Passive Solar Home Foundations
The foundat
Foundation
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How to Insulate a New Home's Foundations
The foundations are an important part of your home, for the obvious reason that they support everything else. But they are also a major source of energy loss unless they are properly insulated, since they are in constant contact with the cold, often damp surrounding earth.
The situation is made worse by the fact that concrete is an excellent heat conductor. Although this is a benefit in a concrete radiant floor slab, for example, it's a real concern in a home's foundations.
How to Insulate an Existing Home's Foundations
The foundations are an important part of your home, for the obvious reason that they support everything else. But they are also a major source of energy loss unless they are properly insulated, since they are in constant contact with the cold, often damp surrounding earth.
The situation is made worse by the fact that concrete is an excellent heat conductor. Although this is a benefit in a concrete radiant floor slab, for example, it's a real concern in a home's foundations.
How to Keep Foundations Dry
Whatever type of foundation you lay for your home, and regardless of whether you're building a passive solar design or a traditional house, it is very important (especially for passive homes) to keep the foundations and their insulation as dry as possible. Moisture around the foundations is bad.
What are Insulating Concrete Forms?
One of the best innovations for passive solar homes are ICFs – Insulating Concrete Forms. At first glance, they look like a lazy way to build foundations because they are simple and lightweight, they snap together, and it's more like playing with Lego than building a house. The good news is that, despite their apparent ease, they create one of the best insulated foundations possible.
How to Install Home Insulation
Today’s mark
Basement Upgrades in Older Homes
Basements require complete dryness before insulation can be added to the interior. The requirement is the same for vapor barriers. Persistent problems with moisture or water leakage will only serve to destroy even the best quality work.
Insulation Work on Basements
How to Insulate Inside
Insulating a dry basement is similar to insulating a new house, although you won’t be able to choose the material for the walls themselves. There are few problems when new concrete or block walls are already in place, but cut stone walls or rubble may prove to be a challenge with their irregular design and varying heights. Framing becomes difficult although the methods remain the same.
