Concrete Additions

Which Piggy Are You? Wood, Concrete Block, or Poured Concrete?

Building from wood is by far the most popular means of building homes in the United States. There are many reasons for this style of construction, however in the long-term it’s not the most cost or energy efficient. Many people think building a home of concrete would be dramatically more expensive than building with wood. Studies show this is not true. On average the additional cost in construction with concrete is only 0.5 – 4% more than building with wood.

There are two ways to build using concrete:

• 1.Using concrete block.
• 2. Pouring concrete, reinforced with rebar.

LSR will not build using concrete block for home additions. There are many reasons why this is a true. Simply put, reinforced poured concrete creates safer and more durable structures, lessens humanity’s carbon footprint, saves money and energy, is more soundproof, and creates unique architectural structures.

Reinforced poured concrete can take many shapes, allowing LSR to create one-of-a-kind building structures that blocked concrete or wood structures cannot offer from the same price and stability standards.

Whether you are with the movement of “Going Green” or not, there are three basic reasons why building with concrete makes more sense than building with wood.

• 1. Construction with insulated concrete forms (ICF’s) is the most cost effective choice in building. However, building with reinforced poured concrete may cost more as an initial investment, but the savings compiled from owning a concrete addition or home outweigh building with wood over time. Read here for more information.
• 2. Building with reinforced poured concrete helps limit damage from house fires and natural disasters. Reinforced concrete is heavier, sturdier, and less susceptible to damage from extreme weather. Fires cannot spread as quickly because concrete’s fire resistance is superior to wood. Homeowners benefit from these advantages in multiple ways. For example, homeowners insurance is less, thus saving you money.
• 3. Lastly, building with concrete utilizes rock, one of the most abundant resources on earth. Less wood in home construction means less deforestation, leading to a Greener environment. In addition, the benefits of minimizing costs in heating and air conditioning lessen the amount of energy needed to heat and cool your home.

Please visit ConcreteNetwork.com for more information about the benefits of concrete home construction. ConcreteNetwork.com