Frost protected shallow foundation / Discussions

...frost walls or stem walls to get below the frost line that we seem to have forgotten why we do that, which is simply using 'dirt' as insulation. A frost protected shallow foundation uses 'insulation' as insulation instead, read more here on our slab guide page - How to build a slab on grade foundation in a cold climate...

...frost line, how would you integrate the Slab on grade with that construction? There isn’t a case where we would suggest going below the frost line with frost walls for a slab on grade, we prefer to to stay on grade and install a skirt of insulation around the perimeter of the building. One inch of EPS foam insulation i...

...foundation, yes they exist. You cannot remodel on a slab and move a kitchen or bathroom to the other side of a house, but why would you want to? Extensive remodelling of older homes is common because very little thought was put into the design when they were built in terms of allowing for human flow in a home. A sensib...

...foundation? 6) We would like if possible to use local people as primary constructors, and we are also capable of (and want to add where possible) sweat equity. Is this feasible with the Legalett system? We also believe we have a good local excavator for the septic and foundation work. 7) If so, would non-Legalett train...

...foundation for our new cabin in Montana and I've decided to sit it on a 4" EPS foam insulation so the slab will retain some passive solar heat from the south facing windows in winter, avoiding having to put too much heat in to keep stuff from freezing. There's a bed of compacted gravel already down for the slab to sit ...

...frost wall, but those can sometimes be trickier to insulate properly. We recently built a new demonstration house (which is nearing completion) where we used frost protected shallow foundation forms in insulating foam. We chose that partly for performance, but also because the house is seated on expansive soils, so a f...

...foundation (PWF) would be an alternative to a concrete foundation, and a poor one at that. The end result of mixing wood and moisture will always be rot. So building a house on wood buried in the ground is not something we have or ever would recommend.  And a slab on grade is an alternative to a basement, PWF or concre...

...frost protected shallow slab on grade premade foundation form kits, this is by a company called Legalett that provides slab on grade kits that mean you can stop scratching a hole in your head figuring insulation levels, they do it all for you. We just built one ourselves, here is a frost protected shallow foundation st...

I am looking to build a bungalow in a moderate climate. Temperatures range from about 30 to 65 in the winter and about 45 to 75 in the summer. The house will be south facing with lots of south facing windows with tile and concrete floors. I expect this will produce enough heat to keep the house comfortable with out any...

I posted this elsewhere before i found this page: i am trying to decide on slab on grade vs basement for TOTAL cost. While i know SOG is cheaper than basement, i can do 750 sq ft on top of 750 sq ft basement with finishing in two years after concrete dries vs about 1200 sq. feet with SOG to accomodate our total needs. ...

...foundations that step down in order to deal with the slope. The top foundation would be a for a single story 15 by 24 room. The next level would be a 24 by 24 two story structure and the garage would be at the bottom leve.  I assume that this would require retaing walls from each higher slab to the one below. Thanks, K...

...foundation kits and air heated floors and you can contact them through there. If that's not what you mean let us know but I can't think of any other system you'd be referring to.

...foundation. My builder was suggesting that we at least start with the foundation in the fall and then start work back up again in the spring. This may be okay when installing a full basement foundation, but can a slab foundation hold up in the cold new england winters without any protection from the elements? I worry t...

...foundation is formed and ready for concrete at the same time then you should be able to pour it all at once as well. Often times slabs are poured in two shots (which is more expensive), so if you are adding a minor complication like wanting to do interior and exterior pours at the same time I would specify with the des...

...foundation is best suited. do you work here or can you supply a kit and assistance to a local builder? The house will probably have a partial basement but the slab section, ideally with your hot air radiant heat system, would be about 1000 square feet. There is only one manufacturer of slab on grade form kits with air ...