Living in a Concrete Bunker

By contributing writer Laurie Neverman
July 7, 2008

When we built our current home in 2005, we started out by asking a lot of questions. The answers we found led us to building with ICF (Insulated Concrete Form) construction. With a steel and concrete core and two layers or insulation, these walls are tougher and more energy efficient than just about anything else on the market. The structure is very secure and resistant to damage from fire, high winds and other impacts. (I read a story about a Florida couple who had someone drive into their bedroom wall and didn't hear anything beyond a dull "thud". Their house cost a few hundred dollars to repair, the car was totaled.) They also have a high thermal mass, which makes them a good choice for use with passive heating and cooling. Their bulk keeps the interior of the house quieter, too.

I have heard claims that ICF construction is not "green" because it uses too much embodied energy. On the contrary, it represents a very green choice, as the article "ICFs in the LEED" explains. Much of the energy consumed by a home is used for heating and cooling. Over their lifetimes, ICF homes are much more eco- friendly than a typical stick-built home.

So what’s it like living in a “concrete bunker”? Very good – and decidedly “unbunkerlike”. With an open floor plan, lots of windows (for passive solar heating and daylighting), and bright walls with a high Light Reflectance Value (LRV), our home is light-filled and inviting. It’s peaceful - we've got some aggressive winds around here at times and I usually don't hear them inside the house. I was watching an episode of Greensburg where they were rebuilding with ICFs and I was glad to see it. I hope we never have to face an F5 tornado like those folks did, but if we do I’ll be thankful we have the same type of walls that have stood up to hurricanes and tornadoes to protect us.

Please contact me at laurieneverman@hotmail.com with your green questions and comments.

Related Links

Easy To Build With and Easy To Love - Advantages of ICFs
The Insulating Concrete Form Association gives a detailed inventory of the benefits of building with ICF.

"ICFs in the LEED"
Life cycle and first cost benefits of building the Concrete Form construction

The ICF Effect [pdf format]
A detailed explanation of why houses with ICF exterior walls typically take 44% less energy to heat and 32% less energy to cool.

Common Sense Home Summer Recipes

Dillweed Dip
This dip recipe is from my mom, Irene Zmrazek, and has been a family favorite for years at home and at the catering business we used to operate, Irene’s Custom Cakes and Catering. It holds well in the fridge for up to a week and goes great with seasonal vegetables like snap peas and new carrots.

1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
3 tablespoons dried dillweed*
2 tablespoons green onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoning Salt

Blend all ingredients. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving to blend flavors.

*You may substitute 9 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill, if available. 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh Dill is the equivalent of 1 teaspoon dried Dill weed.

Chicken Salad Mexicana
My sister, Lois Jacobsen, is responsible for this recipe. This is a great use for leftover roast chicken (roast a whole chicken one day, make the salad the next) and is a light, yet filling summer meal.

4 cup chopped cooked chicken
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
1 can (16 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies
½ cup sliced ripe olives
½ cup sour cream
½ cup mayonnaise
1 envelope taco seasoning
2 Tbsp. chopped sweet red pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped green pepper
5 to 6 cups shredded lettuce
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
4 cups corn chips

In a large bowl, combine the first 11 ingredients; mix well. Serve on a bed of lettuce; top with tomatoes and corn chips. Yield: 8 servings.

Zucchini Cheese Squares
I’ve been watching the first zucchini ripening in the garden. One day they’re only a couple of inches long and then – BAM! – You’ve got an overgrown baseball bat. This recipe takes advantage of either. It’s another good one from Andrea Chesman’s Garden Fresh Vegetable Cookbook.

3 cups grated zucchini
2 teaspoons salt
1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 onion, diced
2 cups grated cheddar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper or lemon pepper
½ cup canola oil
3 large eggs, beaten

Combine the zucchini and salt in a colander and toss to mix. Set aside to drain for 30 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 7x11 inch baking dish with butter. (I use a 9x9 inch glass dish and reduce the heat to 330.)
Stir together the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Add the onion, zucchini, cheese, garlic powder and pepper. Mix well with a fork, breaking up any clumps of zucchini. Whisk together eggs and oil in a small bowl. Pour into the zucchini mixture and mix well. Spread evenly in the baking dish.
Bake for about 35 minutes, until golden.
Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 6-8

Raspberry Cream Pie
The raspberries will soon be ripening, and this simple creamy pie is one of my favorite ways to use them. This one is from my mom, Irene Zmrazek, and it’s been a favorite of mine since I was a little girl.

1 - 9 inch pie crust, unbaked
4 cups raspberries, fresh or partially thawed, individually frozen
2/3 cup sugar
4 Tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup heavy cream

Place berries over bottom of crust. Combine remaining ingredients in bowl, mixing until blended. Pour over berries. Bake at 400 degrees, 40 to 50 minutes. Cover edge of crust during baking (to keep it from browning too much). Pie sets up as it cools.