
Why We Love ICF
Traditional Wood Framing
These homes are typically built on site from pieces of lumber that are cut and nailed together into wall and roof sections. They are then linked together and sheathed with plywood on the exterior and drywall on the interior. The exterior is usually finished with shingles, brick, vinyl siding or something similar.
Traditional wood framing is not the most efficient means of building, and mistakes made during this process can waste material and drive up costs. Weather can also be a factor in damaging the materials. Once completed, this type of home can be more expensive to maintain. They are generally not as energy efficient and can come with higher utility bills.
Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF)
Building a home can be one of your most important and impactful investments, with ICF construction your investment is naturally protected from the forces of nature and time. A home built using ICFs, coupled with complementary technologies, can provide up to 80% savings on operational costs. All told, the advantages of an ICF home are immense; energy cost savings, noise reduction, even temperatures throughout the home, warmer floors and 180 mph wind resistance.


Crane Builders LLC has proprietary ownership of this graphic. No use or reproduction permitted. All figures are representative of industry standards and are approximations only.
R Values:
Conventional Wall
BASEMENT WALL
​
8" Concrete:
Air Film:
Total R:
​
Fiberglass:
1/2 GYP BD:
TOTAL R:
0.64
0.68
1.32
​
13.00
0.45
14.77
HOUSE WALL
​
Brick:
Air Film:
1/2" Sheath:
Air FGap:
Fiberglass:​
1/2 GYP BD:
TOTAL R:
0.22
0.68
0.80
0.82
15.00
0.45
17.97
Example Project
Cost Anaylsis
WOOD FRAME
CONSTRUCTION
​
Mortgage:
Monthly
Mortgage
Payment:​
Avg Utilities:​
MONTHLY TOTAL:
​​
$600K
​
​​
$3,200
​$425
​​$3,625
ICF
CONSTRUCTION
​​
Mortgage:
Monthly
Mortgage
Payment:​
Avg Utilities:​
MONTHLY TOTAL:
​​
$645K
​
​
$3,500​
​$125
​​
$3,625
R Values:
ICF Wall
BASEMENT WALL
​
Effective R
of 11" ICF Wall:
22
HOUSE WALL
​
11" ICF Wall:
Brick:
Air Film:
Air Gap:
1/2" GYP BD:
TOTAL R:
22
0.22
0.68
0.82
0.45
24.17
Superiority of ICF Continues On & On...

Worry Free Living
Fire can endanger the lives of everyone in the family and destroy those things that cannot be replaced. Many insurance companies recognize concrete as being safer than any other form of construction when fire threatens a home. Living in a Crane Builders ICF home can bring peace of mind to homeowners concerned about fire.
Security That's a Solid Investment
When disaster threatens in the form of storms, floods or fires, your family will be safer in a home constructed with concrete walls. It's no accident that concrete is the material of choice for modern day fortresses and disaster shelters. This strong, durable material stands up to the fury of nature...including the more subtle threats of rot, rust and termites.


Peace & Quiet
With land for home building becoming more scarce, we're forced to build our homes closer together and near noise sources like highways, railways, and airports. An ICF home is often two-thirds quieter than a wood-frame home. The greater mass of concrete walls added to the insulating qualities of foam can reduce sound penetrating through a wall by over 80% when compared to wood-frame construction.
Resource Efficiency
The predominant raw material for the cement in concrete is limestone, the most abundant mineral on earth. Concrete can also be made with fly ash, slag cement, and silica fume, all waste by-products from power plants, steel mills, and other manufacturing facilities.


Durability
The Portland Cement Association and the Environmental Council of Concrete Organization acknowledge that concrete builds durable, long-lasting structures that will not rust, rot, or burn. Life spans for concrete building products can be double or triple those of other common building materials.
Thermal Mass
Homes built with concrete walls, foundations, and floors are highly energy efficient because they take advantage of concrete’s inherent thermal massor ability to absorb and retain heat. This means homeowners can significantly cut their heating and cooling bills and install smaller-capacity HVAC equipment.


Minimal Waste
Concrete can be produced in the quantities needed for each project, reducing waste. After a concrete structure has served its original purpose, the concrete can be crushed and recycled into aggregate for use in new concrete pavements or as backfill or road base.
