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Posted on: October 15, 2007

Concrete Castles

Noisy neighborhood? Pricey monthly bills? Limited interior décor options? Surprisingly, concrete can help – the age-old building material is carving out a new niche for itself, redefining its place in the home

By Kate Sullivan
CTW Features

Concrete homes are becoming increasingly popular as they're being recognized for their stability, silence and aesthetic appeal. Image courtesy Portland Cement Association

For Kansas resident Bob Kupersmith, the past seven years have been full of serenity, security and savings. And it isn’t from his Zen approach to life. This soothing way of life comes from the center of it all – his home.

When his children graduated high school, empty nesters Bob and his wife, Karen, decided it was time to move towns and build their dream home. But this time something was going to be different.

“Rather than construct a traditional two-by-six home made from wood, like the one we had previously lived in, we choose another route – concrete.” But Karen initially didn’t share Bob’s enthusiasm for what she imagined a hard, gray, box-like structure. After meeting with a builder and realizing that from the outside a concrete home doesn’t look any different than any other home on the block, the supportive wife willingly took a gamble. Now seven years later, Bob notes, “I’ll be lucky if I ever get her to leave this house.” So what’s the motive behind this major mind change?

The Sounds of Silence

It’s this soundproof benefit that keeps the home quiet but the concrete industry buzzing. Imagine your home being a sanctuary of peace and quiet every time you enter. Leave the noise of everyday life at the doorstep. For Bob, “You can’t hear anything. No lawnmowers early in the morning, no sounds of storms to keep you up at night. It’s restful living at all hours of the day.”

And it’s not just muffling outside noises – you can find inner peace within a concrete home too. For Jeremy Guzlas, McCann Industries, Inc., “it’s all about the decorative concrete.” Designed for inside the home, from countertops to floors, homeowners broaden their concrete base by taking the benefits inside.

Security Deposit

Investing in a concrete home is an investment for the future. The strength and durability of concrete homes makes them a force to be reckoned with. Neither rain nor snow nor the winds of the night penetrate the fortitude of a concrete castle. For the Kupersmiths their concrete home will keep them safe from the level 4 and 5 tornadoes that plague the plains of Kansas. “Knowing that we are protected from the tornados and damaging storms that destroy other homes on our very same block, gives me peace of mind that I can’t put a price tag on.”

Bankable Results

A common misconception of concrete homes has to do with cost. Many think that to build a fortress you must spend a fortune. While there is an initial 2 percent – 6 percent upfront cost to the build out, the return on your investment immediately pops up in your monthly bills. “Moisture doesn’t penetrate the concrete, allowing you to heat and cool your home with efficiency like never before.” To heat and cool the Kupersmith’s 4,000 square-foot home he pays about $60 dollars a month, compared to the $200 they were paying years ago in their wood-based home. “And with inflation, I can’t imagine what my monthly bills would be today,” says Bob.

If you do go to sell in a few years, your resale value increases as energy efficiency appeals to prospective buyers. “If you have two houses on the same block that both look the same from the outside but one will save you a bundle on bills, which would you choose?” For the Kupersmiths, and a growing percentage of homeowners, the choice is clear.