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What material can be used to insulate a rubble trench foundation that is round?

Ryan Lambert| Posted inEnergy Efficiency and Durabilityon

What material can be used to insulate a rubble trench foundation that is round? I would also like to insulate the interior and exterior stem wall. The building is round with a diameter of about 14 ft.

This building will be a man shed and not to code or permitted as it is smaller than 150 sq ft.

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  1. GBA Editor
    Martin Holladay||#1

    Ryan,
    From a technical standpoint, the best insulation for this purpose would be closed-cell spray polyurethane foam. Presumably it could be sprayed against one side of the rubble trench before it was filled with rubble, but you would need an adventurous spray foam contractor -- and very firm soil -- to make the plan work.

    But from a man-cave perspective, the answer is clearly to leave the man cave uninsulated, and put on a sweater (or to throw a bison hide over your shoulders). Leave a hole in the center of the roof and light a fire in the middle of your concrete floor.

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