Greenbuilding Archive for February 2002

Ed Stahl  Sunworks Construction

-----Original Message-----
From: David Peabody [mailto:peabody@laser.net]
Sent: Monday, February 18, 2002 3:12 PM
To: greenbuilding@crest.org
Subject: [GBlist] foundation insulation boards


I am revisiting our standard detailing of exterior foundation walls.  I have
been reading Lstiburek's advice in his Builder's Guide about making
provision for concrete foundation walls to dry to the exterior. He advocates
using only rigid fiberglass or mineral wool insulation on the exterior of a
concrete foundation wall with no damproofing.  These insulations,he argues,
are the only ones that are at once vapor diffusion retarders, drainage
planes, and capillary breaks. The idea is that they allow moisture to
migrate from the warmer wall into the cooler soil, while not allowing water
back into the wall.  Damproofing the wall with this insulation would defeat
that process.

This all makes a lot of sense to me.  Particularly with regard to getting
rid of the latent moisture in newly placed concrete walls.  Trouble is,
Roxul is the only fabricator of mineral wool drainage board that I know of
and you can't get that in the US.  I don't know much about the pros and cons
of rigid fiberglass. The EPS insulation board people tell me that their
product will do the same thing.

Does anyone want to jump in here with thoughts, recommendations,
experiences?  All would be appreciated.

Thanks,

David Peabody
Peabody Architects
Alexandria, VA


______________________________________________________________________
This greenbuilding dialogue is sponsored by REPP/CREST, creator of
Solstice http://www.crest.org, and BuildingGreen, Inc., publisher of
Environmental Building News and GreenSpec http://www.BuildingGreen.com
______________________________________________________________________


______________________________________________________________________
This greenbuilding dialogue is sponsored by REPP/CREST, creator of
Solstice http://www.crest.org, and BuildingGreen, Inc., publisher of
Environmental Building News and GreenSpec http://www.BuildingGreen.com
______________________________________________________________________