By Wendy A. Jordan, CAPS
If your idea of a concrete home is a building that resembles a battlefield bunker, it's time to reconsider. Most concrete homes look the same as conventional, wood-frame homes these days, but there's a lot more to them than meets the eye. Concrete homes — that is, homes with exterior concrete walls — offer benefits that have paved the way for a rise in market share from just 3 percent in 1993 to a projected 18.5 percent this year, according to Jim Niehoff of the Portland Cement Association (PCA).
Concrete houses are constructed with a variety of methods. Most — especially in storm-prone coastal areas — have traditional concrete block walls. But more and more builders are choosing foam-insulated concrete forms (ICF), with their added insulation value and ease of use. Other approaches include cast-in-place and removable concrete forms (RCF), panel systems, and newer methods featuring aerated or sprayed-on concrete.
However they're made, concrete homes offer powerful advantages to homeowners:
Strength. Able to withstand 250-mile-an-hour winds and wind-borne debris, the storm resistance of concrete homes is the Number 1 drawing card for people in hurricane and tornado zones, says Dave Pfanmiller of Security Building Corporation, an RCF home builder in Sneads Ferry, N.C.
Energy efficiency. Thanks to high energy prices, this benefit is "a close second" in attracting buyers to concrete homes, says Pfanmiller. The thermal mass of the walls and the tight seals at joints enable concrete homes to excel at keeping conditioned air in and extreme temperatures out.
Temperature control. The tight building envelope also means concrete houses have "fewer hot and cold zones and less draftiness," says Niehoff. Alan Hoffmann, whose Dallas-based Alan Hoffmann Company specializes in construction of homes built with ICFs, has been living in an ICF house since September. "It's unbelievably comfortable," he says.
Noise control. Likewise, concrete walls filter out noise from outside.
Durability. Concrete does not harbor the insects and rot that can cause frame houses to deteriorate, says Pfanmiller. Concrete houses have a building life expectancy of centuries.
Fire resistance. If the house catches fire, the concrete won't burn or enable the fire to spread.
Green construction. Not only do they require less energy for heating and cooling, but concrete-walled houses also conserve resources by using fewer wood products. Typically they incorporate lumber only for interior framing. They can provide healthy environments, too; Niehoff says that because they admit fewer air-borne allergens, molds and contaminants than most frame houses, they have cleaner indoor air.
Economic value
"The hot button for people is money," says Hoffmann. And though concrete houses usually cost more to build than frame houses — 4 percent to 6 percent more for ICF construction, says Hoffmann, and some 20 percent to 22 percent more for RCF homes, according to Pfanmiller — once constructed they are veritable saving machines.
For example, the reduction in utility bills can be dramatic. Buyers can expect heating and cooling bills at least 30 or 40 percent less than those in a typical frame house, says Niehoff. Hoffmann says the drop in utility bills in his area will be at least 50 percent. Because of their thermal walls, he explains, "These homes really shine in areas with climate extremes," such as Dallas, where it can be 20 degrees in the morning and 70 degrees in the afternoon.
In addition, concrete homes may qualify for lower interest rates and larger loans because of their durability and energy efficiency. And if a concrete house is in an area prone to hurricanes or tornadoes, the owners can reap insurance savings of 20 percent to 25 percent, Niehoff says. Even if homeowners do not have insurance, Pfanmiller says the repair costs for a storm-damaged RCF house are not likely to exceed the $250,000 maximum homeowners can receive in federal flood aid.
Since Hurricane Katrina, Pfanmiller has expanded his company's reach beyond North Carolina, selling several concrete homes on the Mississippi coast. In fact, he's opening another Security Building Group company in Gulfport, Miss. "People are much more sensitive to [potential] storm damage," he says.
Before the next storm comes, he — and his home buyers — will be ready.
Wendy A. Jordan is a freelance writer and editor based in Washington, D.C. She is the author of several books about residential design and construction and a Certified Aging in Place Specialist.
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