Nudura ICF foundation DIY (avoid common mistakes) YOU CAN DO THIS!!! 

Hey I got a tip , When you cut the common seam use a sharpie and write in large letters the cut dimension of that form, do the same on the second course where you staggered the corner. and then you'll know the length for all the remaining courses, That is something I've used and saves a bit of time and helps repeatability

Hey Bondo, just had to write a big thank you for your Nudura videos. 70 year old just finished constructing basement/garage using Nudura with my two daughters in young 40's. And with the help of four senior citizen friends (three in our 70's, one late 60's, and a youngster in his 50's) we poured the walls without a hitch. No blow outs and barely any water leaks. Watched other videos as well but I picked up details in your videos that were not covered by other contractors in their videos. Thanks again, Guy

Nice video. Thanks for sharing

your videos are a generous contribution! Thank you Bondo

Bondo thanks for all your great tips I know they will come in handy when I try my project keep putting videos on the great to watch

Great job Bondo , I like watching your videos you've taught me a lot thank you very much

Excellent instructions! Thanks Bondo

Thank you for sharing your knowledge! Much appreciated!

You got a good guys working with you

Hi, great video, I know you are keeping it simple, but some people might not be familiar with some building terms. Thank you, keep them coming.

Invest in a rebar bender. Your 90 degree pre bent corner are pretty bad! Bend the corners into the long straight runs as you go. This cuts down on quickie saw cuts and make less concrete hang ups in pouring! Avoid double rebar locations in the webs(side by side). Anytime you have two rebar next to each other it slows concrete flow, your corners and T's show it too much. I understand you may only be pouring 8 feet high, but build like you're 20' in one pour! Sledge Ok! It works with mason grid. I don't use a sledge, I use a 2x4 paddle stick, 3ft or so 2x4, cut a handle in one end and use the 2x4 to beat the block down and you can also use it to reach over a wall and slap the block in alignment when stacking off of a ladder or scaffolding. The video was really good and your way works!

Such nice, straight walls!! Such good foundations. And such a clean worksite!

Down to earth, solid explanation. Many thanks.

Awesome video. I just had my basement done with nudura and love it. I am planning to do the rest of the house with it myself.

Your video’s help a Yard! May be more. These are excellent for helping me plan my project, it’s not my first rodeo so I know how important planning and details are to having a good job.

This was really informative. Thanks!

Thanks for showing us how it works

looks good bondo

smashed it bro, thanks for the video. way good man.

watching up in Canada here and learning a lot from you. Thanks, Someday we may get around to adding a room and your videos are showing us how to get it done.

One of my go to videos very helpful and fun to watch.

I am going to build my foundation like this too.. looks great

Thank you for info,Bondo!

down to earth instructions, good video

this looks night and day better in every way than the gates system I blew my back out using.

Hey that video was well done. I just started our place yesterday. 34fx62f 2 stories high. It’s presently raining so I’m watching videos . Again well done and thanks 👊👊👊

Thanks for a detailed video!

Thanks!

Thank you for sharing!

Good pointers for beginners. Thank you

I’m taking on a very complicated foundation with lots of angles. Any advice? Would help a lot! Your videos help so much well done 👍🏻

I get it was 3 years ago, but seeing you attach the clips, put the rebar in, etc. would be great. I will be looking at more of your ICF videos. Last, have you seen the foundation bags from Fab Form??

Great video! Thank you

I'm starting my project tomorrow

souper!!

Thank you

Keep explaining the smallest of details. 👍

Like the information.

You are damn amazing at this.. Have you ever done a full mono pour all the way to the top of a bungalow wall truss plate. Or a two story. That is coming from a long time pro. We are in 20 years plumber, water filtration experts, well technician, product specialist.. Having that said we pay attention to what we’re doing and other people are doing around us.

Have you built any retaining walls with Nudura ICFs? Thanks for this great video!

A helpful tip, if you have a different grade make sure that the hight difference is divisible by 8" or you'll have to have extra support for anything greater than 12" divisible.

Real pros

Thank you!

The wire you refer to at 9:57 can you tell me what is this called and what exactly is its purpose? Well done on a great video. Very straightforward. Also what is your procedure if you get a burst out during a pour as I imagine that can be quite stressful? One more thing, do you ever use the tins of expanding foam between the individual blocks? There appears to be a number of icf manufacturers with 4 foot blocks. Would they be a better option? Thanks again for such an informative video.

Nice work

You did good work you've shown me stuff that other videos with ICF building did not show I think you build a really secure ICF wall

I’ve got a Nudura basement and love it! Going to do another one later next year but my cement guy retired. Would you ever travel to Philly to do a foundation wall and floor? Thanks for the videos and letting me know.

Good video Bondo and good info. Few comments from a guy that built his entire house and shop from Nudura ICF from basement all the way to the roof. 1. 6" wall for basement with that much clay soil against it? Are you sure that's enough? That's some pretty long walls with about 8' dirt/clay against it. 2. Water barrier (liquid rubber or similar) between wall and footing goes long way. Concrete capillarity will not pull water up the wall. Wet wall in between foams will never dry. 3. I hope you are cleaning that foam from the wall cavity to avoid voids where wall/footing joint is the most vulnerable. 4. 2" of foam, even better 4" under basement floor is almost must. Once you enter basement built like that you will never build the same again. I see you are using hard perforated PVC pipe for drainage and we salute you for that. :) I also used FoxBlock and it's much easier to keep straight due to nobs being oriented differently than Nudura. I switched to FoxBlock completely. I am Canadian! :) :)

Q: what purpose do those grooves serve on the insides of the ICF serve? Consolidation? Drainage? I've seen other brands but without the grooves. Thanks for the video, both helpful and informative.

Snow coming in SE PA. Setting up for a Bondo Marathon!

Bondo, do you have any experience using fiber or Helix stainless steel 1” reinforcement bits mixed in your mud, instead of traditional rebar in ICF walls?

Fun

Keep the info coming love it.

Thanks so much for these videos. Instead of using those clips on the first bottom row could you just screw on a scrap plywood or 2x? I am doing a small job and don’t wanna buy a whole box of clips.

Any thought to trying to make the common seams hit on 8” (for Nudura) centers so sheetrock later is easier? I am contemplating pouring my own basement for a house I’ll be building in the future. Cheers! Great content!

Hey brother I’m considering building a nedura foundation and maybe even an entire house. I’m a tradesman and have poured a lot of concrete is something that’s easily doable for a novice with a few bigger window bucks. I may actually do my entire house as icf lumber prices are so crazy already

This is pretty great video. I'm interested to know about multi storey construction with icf.

Rookie questions ... and I see why you learned to pour the floor with just the first level of foam forms now. 1. I've had full-through rebar let water into a poured concrete basement foundation in the past - in my own home. But I notice your system calls for rebar squares that are full-through at every level. I guess the foam must act as the water barrier? Or, does this system mandate a vapor-barrier membrane outside the foam wall? I think this system would have to be protected from water - in addition to having a weeping tile system, due to the exposed rebar. 2. Why use foam construction for interior supporting walls? Am guessing it's easy as everything else is foam, but so would a cinder-block wall be easy - and probably a bit less expensive. Am guessing that the insulation helps during pouring the floor. 3. Using volcanic ash negates the need for rebar. Rome's Pantheon dome roof has stood for two-millennia because of this. I wonder why this isn't an option you can request from concrete companies?

Great info! Just a comment on the camera work. Please don't pan so quickly...it makes some of us motion sick!

buddy does foundations, was explaining to me about ICF.... this seems like a no brainer, contractors are super scared to start using this around here..lol.

Awesome video. Quick question. Is it better/recommended to pour the floor/slab with the footings all in one go or do the floor after the walls are done? This way the pour can bond with the ICF and help seal on the inside.

We put the latter wire or form lock it’s called in second course and top course because it stiffens and straightens the wall. 👍

if the average diy wants to build an addition with basement foundation using icf can the walls be plumbed using just dimensional lumber like you would a wall constructed out of wood? i really dont want to have to buy the steel levelling post you have in the video for a small one time 18x28 build im planning.

Thank you for this video. What sort of spray foam do you use? I know probably closed cell, but is it door & window, pestblock, or something else?

One thing I noticed for others, is that the TWall connection with T braces are done incorrectly. The rebar goes in the web itself, not in the rebar snaps on top. This allow when the concrete is poured to prevent the force from pulling the rebar out of the thin connectors on top. This can be seen at 3:46 in the video. Good luck and thanks for the share.

Hi Ron, I noticed you strap your common seams as you build the walls. Do you you measure each row to be sure the length of the wall is the same from top to bottom?

So you use ladder wire n rebar on each course? N are you staggering horizontal rebar inside n outside in block

I haven't seen the ladder wire done before. I like the idea to help strengthen. Are you making it out of panels?

I’m taking on my first ICF project. I’m using Form a drain as my footer foundation. How long are the vertical rebar from the footer? Is the rebar tied to the horizontal rebar or is sitting on the ground? Thanks

I am in Surrey.

How do you decide on where to place the first column of blocks on the footer. Inside outside or middle.

Do you build icf homes in oklahoma?looks like you do a great job.

Thank you for your videos. Great content. I would like to come out to your next ICF build. I plan on GC my home this summer. I would love to exchange my labor for training and experience. Please reach out to me. I am building in Canyon Lake Texas starting in May.

Hi Bondo, Can I come n help you for free in the summer to learn how to do it right as I am interested in building my house. I am kind of handy. Thank you

just after you shout "we are missing a piece of wire" at @11:12 there is a good sized chunk of the top of the foam smashed off. what do you do in this instance, just leave it? will that cause issues when pouring?

You ever do a pool ????

Go far are vertical rebar apart

How do you brace your walls on the inside if the floor is poured already? You don't shoot anchors into do you?

I was told that corner bars (j- bars) are required to be at least 2 feet each way. Is it feasible to get bar lower in the form?

I have done Fox block and Reward wall all ICF’s but I just started a wall yesterday with 18 different steps and bad footer work. This block seams the least labor in the block tying. Only horizontal no vertical ties. Also the rep. Came today and said we don’t have Tees or the metal like you used in the second row. I was amazed it will stay together. No vertical lift on the blocks or corners?

Nudura or Foxblocks ? Have you used both ?

What's the purpose of the ladder wire? It won't have much if any concrete cover since it's touching the foam block?

Do you epoxy the rebar dowels into the footers ?

How do you do a (T) joints

What should it cost labor to have 1100 ft of new driveway that was a bit of gravel less the cost of the concrete? I’m paying the concrete company just for the concrete on 4 inch driveway and walkways?

what are the ladder wires for on the top of the second course? I've never seen that before

ever used Helix micro rebar instead of the old fashioned rebar?

Ron, How many courses do you install the ladder wire ? every other ? every ? , thanks Buddy

About how much concrete does the 18” x 8ft. 6 inch core block hold ?

Bondo what size of core would you use on a below grade 9' foundation for a bungalow?

Hello, what is the distance of the rebar vertically and horizontally please.

what is the reason for the ladder bars and are those turn buckles expensive ? Nice video great info

How far are your verts a part? looks like 24"

What spray foam did you use? Having a hard time finding what is used to glue them together

I just got a quote for $21,000 to do 198” of 9ft slab basement wall how would cost compare for doing ICF instead??

Have you poured a slab floor at grade inside an OCD frost wall?

Hi Bondo, Will it be too difficult for a woman to learn n build n is there any place where one can be an apprentice as I want to build my own house once i can find the land.Thanks

ICF ! auto correct is a comedian

Was this video before you started pouring the floor with the first layer before going up further?

2 questions 1: how did you know your common seems are gonna be in those places? it doesn't look like they go straight-up-and-down how close to the seems have to be together in order for you to brace them like that? 2: do you put ladder wire in only the 2nd level or each level?