Basements are a valuable part of any new home, with benefits far outweighing the costs. About half of all new homes in North America are built with basements, and the rest could be. Concrete is the material of choice for basement construction, with 98% of North American basements built of one of...
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The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005 H.R.6) created tax incentives for energy-efficiency measures in buildings or systems placed in service from Jan. 1, 2006 through Dec. 31, 2008.
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Concrete masonry provides a home with superior comfort, solidity, durability, resistance to natural disasters, quietness, and energy efficiency.
Permeable interlocking concrete pavements (PICPs) offer an environmentally friendly way of providing long-lasting beautiful walkways and driveways
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Mold and Moisture
Mold growth in homes is the hot topic in the home building industry today. Headlines tout the danger of exposure to mold in our homes and at work. A member of the fungi family, mold comes in thousands of varieties and exists in every indoor and outdoor environment. It is a natural and necessary...
These results suggest that when subjected to lateral in-plane loading from sources such as wind or earthquake, the ICF wall panels are not only considerably stronger but also much stiffer than the framed wall panels.
Concrete pavers offer a variety of patterns and colors that add to the character of any home, providing durable yet low maintenance surfaces.
When planning a new home, consider the greater well-being that can come from living with more even temperatures, sharply reduced drafts, and noticeably greater quiet—all benefits of concrete walls.
Concrete offers the homeowner certain safety advantages. And those advantages give builders and buyers yet another reason to consider using concrete walls for their next project.
Built according to good practices, concrete homes can be among the safest and most durable types of structures during an earthquake. Homes built with reinforced concrete walls have a record of surviving earthquakes intact, structurally sound and largely unblemished.