There are no building codes in our county and people within the community are free to choose whatever style of building they wish, from fully conventional to natural alternatives like straw bale and clay slip.
It has been interesting to note that when faced with all of these options, we now have our third home being built using Insulated Concrete Forms or ICF’s.
These consist of thick, high quality polystyrene foam panels held together by plastic ties filled with concrete.
These buildings are incredibly solid and virtually tornado proof, providing added security since The Farm is only a few miles away from a tornado alley.
Twin panels of foam insulation are connected with plastic reinforcement creating forms which are stacked to make walls.
The forms are then filled with poured concrete. This produces an extremely insulated structure, requiring minimal energy to heat or cool.
Insulation R values go up to R26. The panels are quick to assemble, saving on labor costs.
The interior and exterior walls can be covered with a variety of building materials.
