Both drywall and gypsum wallboard will produce the same finish on your interior ICF walls. They are essentially just different names for the same type of product. This type of paneling is also known as sheetrock, wallboard, or plasterboard. This is also one of the most affordable interior finishes you can choose.
You can purchase unfinished wood tongue and groove paneling or prefinished paneling. If you choose unfinished paneling, you can leave it as-is for a natural wood look. You could also paint or stain unfinished wood paneling to achieve the final appearance you want. A tongue and groove finish is more expensive than a drywall or gypsum wallboard finish in terms of the cost of materials. However, it tends to cost less in terms of labor because you don’t need to apply multiple coats of joint compound to the wall.
You can get acrylic stucco and plaster with pigment in it if you know you want the wall to be a certain color. Otherwise, you can use white plaster or stucco, which can always be painted over later. A plaster or stucco finish is the most expensive and labor-intensive interior finish you can choose.
In addition to giving exterior walls a timeless, striking appearance, brick and stone finishes are also very long-lasting and low-maintenance. Brick and stone can last for centuries with little to no maintenance. If you choose a brick or stone exterior finish, there are endless options to choose from to find something that suits your style and budget. Keep in mind that natural stone tends to be pricier than brick, but manufactured stone costs about the same or a bit less than brick.
If you use real wood siding, make sure to paint or stain it to protect against weathering and make it last longer. If you want to use an artificial timber-style siding, keep in mind that hardboard siding is more durable than vinyl siding, but costs more. It also requires maintenance every 5-10 years, whereas vinyl siding requires no maintenance.
Select a smoother or rougher texture of stucco based on the look you want to achieve. For instance, you could use a stucco with a pebble aggregate to create a pebbled look or a stucco with a sand aggregate for a fine-grained texture. Some advantages of a stucco finish include that it is fire-resistant, rot-resistant, low maintenance, and sound dampening.
This could be a good option for a high-end home with very contemporary architecture or a new apartment building or condo complex. Concrete cladding provides a lot of extra year-round thermal protection and is very weather-resistant, fire-resistant, and low maintenance. They are also very easy to install and remove, in case you ever want to change the siding.
