Insulated Floating Slab Foundation

In cold climates most slab on grade foundations include perimeter stemwalls or frost walls that extend 3 ft.

Insulated floating slab foundation.

Using conventional readily available materials fpsf is an alternative to stem wall and floating slab foundations however it is most suitable for slab on grade homes on sites with moderate to low sloping grades. Because they are easier to insulate slab foundations with stemwalls are preferable to monolithic slabs. Alternatively a basement can be constructed by beginning with an insulated raft slab followed by an icf foundation wall. Frost protected shallow foundation design can be used effectively with walk out basements by insulating the foundation on the house s downhill side eliminating the need for a stepped footing.

Now look at this chart with a house with similar specs for walls roof but it has an r 11 perimeter insulated slab. As a percentage of heat loss the floor went way down compared to the un insulated slab house. Insulation of slab on grade foundation using. Watch this animation for the proper procedure to insulate a monolithic slab.

Concrete floating slabs can and in areas that experience freezing temperatures should be insulated. Insulated floating subfloor over slabless slab. The area between the stemwalls is usually filled with compacted gravel to support the slab. This provides a continuous layer of insulation separating the concrete from the ground.

So let s look at the mechanics of actually insulated the slab.