Although conventional houses use tried-and-true materials in their designs, modern materials have been introduced to impact home design for the better. Whether it improves energy-efficiency, durability, or visual appeal, installing a new material comes with great benefits. Here are the innovative materials that we recommend you to consider.
ICF Construction
If you are thinking of building a new home, look no further. Insulated Concrete Form (IFC) construction is an advanced, new way of making homes that are quiet, durable, and extremely energy efficient. ICF technology enables homeowners to gain a lot of benefits not normally found in conventional houses, such as being far more energy efficient than regular homes. The material provides better insulation than wood frame construction, preventing you from needing to heat or cool the house as often. ICF structures often offer net zero building benefits. Furthermore, if you live in a region with tornadoes, ICF homes are built to be extremely resistant to the natural disasters. Alongside tornadoes, their modern home design can even resist hurricanes as well. ICF houses can be almost any style or size a homeowner desires, and can accommodate a wide range of budgets too. Another benefit of ICF is that almost any conventional house plan can easily be converted to the sustainable construction of ICF. With a wide range of benefits, ICF is definitely a great choice to consider when seeking to construct your home.
Synthetic Countertops
A relatively new advancement, synthetic countertops have revolutionized the countertop industry. For instance, their non-porous nature makes both solid surface and quartz countertops resistant to stains, germs, and mildew. Solid surface countertops are also extremely strong and long lasting, and are self-supporting as well. Furthermore, almost any type of scratch is simple and easy to clean up. Besides that, synthetic countertops can also be easily made to imitate high-end countertops like granite. There is also a range of solid surface countertop colors to accompany a large variety of styles. Alongside solid surface, another strong option in the synthetic countertops area is quartz. It comes with many of the same benefits as solid surface countertops, and is usually stunning to look at. For example, quartz countertops can easily be the highlight of every room there are in, with their great look and unique appearance. Let the quartz vs marble countertops debate be put to rest for good. Unfortunately, both solid surface countertops and quartz countertops come with one con- they are around the same price as comparable natural stone, so there are little savings to be had by choosing synthetic over natural. Yet, even with the price, their range of benefits make solid surface countertops a very worthwhile option.
Soffits
Coming with many benefits, a ‘soffit’ is the horizontal underside of a roof’s overhang. When attic spaces under the roof build up heat, the heat buildup causes the rest of the house to become warmer as well, which requires air conditioning units to work harder in order to cool the house to a comfortable temperature. Because of this, soffit installations are extremely useful for improving home ventilation, as they prevent heat from building up too high in those same attic spaces. Furthermore, besides ventilation, soffits also provide a decent amount of protection for your home from the elements as well. Together, those two benefits make soffit installation a worthwhile investment to consider. Concerning materials, a range of different ones can be used depending on your budget and desired style, but most installers generally consider fiber cement to be the best. You should definitely think about adding a soffit to your home.
Also Read: Live Your Way: 5 Neat Ideas If You’re Planning On Building A Custom Home
Matt Lee is the owner of the Innovative Construction and Building Materials blog and a content writer for the building materials industry. He is focused on helping fellow homeowners, contractors, and architects discover materials and methods of construction that save money, improve energy efficiency, and increase property value.
