Nudura vs Fox Blocks – An Unbiased Comparison
So You’ve Chosen ICF, Now What?
The brand war between ICF Manufacturers can get dirty. This series will be a side-by-side, unbiased comparison between ICF Brands so you can get the information you need without all the marketing speak, gathered and written by an actual human being.
Today, we will focus on Nudura and Fox Blocks, two of the major players in the ICF game.
Company Information
Nudura
(866) 468-6299
Nudura was first introduced as an ICF manufacturer in 2001. They are now a part of Tremco Construction Product Groups which also encompasses Dryvit, Willseal, Prebuck, Tremco Barrier Solutions and more.
Manufacturing Locations
United States
Georgia
Canada
Alberta, Quebec
Form Names
Fox Blocks
(877) 369-2562
Fox Blocks, based in Omaha, Nebraska, has been making ICF since 2005 and is owned by Airlite Plastics, a privately held family-owned company established in 1946.
Manufacturing Locations
United States
Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah
Canada
Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Quebec
Form Names
Nudura ICF Series vs Fox Blocks Series
Nudura ICF Series
Quick Rundown
The standard Nudura ICF Series offers forms with core widths of 4″ to 12″. Nudura offers custom cut radius forms as well as unassembled panels.
Straight Block
Nudura Straight Blocks are shipped flat with a hinged web to allow them to be opened after transport. Webs are spaced 8″ apart.
| Core Width | Form Width | Height | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4″ | 9 1/4″ | 18″ | 96″ |
| 6″ | 11 1/4″ | 18″ | 96″ |
| 8″ | 13 1/4″ | 18″ | 96″ |
| 10″ | 15 1/4″ | 18″ | 96″ |
| 12″ | 17 1/4″ | 18″ | 96″ |
Corner Block
Nudura Series 90ยฐ Form Unit have 3 hinged webs as well as an insert web that is inserted after unfolding the form.
| Core Width | Form Width | Length | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4″ | 9 1/4″ | 31 5/8″ | 15 5/8″ |
| 6″ | 11 1/4″ | 31 5/8″ | 15 5/8″ |
| 8″ | 13 1/4″ | 33 5/8″ | 17 5/8″ |
| 10″ | 15 1/4″ | 35 5/8″ | 19 5/8″ |
| 12″ | 17 1/4″ | 37 5/8″ | 21 5/8″ |
T Block
The Nudura Series does not have a T-shaped block in their product lineup.
They do offer a T-Form Support Strap which is a 16-gauge galvanized steel strap created to support T-intersections cut from standard forms. The T-form Support Strap is designed to hook over the internal horizontal rebar in the main wall of a T-intersection and be secured to the fastening strips in the ‘T’ portion of the wall.
To estimate the quantity of T-Form Support Straps for a project, begin by determining the number of courses in the hight of the wall. Multiply the number of courses by 4, and then multiply by the number of T-Connections in the project.
Each T-Form Support Strap will require 2 #10 x 2″ Hex Head Screws.
Fox Blocks Series
Quick Rundown
The Fox Blocks Series offers forms with core widths of 4″ to 12″. They offer a variety of block shapes as well as Radius Blocks for 6″ wall widths.
Straight Block
Fox Blocks Series blocks ship as whole blocks and don’t require any assembly onsite. Webs are spaced 8″ apart.
| Core Width | Form Width | Height | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4″ | 9 1/4″ | 16″ | 48″ |
| 6″ | 11 1/4″ | 16″ | 48″ |
| 8″ | 13 1/4″ | 16″ | 48″ |
| 10″ | 15 1/4″ | 16″ | 48″ |
| 12″ | 17 1/4″ | 16″ | 48″ |
Corner Block
Fox Blocks Series Corner Blocks have six plastic ties and a corner bracket engineered to add more strength to the block.
| Core Width | Form Width | Length | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4″ | 9 1/4″ | 38″ | 22″ |
| 6″ | 11 1/4″ | 40″ | 24″ |
| 8″ | 13 1/4″ | 42″ | 26″ |
| 10″ | 15 1/4″ | 42″ | 26″ |
| 12″ | 17 1/4″ | 46″ | 30″ |
T Block
The Fox Blocks T-Block has eight ties that secure the three pieces of EPS foam together, including two webs that connect the corners of the 90 degree pieces to the center of the straight edge for added security against blow-outs.
Fox Blocks only carries T-Blocks for 6″ and 8″ core widths. Each core width has a long leg and short leg variety to prevent vertical joints.
| Core Width | Form Width | Length | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6″ | 11 1/4″ | 44″ | 4.375″ |
| 6″ | 11 1/4″ | 44″ | 12.375″ |
| 8″ | 13 1/4″ | 44″ | 4.75″ |
| 8″ | 15 1/4″ | 44″ | 12.375″ |
Nudura ICF Series vs Fox Blocks Series – Other Blocks
Nudura ICF Series
Accessory Blocks
The standard Nudura ICF Series offers more forms beyond the basics including a 45 Degree Form Unit, Taper Top Form Unit, Brick Ledge Form Unit, Radius Form Unit, the Optimizer Form Unit, and Unassembled versions of all of their forms to create more configurations.
45 Degree Form Unit
The Nudura ICF Series 45 Degree Form Unit comes in 4″, 6″, 8″ 10″ and 12″ core widths. This form has three hinged webs to allow it to fold and a fourth insert web that is placed onsite.
Radius Form Unit
All Radius Forms offered by Nudura must be custom ordered or cut on site. This means that almost any (reasonable) radius can be achieved in all core depths, 4″, 6″, 8″, 10″, and 12″.
Taper Top Form Unit
The Nudura Taper Top is available in 6″ and 8″ Core Widths and allow you to increase the width of the concrete core at the top of the unit by 2″.
Brick Ledge Form Unit
The Nudura Brick Ledge form is available for the 6″ core width and allows for an additional 4″ of concrete to support brick of stone veneer finishes.
Optimizer Form
The Optimizer Form is shipped unassembled and is available in 6″, 8″, 10″ and 12″ core widths. These forms measure 48″ long and 12″ tall and allow you to create a wide variety of wall heights without cutting forms.
Unassembled Forms
All of the above forms offered in the Nudura ICF Series are available unassembled as well. This allows you to mix and match forms so you can have a form with a brick ledge on one side and a taper top on the other to maximize core width for special cases.
These unassembled forms do require you to purchase insert webs separately that are available in 4″, 6″, 8″, 10″, and 12″ widths.
Fox Blocks Series
Accessory Blocks
The Fox Blocks Series offers more forms beyond the basics including a 45 Degree Angle Block, Radius Block, Taper Top Block, Curb Block, Brick-Ledge Brock, Half Straight Block, and Half Corner Block.
45 Degree Angle Block
The Fox Blocks 45 Degree Angle Block is available in 4″, 6″, and 8″ core widths and has a corner bracket engineered to reinforce the corner and prevent blow-outs.
Radius Block
Fox Block Radius Blocks are available by special order and are only available in a 6″ Core Width. Radiuses available are 5′, 6′, 7′, 8′, 9′, and 10′
Taper Top Block
Fox Block Taper Top Blocks are available in 6″ and 8″ Core Widths and allow you to increase the width of the concrete core without increases the width of the wall.
Curb Block
The Fox Blocks Curb Block is available in 8″ core straight forms and 8″ core 90 degree forms. This specialty block allows you to cut the face of the block and attach forming to the Curb Block inner ties. This can be used to create a ledge to support floor systems, create wall recesses, and more.
Brick Ledge Block
Fox Blocks Brick Ledge Block or Corbel Ledge Block is available in 6″ and 8″ core widths and can be used to support masonry veneer loads, floor joist loads, and other adjacent lateral loads.
Half Straight & Corner Block
Fox Blocks offers half-height blocks in straight and corner forms to allow you to make height adjustments while minimizing cutting. The half blocks are available in 4″, 6″, 8″, 10″ and 12″ core widths.
Nudura ICF Series vs Fox Blocks Series – Accessories
Nudura ICF Accessories
Nudura provides a wide variety of ICF accessories including brackets, clips & ties, tapes, foam, and more.
Brackets
Nudura offers a variety of brackets and hangers. They have a complete ICF Hanger System for wood connections, including a 45 degree ICF Hanger plate. They also offer a Retrofit Bracket for any mistakes made in the installation of the Hanger Insert Plates.
Nudura also has a Transition Bracket to allow two different form widths to be connected.
The T-Form Support Brackets mentions above also fall into this category as it seems that Nudura no longer offers a T-form block.
Clips & Ties
Nudura offers Cast-In Place Brick Ties, Vertical Joint Clips to keep forms aligned and replaces having to tie wire or tape forms together, and Nudura FORM-LOCK to help maintain wall straightness.
Tape & Foam
Nudura offers a variety of tapes and their own Low Expansion Foam as well as a Foam Gun.
Miscellaneous
Nudura also offers a Peel & Stick Waterproofing Membrane, Parging Mix, Fiber Mesh and more.
One accessory product that really stands out is the 4-Way Web Connector. This allows you to connect two or more webs to create wider forms or create different shapes.
You might notice the lack of bucks on this list, and this is because Nudura’s parent company Tremco also owns Prebuck. Prebuck offers window and door bucks as well as a wet-set sill.
Fox Blocks Accessories
Fox Blocks offers a few accessories to go with their forms, including bucks, clips, and Fox Blocks Mini Blocks.
Bucks
The Fox Buck is an EPS buck that measures 2″ thick. Circles are marked at 16″ centers for sill cutouts and vibrator access.
Clips & Ties
Fox Blocks has the HV Clip which is designed to clip horizontally and vertically.
The TieKey is a masonry anchor designed to be cast-in-place and wire tires are installed after the wall is finished as the masonry facing is constructed.
The xLerator is a one-piece wire reinforcement that drops into the Fox Block Corbel Ledge and is engineered to address ledge loads.
Energy Stick
The Fox Block Energy Sticks are 8″ wide, 32″ tall, and 2″ thick and fit within all Fox Blocks. These sticks are used to add an R-8 boost to the R-Value of Fox Blocks by moving the concrete mass towards the living side of the wall.
Mini Blocks
I can’t figure out where to buy these, but it seems that Fox Blocks has mini blocks that could be useful for wrapping your brain around designing with ICF or just build a little lego house.
