Hello, neighbors! Winter is just around the corner here in Delaware, and that means we’re all about to see our heating bills go up quite a bit. It’s pretty easy to say where all those charges are coming from. The heater is going to be the biggest culprit, and around here, it’s going to be needed all day long. Most families can expect to see charges from leaving lights on more often to compensate for the dwindling daylight hours. It all adds up very fast and it can be very frustrating.

One of the ways that you can head off this frustration is to choose to build a home using insulated concrete forms (ICFs). ICFs are just another building material like lumber, but they come with many features that make them the perfect solution to those winter power bill blues. Here are some reasons to consider building an ICF home in Delaware…

It arrives fully, and powerfully, insulated

One of the ways that you can take action against high heating bills is by replacing the insulation in your home with higher-quality materials. In some cases however, that’s not going to make the difference it should for the cost. The cold air forcing you to keep the heater running could be coming from tiny cracks around the frame or the windows.

ICFs don’t need extra insulation, because they are insulation. As part of the construction process, the spaces between the forms are filled in with a special concrete mixture. What would be stuffed with insulation material is instead filled completely with several inches of concrete. Even in the harshest weather of Delaware, ICFs are highly resistant against outside weather. When a home made this way is heated, it stays heated.

A warm home that doesn’t generate big power bills is already going to make enjoying the winter a lot easier. But that’s not all. You’ll also enjoy that these types of homes are just as well insulated from the noise, inside and out.

It is an ideal material for Delaware beachfront homes

The shoreline is subject to some of the harshest weather in the winter (and in the hurricane season that directly precedes it, of course). For that reason, homes on or near to the beach experience even more dramatic changes in their needed heating every winter. They also have to deal with the fact new places for air to escape and create drafts are are constantly created when a home sways during a storm. ICFs are capable of surviving full hurricanes, and even the strongest winds aren’t going to create fissures in these homes.

Enjoy Your Next Delaware winter

Expensive heating bills can really be a thing of the past if you respond to the winter in Delaware by building an ICF home. Save a lot with the quality of the insulation and the quality of the home.

For more information, see: Ask Our Experts about ICFs

Insulated concrete forms (ICFs) are Maryland’s favorite answer to boring home design. This is an entirely different method of construction from traditional timber. It relies on pre-manufactured concrete blocks that can be formed and shifted to create almost any shape for your home. In the most exciting architectural capitals of the world, concrete homes are creating a big stir. Now, these inspired designs are available to everyone who has ever wanted a custom home.

Here are some ways you can unleash your creative side when you’re building a new home in Maryland with ICFs…

ICFs can be easily formed and shaped

When it comes to designing traditional homes, you’re stuck working with a lot of straight lines. That’s how most lumber is cut, and how it’s used. The same isn’t true when it comes to concrete, though. Organic shapes are easy to form with concrete, either in one specific area or across the entire home. You can make entire homes that appear to be cones, stacked blocks or even spheres. You don’t have to go that crazy, but you have the choice!

They are powerful enough to support a lot weight

There are low stress safety limits that need to be respected when you’re building a home from wood. That will restrict your designs a lot, specifically when it comes to your upper floors. When it comes to wood, you just can’t get that creative without getting into trouble. When you build a home in Maryland with ICF, the limits suddenly shoot into the sky.

The concrete used for these homes is many times stronger than wood, and that really changes what you can get away with when it comes to designing your upper floors. You also have the ability to create features like stairs and balconies that appear to be ‘flying’ or don’t have visible supports.

They make creative home designs more practical

If you want to build a creative home with traditional materials, you’re going to have to make a lot of sacrifices. Some areas are likely always going to be a little draftier than others. You may have trouble predicting which areas will carry sound from the rest of the home and which won’t. You’ll have neither of these problems if you choose to go with insulated concrete forms.

An ICF-built structure is well sealed everywhere with solid concrete, so you don’t have to worry about drafts no matter what your home looks like. The soundproofing is excellent both inside and outside the home.

Start building a more creative home in Maryland with ICFs

By allowing you to work with new shapes and new stresses without risking a less comfortable home, ICFs unleash your creativity. Talk to Excel today if you’d like to build one for yourself.

For more information, see: Are ICFs The Answer to Expensive Heating Bills?