BASC Search | Building America Solution Center

Band joist insulation and air sealing

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Rigid Foam Insulation Installed over Existing Foundation Slabs

Guide

Guide describing how to insulate an existing slab floor by adding rigid foam insulation over the slab then installing a floating subfloor.

BSC Information - Slab Edge Insulation for All Climates, Sheet 513

Reference

Information sheet about insulating slabs.

Rigid foam insulation and a thin slab were installed over the dirt and gravel of this sealed crawlspace

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The existing slab is retrofitted with epoxy paint, rigid foam insulation, sleepers (furring strips), and subfloor.

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The existing slab is retrofitted by coating with epoxy paint, then installing rigid foam insulation and a floating subfloor.

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Right - Retrofit of an existing basement slab by adding dimple plastic mat, rigid foam insulation, and a floating subfloor.

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New Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Exterior Rigid Foam Insulation at the Edge of a Slab Foundation, Fresno, California

Case Study

Case study describing application of exterior rigid foam insulation on a foundation system.

Right - The existing basement slab is retrofitted by installing a dimple plastic drainage mat, rigid foam insulation, and a floating subfloor.

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This home is heated with in-floor hydronic radiant heating tubes that were installed on top of the R-20 rigid foam under-slab insulation.

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ICF foundation walls wrap the floor slab in R-22 of insulation while the entire space under the slab is covered with 4.3 inches of closed-cell spray foam.

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Right - Foil-faced polyisocyanurate insulating rigid foam sheathing is installed below the floor framing of this house built on piers; however, the seams should be sealed with metal taped and the plumbing elevated and protected.

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Slab Happy, BSI-059

Reference

How hard can it be to insulate a flat sheet of concrete? I mean you only have three choices – on the top, on the bottom, or on the edge. OK, you might have some combination of the three as well.

Water Management of Existing Crawlspace Floor

Guide

Guide providing information about treating bulk water drainage issues and moisture control measures in existing basements and crawl spaces.

Concrete Floor Problems, BSI-003

Reference

Information guide describing issues with concrete floors, in multiple climate zones.

Cold Climate Building Techniques and Concepts: building a raised floor

Video

Video from Cold Climate Housing Research Center describing building a raised floor in cold climates for air-sealing and insulation purposes.