Energy efficient ICF Construction

Building a home with insulating concrete forms (ICFs) saves energy, money

ICF construction:

• Gives walls an insulation factor of R50
• Is fire resistant – walls are 8” of solid concrete
• Has greater structural strength
• Interiors of homes are extremely quiet, blocking outside noise
• Offer enhanced storm protection.

So what exactly is ICF construction, and what makes it so much better than a traditionally constructed home?

ICF Construction - To construct an ICF home, blocks made of two layers of expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam are stacked and interlocked, much like Legos, and filled with poured concrete.

The EPS forms are left in place and provide continuous insulation and a sound barrier. The forms also provide backing for drywall in the inside, and backing for stucco, brick or lap siding on the outside.

MBI can build homes using ICFs for basements and foundations, and for one and two story homes. MBI recently built the first all ICF two-story home in Hutchinson, MN


Energy Savings – A home built of ICFs has greater insulation, tighter construction, and conserves heated and cooled air much better than conventional wood-frame walls, reducing monthly fuel bills. It also allows for smaller heating and cooling equipment, saving money in construction.

How much will I save?

According to the Insulating Concrete Form Association Houses built with ICF exterior walls require an estimated 44% less energy to heat and 32% less energy to cool than comparable frame houses.

This is due to insulating values for ICF walls using polystyrene foam are R-17 to R-26, compared to wood frame’s R-9 to R-15. And ICF walls are tighter. In tests, ICF houses averaged about 1/2 as much infiltration (air leakage) as frame.

A typical 2000 square foot home built with ICF construction, and located in the center of the U.S., will save approximately $200 in heating costs each year and $65 in air conditioning each year.

The bigger the house the bigger the savings. In colder areas of the U.S. and Canada, heating savings will be more and cooling savings less. In hotter areas, heating savings will be less and cooling savings more.

So where do these facts and figures come from?

The energy savings estimates come from a study of single-family houses spread across the U.S. and Canada.
Researchers gathered data on 58 houses in all. Half had exterior walls constructed with concrete using ICFs made of expanded polystyrene (EPS) or extruded polystyrene (XPS) foam.

The other half were neighboring houses with walls constructed of wood frame. All houses were relatively new (less than 6 years old) and built with modern methods.

The researchers compared the energy bill of each concrete house to its frame counterpart, carefully correcting for important differences to get an “apples-to-apples” comparison.
Estimates of equipment savings are actual numbers reported by contractors that build ICF houses.

Information courtesy of the Insulating Concrete Foam Association