Stick With Tradition or Build For the Future: Lumber vs Concrete

Calling all developers, builders, ideators, and architects for the future: have you given significant thought to the building materials used in your next construction project? 

We’re here today to discuss this foundational question: Stick with tradition, or venture into something that might stand up to an even greater test of time—concrete, of course! 

Let’s look at the pros and cons.

Stick-Built Homes:

Over the previous century or so, stick-built houses have become the norm. They’re an example of carpentry at its finest, with milled 2 x 4s joined at mostly 90-degree angles into the traditional lumber-framed houses we’re all familiar with. 

Pros:

  • Aesthetically pleasing: we love a good lumber-built home! You can see them in most (if not all) neighborhoods across the country.

  • They’re quick to build, and if you have carpentry skills, you might even be able to do it yourself. 


Cons:

  • A stick-built house is seldom fire-resistant. In fact, they’re susceptible to a lot of adversity from the elements (mold and mildew, air leakage and insulation problems, etc).

  • Lumber in many places throughout the US is also quite expensive.


Enter The Scene: Insulated Concrete Forms

If we’re building for the future with durability and sustainability in mind, Insulated Concrete Forms[LINK], often referred to as ICF, are an enticing option for several reasons. 

Image courtesy of Build with Rise.


Pros: 

  • Looking for fire resistance? Concrete is mixed from chemically non-combustible ingredients (cement, water, sand, and gravel). It physically cannot burn. 

  • You may save money on energy costs. Concrete has an extremely high thermal mass, meaning it retains its temperature at a steady rate, instead of losing its season-specific warmth or coolness to inadequately insulated walls.

Cons:

  • Concrete has a more industrial look, so if used in exterior applications, it may not be the aesthetic for everybody.

  • The build may be slower than a stick-built home due to long curing times and the need for proper temperature to set correctly.


Planning to Rebuild in Northern California?

Our vote: Insulated Concrete Forms can offer huge solutions to home longevity, especially as an answer for fire-proofing new builds in Butte, Yuba, and Sutter Counties. When it’s time to take the next steps to execute your design plan, consider concrete—and ICF forms—as an option for building.

Aaron Bacon