High-tech walls that are easy to build and better than wood
Most people don’t consider the walls of their homes or the buildings they work in to be major technological advances. The walls are simply walls, nothing more and nothing less. But a wall built in 1902 is different from a wall built in 1954, and the 1954 wall is substantially different from a wall built today. Overtime walls have become stronger and more energy efficient. In fact, recent advances in concrete wall construction are revolutionary. Nowadays, a person can request that their house be built with Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF). This is the most advanced way to build a house.
ICF wall systems available to contractors are easy to build. Precision engineered and manufactured Styrofoam blocks are shipped to a construction site. Because blocks are manufactured in a variety of shapes and sizes, waste is limited. The blocks are then stacked on top of each other. During the stacking process, the blocks “snap” into place. This is similar to the way children put Lego together. As the blocks create the shape of the wall, steel bar supports are inserted. Once the wall form is complete, concrete is poured into it. As the concrete hardens, it seals itself to the Styrofoam. The structural wall is complete and ready to be finished.
It is clear that this new way of building the wall of a house is better than the way walls have been built in the past. If a person cannot see who is the winner in the ICF vs. wood competition, he must not understand the ease of ICF and the complexity of wood construction. An ICF wall is not only easier to build, it is also easier to finish. A vapor barrier is not necessary because the concrete seals itself to the foam.
Contractors using insulated concrete forms to build homes often choose to use NUDURA products. This company works hard to educate contractors and homeowners about this new type of wall technology. They have been helping builders across North America not only build great homes but also schools and shopping malls.