Residential concrete construction is usually limited to the foundation and perhaps a few key supports in a home. However, there are several times when you should consider significantly more residential concrete work.
Disaster Resilience
Some homes are in locations where concrete is just a better choice. If you live in a region that gets hurricanes or tornadoes several times a year, you should consider residential concrete construction. Even if you don't want to build the whole house with concrete, a sizeable storm room can make a huge difference.
Folks who live in areas with high fire risks also frequently elect to build with concrete. This is especially useful if you can't move the tree line back. Concrete walls and a metal roof will radically reduce the risk that falling embers might set the house on fire.
People in earthquake zones also frequently build with concrete. However, you should talk with an engineer about the available solutions before choosing a particular earthquake-resilient solution.
Noise Reduction
Living in a high-noise area can be annoying. Residential concrete work, though, produces walls that are thick enough to reduce noise. If your house is at an intersection or near a highly trafficked sidewalk, you may want to build the exterior walls with concrete. Even just doing the first floor with residential concrete work can keep out a lot of noise.
Preventing Rot
Some regions of the country are hard on wooden houses. Moisture frequently encourages rot, and this can threaten structural components like beams within a few years. Residential concrete construction prevents rot in key areas. You can combine structural elements with high-quality steel to maximize durability.
Energy Economization
Concrete has excellent thermal mass. The mass can reduce efficiency issues in extremely cold or hot environments. Once your house has reached a particular temperature, concrete can hold it with little additional HVAC input. Residential concrete construction also has fewer gaps so there will be fewer places where air from outside can sneak into the house.
Sustainability
Most concrete mixtures are highly recyclable. Crushed concrete can be reused to create base or filler materials for later construction projects after you demolish the house.
Unique Designs
You can pour concrete into virtually any shape. Consequently, it's a great option for people who want to design unique shapes in their houses. You also can easily surface it with paint or stucco. If you want a unique-looking house, it's hard to beat the customizability of concrete.
Contact a local contractor to learn more about residential concrete construction.
When you have something built, there are usually two things you want to be true of that item. You want it to be built correctly so that it serves its purpose. You also want it to be beautiful. That beauty can look like many different things, of course.
Nobody understands these requirements better than construction workers and contractors. They are in the thick of it, doing the hard work to make these projects a reality. This blog is a space where you can learn more about these hard working professionals. In doing so, you will come to really appreciate things that are built right and built to be beautiful.