Building Green
When you pull up to a beautiful home, more than likely you will not be able to distinguish how the home is held up (wood frame, concrete frame, etc). This is because of the covering of the home, that being stucco, brick or vinyl siding to name a few. However, the benefits of building a house with a concrete masonry frame aren’t always apparent at first glance. The benefits show up in the form of having a stronger, safer and sustainable home. Additionally, lower maintenance cost and lower energy bills is experienced years down the road, after the home is purchased or constructed.
Strong, Safe and Sustainable
Concrete masonry framed homes certainly has many advantages over wood framed homes. Concrete is a much stronger material than wood, and is resistant to weather conditions, such as rotting or warping. Unlike wood, where pests and termites can feed from, concrete masonry offers no food source, so mold and fungus cannot grow there, leading to a healthier environment.
Masonry framed homes offer more safety and protection from violent weather, and are fire resistant. Concrete masonry homes have stood the test against 170 mile an hour hurricane winds and tornadoes. During turbulent weather such as floods and hurricanes, concrete homes came through with minimal or no structural damage. These protective attributes may provide the homeowner with discounts on the homeowner’s insurance by as much as 30%.*
Interesting in lowering your utility bills? Concrete masonry framed homes have on-going economic savings to offer the homeowner, such as conserving energy through the use of thermal mass and reduced air infiltration. This continuous barrier reduces drafts and helps to provide a more even temperature throughout the home, ultimately reducing utility bills.* Concrete masonry walls also offer great sound reduction from outside traffic and neighbors, to bring you peace and quiet.
Concrete masonry framed homes are healthier homes because concrete is an inorganic product. Building homes and hardscapes using concrete have sustainable and durable attributes that are unmatched with other home building materials. Concrete is an environmentally friendly product using natural and recycled materials. Concrete does not excrete VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) or toxins into the air, unlike some wood materials, allowing for a healthy living environment. They also contribute less dust that other building materials thus protecting your family from allergens.*
Flexible Design
Building a home with concrete masonry provides a lot of flexibility and many design options. Homes built with concrete have some amazing masonry framing capabilities, and have an unlimited variety of curves and angles, and can offer design styles that are tailored to your needs. There are many design options to chose from including traditional, transitional, contemporary, modern, southwestern, mediterranean or ranch home styles. Click here to view house plans.
Exterior Options
You can choose from many exterior surfaces options for your concrete framed masonry home. These options may include brick, stone, architectural masonry, stucco, and fiber-cement siding. Flexibility and design options are as diverse as your ability to be creative. * CCMA (Carolina Concrete Masonry Association)
Benefits
Concrete masonry framing provides your home incredible strength and lasting durability. It provides better energy efficiency, termite, fire and mold resistance, and a much higher level of protection from violent weather. Best of all, because concrete masonry framing offers amazing design flexibility, it can be incorporated into virtually any style home you want to build.