FAQ - NUDURA

What is EPS or Expanded Polystyrene?
Expanded Polystyrene is a pre-expanded foam that is made from beads that bond together when they expand to make a very strong foam that has excellent insulating properties.

Why is it so much faster to build a concrete house/building with NUDURA® than with standard concrete forms or cinder blocks?
The ICF Forms are extremely light and easy to work with or cut. This allows for the walls to be built with as little as two workers, and without the need of many conventional tools or heavy equipment. The forms are designed to lock together quickly and accurately very similar to a child’s toy locking blocks, and the design also allows for rebar reinforcement to be installed quickly and easily. Finally, after the concrete is poured the forms are now part of the wall/deck so this eliminates the step of stripping the form. The process of building the walls is now just a matter of days, saving you time and expensive labour costs.

Besides being easier and faster to build, are there other advantages to building with the NUDURA® system?
Absolutely! Nudura provides a superior finished product for many reasons. First of all, the strength comes from the concrete core that is done in a single pour per story on an average height wall, making the wall/deck a single reinforce unit. The insulation qualities of the foam form also provides the perfect curing environment for the concrete to cure in, so when the concrete has finished curing it can be much stronger than concrete made from traditional forming methods.

The fire-retardant-treated EPS foam together with the concrete core provide a house/building that is four times more resistant to fire than a wood frame house. The EPS Foam and the concrete are materials that stand up very well in a tropical environment, so you don’t have to worry about mould growth, corroding, warping or damage from insects. The foam stays in place insulating the concrete from the heat of the sun so house or building will stay cooler and require much less energy if it is air-conditioned. So besides time and money you get a safer, stronger, low-maintenance, more energy-efficient home or building.

Why should I worry about having an insulated house in the Caribbean?
Insulated homes or buildings are not just important for staying warm in cold areas. A well insulated building is also important in warm tropical areas. First of all it reduces the heating effects of the sun, since the concrete walls are insulated with foam on both sides using the Nudura System, the concrete does not absorbed the heat of the sun during the day and radiate the heat out during the night as exposed concrete slabs or concrete block will.

Secondly, if air-conditioning a home or building that is built using the Nudura® system, then energy costs can be reduced up to 50%, creating an energy efficient, more environmentally friendly home.

How does a home or building made from NUDURA’s system stand up to an earthquake, or hurricane?
Very well! Due to NUDURA’s design, NUDURA’s walls have up to 9 times more axial load resistance than a typical wood-framed wall, and a single pour monolithic wall is also stronger than concrete block. NUDURA® technology offers enhanced protection for your home, especially in high-wind areas, and during tornadoes and hurricanes.

How does EPS foam stand up against termites?
Although termites can potentially chew through foam, it is a proven fact that they do not ingest EPS foam for any nutrient value; hence the risk of them foraging into foam in the same manner as they do wood is greatly reduced. It has also been found that almost all termite intrusions have gained access under ground. So by using our water-proofing barrier (that is already required) this will also stop termite intrusions below grade.

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