In North American home construction, wood has invariably been the material of choice for framing homes throughout the ages. It's abundant, relatively inexpensive and easy to tool. It is also highly susceptible to the ravages of fire, water, temperature variation and insects, and will twist and warp over time. A far better method exists, and it's called Insulating Concrete Form construction, or ICF.

If you plan to invest in the construction of a solidly built home that will stand the test of time, ICF construction should be one of your primary considerations. Like the name suggests, insulating concrete forms consist of hollow panels of high-insulated polystyrene that are stacked like building blocks to form a home's exterior walls. The hollow core of these interlocking panels is then reinforced with steel rods (rebar) and filled with concrete. What results is an incredibly strong, fireproof, water resistant structure with an R-value of up to 50.

Complementary to the numerous structural, environmental and economical advantages of an ICF home are its creature comforts. Exterior walls are virtually soundproof due to their thickness, density and insulation value. With no wooden joints to warp and separate over time, drafty windows and creaky joints are eliminated. Dust, pollen and other irritants are kept to an absolute minimum. And due to superior structural integrity and R- value, ICF homes can have larger windows than their wood-frame counterparts.

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