Here in the United States, there are may new constructions going up all around you, all the time. From homes to commercial buildings, construction is everywhere and it is often viewed as a clear sign of progress. However, progress has its detriments, and one of these is the impact on our environment, something that is becoming more and more dire with each passing year. Here in the United States, however, there are definable steps that we can take to building a better future – both literally and figuratively – for those that come after us.
For instance, avoiding traditional construction materials in favor of green building materials is one step that can be taken with relative ease. After all, the traditional construction site generates a good deal of waste, which the use of green building materials can prevent. For instance, ICF construction methods often use green building materials and are actually quite beneficial all around.
For one thing, ICF construction methods not only use green building materials like ICF blocks, but cut down on the amount of waste that is generated at any given construction site as well, helping to reduce, even if just by a little, a growing problem in the construction industry and for the United States (and even, on a larger scale, the world) as a whole. In fact, special methods of building are taken to prevent waste, such as only constructing one row at a time and end blocks being specially cut specifically in order to reduce waste.
And because of this, these green building materials and methods of construction have actually been quite an effective way to save money on the building process as well. In fact, the average person will save as many as 75 cents for each square foot of green building materials when ICF methods are used. Now, this might not seem like a particularly large amount of savings, but it is one that certainly adds up quite quickly in the grand scheme of things. In addition to this, less steps are necessary in the building process, meaning that ICF systems can be constructed quite a bit more quickly than methods of traditional construction, thus saving the builders as much as 40%, at least for the construction of a structure such as a basement here in the United States.
And the use of ICF systems can even help to save money in the long run. This can be attributed to the fact that ICF systems, when properly construction using green building materials, actually provide a much more comprehensive and thorough system of insulation than traditional building products typically do. In fact, the average home owner in a home that has been constructed using ICF methods and green building materials (as the two go hand in hand) can actually expect to save as much as 25% on their annual heating and cooling costs along – and typically no less than 20% at the very least.
If you live in an area of the country (or of the world, as a matter of fact) that is prone to natural disasters like tornadoes or hurricanes – or even both – you’ll likely want to consider the use of ICF systems and green building materials for your next home, should you choose to build it from the ground up. In addition to being cost effective and ideal from an environmental standpoint, such methods of building and materials used are also ideal in terms of strength and durability. In fact, the data that has been gathered on the subject more than backs up this claim, showing that ICF construction systems can withstand winds that reach as high as 402 kilometers per hour, which is ideal for such parts of the country where strong winds such as these are particularly common. After all, a building constructed using ICF building materials is actually expected to be up to nine times stronger than a building that has been constructed using more traditional building methods and materials instead – and certainly no less than six times stronger, making it by and large the better option.
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