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Foundation wall exterior board insulation with above-grade wall insulation

Insulate Your Basement, Part 3: Insulate the Walls and Rim Joists

Publication Date

July, 2016

Author(s)

Fink Justin

Organization(s)

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

Video describing how to use foam insulation on masonry walls, and how to properly insulate the rim joist area with rigid foam and batt insulation.

Foundation Wall Exterior board insulation without above-grade wall insulation

DWG

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Right - Basement with exterior XPS or EPS insulation and insulation under the basement slab.

Publication Date

Tue, 01/01/2013 - 12:00

How to Insulate a Basement

Publication Date

November, 2017

Author(s)

This Old House

Organization(s)

This Old House

Video describing how to warm up a chilly concrete wall with This Old House general contractor Tom Silva.

Crawl space interior insulation with EPS or XPS semi-permeable insulation on inside wall

Publication Date

Tue, 01/01/2013 - 12:00

Right - This concrete basement wall is insulated on the interior with rigid insulation; sill details are shown.

Publication Date

Tue, 01/01/2013 - 12:00

Air Sealed, Insulated Basements

Guide describing how to insulate a basement to improve the overall thermal performance of the building and provide more dry, usable conditioned space for home occupants and HVAC equipment.

Crawl space with exterior insulation

Publication Date

Tue, 01/01/2013 - 12:00

Right - The basement foundation is insulated on the exterior and termite shield extends out past the top of the insulation.

Publication Date

Mon, 03/01/2021 - 12:00

Right - This concrete basement wall is insulated on the interior with spray foam insulation; sill detail are shown.

Publication Date

Tue, 01/01/2013 - 12:00

Rigid Insulation Over Aggregate

DWG

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Foil Bubble Pack: Subslab Insulation?

Author(s)

Fulger Don

Organization(s)

Home Energy

Publication Date

November, 2004

Article describing the effective R-values of various subslab insulation products, including foil bubble pack.

Basement Insulation Systems, BA-0202

Author(s)

Building Science Corporation

Organization(s)

BSC

Publication Date

November, 2002

Report describing approaches to insulating basements in homes built to meet Energy Star levels of performance of heat loss reduction.

Exterior Insulation for Existing Foundation Walls

Guide describing how to insulate a new foundation wall or an existing foundation wall by adding rigid insulation to the exterior side.

Vented crawl space with insulation in the ceiling

Publication Date

Tue, 01/01/2013 - 12:00

Concrete crawlspace wall with exterior insulation.

Publication Date

Tue, 01/01/2013 - 12:00

Insulation for Existing Crawl Space Floors

Guide describing how to upgrade a crawlspace floor in an existing home by adding insulation.

Rigid foam insulation in vent areas

Publication Date

Tue, 01/01/2013 - 12:00

Band joist insulation and air sealing

Interior details of an insulated closed crawlspace

Publication Date

Tue, 01/01/2013 - 12:00

Right – Spray foam insulation was sprayed onto the ground and along the sides of the foundation walls and piers of this insulated crawl space.

Publication Date

Mon, 09/30/2019 - 12:00

Right – Insulated concrete forms (ICFs) provide the insulated stem wall for the slab-on-grade foundation for this SIP house.

Publication Date

Thu, 09/30/2021 - 12:00

Wrong - Moisture from within the basement foundation wall can migrate into the insulation cavity in a conventional blanket insulation installation.

Publication Date

Thu, 10/26/2006 - 12:00

Right - Potential locations for basement insulation in new construction, slab insulation should always be underneath, with walls insulated (a) inside, (b) outside, (c) sandwiched inside, or (d) inside and outside of walls.

Publication Date

Tue, 01/01/2013 - 12:00

Rigid insulation and water control layers are installed on the exterior of a flat foundation wall; spray foam insulates the rim joist

Publication Date

Mon, 07/01/2013 - 12:00

Exterior Edge Insulation for Existing Foundation Slabs

Guide describing how to install slab edge insulation when retrofitting existing slab-on-grade foundations.

Right – This floor system on a column foundation is insulated using closed-cell spray foam rather than fibrous insulation

Publication Date

Wed, 09/01/2021 - 12:00

Measure Guideline: Hybrid Foundation Insulation Retrofits

Author(s)

Lstiburek Joseph W,

Ueno Kohta

Organization(s)

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Publication Date

May, 2012

Document providing information on basement insulation, air sealing and water management retrofits.

Crawl Spaces: Exterior vs Interior Insulation

Publication Date

November, 2011

Organization(s)

Cold Climate Housing Research Center,

CCHRC

Video describing insulation adjacent to crawlspaces and the heat exchanges that result in cold areas like Alaska.

Assembly Sequence for Concrete Wall with Exterior Insulation

Publication Date

January, 2013

Author(s)

University of Minnesota

Organization(s)

ORNL,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

University of Minnesota

Video animation showing an assembly sequence for a concrete basement wall with exterior insulation

Insulating Concrete Forms for Multifamily Residential Construction

Author(s)

Lemay Lionel,

Peng Tien

Organization(s)

Civil + Structural Engineers

Publication Date

June, 0019

Article describing methods for designing and constructing multifamily buildings with insulating concrete forms (ICFs).

Benefits of foundation insulation and other design improvements

Publication Date

Tue, 01/01/2013 - 12:00

Concrete crawl space wall with interior insulation

Publication Date

Tue, 01/01/2013 - 12:00

Concrete crawl space wall with exterior insulation

Publication Date

Tue, 01/01/2013 - 12:00

Concrete masonry basement wall with exterior insulation.

Publication Date

Tue, 01/01/2013 - 12:00

Insulating a crawlspace foundation with “cripple wall” in warm climates; in Climate Zones 5+ replace the foil- or plastic-faced fiberglass batt/roll insulation with impermeable rigid insulation or closed-cell spray polyurethane foam

These below-grade walls are insulated along the exterior with R-5 of bug-resistant high-density rigid fiberglass insulation installed over damproofing.

Basement foundation insulated on interior with rigid foam.

Spray Foam Interior Insulation for Existing Foundation Walls

Guide describing how to insulate an existing foundation wall by adding spray foam insulation to the interior side of the wall.

Assembly Sequence for Concrete Crawl Space with Interior Insulation

Publication Date

January, 2013

Author(s)

University of Minnesota (1536

Organization(s)

ORNL,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

University of Minnesota

Video animation showing an assembly sequence for an unvented crawl space wall with interior insulation.

Hot Spot: Closed Crawlspace - Installing Wall Insulation

Publication Date

March, 2021

Author(s)

Home Innovation Research Labs

Organization(s)

Home Innovation Research Labs

Video from Home Innovation Research Labs on installing different insulation types in a closed crawlspace foundation.

Rigid Foam Board Insulation for Existing Band Joists

Guide describing principles of insulating and air sealing band joists as a stand alone energy upgrade, or as part of creating a closed crawlspace.

Vented crawl space with concrete walls and insulated ceiling

Publication Date

Tue, 01/01/2013 - 12:00

Concrete masonry crawl space wall with exterior insulation

Publication Date

Tue, 01/01/2013 - 12:00

Foundation Insulation Effectiveness: Frost Protected Shallow Foundations

Publication Date

September, 2012

Author(s)

North Dakota State University Extension

Organization(s)

NDSU Extension,

Solution Design Inc

Video describing how to install a frost-protected shallow foundation.

Turned down concrete slab - 1 inch rigid insulation

DWG

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Foundation wall interior rigid insulation with furring strips

DWG

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Foundation wall interior rigid insulation with framed wall

DWG

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Right - Potential locations for slab-on-grade stem insulation in new construction: slab insulation should always be underneath, with stem walls insulated (a) inside, (b) outside, (c) not at all, or (d) outside with underground extension to repel moisture.

Publication Date

Tue, 01/01/2013 - 12:00

This 4-inch layer of rigid foam insulation (R-20) will be sandwiched between two layers of concrete poured on site for a highly insulated foundation wall.

Right - This poured concrete basement wall is insulated on the exterior and under the slab with rigid insulation; footing details include interior and exterior footing drain pipe.

Publication Date

Tue, 01/01/2013 - 12:00

Rigid Foam Board Interior Insulation for Existing Foundation Walls

Publication Date

September, 2015

Video describing how to properly insulate crawlspaces.

Pumpkin Ridge Passive House video #006: Insulation Details

Publication Date

December, 2012

Video describing the EPS foam used to insulate the exterior of a passive house.

No Vapor Retarders on Interior Side of Air-Permeable Foundation Insulation

Vapor retarder plastic should not be installed over fibrous insulation on basement or crawlspace walls unless rigid foam or spray foam is installed directly against the concrete, behind the blanket insulation.

Rigid Foam Insulation Installed over Existing Foundation Slabs

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

High-Performance Slab-on-Grade Foundation Insulation Retrofits

Author(s)

Goldberg Louise F,

Mosiman Garrett

Organization(s)

NorthernSTAR,

NSTAR,

University of Minnesota,

UMN

Publication Date

September, 2015

Report assessing slab-on-grade foundation insulation energy savings.

Assembly Sequence for Concrete Wall with Interior Foam Spray Insulation

Publication Date

January, 2013

Author(s)

University of Minnesota

Organization(s)

ORNL,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

University of Minnesota

Video animation showing an assembly sequence for a concrete basement wall with interior spray foam insulation.

Assembly Sequence for Concrete Crawl Space Wall with Exterior Insulation

Publication Date

January, 2013

Author(s)

University of Minnesota

Organization(s)

ORNL,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

University of Minnesota

Video animation showing an assembly sequence for a concrete crawl space wall with exterior insulation.

UMN NorthernSTAR: DOE Building America: Exterior Foundation Insulation

Publication Date

November, 2015

Author(s)

University of Minnesota,

NorthernSTAR

Organization(s)

UMN,

NSTAR

Video describing an “excavationless” retrofit technique developed by the University of Minnesota to install exterior insulation around the foundation of an existing home by using high-pressure water to cut a trench through the dirt along the edge of a concrete foundation, remove the mud with a...

This exterior insulated slab-on-grade monolithic grade beam foundation is protected from pests by termite shield at the sill plate, borate-treated framing, flashing at end of wall insulation, brick veneer over slab-edge insulation, and rock ground cover.

Publication Date

Mon, 03/01/2021 - 12:00

Concrete crawl space wall with interior spray foam insulation

Publication Date

Tue, 01/01/2013 - 12:00

Slab-on-grade with concrete stem wall and slab insulation

Publication Date

Tue, 01/01/2013 - 12:00

Post-tensioned slab-on-grade with exterior and slab insulation

Publication Date

Tue, 01/01/2013 - 12:00

Slab-on-grade with integral grade beam with exterior insulation

Publication Date

Tue, 01/01/2013 - 12:00

Right - Basement with interior semi-permeable XPS or EPS insulation.

Publication Date

Tue, 01/01/2013 - 12:00

Interior Foundation Insulation Upgrade - Madison Residence Madison, WI

Author(s)

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Organization(s)

ORNL

Publication Date

October, 2013

Case study describing a basement retrofit of a 1916 home in Madison, Wisconsin that involved installing dimple drain mat and closed-cell spray foam on interior of basement wall and an interior footing drain to manage moisture before finishing an existing basement.

Rigid insulation is installed on the exterior side of the flat foundation wall

Rigid Foam Board Interior Insulation for Existing Foundation Walls

Guide describing how to insulate closed crawlspace walls and band joist areas with rigid foam board insulation.

Turned down concrete slab - 3/4 inch rigid insulation

DWG

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Turned down concrete slab - 1 1/2 inch rigid insulation

DWG

PDF

Rigid foam provides the code-required insulation values for this floor and wall assembly so that fibrous cavity insulation can be avoided, reducing risk of floodwater damage

Publication Date

Sat, 01/01/2022 - 12:00

2009-2021 IECC and IRC Minimum Insulation Requirements for New Homes

Table adapted from Table R402.1.1 in the 2009 and 2012 IECC and Table R402.1.2 in the 2015 and 2018 IECC (Table N1102.1 in 2009 IRC, Table 1102.1.1 in 2012 IRC, and Table N1102.1.2 in 2015 and 2018 IRC).

Measure Guideline: Guidance on Taped Insulating Sheathing Drainage Planes

Author(s)

Grin Aaron,

Lstiburek Joseph W

Organization(s)

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Publication Date

September, 2014

Measure Guideline research report providing simple, long term, and durable solutions when using tapes and flashing membranes in conjunction with the exterior face of rigid polymeric foam sheathing to create the drainage plane of a wall system.

Right – ICFs provide an insulated form for the concrete of the foundation wall.

Publication Date

Mon, 09/30/2019 - 12:00

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

Author(s)

Building Science Corporation

Organization(s)

BSC

Publication Date

May, 2009

Information sheet about insulating slabs.

Vented crawlspace foundation insulated at floor joist with rigid foam.

Publication Date

Mon, 03/01/2021 - 12:00

The below-grade wall assembly includes dampproofing, draining details, and insulation.

Publication Date

Tue, 05/01/2012 - 12:00

Slab-on-grade with integral grade beam and exterior and slab insulation

Publication Date

Tue, 01/01/2013 - 12:00

Slab-on-grade with masonry stem wall and interior and slab insulation

Publication Date

Tue, 01/01/2013 - 12:00

Slab-on-grade with concrete stem wall and under slab insulation

Publication Date

Tue, 01/01/2013 - 12:00

Slab-on-grade with concrete masonry stem wall and exterior insulation

Publication Date

Tue, 01/01/2013 - 12:00

Moisture problems must be dealt with before sealing and insulating a crawlspace

Publication Date

Mon, 09/01/2014 - 12:00

Durable Interior Foundation Insulation Retrofits for Cold Climates, Cloquet Minnesota

Author(s)

University of Minnesota

Organization(s)

NorthernSTAR,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

April, 2015

Case study describing foundation wall moisture studies at a research facility in Minnesota run by Building America team NorthernSTAR.

Vented crawlspace foundation insulated under floor joists with rigid foam.

Excavationless: Exterior-Side Foundation Insulation for Existing Homes, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Author(s)

University of Minnesota

Organization(s)

UMN,

NorthernSTAR,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

September, 2014

Case study describing novel technique for installing exterior spray foam on foundation walls that uses high-pressure water sprayer and a “hydro vac” to remove dirt along the foundation wall.