BASC Search | Building America Solution Center

Masonry wall interior retrofit with fluid-applied water control layer and wood-framed wall with cavity insulation (climate zones 1-4 only)

Publication Date

Fri, 08/13/2021 - 12:00

Insulation was added to the walls and ceiling of this existing home from the inside as part of an extensive retrofit to avoid replacing original 1-inch shiplapped sheathing.

Publication Date

Wed, 12/29/2021 - 12:00

Rigid mineral wool insulation is covered with ¼-inch wood battens which provides a air and drainage gap under the cedar and fiber cement siding.

Right – The air- and water-barrier material lining the shower stall is mastic sealed to prevent leakage and rigid foam insulation is installed on the floor of the shower.

Publication Date

Thu, 09/30/2021 - 12:00

Right - These attic knee walls are insulated with rigid foam and sealed with spray foam to form a continuous air barrier at the gable end of this cathedral ceiling.

Publication Date

Fri, 01/01/2016 - 12:00

Concrete slab-on-grade foundation with a turn-down footing insulated on its top surface, showing anchorage of the wall to the foundation for seismic resistance

Publication Date

Tue, 08/24/2021 - 12:00

Right - The ceiling above the garage is insulated and air-sealed with open-cell spray foam to keep garage fumes out of the living space above.

Publication Date

Thu, 09/30/2021 - 12:00

Stucco is installed over rigid insulation, which is installed over a drainage plane consisting of a drainage gap and building wrap layer over the sheathing

Spray foam insulation is applied along the underside of the roof deck to provide a conditioned and non-vented attic space for ducts and air handlers.

Reference

40% Whole-House Energy Savings in the Hot-Humid Climate, Volume 15

Author(s)

Baechler Michael C,

Gilbride Theresa L,

Hefty Marye G,

Cole Pam C,

Adams Karen T,

Noonan Chrissy F,

Love Pat M

Organization(s)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

A guidebook helping builders in hot-humid climates design and construct homes for energy efficiency, durability, health, safety, and comfort.

Publication Date

Thu, 09/01/2011 - 12:00

Wrong - Air leakage from the conditioned space to the basement foundation wall can lead to condensation or moisture issues in a conventional blanket insulation installation.

Publication Date

Thu, 10/26/2006 - 12:00

A roof drain is installed in an existing flat roof retrofitted with above-deck rigid foam insulation that is integrated with new air and water control layers

Publication Date

Thu, 09/10/2015 - 12:00

Rigid foam insulating sheathing is installed on existing garage ceiling and covered with a new gypsum board fire protection layer installed over the foam.

Publication Date

Mon, 07/01/2013 - 12:00

Raised heel or energy trusses allow even the corners of the attic to be well insulated; this helps to prevent ice dams in winter and keeps rooms cooler in summer.

Publication Date

Thu, 09/01/2011 - 12:00

Right - Baffles above the raised heel trusses and wind dams behind the trusses will keep wind from blowing the cellulose insulation away from the eaves.

Publication Date

Mon, 01/01/2018 - 12:00

Right – Terra cotta tiles are attached to horizontal metal furring strips as the exterior cladding over mineral wool insulation on this multi-family building in Colorado.

Publication Date

Thu, 09/30/2021 - 12:00

Right - Foil-faced polyisocyanurate rigid foam board is tightly installed and sealed against a concrete foundation wall prior to installing fibrous blanket insulation.

Publication Date

Fri, 01/01/2021 - 12:00

Right - XPS rigid foam board is tightly installed against a concrete foundation wall and seams are sealed with tape prior to installing fibrous blanket insulation.

Publication Date

Fri, 01/01/2021 - 12:00

Wrong – When insulating with spray foam, care should be taken to completely fill areas around piping and other penetrations to avoid leaving air gaps.

Publication Date

Thu, 09/30/2021 - 12:00

Wrong - The fiberglass blanket insulation has no perforated vapor retarder, does not cover the entire basement wall, is not sealed at the edges, and is not installed over rigid foam.

Publication Date

Fri, 01/01/2021 - 12:00

On top of the ice-and-water shield, the builder installed horizontal beams that were raised 6 inches off the deck to allow room for spray foam insulation.

Externally insulated post-tensioned concrete slab-on-grade foundation wall with a turn-down footing showing anchorage of the wall to the foundation for seismic resistance

Publication Date

Tue, 08/24/2021 - 12:00

Externally insulated post-tensioned concrete slab-on-grade foundation wall with a turn-down footing showing anchorage of the wall to the foundation for seismic resistance

Publication Date

Tue, 08/24/2021 - 12:00

Vapor-permeable mineral wool insulation is installed on the exterior side of the sill beam during an exterior wall retrofit to allow the sill beam to dry to the outside

Foil-faced rigid foam and spray foam can be used to insulate a basement on the interior; use good moisture management techniques to keep the basement dry

Construction Guide - Next Generation High Performance Walls in Climate Zones 3-5, Part II: 2x4 Walls with 1” - 1.5” Exterior Insulative Sheathing

Author(s)

Kochkin Vladimir,

Wiehagen Joseph

Organization(s)

Home Innovation Research Labs,

HIRL

Publication Date

June, 2017

The Guide addresses walls constructed with 2x4 wood frame studs, wood structural panel (WSP) sheathing as wall bracing and added backing for foam sheathing, a layer of rigid foam sheathing insulation up to 1.5 in. thick over the WSP, and a cladding system installed over the foam sheathing in low...

Construction Guide - Next Generation High Performance Walls in Climate Zones 3-5 Part 2: 2x4 Walls with 1” to 1.5” Exterior Insulative Sheathing

Author(s)

Kochkin Vladimir,

Wiehagen Joseph

Organization(s)

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

June, 2017

The Guide addresses walls constructed with 2x4 wood frame studs, wood structural panel sheathing (WSP) as wall bracing and added backing for foam sheathing, a layer of rigid foam sheathing insulation up to 1.5 inches thick over the WSP, and a cladding system installed over the foam sheathing in low...

Walls in cold climates with a Class 3 vapor retarder (latex paint) and a vapor-open continuous insulation like mineral wool allow drying to the interior or the exterior

Publication Date

Sun, 09/20/2020 - 12:00

Unvented roof assembly at rake retrofitted with spray foam installed along the underside of the roof deck and extended to the rake edge to insulate and air seal the attic

Publication Date

Mon, 07/01/2013 - 12:00

Spray foam extends down the foundation wall to the slab, which has been retrofitted by adding dimple plastic drainage mat and rigid foam insulation.

Publication Date

Mon, 07/01/2013 - 12:00

Right - Closed-cell spray foam is installed as a skim coat to provide air tightness to an exterior wall cavity before installing batt or blown cavity insulation.

Publication Date

Fri, 01/01/2010 - 12:00

Right - A technician applies a thin layer of closed-cell foam to air-seal an unvented attic assembly before filling the ceiling joists with batt or blown insulation.

Publication Date

Fri, 01/01/2010 - 12:00

Clean the attic floor of debris prior to installing new attic insulation. Use baffles to provide a path for ventilation air entering the attic from the soffit vents

Publication Date

Mon, 02/01/2010 - 12:00

Right - Concrete masonry unit (CMU) basement wall showing exterior insulation and sill detail; above-grade wall has sheathing to the inside of the rigid foam.

Publication Date

Tue, 01/01/2013 - 12:00

Because this ICF and spray foamed house is so well insulated, the HVAC system is smaller, the round metal ducts are smaller diameter, and the duct layout is more compact.

Publication Date

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 12:00

Rigid insulation can be used as a thermal break between a garage slab with a heated plenum space and a separately cast garage slab without a heated plenum space.

Publication Date

Sat, 09/14/2024 - 12:00

Right – After installing the insulated concrete foundation wall panels, the builder installed underslab rigid foam, which was topped by 4 inches of crushed rock then the poured slab.

Publication Date

Mon, 09/30/2019 - 12:00

Right - The slab-on-grade foundation is insulated with two layers (R-20) of XPS foam under the-slab and R-10 on the exterior of the stem walls.

Publication Date

Thu, 09/30/2021 - 12:00

The wood blocking for future PV panel installation extends above the surface of the top layer of polyisocyanurate rigid foam insulation installed as part of a flat roof retrofit

To ensure a complete air barrier between the garage and the house, the wall between the garage and the house was insulated and air-sealed with four inches of high-density spray foam.

Raised heel energy trusses extend past the exterior wall and are deeper at the wall allowing room for full insulation coverage over the top plate of the exterior walls.

Publication Date

Sat, 01/01/2011 - 12:00

Exterior fiberglass insulation on this new home was (incorrectly) cut to terminate below-grade after backfill, which will expose the above-grade portions of the foundation wall to cold temperatures

Publication Date

Mon, 10/01/2012 - 12:00

Retrofit of cantilevered wall showing details at the outside corner for installing air sealing and rigid foam insulation in the wall and closed-cell spray foam in the overhanging floor

Side view showing air-sealing and rigid foam insulation is installed over existing wall and ceiling under a room above, then covered with new gypsum board.

Publication Date

Mon, 07/01/2013 - 12:00

Seal the drywall to top-plate seams and the lower edge of baffles to the top plate to prevent the air coming from soffit vents from flowing under baffles into insulation.

Publication Date

Mon, 02/01/2010 - 12:00

HVAC ducts can be encapsulated in 3 inches of closed-cell spray foam, then buried in R-49 of blown fiberglass insulation after the ceiling drywall is installed in the vented attic.

The floor slab is completely insulated with ICF foundation walls and R-20 (3 inches) of closed-cell foam that is sprayed directly onto the ground before pouring the slab.

The basement slab is wrapped in a blanket of insulation including R-27 of closed-cell spray foam under the slab and R-22 ICF blocks wrapping the slab edges.

Wrong - Craft faced batt insulation is not cut to fit around wiring and eletrical boxes and is squished into corners forming voids which could encourage cold spots in wall.

Publication Date

Fri, 01/17/2014 - 12:00

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.

This vaulted ceiling has 7 inches of closed-cell spray foam plus an R-22 unfaced mineral wool batt for a total attic insulation value of R-68.

Wrong – Don’t use nails to fasten poly vapor barrier around flex ducts; it will allow moist air to reach the ducts where it could condense and ruin the insulation.

Publication Date

Tue, 04/13/2021 - 12:00

Installing ladder blocking at interior-exterior wall intersections rather than three solid studs in the exterior wall as the supporting surface allows room for insulation in the exterior wall.

Right – Two inches of rigid foam was installed on the ground before pouring the basement floor slab while precast, pre-insulated concrete panels comprise the basement walls.

Publication Date

Thu, 09/30/2021 - 12:00

Right- This concrete block home in the hot-humid climate is insulated on the interior with rigid EPS foam; all framing uses mold- and termite-resistant borate-treated lumber.

Publication Date

Thu, 09/30/2021 - 12:00

Right - New flashing has been installed to complete the air and water control layers at the window openings of this wall retrofit that includes insulating the wall cavities with spray foam

Right - This unvented crawlspace is insulated along interior walls with rigid foam and air-sealed by covering the floor with vapor retarder that is sealed to the rigid foam which is taped at the seams.

Publication Date

Sat, 01/01/2011 - 12:00

Retrofit of cantilevered wall with beam showing details at the outside corner for installing air sealing and rigid foam insulation plus water control membrane in the wall and overhanging floor

Publication Date

Mon, 07/01/2013 - 12:00

Side view showing how the existing garage wall and ceiling are air-sealed prior to installing rigid foam insulation on the garage side of the shared wall of an existing home.

Publication Date

Mon, 07/01/2013 - 12:00

Cold Climate Foundation Retrofit Energy Savings: The Simulated Energy and Experimental Hygrothermal Performance of Cold Climate Foundation Wall Insulation Retrofit Measures - Phase I, Energy Simulation

Author(s)

Goldberg Louise F,

Steigauf Brianna

Organization(s)

NothernSTAR,

University of Minnesota,

UMN,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

April, 2013

Research study describing an experimental and theoretical investigation of the energy and hygrothermal performance of retrofit foundation insulation systems in climate zones 6 and 7.

Between the ICF foundation walls, the builder sprayed closed-cell spray foam directly onto the gravel base to provide a vapor barrier and continuous layer of insulation under the slab.

Publication Date

Thu, 01/01/2015 - 12:00

Underneath the roof sheathing and two exterior layers of rigid foam, the builder stapled netting to the underside of the rafters and filled the roof cavities of the unvented attic with blown-in fiberglass insulation.

Right - XPS foam insulation is attached to the existing exterior wall with wood furring strips that serve as a nail base for the siding and are installed vertically to allow for drainage and drying behind the siding

Extruded polystyrene (XPS) rigid foam is taped at the seams to provides a continuous air and weather-resistant barrier so no house wrap is needed; it also provides a continuous layer of insulation.

The unvented attic is insulated along the underside of the roof deck with 7 inches (R-49) of closed-cell spray foam, providing vaulted ceilings and a conditioned knee wall space for ducting.

Right – This National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) label shows the insulation U-Factor, solar heat gain coefficient, visible transmittance, and condensation resistance for this triple-pane window.

Publication Date

Thu, 09/30/2021 - 12:00

Roofing paper protects the top of the new plywood parapet while the base of the parapet is air sealed with spray foam and fibrous insulation is installed in the rafter cavities in this flat roof retrofit

Concrete is poured into the rigid foam shell of the insulated concrete form (ICF) walls; a plastic water barrier has already been installed to protect the below-grade wall surfaces.

Infrared thermography during depressurization testing reveals air leakage at corner of spray foam-insulated room where wood-to-wood seams in framing were not air sealed

Standard Practice for the Installation of Mounting Flange Windows into Walls Utilizing Foam Plastic Insulating Sheathing (FPIS) with a Separate Water-Resistive Barrier (WRB), FMA/AAMA/WDMA 500-16

Author(s)

Fenestration Manufacturers Association,

American Architectural Manufacturers Association,

Window & Door Manufacturers Association

Organization(s)

FMA,

AAMA,

WDMA

Publication Date

April, 2016

Guide describing the installation of windows in walls that have foam plastic insulating; guide provides several methods for attaching, supporting, and flashing windows in walls with rigid foam sheathing. (Note: The link only goes to the table of contents for the guide, the full guide can be...