The Benefits of Concrete Block House Construction

The benefits of concrete block house construction  make concrete a smart material choice for building in Florida. Concrete  block houses are energy-efficient, fire-resistant,  noise-reducing, pest-resistant, low-maintenance, and healthy. Concrete  homes are also a good investment. While Concrete houses can cost more to  build than wood-frame houses; once constructed, a concrete house  quickly recoups the initial costs with lower utility and upkeep costs.

Concrete Block Homes are Energy Efficient

A concrete wall system, along with insulation, creates a tight  thermal building envelope, which conserves energy. A study by the  Portland Cement Association found that houses with concrete walls had  five to nine percent greater energy savings than wood-framed houses; and  concrete walls are less drafty and maintain a more even temperature  throughout the home. Concrete homes can be designed with  smaller-capacity equipment for heating, ventilating, and  air-condi­tioning offering a further saving to homeowners.

Concrete is a Healthy Home Choice

EPA research indicates that the average American spends about 90  percent of their time indoors, making it vital that homes as healthy as  possible. A healthy home utilizes materials that minimize occupants’  exposure to toxins, molds, outside allergens, and radon.

Concrete has lower volatile organic compound (VOC) emittance, are  much more resistant to mold and reduce the infiltration of outside  allergens. Mold, VOCs and outdoor allergens can cause nose, eye and  throat irritations, headaches, nausea, respiratory infections and immune  system disorders. Some VOCs have even been known to cause damage to the  kidney, liver and central nervous system and even cause cancer in  animals and humans.

Concrete Block Homes Reduce Outside Noise

A 1997 study by the Portland Cement Association indicates that  concrete walls allow up to ¼ less outside noise to enter the home,  compared to wood-built homes. Example: Loud speech on the opposite side  of a frame wall would be audible but the same loud speech on the  opposite side of a concrete block wall would be virtually inaudible and a  listener would have to strain to hear.

Concrete Block Homes are Fire Resistant

In the event of a fire, insulated concrete walls limit the spread of flames compared to wood walls. Insulated concrete block walls also do  not burn, bend or soften like steel. Insulated concrete blocks meet the  thermal performance required by the International Residential Code (IRC)  and International Building Code (IBC) without additional insulation and  are capable of achieving a fire rating of up to four hours before  applying a finish.

Concrete Homes are Pest Proof and Low Maintenance

Concrete house construction is more pest-resistant than wood  construction, this includes termites, carpenter ants, and rodents. In  Florida, where termites are wide­spread, this is of par­tic­u­lar  impor­tance. Concrete block construction also requires less repair and  main­te­nance because concrete is less sus­cep­ti­ble to rot like wood  or rust like steel.

With over 25 years of building in Flagler County and the combined 100  years of home building experience of our leadership team, SeaGate Homes  chooses to build concrete block homes and backs them with our  industry-leading 15-year structural warranty. Our goal is to provide  quality homes for today’s homebuyers in communities that cater to every  lifestyle.