"Insulating basements"

Insulating basements / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

Wall assemblies - renovation

Should I be renovating my home or tearing it down & rebuilding?

...insulating from the exterior when renovating an old home © Ecohome Cinderblock, stone or cracked concrete foundation renovations: Before renovating or insulating, determine first that foundations can safely continue to support a structure long into the future. A foundation that isn’t badly deteriorated can be upgraded...

Basements improvements

Why are basements moldy? How to fix or prevent a moldy basement

...insulating basements listed below that work well in the battle against moldy basements. EPS (Expanded Polystyrene), XPS (Extruded Polystyrene), Mineral wool: SPUF is quite expensive; so rigid insulation panels and a 2x4 wall with batt insulation can be a much more affordable option - but you need to know the right tec...

Insulation and soundproofing

Rigid insulation panels: which ones to use for different applications

Polyisocyanurate (PIR), Extruded Polystyrene (XPS), Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) or Styrofoam? When building or renovating a high-performance building envelope there are really three main kinds of rigid foam panels you are going to have to choose from - Polyisocyanurate known as Polyiso (PIR), Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) ...

Insulation and soundproofing

Insulating below slab-on-grade floors

Insulating below slab-on-grade foundations Why insulate under a slab on grade foundation? For comfort, and to save money, that's why! In many areas Building Code has fallen behind common sense on what specification of insulation to use under a slab, It is common to install as little as R5 insulation below slab floors, ...

Slab on Grade

How to build a slab-on-grade on standard soil

...insulating basements and slab on grade floors How to build homes better prepared to withstand climate change events Resilient design features for sustainable new home construction Learn about the discounts and perks of signing up for a free Ecohome Network Membership here.

Basements

Best practices for basement insulation in new home construction

...basements flooding - flood prevention, pumps & alarms here And how to use environmentally friendly materials for waterproofing basements here Slab floors: A large portion of heat is lost to poorly insulated basements, including below slab floors. The optimum levels of insulation below slabs varies by region and cli...

Basement finishing

Basement renovations: How to prevent mold when finishing basements

Insulation and soundproofing

Properly insulating basements and concrete slab floors

...Insulating a basement is a great idea if it wasn't insulated when built, as before we began insulating foundation walls and below slabs (see slab on grade), it was generally estimated that basement heat loss accounted for about 1/3 of the total heat loss of a house. It is likely that such an abysmal starting place made...

Slab on Grade

Raft slabs - How to build Insulated frost protected shallow foundations (FPSF) on problem soils

...basements begin with a poured footing, then a foundation wall, and finally the slab floor. Rarely are footings insulated, and depending on how the walls are insulated, the result can be a thermal bridge between the footing and walls or floor. This brings unwanted heat loss, as well as a greater risk of condensation for...

Crawl spaces

Should I build on a slab on grade foundation or a crawl space?

What is the difference between a slab on grade and a crawl space? A slab on grade, or ‘frost protected shallow foundation’ is exactly that, a slab of concrete on the ground. There’s more to it of course, but let’s start with a ‘win’ in the comprehension department shall we? A slab on grade rests directly on the groun...