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We have these sheets of pink insulation with a light coat of concrete-paint-like stuff (?) wrapped all the way around the base of the house, and as can be seen, it is degrading in both appearance and effectiveness...

My question is a call for tips/suggestions, as I'm just not sure how to proceed... what would you do in this situation... Do I just begin replacing it sheet by sheet or examine different approaches altogether?

exterior house insulation

4 Answers 4

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Does that insulation go into the ground? In otherwords, is that exterior insulation for the basement foundation? If so, then it's pretty much useless at this point. It wasn't sealed properly and is likely waterlogged and providing minimal insulating value. In which case, you can just get rid of it.

If, on the other hand, it's insulation on our exterior walls of the house, I'd suggest trimming off a bit of the bottom (you don't want that stuff in direct contact with surface concrete or soil). I'd then probably consider some sort of cedar skirting to match the siding and glue it onto the insulation (again, making sure the skirting is not in contact with the ground).

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I have something similar at my home. It's below, but not underneath, the siding. It's over the foundation blocks. I'm in the process of just removing it altogether. From what I've been told by contractors it merely provides a small amount of "R" value for insulation but really does very little for protection from the elements (e.g. rain, etc.).

I won't be replacing mine but I will be going back with some Vulkem to seal under siding and along any cracks. I wanna keep out the riff-raff.

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Code here in Florida does not allow for insulating foam to come in contact with the ground because of termites. We need to leave a few inches of the wall exposed to check for mud tubes.

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What is behind the rigid foam? Consider the possibility that the foam is over the foundation, which may not bea good thing depending on where in the world you happen tobe.

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    Now you've got me curious, what's the downside of foam over the foundation? emjayess's profile lists Fargo, ND. I don't know enough about extreme cold weather construction to say if this is normal or not.
    – BMitch
    Jun 2, 2011 at 3:19
  • Water, creatures, mold - I'm sure there are others too.
    – chris
    Jun 2, 2011 at 20:44
  • Ok, I was reading into that a risk to the foundation, which should be able to withstand what nature throws at it (to a point). Sounds more like you and DA01 are thinking the same thing, that if foundation insulation isn't sealed, it's a risk to you and the home, not to mention less effective.
    – BMitch
    Jun 2, 2011 at 21:23

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