Walkout basement / Discussions

What foundation is best for a cottage on an island?

...basement in our opinion would be - a super insulated raft slab (frost protected shallow foundation) on top of which would be ICF block foundation. 

Posted by Ben Barr Aug. 11, 2025 Foundation choices 1 response

Should I put foam boards right against my basement wall or leave an air gap?

...basement to our home has no insulation with a cinderblock wall that they have either applied white paint or drylok to, can't tell though. The basement is also a walkout so three sides are exposed to air while the front of the house is underground. My question is should I apply 2 inch foam board to the inside of the wal...

Posted by Elijah Hargett Jan. 9, 2021 Foundation and basement improvements 4 responses

How do insulate a basement slab that is sloped?

Hi everyone !  I have a 30x30 basement that I want to finish (on a budget). We live in zone 5a and the house was build in 1950. Normally I would've covered the slab with dimple membrane, 2" XPS and osb/plywood achored with tapcons. The problem here is that there's a significant slope to a central drain (4" at the lowes...

Posted by Louis-François Lapointe Nov. 11, 2020 Basements improvements 1 response