Insulated Floating Slab Foundation

Watch this animation for the proper procedure to insulate a monolithic slab.

Insulated floating slab foundation.

The area between the stemwalls is usually filled with compacted gravel to support the slab. In cold climates most slab on grade foundations include perimeter stemwalls or frost walls that extend 3 ft. This is for a house with an r 11 insulated slab. So let s look at the mechanics of actually insulated the slab.

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. Concrete floating slabs can and in areas that experience freezing temperatures should be insulated. Insulation of slab on grade foundation using. 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.

Alternatively a basement can be constructed by beginning with an insulated raft slab followed by an icf foundation wall. Now look at this chart with a house with similar specs for walls roof but it has an r 11 perimeter insulated slab. This provides a continuous layer of insulation separating the concrete from the ground. As a percentage of heat loss the floor went way down compared to the un insulated slab house.

A floating slab is the basic foundation structure used for buildings that do not have basements garages sheds barns and even some homes in high water table or coastal areas.