A home built with Legacy ICF Is Quiet
Legacy ICF Block sound insulated walls provide outstanding sound insulation. The increased mass and density of a Legacy soundproof block wall provides a very effective sound barrier, keeping outside noise from penetrating exterior walls. Compared to a typical wood frame wall, 75% to 85% less sound passes through a Legacy sound insulated block wall.
Scientists describe loud speech on the opposite side of a Legacy soundproof wall as, “virtually inaudible.” In an independent survey, owners of 74 new CICF homes and 73 new wood frame homes were asked what features they liked. Over 60% of CICF homeowners mentioned the quietness of their ICF homes, versus only 2% of wood frame homeowners.
Interior walls built with Legacy Block sound absorbing materials reduce the movement of airborne sound from one room to another. Privacy is enhanced. Buildings with Legacy Block soundproof wall panels have a noticeable “quietness”.
A Legacy Block ICF house has superior thermal performance, Effective R-value R-24 to R-48 depending on panel thickness
Soundproof Wall Panels
There are many reasons to utilize a Legacy Block Sound Insulated wall. The U.S. Department of Energy issued the following statement regarding air leakage. “The most common insulation, fiberglass, does not stop air leakage” (Technology Fact Sheet 10099-767, U.S. Department of Energy). Research shows that air leakage through exterior walls is the primary factor in moisture accumulation and heat loss. Wind pressures can greatly increase the air infiltration even further, resulting in increased energy use. Information presented in ASHRE indicates that for a two-story wood frame house with 8’ ceilings, 20 mph winds can easily double air infiltration.
It’s a little known fact that fiberglass insulation loses as much as 40% of its insulating capacity when outside temperatures fall below 20˚F. When this happens, an R-19 fiberglass insulated wall performs as if it were only R-9. LEED confirms through a Canadian cold weather study that concluded fiberglass loses half its R-value below 0˚F. You don’t have these problems with a Legacy Block Sound Insulated Wall.
Fiberglass also performs poorly in the presence of humidity within a wall cavity higher than 30%. In winter this leads to condensation of moisture carried in by warm air through leaks through the wall. This raises humidity levels inside the building. Once fiberglass insulation becomes damp, its performance decreases dramatically. In fact, it only takes a 1.5% increase in moisture content in fiberglass to reduce its R-value by up to 50%. When moisture is trapped in a conventionally-built wall cavity insulated with fiberglass and sealed with a vapor barrier, insulation becomes damp and loses its ability to insulate. This also promotes mold growth and leads to structural damage.
Any type of insulation, including fiberglass or organic material loses its capacity to protect if it becomes wet and compresses from leaks or condensation from water pipes. These issues do not occur with a Legacy Insulated walls.
The unique composition of Legacy ICF Block insulated walls allow for a slow interchange of air, which in turn allows the building to “breathe.” The exchange is slow enough that it does not allow heat or cold to escape but helps maintain good air quality, preventing “sick building syndrome.” This slow exchange of air also prevents condensation that can lead to mold growth.
Air conditioning units more effectively dehumidify indoor environments in a building with low levels of air infiltration. Both mold and dust mites cannot survive in low humidity environments. The solid core insulation of a Legacy Block sound insulated wall is free of the voids, compressions, or thermal bypasses often associated with mold growth in wood frame construction. Because a Legacy ICF Block house is erected quicker than wood frame construction, there is less time for building materials to be exposed to the elements and therefore less moisture that must be removed from the completed building. A ICF home built with Legacy Block are inert and stable, and do not emit off gas chemicals.
Acoustic Performance
A Legacy ICF Block sound insulated wall also provides outstanding acoustical performance. The increased mass and density of a Legacy Block insulated wall provides a very effective sound barrier, keeping outside noise from penetrating the exterior wall. In an independent survey, owners of 74 new ICF homes and 73 new wood frame homes were asked what they liked about their homes. Over 60% of ICF homeowners mentioned the quietness of their homes, versus only 2% of the wood frame homeowners.
Compared to a typical wood frame wall, only about one-quarter to one-eighth as much sound penetrates through an ICF wall. Scientists describe loud speech on the opposite side of a frame wall as “audible, but not intelligible.” On the opposite side of a Legacy Block sound insulated wall, a listener would “strain to hear” loud speech. It would be virtually “inaudible.”
Interior walls built with Legacy Block reduce the movement of airborne sound from one room to another. Privacy is enhanced.