How much do ICFs cost?
• Little or nothing extra. • Studies have found that the cost of a new ICF home is about 1-5% more than an ordinary wood-frame home. Some new commercial buildings have actually been less expensive than they would have been with conventional wall materials. And since ICFs are still new, the costs are declining. Benefits of ICFs Surveys of owners of ICF buildings show that the things they like best about living in them are comfort, sound absorption, energy efficiency, strength, durability, and design flexibility. Comfort Buildings constructed of ICFs have a more even temperature throughout the day and night, fewer drafts, fewer cold spots and hot spots, and a more consistent temperature from floor to ceiling. • Even temperature: Concrete is a material of high thermal mass. That means it changes temperature only slowly. ICF walls, in fact, have about 3-5 times the thermal mass of a conventional wood frame wall. The result is that the temperature of the building tends to be very stable, in
