Insulated concrete form (ICF) is a system of expanded polystyrene (EPS) rigid insulation blocks separated by plastic webbing. It is used as an integrated concrete form to pour a concrete wall instead of a traditional wood plank or plywood form. ICF blocks come in interlocking sections, so a wall system fits tightly together. Once the blocks are in place, concrete is poured, and finishes like drywall and siding are attached to fastener strips embedded in the insulation.

ICF construction has two advantages over traditional framed construction when it comes to energy. First, it seals very well, preventing air leakage through the walls. Second, it has two continuous insulation layers, one inside and one outside, with no thermal bridges to cause heat loss.

ICF walls can withstand hurricanes and tornado force winds while keeping noise to a minimum. ICF walls have a Sound Transmission Class (STC) of 50 or higher, so noise stays outside or inside.  As a result, homes built with ICF’s offer roughly 70% noise reduction compared to an average home.

We only use real tile on our shower walls at Southern Crown Homes.

We use Fin windows with the ICF construction allowing us to set the windows all the way to the out side to even the weep holes in the window keeping all rain from getting into your new home.