The Benefits of Building with Concrete Block

September 23, 2020

When building any structure, three chief building materials come to mind: wood, concrete, and steel. But when considering which material provides the most value over the life of your home, concrete stands out.

architectual block trendstone plus

The Southeast Concrete Masonry Association (SCMA) conducted cost studies of three common building materials in major cities throughout Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Tennessee, Texas and Georgia. They analyzed wood, steel, and concrete, comparing the benefits of each and found that concrete was cheaper than steel and only marginally more expensive than wood. At the same time, it provided energy and maintenance benefits that far outweighed those of wood, both immediately and over the long term.

Let’s review the major benefits building with concrete block offers:  

Cost Savings: Though concrete is marginally more expensive than wood, it is denser than most building materials, and this can save you up to 50% off your heating and cooling costs over other construction methods. You better control between temperature extremes, resulting in more efficient temperature regulation.

This is a benefit in even normal weather conditions, but when a disaster hits, it is also cheaper to repair than other materials and also faster to clean up. This helps businesses and city buildings such as schools get up and running faster. Home and apartment renters can also move back home quicker, which leads to faster and more reliable rental income.   

Unlike wood structures, concrete structures regularly last 100 years. This means there is less need to rebuild or repair your home or business over time, saving substantially on construction costs.

Powerful Protection Against Wind and Rain:  Concrete provides better protection than wood and steel preventing the need for rebuilding. Its high mass level helps ground structures better during hurricanes and tornadoes. Load-bearing concrete can protect homes from winds up to 250 miles per hour. Concrete also provides better water damage protection than beamed structures such as wood and steel in which water can seep into floors and walls.

Concrete can withstand some of the harshest conditions mother nature has to offer. It is even used to make safe rooms inside homes that not only protect you from the weather, but from the house as well.  

These traits have become particularly important in recent years. Damage from weather-related disasters and fires has created billions of dollars in damage in 2017 alone. And with Hurricane Florence in 2018 and the recent devastation from Hurricane Sally are putting concrete in more demand than ever.  

Advanced fire protection: Concrete is non-combustible, resulting in less burnable surface area and better containment of blazes and gases, all while withstanding intense heat. It also provides greater protection from water damage from sprinklers and hoses that come hand-in-hand with fires, withstanding the pressure of water hoses better than wood and non-metal materials used in steel structures.

The fire-resistant qualities of concrete have made it the preferred method of construction for schools, commercial properties, and retail locations.

Added Insurance Benefits:

All of these benefits are well-known to insurance providers, and this often translates into special discounts that help bring down the overall cost of the material over time.

Experience Today’s World of Concrete Block:

Today’s concrete block comes in a broader range of color and design options than ever before. Whether your project is big or small, Boxley Block, Brick and Hardscapes offers the quality concrete building materials you need.

Boxley Block

Boxley Block is an advanced concrete block material manufactured using proprietary, state-of-the-art production methods. It provides advanced quality and durability for projects of any size. You get a full range of sizes and colors for a wealth of building options, and they can be produced in custom sizes as needed.

Boxley’s Architectural Block:

Our architectural blocks come in a full range of shapes, sizes, colors, and textures. You get the advanced strength, protection, and durability of concrete block in designs that make it a valuable architectural tool. We offer quality and renowned brands like Echelon (link) and Elgin Butler (link) as well as other brands and custom products to achieve the look you need.  

Arriscraft Building Stone:

Arriscraft Building Stone offers the unique look of stone in a range of styles from flat to highly textured. You can combine styles and colors in a myriad of ways to achieve a unique and dynamic look, or stick with a classic look reminiscent of old-world structures such as mansions, castles, and railway stations. Choose from a wide range of styles or customize your own for the perfect look.

To learn more about our concrete stone options and take advantage of their unique benefits, contact us.