1. Foundation

This is a picture tutorial of the foundation and the components that help to make the house efficient.

1. The 8" poured concrete walls have 4" foam insulation on the exterior. This allows the concrete in the walls to come up to room temperature and to be a thermal sink for heat and cooling. The foam was applied after the concrete wall was sealed. The same insulation was applied to the areas that were done in concrete block.

2. The basement floor is on 1 foot of gravel above the red clay soil and is insulated at the edge so that it will also be easily maintained at room temperature.

The crawlspace is sealed, insulated, and partially conditioned so it is actually within the thermal envelope of the house. It can thus be used for storage as it is low in humidity and has no outside entrance. Radon vents were installed to reduce its possible build up in the house.