Insulating basements / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

...basements, installing a vapor barrier will only trap moisture. Smart membranes with variable dynamic permeability are better for basements to avoid moisture damage, rot and mold.   Regional vapor barrier code requirements and how they work with climate zones Vapor control strategies are highly dependent on the climat...

...insulating basements listed below  that work well in the battle against moldy basements. EPS (Expanded Polystyrene), XPS (Extruded Polystyrene), Mineral wool: SPUF is quite expensive; so rigid insulation panels and a 2x4 wall with batt insulation can be a much more affordable option - but you need to know the right tec...

...basements from the inside to ensure your new walls stay dry and mold-free. Repairing foundations & insulating from the exterior when renovating an old home © Ecohome Cinderblock, stone or cracked concrete foundation renovations: Before renovating or insulating, determine first that foundations can safely continue...

...basements begin with a poured footing, then a foundation wall, and finally the slab floor. Rarely are footings insulated, and depending on how the walls are insulated, the result can be a thermal bridge between the footing and walls or floor. This brings unwanted heat loss, as well as a greater risk of condensation for...

Polyisocyanurate (PIR), Extruded Polystyrene (XPS), Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) or Styrofoam? When building or renovating a high-performance building envelope there are really three main kinds of rigid foam panels you are going to have to choose from - Polyisocyanurate known as Polyiso (PIR), Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) ...

...basements. While we get that in some areas, due to land cost or availability, maximizing square footage is essential for home value, but basements are quite frankly, indoor swimming pools waiting to happen. Where do water pipes go in a slab foundation? Plumbing plans need to be carefully designed and meticulously foll...

...insulating basements and slab on grade floors How to build homes better prepared to withstand climate change events Resilient design features for sustainable new home construction Learn about the discounts and perks of signing up for a free Ecohome Network Membership here.

...basements flooding - flood prevention, pumps & alarms here And how to use environmentally friendly materials for waterproofing basements here Slab floors: A large portion of heat is lost to poorly insulated basements, including below slab floors. The optimum levels of insulation below slabs varies by region and cli...

...insulating basements listed below  that work well in the battle against moldy basements. EPS (Expanded Polystyrene), XPS (Extruded Polystyrene), Mineral wool: SPUF is quite expensive; so rigid insulation panels and a 2x4 wall with batt insulation can be a much more affordable option - but you need to know the right tec...

...Insulating a basement is a great idea if it wasn't insulated when built, as before we began insulating foundation walls and below slabs (see slab on grade), it was generally estimated that basement heat loss accounted for about 1/3 of the total heat loss of a house. It is likely that such an abysmal starting place made...

What is the difference between a slab on grade and a crawl space? A slab on grade, or ‘frost protected shallow foundation’ is exactly that, a slab of concrete on the ground. There’s more to it of course, but let’s start with a ‘win’ in the comprehension department shall we?  A slab on grade rests directly on the groun...