-8656, www.edzweigle-ent.com