ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 34
BUILDING SCIENCES
COLUMN
Joseph W. Lstiburek
Foundation
Insulation Protection
BY JOSEPH W. LSTIBUREK, PH.D., P.ENG., FELLOW ASHRAE
Where foundation insulation is on the exterior of foundations and touches the
ground, it needs to be protected.
Yes, this should be obvious, but it is often
overlooked. One of the most overlooked issues is
protecting insulation from bugs and critters-this
is not just a " moisture " issue. Insulation works
extremely well on the outside of slab and basement
and crawl space foundations. We have known this for
a very long time. What we have also known for a long
time is that we don't
want the insulation
to become an insect
" interstate " and a
home for critters.
I am not going to
get into an argument
about what
fiber. We done with that? Let's move on. They all
have to be protected. All of them.
Let's start with the obvious part. Drain the water
FIGURE 1 Site Drainage. Drain the water away from your building perimeter.
insulation system
works best. I have
enough grief with
the carbon parts in
my car. For the sake of argument, I am going to say
that they all work. They don't all work the same way,
but they can be all made to work. Here is my partial
list-note the word " partial " : extruded polystyrene,
expanded polystyrene, mineral wool, rigid fiberglass,
spray polyurethane foam, polyisocyanurate, wood
away from your building perimeter (Figure 1).
Don't forget gutters, downspouts, whatever. Don't
make surface water become groundwater beside
your building. Send the water to your neighbor's
property-give them
the problem. Just
kidding. Slabs are
easy (Figure 2). Check
out Figure 3. Note the
protection board
or panel. Note the
flashing set in mastic
at the top of the
foundation. This is
for termites. This is
a big deal. Note the
Site grading
slopes ground away
from building over
entire perimeter
perimeter pest protection. This is a big deal. In many,
many jurisdictions a removable strip of insulation is
required to provide the ability to inspect the integrity
of the " insect defenses " (Figure 4). The strip is often
" friction fit. "
Let's look at basement foundations insulated on the
Joseph W. Lstiburek, Ph.D., P.Eng., is a principal of Building Science Corporation in Westford, Mass. Visit www.buildingscience.com.
34
ASHRAE JOURNAL ashrae.o rg M AY 2023
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ASHRAE Journal - May 2023
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASHRAE Journal - May 2023
Contents
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - Intro
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - Cover1
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - Cover2
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 1
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - Contents
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 3
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 4
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 5
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 6
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 7
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 8
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 9
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 10
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 11
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 12
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 13
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 14
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 15
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 16
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 17
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 18
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 19
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 20
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 21
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 22
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 23
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 24
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 25
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 26
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 27
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 28
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 29
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 30
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 31
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 32
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 33
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 34
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 35
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 36
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 37
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 38
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 39
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 40
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 41
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 42
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 43
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 44
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 45
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 46
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 47
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 48
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 49
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 50
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 51
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 52
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 53
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 54
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 55
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 56
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 57
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 58
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 59
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 60
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 61
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 62
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 63
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 64
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 65
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 66
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 67
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 68
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 69
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 70
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 71
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 72
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 73
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 74
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 75
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 76
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 77
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 78
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 79
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - 80
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - Cover3
ASHRAE Journal - May 2023 - Cover4
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