Insulation / Guides

...insulation a concrete slab on grade makes a perfect thermal battery for solar heat . Sealing concrete floors: Raw concrete is very porous and will have a lot of tiny, interconnected air pockets in it that will absorb moisture and other contaminants, and stain easily. It will also endlessly release dust into the air...

...insulation panels or spray foam. Pick one and stick with it; it's best not to mix insulation types. If you were to have a top layer of foam insulation but have something fibrous underneath - be it cellulose insulation, fiberglass, mineral wool, etc - that added fibrous insulation at the bottom of the assembly will keep...

...insulation out of the attic to change it or to stuff more in. The structure, everything you can't see behind the paint and finish, is the most important part of building a home. Get the building envelope right first, then get the aesthetics and the useability right, and you'll be living in a great home now, and in the ...

...insulation, it is actually the opposite. You wouldn't say "I don't need to insulate my roof much, because I'll be heating the air in my house". Read more here about the importance of balancing insulation for energy efficiency. Heating a floor increases the temperature differential between the concrete and the ground ...

...insulation to stop warm, moist air from condensing on a cold surface inside your wall. In cold climates like Canada, for most of the year the vapor barrier should be on the inside of the insulation. In hot climates like the southern U.S. for example, vapor barrier should be installed on the outside of the insulation,...

...insulation on the exterior of the vapour barrier in order to keep it within the warmer section of the wall assembly. REMOTE wall exterior insulation can be used for home renovations © Ecohome With enough insulation on the exterior of the wall you can also safely add batt insulation in the stud bays to further i...

...insulation against frost heave, so it has been ingrained in us for centuries as essential. But, thanks to modern building practices, you can also use ‘insulation’ as insulation against frost heave! Soil has an insulating value of about R3 per foot, where foam insulation will be between R3 and R5 per inch. That’s why ...

...insulation, and after forms were removed, that wood was used for framing. Slab-on-grade forms © Ecohome 3. Plumbing and mechanical infrastructure All plumbing infrastructure (water pipes, drains, radon stack, central vac, power conduits, etc.) was put in place next, below the coming insulation and concrete....

...insulation and flooring etc, you will often get lucky. Reclaimed foam insulation boards © Michel Chenier As an example, the above stack of XPS foam insulation was purchased through an online classified website for $3 a sheet, whereas purchased new in a building supply store they would ...

...insulation below concrete basement floors , and as always, it is important to realize that the requirements of building codes are the bare minimum only. Increasing sub-slab insulation to R15 or R20 (or more) will make floors much more comfortable and reduce heating costs. The added cost for additional floor insulation ...

...insulation and air tightness. Standard heating is by way of an electric radiator, which is a highly efficient way to heat a small, independent and highly insulated space. 'Pods' can be fitted with small wood stoves as well. The fibreglass insulation used is made from recycled glass. The roof-light provides a high...