As Austin residents well know, green building does not refer to a color or to an activity practiced by Kermit the Frog, but is rather the practice of home builders to implement environmentally friendly practices and materials into the homes they build. Usually, they do not do this in order to satisfy code or please a state agency, but because it is more efficient, has higher quality and value, and because it is in demand. Presently, at least 80% of all homes being built in the United States incorporate some form of ecologically-friendly construction practices.
Buying a concrete home in Austin, TX, or custom building one, is a step towards better energy efficiency and use of resources, which not only results in a lower environmental impact, but lower bills as well. The more energy efficient your house is, the less energy you will use, which means the less you will have to pay at the end of the month. One way to accomplish this is to hire a concrete Austin, TX contractor to build the exterior walls of your home.
Concrete walls can be disguised to look like wood, but more to the point, they are extremely durable and enhance energy efficiency. One out of every six houses that are being built in the United States is concrete, rather than framed and built with wood. Concrete homes in Austin, TX are usually indistinguishable for other houses because the concrete frame is hidden by aesthetically-pleasing facades of stucco or brick. Suggestions after natural disasters that hit Florida and other states for homeowners to rebuild using concrete, even in Austin, TX, are taken very seriously by the industry due to the durability of the material to withstand heavy storms, flooding and other natural disasters.
Concrete is not easily weakened by the natural elements, nor by moisture (mold does not develop on concrete, generally) or pests. Termites have no recourse in concrete, and rats cannot chew through a concrete barrier.
Concrete is highly sustainable as a building material, which means that it has almost no footprint and can easily be recycled. Concrete is versatile and can be used in various ways for a variety of different structures. It also does not involve a lot of maintenance, making it cheaper and easier, as well as less costly over time. Given that, it is also generally affordable and not as costly as other options, such as steel, to produce.
