This applies to the exterior walls of homes. However, in Florida, especially in the southern half of the state, it is common to see homes built with concrete block exterior walls. Concrete block is heavier than wood framing. A reinforced concrete block wall system creates fewer connection points than wood framing does. This may translate to fewer construction errors at the connections.
Concrete block offers impact resistance to windborne debris.
In south Florida, concrete block exterior walls either sit on a thickened concrete slab or on a concrete foundation wall. The roof structure, typically wood trusses, rests on top of the exterior wall. Concrete block exterior walls that are designed for high wind areas are not made of concrete block alone. The concrete blocks sit within a grid of concrete and rebar. The concrete and rebar provide the continuous load path that resists the uplift forces created by high winds.