6 Brands of ICF Compared!!!

In this video we take a look at 6 different brands of ICF and Compare their differences! We look at Lite Form, Crown ICF, Stronghold, BuildBlock, Fox Blocks, and Nudura! if you wish to skip to a particular block we bookmarked this vid into sections
2:26 lite form
4:52 crown
8:57 Stronghold
12:08 buildblock
16:14 fox blocks
20:15 Nudura

[@leokno]

Just finished a first DIY with Nudura. Complex 2300 sq ft basement walkout with 14 corners, 4 'T' walls, 10 1/2' from footer to top of wall, brick ledge 3 door openings and 6 window openings. Poured if in three pulls with no blowouts. Nudura has great online training resources, great distributor support, easy to use and now the coolest most comfortable part of the house. Highest praise for the whole experience!

[@mbuchholz061]

Thanks for choosing Nudura and loved reading about your positive experience

[@daveblack9105]

I used Nudura in the UK and it was great!

[@Th3120ck]

​@@mbuchholz061Are you a nudura distributor? If so I would like to get in touch.

[@daveblack9105]

Great video, thanks. I built a 2 story extension to my house in the UK with Nudura and found it really easy. Ive never previously done any construction before either. Total amateur. I would happily recommend Nudura. One of the deciding factors for me was the size of the block and the volume created with each one put down. It was very quick. Lots of great online resources and some of the uk distributors were very cery helpful. Cheers, Dave

[@tomwinston6758]

Great info. Thanks

[@teocpa5451]

Great video.....I am trying to decide which brand to go with

[@daveblack9105]

Did you decide which product to use yet?

[@scp8412]

Thanks for doing it twice :D

[@cuttingedgehomes9251]

You are welcome

[@ddev7376]

​@@cuttingedgehomes9251 looking at self building with either superform or nudura. Wish you'd managed to include superform in this comparison since I've narrowed it down to those two. Any opinions about superform off the top of your head?

[@Krazie-Ivan]

appreciate ya doin a 2nd take, lol, but also hearing your thoughts on each as an experienced installer is valuable. it'd be a lot of effort, but detailed vids lookin at each mfg on a whole (not just block design) would be sweet. ----- kinda like the flat shipping & 6" tie spacing on Lite, but i'd have to hear from experienced installers if that virt edge works well or is a hassle. same with their "compact corner". does flat/compact offset shipping from Nebraska tho? do think their decking is possibly the best design, but i'll EAGERLY AWAIT your (hopefully upcoming hour-long) vid on ICF deck options, lol. Crown's sales representation/pressure is def frequent & persistent. i'm not really impressed by the design... thin, corner does look weak, requiring glue is a pain, inconsistent tie spacing (why allow it to slide when the ties need to be aligned for easier int/ex finish hanging anyway?). which makes me wonder why all the hype. Stronghold actually looks REALLY good w/all the lil details, density, & girth (is that foam thickness measured with or w/o the interior ribbing?). corners & Ts even have extra ties, and the attachment part is extra wide on all forms. end-caps look great for window/door bucking, no? honestly weren't previously on my radar cause none of the projects i've studied used them. need to find out where they're made & how expensive shipping to Abq becomes, compared to Fox up i25. also would need to check dimensions vs my plans (all my lengths/corners/openings are set to Fox currently - side note: kinda wish ICF were all standardized for this reason). nubs on Build look fragile, but 6" tie is nice. the seam of their deck being at the thin point is a no-go imo. Fox & FastFoot seem to pair well. you're not the only one who says their corners are good, and i hear support is solid. lots of plants around, so hopefully shipping costs are lower. notice frequent comments around that mention poor support/communication from Nudura, but Kody Horvey has good relation with them. sounds like complacency from success? block is YUGE, but i dunno if it's really a benefit, like you said... and then you get non-standard pallets too, right? foldable would be good, but i don't want to cut steel hinges.

[@JayKast]

Crown is so weird. Never knew about that angled web. Edit - Seen the owners reply and now understand it alot better. Keep up the good work and innovation @Crown Now I see why Fox block and Nudura are at the top. I would choose either one. Thanks Aaron!

[@cuttingedgehomes9251]

It is weird, I think he understood that word isn’t negative but accurate lol

[@paulcooper788]

Thank you for your inputs ,I am canadian who had limited expirence , but historicly since the 90's and am looking into expansion marketing and establishing factories into new untapped markets for manufactures can we connect ?

[@alyssacoffin7735]

Is it possible to still have the eco finish with build block if you peel off the foam on the inside? Or is there a lot more steps involved?

[@jasonranger4098]

Thanks for the video! Does fox have a roof product? Roof product video would be insightful. What is your thought on using a volumetric mixer on a roof pour? Has it been done?

[@cuttingedgehomes9251]

Fox doesn’t, you just have to be able to pour fast enough to avoid cold joints

[@hombreelefante123]

20:37 You asked, "How often are you actually stacking from your floor up?" All the time--if you live in Florida or Texas, where we do slab-on-grade foundations a lot. I think the 18" high forms are a great idea. I wanted Nudura for that reason, however, I agree with you--it's all about who makes the blocks near you to save on shipping and get more support. That's why I went with Build Block. I went 15' high in the first pour. I had no blowouts (or even bulges) anywhere. I used a lot of strapping, but I think the 6" on center webs made the blocks strong enough anyway. The weak nubs are a major pain. You simply have to be careful with them.

[@cuttingedgehomes9251]

Even in those climates going down thru the slab to a footing gives you the best possible thermal break, but I get it, very rare in colder climates

[@friartuckfriartuck]

Great info. How’s come you didn’t have Quadlock in review. I have a house build project plan hope to start in a year or so. Is there an email that I can communicate in private with you? Thank you. Keep up the good work. Happy Sunday!!!

[@absolutetorquetuning7956]

Would have loved to see amvic block. I believe diversified in nixa makes there block also

[@davebeaupre7619]

I like to see your thoughts on rx35 blocks and amvic r30 blocks

[@andykross7242]

I agree! There aren’t many videos with the XR35 blocks.

[@SchondorfEnt]

Awesome video. Why didn't your go over SuperForm? What are your general thoughts on them?

[@cuttingedgehomes9251]

Seems good, I didn’t have one to go over

[@pbodymathis]

Great video showing how these ICF system works. I have one big question. I have watched several videos of using ICF in building basements. What drives me crazy is that no one tells how to fill the dirt on the outer walls. I think you need something applied on the wall that will have dirt against it. So help me sleep at night and tell me what methods you can use when back filling dirt on the outer wall of a basement. I will love you for ever! Well maybe...

[@DutchStar]

I’ve seen several videos of people peeling a backing off a membrane and sticking huge sheets on the outside wall for waterproofing. The inside truss or framing for the second floor must be complete before backfill with drainage, crushed rock and fill. Otherwise the walls cannot support the inward pressure of the backfill.

[@ericlundgren4217]

Crown icf looks like a Walmart block.. good info

[@DeepDiveDiscovering]

Thanks for doing it twice! lol. Murphy’s law buddy

[@chrisdaniel1339]

I am surprised you did not show Quadlock, they have so many choices for foam thickness from R-22 to R-59 (2-1/4 to 11-1/8" of foam on one side), and an unlimited core thickness as well as being a completely modular system. Can ICF's be used to construct a 50ft fire tower style structure that requires steel embed plates so large timbers can be used as floor joist for several floors within the tower?

[@andreyriabushenko3081]

Please do ICF decking comparison as well

[@cuttingedgehomes9251]

Soon

[@silverbackag9790]

Any recommendations for builders vicinity of Columbia, MO or north?

[@cuttingedgehomes9251]

I’ve got bc a couple guys in Columbia, do you need architectural too or just build?

[@TheTygrane]

23:15 You mention there is no one-sided solution for Foxblock. Did they discontinue their 'Reveal' product? Or did it never quite make it to market?

[@cuttingedgehomes9251]

They discontinued it over 2 years ago

[@mmazz9591]

How about the perfect block ? I like what they offer because of fire resistance and termite proof too. Would like to see a review and overall thoughts on that system.

[@cuttingedgehomes9251]

It’s not icf, tons of issues with it in principal, I’ve tried to get up close to it but it hasn’t been at any of the big shows including world of concrete…

[@mmazz9591]

⁠@@cuttingedgehomes9251 Interesting. I would like to hear your thoughts on why it has issues? I really like the idea of building with ICF but the termite and fire factor really concern me. Thanks for the breakdown on each of these brands. Really helpful!

[@12ronford]

Have you had any experience with the Perfect Block? Any opinion on them?

[@houseofcars2804]

I can’t find anything on composite ICF. My intent is to DIY/build with either the perfect block or Eterna and document the entire process.

[@Krazie-Ivan]

i decided against them & Omni due to the need for skilled masons, time, some thermal bridging, and difficulty of running MEP or attaching to them. fire resilience is quite good tho.

[@MadLadsAnonymous]

Been looking them up and they look amazing plus their customer service seems on point. But I bet it matters where you're located.

[@cuttingedgehomes9251]

I have an opinion, it’s not good…. Many reasons but the support seems to be falling off I’m kind of rapidly, they haven’t even been at the big shows the last two years…

[@Joeaboul]

You did not give a review of AMVIC blocks why is that. I would like to know some details on Amvic

[@cuttingedgehomes9251]

I didn’t have any amvic blocks…. Good block🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Joeaboul]

@@cuttingedgehomes9251 I am in New Jersey and wanted to rebuild my residence with ICF block but could not find architect who could design my house around here. Any advice you can give me?

[@chrisjohnson1279]

Buildblock is a far better block then Foxblock. 6" web spacing, a 1 inch bump factor, built in tape measure, fully reversible, and YES the short leg of their corner has 2 webs.

[@cuttingedgehomes9251]

What’s better about 6” spacing? Just more plastic in the way right? Fully reversible is completely ubiquitous in the market now, fox, Nudura, soon logix, stronghold crown are all reversible…. And the corner is still small and weak compared to fox…. Don’t be a Homer, they are all good…. When people talk down about any competitive brand it hurts newbs confidence in the market as a whole…. If I were to do that I might bring up builds lack of Full height webs and why that limits my ability to pour tall wall without compaction…. But I would try to accentuate the positive…

[@kmwelch75]

Fuck it! Doing it live!

[@cuttingedgehomes9251]

Basically lol

[@trevorforbes2382]

What about quad lock

[@cuttingedgehomes9251]

If they send me a block I’ll review it…

[@trevorforbes2382]

@@cuttingedgehomes9251 I would if it was my product I would. Sadly I’m reaching because I stumbled across there products as I’m trying to do research on products for a building I want to owner build. I’m in South Florida and I’m considering ifc walls and possibly roof over cbs. I’m doing a 30x70 shop / high end toy garage. Open to any suggestions

[@trevorforbes2382]

@@cuttingedgehomes9251 one of the reason I asked about the brand above is it looks the do decking for floors and roof.

[@fliporhold]

If and WHEN a manufacturer gets icf to match or beat wood framing cost. Demand and acceptance will explode.

[@andykross7242]

The only way that could happen is if the foam was an inch thick on each side and the core was 3” of concrete lol. It’s not even comparable to a 2x4 stick built house. 1) It’s a self supporting wall. Which means it’s also disaster resistant to ~250mph winds. 2) It’s a better insulated wall than even a 2x6 wall with 2” of exterior continuous insulation. 3) Fire resistant unlike wood 4) Sound deadening is unmatched with a stick built wall 5) Termite resistant 6) Water or flooding wouldn’t damage the wall. 7) It’s much more air tight than a stick built wall with little effort. Watch The Build Show Network and see the painstaking steps Risinger and his builder friends have to take to get anywhere close to an ICF house like Korey with Up to Kode has built with standard ICF construction.

[@ToddBizCoach]

ICFs are cheaper over the long run than wood if you consider heating and AC savings.

[@ILoveTheGreyScale]

hahahaha 25 minutes, Happens every time. Love the videos though