By Emma Peterson. 

Dive into the world of Insulated Concrete Forms and pools with these four incredible projects.  

Nudura Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) are great construction materials for building the frame of a pool due to their superior insulation capabilities and incredible durability, improving energy efficiency and overall pool performance.  

Nudura ICFs are EPS foam molds that are filled with concrete once in place. The combo of the foam and the concrete “minimizes thermal transfer for consistent water temperatures and reduced heating costs.” Further, because of the versatility of ICF blocks, it is easy to create pool designs featuring curved walls and other unique geometries with Nudura ICFs. Keep reading to see some examples of how people have built their dream pools with Nudura! 

1 – Janecek Pool and Spa 

When a family in Princeton, Texas, wanted to add both a saltwater pool and an octagonal hot tub to their property, ICFs were a great choice for the project. Completed in 2020, this incredible project doesn’t just look amazing, it’s also high functioning thanks to a “geothermal loop with the nearby pond for more efficient heating.”  

And the homeowners weren’t the only ones stunned by the end result of this project – The Insulated Concrete Forms Magazine named this project as their 2021 Specialty Application winner!  

2 – Pirates World Park 

Along the southern border of France in a town called Agde sits a waterpark called Pirates World. Featuring a variety of attractions including waterslides, pools and a lazy river, this park is not only a great experience for the whole family but also has staked a claim to the title of oldest waterpark in Europe.  

And helping support this park are Nudura ICFs. Why did the park owners choose Nudura? The flexibility of design allowed them to create an interactive and engaging pool shape while the insulation qualities help reduce the operational costs of heating the water!  

3 – Bracebridge Pool 

In 2022, The Insulated Concrete Forms Magazine awarded the ICF Builder Award in the Pools Category to a swimming pool in a stunning, wooded area of  Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada.

And as you might have guessed, the pool used Nudura ICFs in its construction. For this project in particular, Nudura ICFs gave builders the flexibility they needed to deal with the varied landscape and bedrock of the area.  

4 – West End Oasis 

We also wanted to highlight a residential  ICF pool in Newfoundland, Canada from 2022. In this scenario, Nudura ICFs were used to create a hot tub with a spillover into a larger swimming pool.

The result was a beautiful terrace and pool area that optimized the space of a suburban backyard and undoubtedly raised the value of the home.  

5 – Ozark Pool 

And last but not least is a pool installation for a Missouri, U.S. home. In this project, the homeowners wanted an in-ground saltwater swimming pool. To make this happen within the construction timeline and maximize the thermal efficiency of the space, Nudura ICFs were used to create the 38,000-gallon pool.  

At the end of the day, this project not only gave the homeowners a show-stopping feature to their home, it also won the installers a 1st Runner Up Award in the Pools category from the The Insulated Concrete Forms Magazine. 

Learn more about building stunning ICF pools with Nudura.

By Emma Peterson. 

From energy savings to design versatility, discover how Nudura ICFs are reshaping modern pool construction. 

Across the construction industry, Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) have grown in popularity as a building material. For those that are unfamiliar, ICFs are hollow foam blocks that are stacked and then filled with reinforced concrete to create a monolithic concrete wall with continuous insulation. They are most often used for structural walls in both residential and commercial buildings.  

But that’s not all ICFs can do! In fact, many outdoor contractors use ICFs from Nudura when building in-ground swimming pools. Here are five reasons why builders are turning to ICFs for pool construction! 

1 – Energy efficiency 

One of the benefits of using ICFs over traditional pool materials and methods is the insulation that comes built into them. The insulating power helps maintain the pool water’s temperature for longer, which translates into substantial cost savings. Nudura ICFs have been found to reduce energy costs by 60%. For context, a conventional heated pool actually loses up to 80% of its heat along the sidewalls and floor.  

[Insert “construction.png” to the right of the following text] 

2 – Easy installation 

Building a pool out of ICFs requires less labor, expertise and time than a spray concrete pool installation. This is because, unlike traditional pools, ICFs do not require exact excavations. Once you get the ICFs in place, it’s easy to backfill sections. Further, because ICFs are filled with concrete after they are put in place, they stay lightweight while your crew is moving them, making it far easier and faster on labor. 

3 – Durability and strength 

Just because Nudura ICFs are simple to install, doesn’t mean they are lacking strength. In fact, ICF pools avoid the extensive upkeep and costly treatments that conventional concrete pools require to avoid cracks, pores and algae growth. How is this possible? The EPS foam that is part of an ICF wall helps the concrete cure more consistently and creates a waterproof barrier that shields the cured concrete from moisture infiltration.  

4 – Versatility  

Another benefit is the adaptability of ICF forms. Nudura ICF comes in many shapes and sizes that are easily cut in the field to fit your needs. This creates an easier and more economical way to add unique pool design elements such as curved walls and other intricate geometries that make pools stand out.  

5 – Clean aesthetics 

Last but not least, the same waterproof layer that protects the concrete in an ICF also works in tandem with pool liners and plaster finishes to create an aesthetically pleasing, smooth wall finish for a pool. Gone are the days of pool liner ripples or callbacks for ineffective finishes, with properly installed and finished Nudura ICFs, you can expect a pool to go 10 years without needing a refinish. 

Overall, ICFs are a great option for contractors building pools. Not only do they reduce energy costs and increase longevity, they reduce labor requirements and provide huge design versatility.  

Learn more about using Nudura ICFs to build a pool.