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 Mobile ViewENERGY SAVINGS in BUILDINGS ACOUSTICAL SEALANT CHOICES AIR BYPASS LEAKS AIR LEAK DETECTION TOOLS AIR LEAK MINIMIZATION AIR LEAK SEALING PROCEDURE AIR SEALING STRATEGIES ANIMAL ENTRY POINTS in buildings ASBESTOS-FREE INSULATION MATERIALS ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN BUILDINGS ATTIC LEAKS, CONDENSATION & MOLD ATTIC VENTILATION BACKDRAFTING HEATING EQUIPMENT BASEMENT CEILING VAPOR BARRIER BASEMENT HEAT LOSS BASEMENT LEAKS, INSPECT FOR BASEMENT WATERPROOFING BLOWER DOORS & AIR INFILTRATION BLOWER FAN CONTINUOUS OPERATION BLOWER FAN OPERATION & TESTING BLOWN-IN INSULATION BRICK LINED WALLS BRICK VENEER WALL INSULATION BRICK VENEER WALL Loose, Bulged BRICK WALL DRAINAGE WEEP HOLES BUILDING NOISE DIAGNOSIS & CURE CATHEDRAL CEILING INSULATION CATHEDRAL CEILING VENTILATION CEILINGS, DROP or SUSPENDED PANEL COMBUSTION AIR for TIGHT buildings CONDENSATION or SWEATING PIPES, TANKS CONDENSATION on WINDOWS & SKYLIGHTS CORROSION in ELECTRICAL PANELS CORROSION & MOISTURE SOURCES in PANELS COOLING LOAD REDUCTION by ROOF VENTS CRAWL SPACES CRAWL SPACE DRYOUT PROCEDURES CRAWL SPACE GROUND COVERS CRAWL SPACE INSULATION RETROFIT CRAWL SPACE SAFETY ADVICE CRAWL SPACE VAPOR BARRIER CRAWLSPACE MOLD ADVICE MOLD CLEANUP by MEDIA BLASTING MOLD ON DIRT FLOORS SUMP PUMPS DEHUMIDIFICATION PROBLEMS DEW POINT CALCULATION for WALLS DEW POINT TABLE - CONDENSATION POINT GUIDE ENERGY SAVINGS in buildings EXTERIOR WALL SIDING TRIM & FINISHES FIBERGLASS INSULATION FIBERGLASS HAZARDS FIBERGLASS PARTICLE CONTAMINATION TEST FIBERGLASS INSULATION MOLD FLAT ROOF MOISTURE & CONDENSATION FLOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, SAFETY & CLEANUP FOOTING & FOUNDATION DRAINS FORMALDEHYDE HAZARDS FOUNDATION BUCKLED - INSULATION? FRAMING DETAILS for BETTER INSULATION FRAMING DETAILS for DOUBLE WALL HOUSES FRAMING METAL STUD PERFORMANCE FREEZE-PROOF A BUILDING FROST HEAVES, FOUNDATION, SLAB GREEN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION CODES GUIDES GREENHOUSE DESIGN for SOLAR HEATING HEAT LOSS in buildings HEAT LOSS DETECTION TOOLS HEAT LOSS INDICATORS HEAT LOSS PREVENTION PRIORITIES HEAT LOSS R U & K VALUE CALCULATION HEAT TAPES & CABLES on Roofs for Ice Dams HEATING COST SAVINGS METHODS HOT ROOF DESIGNS: Un-Vented Roof Solutions HOUSE DOCTOR, how-to be HOUSEWRAP INSTALLATION DETAILS HUMIDITY LEVEL TARGET ICE DAM PREVENTION INDOOR AIR QUALITY & HOUSE TIGHTNESS INSULATION CHOICES Insulation Air & Heat Leaks INSULATION FACT SHEET- DOE INSULATION for GREENHOUSE or SOLARIUM INSULATION IDENTIFICATION GUIDE INSULATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT INSULATION LOCATION - WHERE TO PUT IT BLOWN-IN INSULATION INSULATION CHOICES INSULATION FACT SHEET- DOE INSULATION LOCATION & QUANTITY for ATTICS INSULATION LOCATION for BASEMENT FLOORS INSULATION LOCATION for BASEMENT WALLS INSULATION LOCATION for BRICK or BLOCK WALL CAVITY INSULATION LOCATION for BRICK VENEER WALLS INSULATION LOCATION for CAPES, CRAWLSPACES INSULATION LOCATION for CATHEDRAL CEILINGS INSULATION LOCATION for GREENHOUSE or SOLARIUM INSULATION LOCATION for PASSIVE SOLAR FLOOR SLAB INSULATION LOCATION & EXTENT for SLABS INSULATION LOCATION for SOUND CONTROL INSULATION LOCATION for SUSPENDED PANELS INSULATION LOCATION for SWIMMING, INDOOR INSULATION MOLD INSULATION R-Values & Properties LEED GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATION LOG HOME ENERGY EFFICIENCY LOG HOME GUIDE MOLD INFORMATION CENTER MOLD ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT MOLD MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE MOLD in FIBERGLASS INSULATION MOLD in FOAM INSULATION, RESISTANCE MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS MSDS Material Safety Data Sheets MVOCs & MOLDY MUSTY ODORS MYCOPHOBIA, STAINS MISTAKEN for MOLD MYCOTOXIN EFFECTS of MOLD EXPOSURE NOISE / SOUND DIAGNOSIS & CURE NOISE CONTROL for FLOORS NOISE CONTROL for ROOFS NOISE CONTROL for WALLS NOISE, PLUMBING CHECKLIST ODORS & SMELLS DIAGNOSIS & CURE PASCAL CALCULATIONS RADIANT BARRIERS RADIANT HEAT ROT, FUNGUS, TERMITES SOUND CONTROL in BUILDINGS STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING INTERIORS SWEATING PIPES, TANKS THERMAL MASS in BUILDINGS THERMAL TRACKING & HEAT LOSS VAPOR BARRIERS & CONDENSATION in BUILDINGS VENTILATION in buildings VINYL Siding or PLASTIC Window ODORS in buildings VINYL CHLORIDE HEALTH INFO WINTERIZE A BUILDING More Information |
Slab insulation placement guide: this article discusses the question of insulating under a basement floor slab, and just where is the optimum placement of basement insulation. InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers nor with topics or services discussed at this website.This article explains that the location of building insulation is as important as its quantity. Sketch at page top is courtesy of Carson Dunlop. The accompanying text is reprinted/adapted/excerpted with permission from Solar Age Magazine - editor Steven Bliss. Readers should see INSULATION LOCATION for BASEMENT FLOORS and INSULATION LOCATION for PASSIVE SOLAR FLOOR SLAB. Also see POLYISOCYANURATE FOAM INSULATION, POLYISOCYANURATE FOAM BELOW SLABS, INSULATION LOCATION for PASSIVE SOLAR FLOOR SLAB and also RIGID FOAM USE INDOORS. Readers should also see FLOOR, CONCRETE SLAB CHOICES for a discussion of choice of finish floor materials to preserve use of thermal mass of a concrete floor slab. Readers interested in basement insulation improvements should also see INSULATION LOCATION for BASEMENT WALLS and BASEMENT HEAT LOSS. For more general energy savings advice see ENERGY SAVINGS PRIORITIES, and our insulation home page at INSULATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT. If you are going to insulate under a basement or grade-level concrete slab floor, be sure to read SLAB INSULATION, PASSIVE SOLAR. Finally, readers considering adding insulation inside or outside a basement foundation wall should see POLYSTYRENE FOAM INSULATION as well as BUCKLED FOUNDATIONS due to INSULATION? Contact us to suggest text changes and additions and, if you wish, to receive online listing and credit for that contribution. © Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website. Floor Slab Insulation Advice for Well-Insulated HomesInsulation Advice for Full Basements - Do We Need to Insulate Under the Basement Floor?Question:Is it necessary to insulate under a slab in a superinsulated house? I assume an uninsulated slab would help cool the house in summer. -- William Lee, Cave Creerk AZ Answer:
Second most important [to insulating the slab perimeter down below the frost line] is to insulate under the first few feet around the edge of the slab. In [moderate] climates where cooling as well as heating is an issue, it may be best to insulate only the perimeter and leave the underslab uninsulated, as you suggested, for cooling. Full insulation is indeed recommended under the slab in some situations. These include radiant heat delivery (see RADIANT HEAT Floor Mistakes to Avoid) or passive solar storage (see INSULATION LOCATION for PASSIVE SOLAR FLOOR SLAB). Also, if wood flooring or carpeting isn't planned, underslab insulations will make the floor feel warmer to bare feet. See FLOOR, CONCRETE SLAB CHOICES. And if your concrete floor is a "floating slab" without below-frost-line footings, such as our thoughtless contractor installed in Northern Minnesota, insulation under the entire slab may be critical to avoid pumping most of your heat into the ground during the heating season. If you are installing a radiant heat basement floor system, insulation under the floor slab and the location of the heating tubing are critical - see RADIANT HEAT Floor Mistakes to Avoid. --DF The material of choice for insulating a slab would be high density, closed-cell rigid foam board insulation, such as extruded polystyrene. Thermally break the interior finish of the basement floor from the concrete (e.g. with wood or solid foam board) to increase comfort and to control condensation if that's a problem in your area during summer months. If you are installing a radiant heat basement floor system, insulation under the floor slab and the location of the heating tubing are critical - see RADIANT HEAT Floor Mistakes to Avoid. The link to the original Q&A article in PDF form immediately below is followed by an expanded/updated online version of this article.
The question-and-answer article about Under-Basement Insulation , quotes-from, updates, and comments an original article from Solar Age Magazine and written by Steven Bliss. Questions & Answers regarding this articleQuestions & answers about floor slab insulation guidelines & specifications or requirements Ask a Question or Search InspectAPediaHTML Comment Box is loading comments...
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