raising the roof part 2 foundation

Vermont is a hard place to build well. it’s cold, wet year round and humid in the summers. the ground freezes to 5 feet. We can get a lot of snow and winter is long. This post will cover more specific details and materials starting with the foundation . I have linked many of the ideas and products as it takes time to research the details. Let my months of endless work help you.

I spent a lot of time just looking for a excavation/concrete contractor to do foundation. With the trouble of finding a contractor, they are few and far between, I reluctantly decided against less conventional options like a rubble trench( originally designed by Frank Lloyd Wright), super insulated slab, frost protected shallow foundation or piers/shear walls. In the end i did a conventional stem wall/footing with a finished floor slab poured after the stem wall.

I have issues with the frost protected shallow foundation designs is you are trading large amounts of concrete for large amounts of foam. I don’t see a win here for less embedded carbon. the other issue, and more important for long term is these types of foundations end up with a house too close to grade. I have 15” of insulated concrete stem wall above ground level. this feature alone will add to the life span of my house.

I used 3” EPS foam around the perimeter of the foundation. the top 24” is covered in black aluminum flashing custom bent with a 3” lip to protect the foam, make is ,hopefully, impossible for mice to climb. I chose EPS foam for it’s local manufacturing, made in Rhode Island, and is lowest of all foams for embedded carbon. the fact it is used on huge commercial projects and rated to be driven over helped with my decision.

the slab was prepped with 15mm Stego VBL, with all seams taped.

we poured the stem walls, then 5 days later the finished slab.

in the end i was happy with my decision of the aluminum flashing and the height above grade for protection from moisture. the floor was eventually finished with a mineral hardener and finish, 2 days before moving in. I used products from Prosoco to finish the floor. they make some of the best, products for sealants, concrete finishing, liquid flashing ect in the midwest and all safe to use. you will see me call out more of their specific products as I go.