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Right – The backing on this knee wall was air sealed prior to insulation.

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Right – Ladder blocking allows for insulation behind the wall intersection

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Rigid foam insulating sheathing installed over an existing garage ceiling with retrofits to air seal exterior wall before adding exterior wall insulating sheathing

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Corner framing is placed to allow room in the corners for wall insulation.

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

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Insulated concrete forms (ICF) provide an insulated below-grade foundation wall; the floor is connected to the ICF wall with joist hangers and ledger bolted into the concrete core of the ICF

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Concrete crawl space wall with interior spray foam insulation

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Rigid Foam Insulation Installed Between Existing House and Garage Walls

Guide

Guide describing how to upgrade walls that separate the garage from the house by providing a continuous air control layer on the garage side of the wall and adding rigid foam insulation.

Measure Guideline: Incorporating Thick Layers of Exterior Rigid Insulation on Walls

Reference

Report describing wall assemblies that use layers of rigid exterior insulation thicker than 1-½ inch and require a secondary cladding attachment location exterior to the insulation.

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

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Insulating sheathing is installed on exterior of an existing framed wall with water control between existing sheathing and insulating sheathing

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Batt insulation should be cut to fit around wiring so that insulation can completely fill the wall cavity

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Masonry walls can be insulated with rigid foam insulation attached to the interior face of the concrete block as shown here.

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This unfaced fiberglass completely fills the wall cavities, with RESNET Grade 1 insulation.

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This 2x6 wall is advanced framed and filled with dense-packed cellulose insulation.

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Spray Foam Insulation Applied over the Siding of Existing Exterior Walls

Guide

Guide describing how to install spray foam on the exterior of the existing home after framing over the existing siding.

Right - Mineral Wool insulation is installed on the exterior of wall with furring strips.

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Moisture levels are checked in the blown cellulose insulation before enclosing the walls.

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Spray foam insulates and air seals the underside of the attic roof and walls.

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Moisture can migrate from below the foundation to the basement wall and insulation cavity in a conventional blanket insulation installation

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A trained installer completely fills the wall cavities with sprayed cellulose insulation.

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This hot climate zone home uses high quality batt insulation between studs to insulate this connecting garage wall.

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Right – Rigid backing was installed prior to insulating the attic knee walls.

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Wrong – The backing on this knee wall was not air sealed prior to adding insulation.

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Traditional roof trusses pinch insulation where the roof meets the walls.

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The concrete slab is thermally isolated from the concrete foundation stem wall and the stem wall is insulated for cold climates

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Spray foam insulates and air seals the exterior wall behind the fireplace.

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The 12-inch-thick double walls provide plenty of space for insulation.

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DOE Siding Retrofit: Insulating Concrete Block Walls, Phoenix AZ

Case Study

Case study describing a wall retrofit of a 1940s home in Phoenix AZ that included adding 2 inches of rigid polyisocyanurate insulation while adding stucco siding to a previously unsided and uninsulated slump-block home.

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

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