Basement / Discussions

I'm building a home up north in Parry Sound, Ontario next year. I'd like a slab foundation raised three feet above the ground level. I'd like to have a wrap around porch.  So aesthetically I think it looks better than being on ground level. As well because of snow accumulation.  My question is what would be the best wa...

...basements, and for a few more tips you could check out this page -  How to Insulate Basements Properly And to address your question specifically, in a perfect world yes, you would do it all and continuously. If you are simply not going to insulate your laundry room, you are still better to do the rest of it than not at...

I'm trying to insulate Rim joists /cripple walls in basements have read about three methods using EPS & batt with slightly different orders. Plan to insulate concrete walls with 2" of EPS, with 2x4 framing (filled with rockwool batt), and then drywall. Which one of these approaches should I use?  1) Sandwich multip...

...basements.  Basements and basement walls work differently in summer and winter than walls exposed to air .  Basement walls are always cold but touching earth on the other side that could be 99% humid . So the wall needs to dry to the interior right ?  How would smart vapor retarder work in winter   If wall gets wet fro...

...basement walls has 2”  of foam on them so any warmer air from finished basement would permiate through mineral wool to the wall but air space would or should allow for dry out no? Thoughts on that specific method?  Any research on it or seen it before fail or do fine? I wouldn't go so far as saying it was a 'terrible' ...

...basement ceiling to inspect wiring etc. My concern is this; the unfinished basement will be cold next winter and that will spread to the rest of the house with the ceiling opened up down there. Should I insulate the basement ceiling? It’s possible that our basement is not suitable for refinishing, so it might always be...

...basement.  We’ve got a minor crack in the grout, and we were advised to fill the block with concrete for strength, in addition to repairing the grout.   Thanks in advance  Hi Nina,  That's a structural question that we would be unable to answer unfortately, since a crack in a block foundation may indicate an issue but ...

I plan on improving insulation to the point of needing an air exchanger. I thought it best to test for radon gas after I've tightened up the major air leakage in my home. What do you think? Yes, it's always a good idea to check the radon levels in your home, particularly if you're about to improve the airtightness of t...

...basement That's the science 'for dummies' behind it, and more directed for renovations. there is a page for building basements properly in new homes -  Best practices for building basements in new homes Now that we got that stuff out of the way.... here are some more direct answers to your questions. There are a lot of...

...basement foundation walls are framed (wood), insulated, sealed with a plastic vapor barrier, but not drywalled.   I am led to believe that, during construction, the builder didn't immediately seal around the basement windows before he installed the insulation in the basement.  Subsequently it probably rained and moistu...

...basement renovation and have been doing some reading on your website only recently. I'm realizing that I may have made some mistakes and would like your advice as to what direction to take in order to minimize future problems. The basement was partially finished when it flooded after a 100mm Ottawa area rain event in O...

I want to build a 24 x 26 garage. I would like to do a slab on grade for the obvious savings of not pouring the 4' frost wall and wante to do infloor heating. Since the slab need to be insulated all around, a builder told me he would not recommend that due to the entire weight of the building resting on the insulation ...

...basement. How does he arrive at this conclusion? Basement or not, you need a mechanical room, storage space, a laundry room, cold storage, etc. The way I see it is to build without basement is to decide to build bigger, meaning more materials, more external walls to heat, and a bigger ecological footprint. Please expla...

...basements properly -  How to insulate a basement and protect it against water damage and flooding Bulk water directed towards your foundation will also raise the water table, so it's not a great surprise that it will find its way up through the junction between walls and the floor. It’s hard to give you accurate advice...

...basement instead which would cost much less, will that do it? After fixing the problem I want to insulate the basement so I’m hoping for some advice. Thank you. Reducing your home heating costs would definitely be helped solved by insulating your basement. According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)...

...basement. I live near a river, so maybe I'm wrong, but a basement seems like it's gonna be a constant worry, and my parents have expensive issues with needing repairs, since they're on a pad. My question is this, couldn't I ask for a concrete pad to be poured and then build a house on top of that with a crawl space und...