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Found 34 results for the keyword(s) ‘Crawl Space’

  • Article

    BASEMENT: FULL HEIGHT OR PARTIAL HEIGHT INSULATION?

    This is the most controversial question about basement insulation. Everyone, however, agrees on two points:-- Outside the wall, go as far down as you can afford to. -- Concrete block walls have large continuous air cavities that run the height of the wall. (The code now requires that this air ...
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    BASEMENT: HEATED SPACE, WARMED SPACE, OR COLD SPACE?

    It is not a good idea to leave a basement completely cold, as this subjects the walls to freezing. A crawl space under the house can be left cold by insulating the floor above, but less insulation is required to simply insulate the perimeter of the crawl space (although you will have higher ...
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    FIVE CHOICES TO MAKE BEFORE INSULATING A BASEMENT OR CRAWL SPACE.

    You must make five decisions before insulating your basement or crawl space:-- Heated space, warmed space, or cold space?-- Interior or exterior insulation?-- Full height or partial height insulation?-- Fiberglass or rigid foam board?-- What R value?I discuss each of these decisions separately in...
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    WHAT FACTORS CAN MAKE BETTER BASEMENTS?

    The three fundamental cures for basement problems are: removing the water from the outside, using granular back fill or a drainage layer against the foundation wall and insulating on the outside of the basement. Any one could stop or prevent a problem, all three of them together is the bes...
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    WHAT FACTORS CAN MAKE BASEMENT PROBLEMS WORSE?

    Any of the following five factors can make matters worse:-- Thermally conductive soils: Dense soils that hold water fairly well, in contact with the basement wall are asking for trouble. Clay soils are even worse in that they allow migration upward of water through capillary action, the prim...
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    WHAT IS BASEMENT FREEZE SHIFTING?

    There are two basic mechanisms which can cause a basement to move because of freezing temperatures -- ice-block formation and ad-freezing.Frost heaving: a form of ice-block formation occurs when moist soil lies under the foundation footings and the frost line or freezing-point penetration reac...
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    WHY ARE THE TEMPERATURES OF THE BASEMENT SO DIFFERENT FROM THE REST OF THE HOUSE?

    There are four special temperature considerations in the basement.The air temperature in the basement is not always the same as that in the rest of the house. In a house with exterior basement insulation, the massive foundation wall is warm and slows down temperature changes (hotter or colder...
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    WHAT ARE THE PRESSURES THAT CAN DAMAGE MY BASEMENT WALL?

    A basement is subject to three strong pressures.Settling is caused by the weight of the house pushing down on the footings and further compacting the soil underneath. This causes no great problem if everything settles together. However, settling can cause foundation and upper wall cracks whe...
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    BASEMENTS AND CRAWL SPACES

    I love the story that Harold Orr of the National Research Council tells about basements. Years ago, a farmer went into his field, dug a hole and prayed to God that it would fill up with water for his cows. He called it a watering hole. Then a housing developer bought the farm, dug a hole o...
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    WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT PIPES IN UNHEATED CRAWL SPACES THAT FREEZE DESPITE INSULATION?

    Insulating pipes that run through cold areas is necessary to keep them from freezing; even then you have to run the water occasionally or add some heat. You could leave the tap running a little during the very cold spells; that's how Grandpa kept them from freezing. You can also get thermostat ...
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