What is ICF Construction and How Does it Provide An Energy Efficient Home?

Gaining in popularity for the green home are the tools of the trade. ICF's, or insulating concrete forms, are one of the strongest forms of construction in that the home is built with concrete. These forms used primarily for the exterior walls of the home are designed with foam that is grooved and fitted to fit the other ICF pieces just like a puzzle. In between the two pieces of foam on either side are rebar reinforcements that lock the foam pieces together and provide solid material for the concrete to adhere to.

ICF's are a popular way to go in the construction of a green home in that they not only provide a solid home but also an energy-efficient home. Since the concrete is totally encapsulated in rigid foam, the foam provides the energy efficiency while the concrete provides the strength. Energy efficiency is dependant on how the home is built and how much leakage is moving in and out of the house. Green home practices focus on building air-tight homes and with the interlocking foam blocks and long continuous panels, ICF's are ideal in preventing air leakage. The solid structure and the fact that concrete doesn't settle, also lends to the tight house construction.

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Why Southern Exposure is Important in a Green Home

While some of us like to "shoot from the hip", there are others that are very organized in their thoughts and processes. Initially, I'm an organized individual and unfortunately, there are a lot of days that I "shoot from the hip." So, I guess I'm a little bit of both personalities.

For those of you who hate organized ideologies, you have to admit that a little bit of organization can go along way. In fact, when it comes to buying a home, answering some key questions just makes the process so much easier and helps you figure out what your true priorities are. See Planning the Key to Home Buying Success.

New construction works the same way and more specifically when you discuss "green" homes. "Green" homes start with a smart design and efficient technology systems to create green homes. In fact, the planning or design stage, in my opinion, is one of the most important steps in the process. Deciding what factors are important to you in the beginning saves a lot of time and possibly a lot of money in the future.

Green homes are about having "residential structures that achieve optimal year-round comfort, reduce energy consumption, improve indoor air quality, and limit environmental impact." (http://www.solarenergy.org/workshops/sushomedesonline.html. This type of home is about taking the house as a whole unit, being aware of the climate and temperature changes and knowing which design strategies can handle the environment and its natural surroundings. In order to reduce energy consumption, green designers look at other ways of obtaining other forms of renewable energy, such as solar, wind. In fact, here's what Wikipedia defines renewable energy as, "Renewable energy effectively uses natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides and geothermal heat, which are naturally replenished.

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Brand New Homes Don't Always Mean Energy Efficiency...

Alright, alright. I have to tell you that I love green. Green to me means "Go", means $ signs, and also means a well-built house. In fact, my next article was supposed to be about the first stages of building a green home, but realized that I need to backup a bit.

In talking with several people, most people BELIEVE that when they buy a brand new home that they will have some of the qualities of a green-built home. Some of characteristics of a green built home include:

Energy - Efficiency

Safe for occupants (natural disasters etc.)

More comfortable (temperature, humidity)

Healthier environment

Durable (Structural, moisture managed)

Honestly, you should expect those things in a new home but in reality, it is not always there.

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Is Shrek Green? Yes, He Is.

So, I'm this huge movie buff. In fact, one of my favorite things to do is to sit down on a Friday night with a bag of popcorn and put in the latest and greatest movie. And by the way, my family has seen a ton! Last Friday, we watched Shrek 3 with the kids. Initially, I wasn't going to watch it but decided it would be a good family bonding time!

The movie was good but what was interesting was playing around after the movie in the extras. They had "Ask Merlin" where you get to ask Merlin a Yes or No question and he answers. My question was, "Will I be incredibly wealthy?" I'll just say, I was pleased with the answer!

Another section was titled, "Being Green" to which my husband said that I should see what that's all about since I love the "Green" movement. Because I'm curious... I checked it out. Shrek starts out by saying that Kermit (do you remember him?) said it wasn't easy being green. To which he replies that it's not that hard. So here's the message that was sent out to the kids in a fun way on the backend of this movie.

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How Does a Home Qualify As Green

We've already discussed the trends in home building and how "Green" built homes are becoming a trend. We've talked about what Green is in relation to the definition. Now, how do you know if you have a Green-Built Home?

Just so you know, there are a lot of builders that may claim to build "Green" and are hopping on the wagon to try and be "Green", but really aren't "Green." Some builders that I've run into the past couple of years, think it's a bunch of hog-wash. Maybe it is. With the media attention around "Green", I've now seen that many of the builders are changing their tune when it comes to building "Green."

I went to a great seminar about building a healthy home. The gal even put together a great checklist of things that you should be sure to ask.

Directly from her suggestions in her book, were some of the following questions to ask a builder:

To read more: http://www.seegrhomes.com/green-energy-efficient-homes/how-does-a-house-qualify-as-green.html