How Do You Use Concrete?

When you think about what you would like your new house to be made of, you might be thinking about using concrete as a building material. It isn't something that many people think about, but there are several reasons why using concrete for your new house can be a good idea. 

Highly Fire Resistant

While no material is ever truly fireproof — because a hot enough fire can destroy pretty much anything — most fires don't get that hot without a lot of help. The average fire doesn't get hot enough to affect concrete, so if you live in someplace that has frequent wildfires, concrete can be a good choice because your house is much more likely to survive a wildfire since there aren't any visible flammable materials. 

Insect and Rot Resistance

Things like termites and dry rot can be highly destructive to any house. This is especially true when it comes to the wood in a house. However, a concrete house doesn't have exposed wood which would let termites get into the walls and start destroying the house. Concrete doesn't have insects that like to eat it and can stand up to many things that could cause rot in other building materials. 

Energy Efficient

There are several ways a concrete house is much more energy efficient than one made up of other materials. For one thing, concrete doesn't transfer heat from the inside to the outside or vice versa. That makes it easy for you to keep your house at a temperature that works well for you. Because of the way that a concrete house is constructed, it is more airtight, which means that drafts aren't going to be an issue. Drafts can cool your house down in the winter, making your furnace work harder and costing you more money for your heating bills. Concrete also has a higher R-value, which means it will be more insulating, to begin with. That insulating feature will also help dampen sounds from the outside, so it can make your house quieter as well. 

If you are going to build a new house, you have to decide what materials you want your house to be made of. One option is to go with concrete. Concrete homes can have a lot of style and panache, as well as a lot of practical benefits. If you want to build a concrete house, talk to a concrete contractor about it.