Credit: Pete Sucheski
1. Structural Slab Thicken the slab edge to footing depth (typically, 8 inches to 12 inches).
2. Warm Edge Insulate the slab edge with 2-inch extruded polystyrene (XPS). Extend the XPS horizontally a distance equivalent to the frost depth in your climate.
3. Side Protection Where soil cover is thin, protect the sidewall footings with more horizontal XPS—again, insulation should extend outward as far as your local frost depth.
—
Frost footings add cost to a walk-out basement. Instead, you can protect the slab edge with R10 insulation, keeping frost away from the house without the need to excavate.
Construction
Ditch your handheld calculator for one of these mobile apps for all of your jobsite...
Cost-Saving Ideas
Ted Cushman
Build Smart
Construction Detail
Online resources provide tips on how to construct closed crawlspaces.
Please read our Content Guidelines before posting.
High-performance houses in the desert aim to beat the heat and stop air leaks so air conditioners and HVAC systems can deliver better...
The best gateway to all that is relevant, timely intelligence on the ways volume home building enterprises can be stronger, more innovative...
News and information on permits, job growth, and construction trends
Enter the industry's leading barometer of the latest trends and influences
Builder Pulse
John McManus is an award-winning editorial director for the Residential Construction Group at Hanley Wood in Washington, D.C. In addition to the BUILDER digital, print, and in-person editorial and programming portfolio, the group includes strategic content direction for AFFORDABLE HOUSING FINANCE, APARTMENT FINANCE TODAY, CUSTOM HOME, EcoHome, MULTIFAMILY EXECUTIVE, and residential architect.
Clearly, home builders have liked what's been happening, and comparatively, they'd rather be where they are now than at any time in about seven years.