Insulating Exterior Walls New Construction

Solid walls built of brick stone concrete block log or wood plank do not have a cavity that can be insulated.

Insulating exterior walls new construction.

The insulation may be rigid board extruded or expanded polystyrene or polyisocyanurate closed cell spray polyurethane foam cellular glass fibrous batt or fibrous blown in insulation note however that fibrous insulation is susceptible to moisture. A nicely insulated foundation will minimize insects moisture and radon infiltration problems. R values can be higher for foam insulation and other advanced insulation systems. Adding extra insulation to the exterior walls of an older home when renovating or remodeling is a great way of improving a home s walls thermal performance and reducing energy use while reducing heating bills carbon footprint and improving a building s comfort level.

In new construction consider construction techniques that provide both foundation structure and insulation such as insulating concrete forms and insulating concrete blocks. Interior insulation refers to insulation applied to the interior side of the concrete masonry as shown in figure 1. Cavity fibrous or cellulose insulation can be installed at levels up to r 15 in a 2 inch x 4 inch wall and up to r 21 in a 2 inch x 6 inch wall. If the exterior wall sheathing is below the dew point temperature condensation will form on the sheathing.

Like walls foundation insulation can be addressed if you decide to use insulating concrete forms and insulated concrete blocks. Spray foam rigid foam board fiberglass cellulose or a combination of. A continuous layer of insulating sheathing applied to the exterior surface of a wall will minimize condensation and moisture levels. The only option is to add insulation to the exterior or to the interior.

It may look easy to go buy some packs of rigid insulation panels down at the. When insulating interior basement walls for new construction in zone 5 cold climate is it acceptable to apply dow thermax along the inner poured basement wall from the footing to the the top of the wall. How to insulate house walls from the outside. Original plan was to use 2 of xps or eps type ix under the basement slab and 1 around the slab perimeter.

Cellulose is used to provide insulation of a new home and it is usually placed in an enclosed wall or the open new walls. Condensation and elevated moisture levels cause rot mold and mildew. In new construction you have many choices of insulation material to chose from. Reduce exterior wall leaks by taping the joints of exterior sheathing and caulking and sealing exterior walls.

Energy saver walks us through the process of air sealing and insulating two newly constructed condominium units. Types of wall construction. Normally when building a new home you might want to insulate the foundation before backfilling the space. Cellulose can be used as loose fill or it can be blown in to provide insulation for your newly built home.

During the construction process many builders insulate the outside of foundation walls before backfilling.