Roger wrote:

The message
from "IMM" contains these words:


Not so. You do it in phases. You
don't dig a trench all around the
building. You dig out 1.5 meters,
install insulation and backfill, and
work your way around the house.

You have to take into account all
building types when you give this
sort of advice. Thre are very old
buildings with no foundations at all
which would possibly not survive
this treatment.


This is true. The building in question is a barn, which would have the
floor excavated, and a new floor poured with insulation under. A massive
cold bridge would be to the side. This method solves that. In most houses
with a concrete slab floor it would too.


Seems we can add a complete lack of spatial awareness to the long list
of dIMMs other shortcomings. The insulation layer in the floor is almost
bound to be above ground level so insulating the external walls below
ground level is a complete waste of time, money and effort.

Not entirely true, since even after the insulation layer there is a
'pond' of warmth under a house. This des leak out via the ground to the
cold soil surface BUT stopping it going THROUGH the foundations is not a
lot of use, since there is effectively a massive cold bridge UNDER them.

If you have no floor insulation whatsoever, it probably makes a bit of
difference, but with decent floor insulation, its negligible as you say.

Polystyrene around foundations is normally applied to absorb soil heave,
not insulate.