| As a person drives through the United States | | | | constructing a new home's walls is growing in |
| today and passes various home construction sites | | | | popularity in the United States. People are |
| he or she will most often see homes that have | | | | discovering insulated concrete forms (ICFs). A |
| walls that are being built with standard two by | | | | home constructed with ICF concrete blocks does |
| fours. The wood used to create these walls is | | | | not have two by fours in the walls; instead, the |
| most often pine. If a person further explores | | | | home's walls are first constructed using foam |
| these construction sites, he or she will likely | | | | blocks that are stacked on top of one another. |
| discover that the stud walls are cut into to run | | | | After the walls are the desired shape and height |
| plumbing and electrical through, stuffed with some | | | | the hollow area in the middle of the wall is filled |
| type of insulation, sealed with vapor barriers, and | | | | with concrete. A homeowner is given a solid steel |
| then covered with sheetrock on the inside and a | | | | reinforced concrete wall with over 4 inches of |
| finishing look (perhaps brick) on the outside. All of | | | | Expanded Polystyrene Foam. |
| these materials need to be cut to size, creating | | | | Electrical and plumbing contractors can easily run |
| waste, and the process is labor intensive. | | | | their pipes and wires with ease. |
| A less intensive and less wasteful method of | | | | |