Precast concrete walls have been used for decades in commercial building. They are now becoming increasingly popular for use in residential projects. They offer a range of advantages over traditional poured concrete walls. Precast concrete walls offer greater construction design flexibility and offer shorter construction times than poured walls.

When a builder uses poured concert walls, the biggest challenge is creating a level surface, and pouring even, square walls. When walls are precast, they are made in a factory, and delivered to the building site already square and level. The house structure can then be put together almost as with building blocks. The building time is drastically cut in half by this process.

Most precast concrete walls also have an insulated core. This makes homes more energy efficient. Further insulations can be pumped into cavities in the wall after all insulation and wiring is complete. This translates into long term savings for the home owner as well as a reduced impact on the environment.

The rods of steel used to reinforce concrete walls is another difference between poured and precast concrete walls. A poured wall can only have horizontal rods, but precast walls can have vertical rods as well. While horizontal rods are good for stabilizing a structure against shifting ground, vertical rods can also help stabilize a wall against pressure from the sides of the wall. Most residential homes have basements, with soil against the walls of those basements, which greatly increases the need for vertical rods to keep the wall strong- thus favoring precast walls with vertical rods.

Another option for homeowners is to use pre-cast concrete for their fencing needs. Unlike wooden fences, a concrete fence is resistant to termites, does not show any effects of weathering, and will not rot or warp. Pre-cast concrete fencing also is easy to install, and can be cast in a variety of textures and finishing.

Precast and poured concrete do share some features. Importantly, cracks in precast concrete walls need to be attended to. Cracks in the walls can allow moisture through, which can lead to moisture getting into the home. Be sure to seek help if this occurs.