Insulating / Discussions

...Insulating Concrete Forms construction a new thing or do they have a long history and do they meet code? We'd never heard of ICFs before and wondered if it was just an up-sell and whether it is worth considering. Thanks! In my considered opinion, ICF construction is perfect for building a basement. ICF blocks are quick...

...insulating very old basement foundations. This page on how to insulate old stone houses lays the problem and solutions out very well -  How to improve the efficiency of an old stone house Modern standards of concrete are very different than a century ago, there was very little consistency in the mix, so you just never ...

Hi, I have found this site very helpful - very appreciative to the experts who take the time to share their knowledge. We need to replace the siding on our house. We will likely replace with a Hardie Board board and batten rain screen. However, the contractor can also remove the sheathing down to the studs and reinsula...

...insulating after that given my narrow confines?  I really can't extend much more than a couple of inches without encroaching, three max... If you have on older home plaster lathe then it is a pretty safe assumption you don't have an incorporated air barrier or vapour barrier. Though you do in ‘effect’ likely have a mak...

...Insulating Crawlspaces Properly As for how to convert your cottage to a house, there are a few options. Most of which, given your proximity to the ground would start with jacking it up to get it further from the ground if it were me.  To winterize a cottage you are looking at a pretty significant investment so I would ...

Were building a new house and are wondering if you can insulate under slab with foam polyurethane. If not, why?  When building a slab on grade, EPS rigid foam insulation is the most common choice of insulation, for performance and cost. I wouldn’t go as far as saying you 'couldn't' use spray foam below a slab, but I’m ...

...insulating the exterior of  a painted brick wall is actually a good idea to help protect them. When insulating the exterior of an existing house we often recommend Rockwool, it’s a recycled mineral wool rigid insulation , read more here –  The difference between Polyiso, EPS & XPS Foam Insulation & Styrofoam Ro...

I have a concrete floor in my crawl space under an addition (the rest of the house is on concrete slab). There is no ductwork, there is a sump pump, and the wall joists above the foundation have spray-foam insulation. Since we moved in, I know that the addition's floor is very cold in the winter and in the summer we do...

I have a 120 yr old home with a dirt crawl space that is completely dry, no Mold in the entire home, has new windows and new insulation in the attic. I have started the insulation in the floor joist from the crawlspace. I would like to know the correct way to insulate my crawl space regarding vapour barrier and what to...

We are looking to finish our basement next spring and one builder suggested using spray foam insulation as he says it's a good choice for insulating and sealing CMU basement walls and floor in northern California. We want to do this basement conversion as sustainably as possible with good air quality and there seem to ...

...insulating the floor joists as you suggest and keeping it cold) or insulating the dirt floor, and keeping the crawlspace warm so it becomes part of the conditioned space. Have you already found pages about crawlspace repair on our site? if not, start with this page here –  Best Practices for Insulating Crawlspaces I li...