The last 24 hours are all that you need to realize the importance of energy efficiency in a home. When you were driving home form work last night you did not need the temperature display in your car to tell you that it was 95 degrees. The second you stepped out of work, you knew that the temperatures were unusually high for so late in September. By this morning, however, after nearly an inch and a half of rain fell, the temperatures dropped to 58.

When temperatures drop so quickly it is important to know that a home’s heating and air conditioning is put to the test. Debating between the need for the air conditioning and the need for a furnace can literally happen overnight. Home owners who make the decision to build with the latest materials can create a space that can keep you comfortable no matter what the weather sends your way.

Insulated Concrete Forms Provide a Major Advantage for Many Home Owners

With the use of ICFs, builders can provide their clients with energy efficiency that can provide savings for years in the future. In fact, ICF construction typically costs 40% less when it is used in basement renovations. One of the reasons that ICFs reduce the costs is that it is important to the conventional basement construction due to reducing the number of steps that are needed for the entire process.

Consider some of these other facts and figures about the use of ICFs and other energy efficient materials:

• Although the average ICF block is only 10 inches in width, buildings constructed with these energy efficient materials are also six to nine times stronger than traditional buildings.
• ICF systems can also decrease final costs on a property by as much as 75 cents a square foot.
• ICF walls are constructed only one row at a time, which allows for the end blocks to be cut to fit in order to reduce waste.
• ICF walls can save homeowners 20% to 25% on annual heating and cooling costs, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
• ICF decking weighs 40% less and has superior insulation when compared to concrete flooring.
• While they may be fairly new to residential construction, ICF systems have been used in global construction for more than 60 years.

No matter where you live you are likely going to experience at least some times when the temperatures will vary so much that you will be using the air conditioning one day and the furnace the next.